Neurobiology of Cognition Flashcards
What is cognition?
the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and senses
What are some frontal lobe functions?
voluntary movement reasoning personality inhibitions initiative
What are some parietal lobe functions?
knowing right from left reading writing body orientation calculation two point discrimination
What effects can be seen in a dominant hemisphere parietal lesion?
dysphasia dyscalculia dyslexia apraxia agnosia
What is Gerstmann Syndrome?
characterised by acalculia, agraphia, finger anomia and difficulty differentiating left and right
What are some temporal lobe functions?
memory hearing emotions recognising faces understanding speech
What is the main function of the occipital lobe?
visual reception
Which area is more posterior - Wernicke’s or Broca’s?
Wernicke’s
What type of aphasia is associated with Brocas area?
expressive
What type of aphasia is associated with Wernicke’s area?
receptive
What structures make up the limbic system?
hypothalamus
amygdala
hippocampus and dentate gyrus
cingulate gyrus
What are the functions of the hippocampus?
forming new memories
spatial memory and navigation
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
integrates the autonomic and endocrine systems
What is the main function of the amygdala?
emotion
What emotions are dealt with in the right amygdala?
negative emotions - fear, sadness
What emotions are dealt with in the left amygdala?
pleasant + unpleasant + reward system
What are the 3 stages of memory?
encoding
storage
retrieval
Is glutamate excitatory or inhibitory?
excitatory
What is dementia?
progressive cognitive decline
decline in previous levels of functioning and performing that isn’t explained by delirium or major psychiatric disorders
What percentage of over 65s have dementia?
6.4%
What is the criteria for a diagnosis of Alzheimers disease?
presence of dementia
insidious onset with slow deterioration
absence of clinical evidence to state decline may be caused by another system
absence of sudden onset focal neurological signs
What is the main pathology behind AD?
amyloid plaques
neurofibrillary tangles
What clinical findings lead to a diagnosis of vascular dementia?
abrupt/stepwise deterioration focal neurological signs hypertension carotid bruits episodes of clouded consciousness
What is the central feature of LEWY BODY dementia?
progressive dementia - deficits in attention and executive function.
memory impairment may not be evident early
What are other core features of LEWY BODY dementia?
fluctuating cognition and attention
recurrent complex visual hallucinations - well formed and detailed
spontaneous features of parkinsonism
What dementia does REM sleep behaviour disorder have associations with?
Lewy body dementia
What other features support a diagnosis of LBD?
repeated falls and fainting transient unexplained loss of consciousness autonomic dysfunction hallucinations visuospatial abnormalities
What is required for a probable LBD diagnosis?
dementia plus 2 or more core features
dementia plus one core feature and one or more suggestive features
What are Lewy Bodies?
alpha-synuclein proteins within the cytoplasm of neurons
What happens to the substantia nigra and acetylcholine producing neurons in LBD?
loss of dopamine in the SN
loss of acetylcholine producing neurons
What is another name for front-temporal dementia?
Pick’s Dementia
What features are usually preserved in front-temporal dementia?
memory
perception
spatial skills
praxis
What are Pick Bodies?
tau +ve spherical cytoplasmic neuronal inclusions composed of straight filaments
What are Pick cells?
ballooned neurones with dissolution of chroma in
What causes alcohol related dementia?
long term and excessive consumption of alcohol
What features make up alcohol related dementia?
memory impairment + 1 of :
apraxia aphasia agnosia functional impairment executive function impairment
