Neurophysiology Of Higher Cognition Flashcards
What are the components of cognition?
Language Social cognition Decision making Executive functioning Memory Visuospatial perception
What are the aspects of executive functioning in cognition?
Forward planning
Anticipation
Reasoning
What produces cognition?
extensive synaptic interactions b/w pyramidal cells of all neocortical association areas
How is spoken language produced?
Language conceptual system —> Mediational system —> Implementation system —> Spoken language
What makes up the Language implementation System?
Wernicke’s
Arcuate Fasciculus
Broca’s area
facial area of motor cortex
Where is the language mediation System?
Surrounding language implementation areas
What makes up the language mediation system?
Areas in temporal, parietal, and frontal association areas
What is the job of the language mediation system?
Relay info to language implementation system from language conceptual system
What is the role of the language conceptual system?
Example?
Provides concepts underlying our language
I.e. noun area that receives input from ventral visual pathways and provides us w/ names of things
Infants younger than 6 mos. are known as?
Why?
Language universalist
Recognize all sounds that might be language as distinct sound
Do not discrimination b/w relevant and irrelevant phenomes
What changes to language will occur in infants 6-9 mos. ?
Brains change and recognize specific language sounds of their native language
Will drop irrelevant phenomes
(ones that aren’t in their language)
When is the language process complete?
How do you now?
At one year old
First words indicate that all irrelevant phenomes are gone
(All spoken words will be intermingled regardless of language though)
If a second a language is learned during the language acquisition phase, what is activated?
Same pathway as that of the first language
From 0 -1 yr old
If a second language is learned after the language acquision phase, what region is activated?
Adjacent region of Broca’s Area
In adulthood, where is new language coded for?
In neighboring areas
Why is social cognition importnat?
Big factor in our ability to function in interpersonal and social situations
What 2 components is social cognition divided into?
Emotion comprehension
Theory of mind
How is social cognition tied to emotion comprehension?
◦ Neural circuits for recognizing emotion in others is alos involved in producing that same emotion in us
What is the process for emotional comprehension?
- Perception of facial expressions (recognize face is special)
- Emotion anatomical substrates
- Possible activation of Mirror neuron system
What are the anatomical substrates used to perceive facial expression (ID face as special)?
Superior temporal sulcus
Fusiform gyrus (fusiform face area)
In the process of emotional comprehension, what are the anatomical substrates used for emotion?
What circuitry do these use?
Amygdala
Prefrontal cortex
Anterior cingulate cortex
Same emotional circuitry to recognize as to produce
What activates the mirror neurons system?
Why is this system importnat?
when you do something or when you see someone else do same action
in imitation, imitative learning and emotional processing too
Where are the facial details that cue us to what emotion we are seeing concentrated at?
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
How will a normal person scan a face for emotion?
In the triangle of eyes, nose, and mouth
What controls the use of eyes and will direct our gaze to the facial triangle?
Amygdala
What is prosody?
‣ Study of tune and rhythm of speech and how these features contribute to meaning
How is Prosody perceived?
- Primary auditory cortex ID’s pitch, loudness, other characteristics
- Right posterior superior temporal sulcus integrates pieces to find MEANING
- Judgment of EMOTIONAL CONTENT in Frontal Cortex
What s the theory of mind?
◦ Ability to understand the mental states of others and to appreciate how these differ from our own
‣ Beliefs, desires, and intentions
‣ Recognizes EMOTIONS AND the BELIEFS that lead to that emotion AND that different people have different beliefs
What two pathways does the Theory of Mind require?
Core pathway
Accessory pathway
What does the Core Pathway of the Theory of Mind consist of?
Amygdala
Connections to Medial temporal lobes
Connections to Orbitofrontal areas
What is the medial temporal lobe for?
Memory, sensory processing
What is the Orbitofrontal area for?
Sensory and emotional processing
What are the components of the accessory pathway of the Theory of Mind?
Language
Executive functioning (frontal lobes)
What serves as a scaffold for theory of mind?
Language
Becomes less important as you age
What does the circuit for imitating interact with?
Limbic structures via the Insula
Why is imitative behavior important?
What will we imitate?
Crucial to development of social cognitive skill
Emotional state/behavior AND Motor behaviors
What is the flow of info thru the Mirror Neuron system?
- Posterior sector of the Supeiror Temporal sulcus
- Posterior Mirror Neuron System
- Anterior Mirror neuron system
What does the Posterior sector of the Supeiror Temporal sulcus do?
Provides visual input
What does the Posterior Mirror Neuron System do?
Identifies motor action
What does the Anterior Mirror Neuron system do?
ID’s goal of action
What type of decision does the Stimulus Encoding system do?
Decision with EXPLICIT risk
What are the anatomical substrates involved in the Stimulus Encoding System?
Function?
Orbitofrontal cortex
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Striatum
Evaluates EVIDENCE available in making decision
What systems are activated for making decision with AMBIGUOUS risk?
Action Selection system
Expected reward system
What are decisions with explicit risk?
◦ Decision where RISKS ARE KNOWN relies on stimulus encoding system
‣ Evaluates evidence available to make decision
What are decisions with ambiguous risk?
◦ Risks are unknown, decisions rely on expected reward system and eventually Action Selection System
‣ Predict reward, correct for error
What are the anatomical substrates involved in the Action Selection System?
Function?
Anterior cingulate cortex
‣ Learns and encodes the subjective value of the resutls.
‣ Involved in error detection
What are the anatomical substrates involved in the Expected Reward System?
Function?
Basal ganglia
Amygdala
Insular cortex
Intraparietal cortex
Predicts the expected reward
What is the function of the Insular cortex in the Expected Reward System?
Processes social emotion
What is the function of the Intraparietal cortex in the Expected Reward System?
Somatosensory processing, planning/intent
