Neurobiology of cognition

Question 1

What is the function of wernickes area ?

Answer 1

It is the sensory area. It helps in understanding speech and using the correct words to express our thoughts.

Question 2

What is the function of broacs area

Answer 2

Broca’s area is the motor speech area and it helps in movements required to produce speech.

Question 3

What is the location of broacs area and what is the location of wernickes area ?

Answer 3

• Broacs area - is a region in located in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere, usually the left
• Wernickes area - classically located in the posterior section of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) in the (most commonly) left cerebral hemisphere.

Question 4

Define aphasia

Answer 4

inability (or impaired ability) to understand or produce speech, as a result of brain damage to the frontal, temporal &/or parietal lobes of the dominant hemisphere

Question 5

Describe receptive aphasia (also known as werickes aphasia)

Obv its due to damage to wernickes area

Answer 5

• Patients speech is fluent, but the words which are spoken are incorrect (can vary from a few incorrect words to complete nonsense)
• Those whom recover from this describe it as not being able to understand what people are saying

Question 6

Describe expressive aphasia (also known as brocas aphasia)

Answer 6

• Patients are able to understand language (wernickes area still working) but they lose fluency of their speech
• Those whom recover describe it as being unable to get the words out despite knowing what they want to say

Question 7

Where is the angular gyrus located and what functions is it involved in ?

Answer 7

• Located in the parietal lobe near the superior edge of the temporal lobe
• It is involved in a number of processes related to - language, spatial cognition, memory retrieval, attention & theory of mind

Question 8

Describe nominal aphasia and the type of lesion it is due to

Answer 8

• This is when patients are unable to name familiar objects, but language is otherwise preserved
• When this type of aphasia presents on its own then it suggests a lesion to the angular gyrus (inferior parietal lobe lesion)

Question 9

This is covered in another set of flashcards but recall that neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plauqes are key to the pathogenesis of alzhimers disease

Question 10

Just look over this, it should be covered in neuro (hopefully)

Question 11

What is the function of each of the following:

1. Striatal interneurones
2. Nucleus basalis of Meynert
3. Medial septal nucleus

Answer 11

1. Striatal interneurones (motor control)
2. Nucleus basalis of Meynert (attention/arousal)
3. Medial septal nucleus (learning & memory)