The Brain Flashcards
What are the three main areas of the brain
cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem
What part of the brain is involved in complex thought, perception, and action
the cerebrum
The cortex and subcortical areas are in which part of the brain
the cerebrum
What is the name of the outside layer of the brain
the cortex
What are gyri
folds of the cortex
The cortex is divided into what divisions
two halves (right and left) which are further divided into four lobes (frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal)
Where is the corpus callosum located
in the cortex
what is the corpus callosum
the thick band of nerves that connect the right and left hemispheres of the cortex
Which hemisphere inside of the cortex controls language and motor control
the left (think of L=Language)
Which hemisphere inside of the cortex is involved with memory and rational, logical, abstract and analytical thinking
left
What disorders result from damage to the left hemisphere
aphasia, agraphia, anomia, motor disturbances, and apraxia
define aphasia
loss of ability to understand or express speech
define agraphia
loss in the ability to communicate through writing
define anomia
inability to recall names of everyday objects
define apraxia
difficulties speaking
Concious coping and problem solving occur in which part of the brain
left hemisphere
perception, visuospatial, artistic, intuitive and musical abilities are associated with which part of the brain
right hemisphere
which part of the brain allows a person to understand another persons emotions
right hemisphere
damage to the right hemisphere results in what
left side hemineglect, prosopagnosia, affective abnormalities, visual perceptual disturbances
define left side hemineglect
neglects the left side of the body
define prosopagnosia
inability to recognize faces of familiar people
which hemisphere of the brain is referred to as the unconscious mind
right hemisphere
name the lobes of the brain
frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
which lobe is the largest portion of the brain
frontal lobe
the prefrontal cortex, premotor area, and motor area are in which lobe of the brain
frontal lobe
which lobe is critical to personality, emotionality, ambition, planning, abstract thinking, cognitive flexibility, initiative, and judgment
prefrontal
what is the premotor cortex responsible for
planning and instigating movement
where is broca’s area located
left frontal lobe
what does broca’s area control
muscles that produce speech
damage to which lobe results in changes in personality, emotional lability, inattention, perservation, inability to express language, and problems with problem solving
broca’s area, located in the left frontal lobe
what is the parietal lobe responsible for
processing somatosensory information by integrating the shape, size, weight, and texture to create a 3D object
which lobe is responsible for directing attention and visuospatial skills
right parietal lobe
which lobe is responsible for overlearned motor activities and linguistic activities
left parietal lobe
damage to the parietal lobe results in
anomia (naming objects), agraphia (difficulty writing), and alexia (problems reading), acalcula (difficulty with math), difficulty drawing objects, distinguishing right from left, lack of awareness of body parts, eye hand coordination, problems attending to more than one object at a time
Define Gerstmann’s syndrome and where it occurs in the brain
left parietal lobe due to lesions. agraphia, acalcula, right-left disorientation, finger agnosia (cannot recognize fingers as a part of their body)
The limbic system is involved in
emotional behavior and memory
The left temporal lobe is involved in
verbal memory and language comprehension (wernicke’s area)
The right temporal lobe is involved in
visual memory
damage to the temporal lobe results in
increased aggressive behavior, increase or decrease in sexual behavior, interference with memory, problems understanding speech (Wernicke’s aphasia), temper, aggression
Damage to the occipital lobe causes
difficulty recognizing drawn object, identifying colors, hallucinations, illusions, difficulty recognizing words
the main three areas of the subcortical area are
corpus callosum, limbic system, basal ganglia
serves as a bridge between left and right hemisphere
corpus callosum
what is the primitive brain that plays a key role in survival
limbic system
The limbic system is largely involved in
emotions, fear, anger, pleasure, sex and hunger drives, learning, olfactory, and memory
which is more complex? the limbic system or the brain stem
limbic system
Limbic circuits do what
blend emotions, bodily functions, and social interactions
the key structures of the limbic system are
thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and septum
which system releases hormones related to fear
limbic system
which system creates motivational drives, non rational emotional states, and appraises incoming perceptions
limbic system
which system encodes memories
limbic system
implicit memory is processed in the
amygdala
explicit memory is processed in the
hippocampus
attachment to caregivers is done in the
limbic system
all sensory input (except smell) is received here before being processed
thalamus
Abnormalities in the thalamus are linked to which mental condition
schizophrenia
what systems is the hypothalamus linked to
endocrine and autonomic nervous system
Homeostasis is the key function of
hypothalamus
define suprachiamatic nucleus
circadian clock
directly influences the pituitary glands
hypothalamus
functions of the hypothalamus include
fever, feeding, fighting, falling asleep, sex
the main function of the hippocampus is
memory
consolidating short term into long term memories is done by the
hippocampus
which system is the hippocampus a part of
limbic system
which side of the hippocampus is responsible for explicit memory
left
which side of the hippocampus is responsible for episodic and autobiographical forms of memory
right
which area of the limbic system attaches emotional significance to sensory input
amygdala
what type of memory is the amygdala responsible for
emotional memory
PTSD is linked to the
amygdala
which part of the limbic system is responsible for face perception
amygdala
does the amygdala increase or decrease aggression
increase
what is Kluver Bucy Syndrome
placid, apathetic, hypersexual, eating excessively, agnosia
what system is the septum located
limbic
what does the septum do
decreases aggression
what part of the brain is important in coordinating movement and posture
basal ganglia
the main nuclei of the basal ganglia are the
caudate nucleus, putamen, substantia nigra, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus
what part of the brain is important in stopping movement while maintaining posture
basal ganglia
What is Huntington’s disease and what part of the brain is involved
unwanted extraneous movement, basal ganglia
What is Parkinson’s disease and what part of the brain is involved
difficulty initiating movement due to the loss of dopaminergic nerons in the substantia nigra. Have rigidty and bradykinesia (slowed movements) basal ganglia
What disorders are linked to the basal ganglia
Huntingtons, Parkinsons, Tourettes syndrom, and OCD
What is the second largest structure in the brain
cerebellum
What structure of the brain receives excitatory inputs for maintaining movement and motor activity
cerebellum
the main problem with the cerebellum is
ataxia - lack of coordination of voluntary movements without weakness or sensory loss
Problems with posture, gait, incorrect timing in muscles, vertigo, inability to reach out, and problems with fine movements result in problems with the
cerebellum
what is another name for the reptilian brain
brain stem
what does the brain stem do
monitor and modify basic bodily functions such as heart rate and respiration. influences state of arousal
is the brain stem an extension of the spinal cord
yes
What are the three parts of the brain stem called
pons, medulla, reticular formation
Pons is the _____ part of the brain stem
upper
Medulla is the ____ part of the brain stem
lower
Damaging the brain stem is no big deal
false
important in awareness, attention, and sleep
reticular formation
What is the RAS
reticular activating system, involved in the sleep wake cycle and filters for information that mediates alertness
Fight or Freeze reactions are controlled by the
brain stem
