PSYC 492 UNIT 2 - 2.29.24 Language & Memory

Question 1

Explain the pathway for auditory processing.

Answer 1

1. Receptors in cochlea
2. Auditory nerve (Cranial Nerve VIII Vestibulocochlear)
3. Cochlear Nucleus (Medualla)
4. Superior olivary nucleus
5. Inferior colliculus
6. Medial geniculate nucleus (thalamus)
7. Primary auditory cortex

Question 2

List key left hemispheric cortical structures in auditory processing.

Answer 2

• Broca’s Area
• Wernicke’s Area
• Arcuate Fasciculus

Question 3

What is Broca’s Area responsible for?

Answer 3

• Expressive speech
• Mediates fluency of speech
• Also plays a role in grammatical and syntactical arrangement of words

Question 4

What is Wernicke’s Area responsible for?

Answer 4

• Connects sounds to word meanings
• comprehension

Question 5

What is the arcuate fasciculus?

Answer 5

the white matter tract connecting Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas

Question 6

Define:

Aphasia

Answer 6

An aphasia is a disturbance of language use or comprehension not due to dysarthia (difficult/unclear articulation of speech that is otherwise linguistically normal) or apraxia (general ability to perform purposeful actions – in this case, an inability to speak; form words).

Question 7

What observations are made when diagnosing aphasias?

Answer 7

Spontaneous speech: is speech fluent or non-fluent?
Paraphasic Errors: incorrectly replacing either phonemes (phonemic paraphasia) or words/meanings (semantic paraphasia)
Neologisms: made-up words

Question 8

How do you test for aphasia?

Answer 8

• Repitition
• Auditory Comprehension
• Naming
• Reading
• Writing

Question 9

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Broca’s aphasia

Answer 9

Fluency: non-fluent, hesitant, telegraphic
Naming: impaired
Repetition: impaired
Comprehension: preserved
Reading/Writing: Agrammatical, spelling errors

Question 10

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Transcortical Motor Aphasia

Answer 10

Fluency: non-fluent, halting, initiation
Naming: impaired
Repetition: preserved
Comprehension: preserved
Reading/Writing: inaccuracies

near Broca’s

Question 11

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Conduction Aphasia

Answer 11

Fluency: Fluent but with some phonemic errors
Naming: Preserved
Repetition: Impaired
Comprehension: Preserved
Reading/Writing: Impaired

arcuate fasciculus

Question 12

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Anomic Aphasia

Answer 12

Fluency: Fluent w/ word finding issues; circumlocution
Naming: Impaired
Repetition: Preserved
Comprehension: Preserved
Reading/Writing: Preserved

Question 13

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Answer 13

Fluency: Fluent, but empty content
Naming: Impaired
Repetition: Impaired
Comprehension: Impaired
Reading/Writing: Inaccuracies

Question 14

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Transcortical sensory

Answer 14

Fluency: Fluent, echolalia
Naming: Impaired
Repetition: Preserved
Comprehension: Impaired
Reading/Writing: Preserved

angular gyrus

Question 15

Describe fluency, naming, repitition, comprehension, reading/writing:

Global

Answer 15

Fluency: Non-fluent
Naming: Impaired
Repetition: Impaired
Comprehension: Impaired
Reading/Writing: Impaired

Question 16

Review and understand map of fluent and non-fluent aphasias. (slide 7)

Question 17

Describe:

Sensory Memory

Answer 17

fleeting, related to sensory processing (look for more info)

Question 18

Describe:

Short-term memory

Answer 18

limited capacity (7+/-2 bits); degrades if not rehearsed (look for more info)

Question 19

Describe:

Long-term memory

Answer 19

ability to learn and retain new information

Question 20

What are the two main types of long-term memory?

Answer 20

• procedural/implicit: involved in performance of different actions/skills (muscle memory)
• declarative/explicit: conscious recollection of particular facts and events

Question 20

What are the two types of long-term declarative/explicit memory?

Answer 20

• semantic (things you’ve learned/memorized)
• episodic (personal knowledge/memories)

Question 21

What is working memory?

Answer 21

ability to hold and manipulate information “online” for greater and more complex cognitive utility

Question 22

Where does working memory occur?

Answer 22

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Question 23

Explain/understand conceptual map/diagram of working memory (slide 11)

Question 24

What are the 3 main components/elements of long-term memory?

Answer 24

Encoding: being attentive to/taking in information
Consolidation/storage: LOOK
Retrieval: LOOK

Question 25

What model found the distinction between brain structures involved in encoding versus retrieval?

Answer 25

Hemispheric-Encoding-Retrieval-Asymmetry (HERA) Model

Question 26

According to the HERA model, where does Episodic Encoding occur? Where does Retrieval occur?

Answer 26

(according to the HERA Model)
Episodic Encoding occurs in the left, dorsolateral frontal cortex
Retrieval occurs in the right, prefrontal cortex

Question 27

Though there is some support for the HERA models, what are some considerations?

Answer 27

• fMRI vs. other modalities
• Verbal vs. non-verbal
• what about individuals with unilateral lesions or split brain?

Question 28

Where does memory consolidation and storage occur?

Answer 28

Medial temporal lobe, in particular the hippocampus (binds experiences and strengthens connections/activity patterns)

Question 29

How does memory consolidation and storage occur?

Answer 29

In the medial temporal lobe, particularly the hippocampus, “binds” experiences and strengthens connections/activity patterns.

Eventually, connections become strong enough that the hippocampus is no longer needed.
- Semantic knowledge is more associated with temporal and frontal lobes (HERA model)
- spatial memory seems confined to the hippocampus
- implicit memory seems to be more associated with cerebellum, basal ganglia, and motor cortex