PHYS: Higher Cortical Function Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 6 layers of cerebral cortex?

A
  • I, II, III - intracortical association fibres (mainly interneurons within that region of cortex)
  • IV - incoming sensory fibres terminate
  • V, VI - output fibres leaving cortex (V to brain stem/SC, VI to thalamus)
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2
Q

What are higher cortical functions?

A
  • Executive functions - planning, decision-making, attention
  • Reasoning, memory, learning
  • Language, musical appreciation
  • Emtoional feelings and expression, motivation
  • Self-awareness, body image
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3
Q

What are the 3 major divisions of association cortex?

A
  • Pariteo-occipito-temporal AA
    • polysensory integration and language
  • Prefrontal AA
    • executive functions, motor planning, working memory, attention
  • Limbic AA
    • memory, emotion, motivation
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4
Q

What is the function of the parieto-occipito-temporal association area? What is the result of damage to these areas?

A
  • Provides interpretive meaning
  • Spatial coordinates (continuous analysis of spatial orientation)
    • Damage: failure to plan movement of opposite side of body
  • Processing of visual language (reading)
    • Damage: lose reading language comprehension
  • Naming objects area (coordinates names learnt - visual names and physical nature
    • Damage: lose names
  • Language comprehension area (Wernicke’s)
    • Damage: can’t process language
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5
Q

What are the function of the prefrontal association area?

A
  • Ability to plan consequences and actions
  • Calling forth information and using it to obtain a goal
  • Working memory
  • Elaboration of thought
    • correlate divegent info
    • culture appropriate personality/behaviour
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6
Q

What are the consequences of lesions to the prefrontal cortex?

A

Loss of:

  • Complex problem-solving
  • Ability to perform sequential tasks
  • Ability to learn parallel tasks
  • Morals, social appropriateness
  • Purpose
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7
Q

What is the function of the Limbic Association Cortex? What does damage here cause?

A
  • Behaviour, judgement, insight, emotions & motivation
  • Provides emotional drive for activating other brain regions
  • Motivational drive for learning
    • Damage: difficulties iwth abstract reasoning, judgement and mood
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8
Q

What functions of the brain are involved in communication?

A
  • Sensory integration (audiovisual)
  • Formation thoughts: choosing words (Wernicke’s area)
  • Motor control of vocalization: vocalization (Broca’s area)
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9
Q

What is Wernicke’s area function (parieto-occipito-temporal AA)?

A
  • General interpretive area
    • integrates comprehensive interpretive function
    • integrates auditory/visual/somatic AAs
  • Language-based intellectual function
    • integrates senses to form thoughts

So potent as integrative centre due to its location.

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10
Q

What is the function of Broca’as area (prefrontal AA)?

A
  • Pre-motor speech - word formation
    • initation & execution of plans & motor patterns for expressing words
    • initiates skilled patterns of movement
      • larynx, lip, mouth, repsiratory & accessory muscles
    • articulation
      • intonation, timing, intensity changes, sequential sound
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11
Q

Explain how higher executive function is lateralised

A

Left:

  • language
  • reading
  • mathematical/analytical
  • music (musicians)

Right:

  • body image
  • complex spatial tasks
  • non-verbal ideation
  • music (non-musicians)
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