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Neuroscience > Spatial Cognition > Flashcards

Spatial Cognition Flashcards

1
Q

What visual system is used for spatial processing?

A

Dorsal visual system.

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2
Q

Where are many of the key components of the dorsal visual stream found?

A

In the parietal lobe. (The post central gyrus)

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3
Q

What is a crucial part of the DSV?

A

The posterior parietal cortex.

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4
Q

What parts are within the posterior parietal cortex?

A

The superior parietal lobule and the inferior parietal lobule, separated by the intraparietal sulcus.

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5
Q

What three main sections of the brain send info to the DSV?

A
  1. The primary visual cortex
  2. Somatosensory cortex (anterior parietal lobe)
  3. Vestibular system
    (The convergence of senses helps to orient oneself)
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6
Q

In what 4 ways are the cells in the DSV wells suited for spatial processing?

A
  1. They are responsive to a combination of the retinal location of the visual stimulus and the position of the eye on the animal. (Allows for a visual map to be created)
  2. The cells fire in response to a specific direction of motion - either inward toward the centre of the visual field or outward toward the periphery. (Allows for tracking of moving objects)
  3. The optimal velocity at which these cells fire is the same pace as the walking or running speed off an animal.
  4. The cells fire in close relationship with planned movement, such as reaching or grabbing.
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7
Q

What are the three different dimensions of space, that the brain has to work with?

A

Vertical, horizontal and depth.

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8
Q

What causes left-right confusion?

A

Damage to either side of the dorsal stream.

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9
Q

How does damage to the left side of the dorsal stream differ to damage on the right?

A

Left: Left-right confusion
Right: Disruption in the left-right discriminations that require a spatial transformation.

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10
Q

What regions of the brain are used in depth perception?

A

Inferior parietal lobe, area 7a, the lateral intraparietal area and V5.

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11
Q

Briefly explain the concept of frames of reference?

A

We understand the spatial location of an item with respect to multiple reference points.

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12
Q

What are the three ego-centric reference frames?

A

Body-centred, head-centred and eye-centred.

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13
Q

What is an allocentric reference frame?

A

The spatial relations between the item in question and other items around it.

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14
Q

When would a cell in the head-centred ego-centric reference system fire?

A

When a visual stimulus appears a certain distance from the midline of the head.

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15
Q

Which cells are more sensitive to ego-centric referencing?

A

Cells within the lateral intraparietal lobe. The LIP also plays a role in eye movement.

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16
Q

Which cells are more sensitive to allocentric referencing?

A

Cells in the 7a area, in the superior parietal lobe.

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17
Q

Where does the info go after the allocentric cells fire in area 7a?

A

To the parahippocampal gyrus, which is important to navigation.

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18
Q

How does the brain create object-centred info when it’s receiving eye-centred info?

A

A group of cells first fires coded info about the objects location in retinotopic coordinates and then 100ms later the same group fires again representing object-centred coordinates.

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19
Q

Damage to which area causes ego-centric neglect?

A

The supermarginal gyrus of the right parietal lobe.

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20
Q

Damage to which are causes object-centred neglect?

A

Middle and inferior temporal lobe regions.

21
Q

What are categorical spacial relations? Which hemisphere is used?

A

Position of one location to another in dichotomous terms - left and right, up and down etc. The left hemisphere.

22
Q

What are metric spacial relations? Which hemisphere is used?

A

The distance between two locations. The right hemisphere.

23
Q

What is constructional praxis?

A

Manipulating items so that they have specific spatial relations. Right hemisphere related.

24
Q

What is constructional apraxia?

A

The inability to manipulate items into specific spatial relations.

25
Q

Damage to which areas causes problems with motion perception?

A

Medial temporal and medial superior temporal (V5 and MST) areas.

26
Q

What is optic flow, and what section of the brain does it use?

A

The pattern of movement of images on your retina as you move through the environment. The Medial Superior Temporal area is used.

27
Q

What excites the MST? And the MT?

A

MST: Bilateral optic flow activity.
MT: Simple motion in the contralateral field.

