neuropsychology Flashcards
what does neuropsych study
brain and behaviour
examines structure of healthy/normal brain across development
what is clinical neuropsych
neuropsych meets clinical psych
what are the 2 main components of clinical neuropsych
- assessing and diagnosing neurological disorder
- assessing changes in cognition, behaviour and mood
- estimating one’s previous functioning
- identifying strengths/weaknesses
- assist to identify problems if cause unknown - treating, rehabilitating, psycho-education, counselling
- educating clients and families, counselling them, therapeutic approaches
what is congenital hypothyrodism
thyroid gland is underactive at birth
does not produce hormone thyroxine that regulates metabolic rate-essential for brain development
what is cerebral palsy
occurs during foetal development and birth
leads to motor and postural problems
how can neurones die?
- blood supplies brain with glucose, oxygen metabolises it, essential for cells to function
- can die as a result of disease e.g. alzheimers
- can die of physical injury
what is MS?
• An autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord) by destroying the coating of the nerves
• The immune system attacks the body’s own tissue
myelin sheath breaks down, effects transmission of electrical impulses
faulty functioning of nerves rather than death
what is diffuse damage
damage that is widespread throughout the brain
not easy to detect on brain scans
may cause small bleeds in brain
what is focal damage
damage that is concentrated in one or more areas of the brain
better at detecting it on brain scans
exact location will determine deficits that will occur
what is a static event
a one off event that causes brain damage (acute)
after one off events, a person’s condition stabilises and and can improve
it is important to get immediate medical attention however
define degenerative processes
involve chronic, underlying diseases that result in increasing amounts of damage and worsens over time
e.g. alzheimers, parkinsons, huntingtons
there is some treatment, but only treats symptoms and not disease
what is the brain like in its natural state?
soft, comparable to jelly/soft tofu
what are meninges
they consist of 3 layers that cover the brain and spinal cord to protect
what are the 3 layers in the meninges
dura
subarachnoid layers
pia mater
what is the dura
dense, inelastic membrane and adheres to skull
what are the subarachnoid layers
in between these is the subarachnoid space
this is well blood vessels and fibrous tissue are
this is where haemorrhage/bleeding may occur
pia mater
delicate, adheres itself to brain
name 5 main causes of brain damage
- vascular causes e.g. stoke, brain cancers
- TBI e.g. car accident
- infection e.g. bacterial or fungal
- neurodegenerative disease e.g. alzheimers, parkinsons, huntingtons
- autoimmune disorders e.g. MS
5 toxins e.g. lead poisoning, alcohol/substance abuse
what is the cortex
divided into left and right hemisphere
made up of grey matter which increases it’s surface area
what do sulci comprise of
grooves and fissures
what do gyri comprise of
convolutions/folds
what is symmetrical organisation
left and right hemisphere mirror each other in terms of structure and function
e.g. visual info and touch
tendency for contra-lateral control
what is contra-lateral control
left hemisphere controls right side of body and vice versa
what is asymmetrical organisation
left and right hemisphere do not mirror each other
e.g. language in left hemisphere, not in right
4 lobes in brain and what they do
Frontal lobes- motor, executive functions, mood, behaviour
Parietal- somatosensory (touch)
Occipital- sight
Temporal- hearing, memory
what are short fibres
connect one part of the lobe to another