Neurobiology and Neurochemistry of Cognition

Question 1

what is brocas area responsible for?

Answer 1

controls motor functions involved with speech production

lower portion of the left frontal lobe

Question 2

what is wernickes area responsible for?

Answer 2

is responsible for the comprehension of speech

is damaged - wernickes aphasia (say random words not related to question asked)

temporal lobe on the left side

Question 3

what part of brain is thought to be metabolically overactive in depression?

Answer 3

brodmann area 25

Question 4

how do acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmie) work in Alzheimers?

Answer 4

boost cholinergic transmission (boosts memory) but doesnt treat underlying pathological process

Question 5

what role does memantine have in Alzheimers?

Answer 5

low affinity voltage dependent non-competitive antagonist of NDMA receptors
may preferentially inhibit excessive NMDA receptor activation associated with excitotoxicity and spare normal function

Question 6

what symptoms do you tend to get with frontotemporal dementia?

Answer 6

behavioural changes
progressive non-fluent aphasia
semantic dementia

Question 7

what causes wernicke’s encephalopathy?

Answer 7

thiamine deficiency

Question 8

what are symptoms of wernicke’s encephalopathy?

Answer 8

ophthalmoplegia
confusion
ataxia

also visual impairment, hearing impairment, reduced conscious level, hypothermia, lactic acidosis, circulatory changes

give IM/IV pabrinex then oral thiamine

Question 9

give examples of alcohol related brain damage?

Answer 9

wernickes encephalopathy 
korsakoff syndrome 
myelin sheath degradation 
neuroinflammation
fall -> subdural haematoma

Question 10

what are symptoms of korsakoff syndrome?

Answer 10

anterograde amnesia (inability to form new memories)
may get retrograde amnesia
telescoping of events (think they happened more recent than they did)