28
Q

What is Hemholtz’s hypothesis on tracking eye movement?

A

The motor regions of the brain must inform the visual regions of the plan to move the eyes - a corollary discharge signals the visual system of the upcoming movement.

29
Q

What is the second, unnamed, hypothesis on tracking eye movement?

A

Sensory receptors within the eye muscles provide on-going information about the change in position of the eye.

30
Q

What proof do they have for the second hypothesis on tracking eye movement?

A

Monkey cells within the somatosensory cortex can represent the position of the eyes, and these cells respond to somatosensory cues and not motor cortex commands.

31
Q

How is our whole body involved in tracking eye movement etc.?

A

The vestibular system sends sensory info of the body’s movement and orientation to the MST, and the MST integrates this info with the retinal image info.

32
Q

What areas are used in rotation motion perception?

A

Superior Temporal Cortex and Inferior Parietal Cortex (especially in the right hemisphere) (In monkeys, at least)

33
Q

What is the Anti-Saccade task?

A

Research into the dissociation of stimulus location and location of the intended movement - the lateral intraparietal cells first code for the location of the stimulus, and then change firing to code for location of the planned movement.
Neural activity is seen first in the side contralateral to the stimulus, then changes over to the side contralateral to the movement.

34
Q

What are the two regions involved in stimulus recognition and planned movement?

A

Lateral intraparietal cortex - for planned eye movement, the medial intraparietal cortex - for planned arm-reaching movement.

35
Q

What is optic ataxia, and what causes it?

A

A failure in visually guided reaching, caused by damage to superior parietal lobe.

36
Q

What are the three features of Balint’s Syndrome, and what causes it?

A
  1. Inability to perceive the visual field as a whole (Simultanagnosia)
  2. Difficulty in fixating the eyes. (Occulomotor apraxia)
  3. Difficulty moving the hand to a specific object by using vision (Optic apraxia)
    - Bilateral occipito-parietal lobe damage.
37
Q

What is the difference between route-based and cognitive map strategies?

A

Route-based = egocentric

Cognitive map = allocentric

38
Q

What 5 cells are used in creating maps in our brains?

A
  1. Place cells (in the hippocampus)
  2. Grid cells (in the entorhinal cortex)
  3. Head-direction cells
  4. Border cells
  5. Speed cells
39
Q

How do place cells work?

A

Each cell codes for a specific place in the local environment, with neighbouring cells doing the same thing to create a full image.

40
Q

How do grid cells work?

A

They fire periodically in a hexagonal pattern, and the sensory input sets initial parameters for the grid. Cells in different parts of the brain code for different distances and orientation (Dorsomedial cells code for larger areas than ventrolateral cells)

41
Q

How do speed cells work?

A

They monitor how fast the animal is moving - firing more rapidly for faster animals. The speed code is prospective, dealing with the future actions of the animal (50-80 ms in advance). The firing rate is independent of location or visual input.

42
Q

Where is the parahippocampal place area and what does it do?

A

Its in the entorhinal cortex and deals with perception of places, coding for landmarks that are important for navigation.

43
Q

What is ego-centric disorientation and what causes it?

A

The inability to recognise an object’s location in relation to oneself. Caused by posterior parietal damage, bilateral or right.

44
Q

What is landmark-agnosia and what causes it?

A

The inability to recognise landmarks, caused by damage to the medial surface of the occipital lobe and parahippocampal gyrus.

45
Q

What is anteretrograde disorientation and what causes it?

A

The inability to construct new representations of environments, caused by damage to the parahippocampal gyrus.

46
Q

What is developmental topographical disorientation and what causes it?

A

The inability to construct a cognitive map. Caused by disconnection/miscommunication between hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

47
Q

What is the retrosplenial cortex involved in?

A

It’s important for retrieving memories of where particular landmarks are in relation to bigger environments.

48
Q

What are some of the challenges to the dorsal/ventral steam split?

A

Some processes involve both spatial and object recognition, the parietal lobe is involved in more than just spatial cognition, parts of the brain other than these streams are used in processing objects and space (e.g. hippocampus)

Neuroscience (9 decks)

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