Week 2: Lecture Flashcards
What does the Wernicke-Geschwind model propose?
A classic model of language involving Broca’s area for production and Wernicke’s area for comprehension.
Why is the Wernicke-Geschwind model considered outdated?
- Based on outdated anatomy
- Lacks representation of distributed language connectivity
- Too modular and “language-centric”
- Ignores subcortical structures and connections
What do the dorsal and ventral language pathways do?
Dorsal: Transforms sound into motor representations
Ventral: Transforms sound into meaning
Which subcortical structures are also involved in language?
Basal Ganglia: Motor output
Thalamus: Sensory-motor relay (“switchboard”)
What is unique about right hemisphere contributions to language?
Some comprehension and reading ability, but limited speech and writing output.
What defines fluent aphasias?
Fluent speech with impairments in comprehension or repetition.
What is Wernicke’s Aphasia?
Impaired sound categorization with fluent but nonsensical speech (“word salad”).
What is transcortical aphasia (isolation syndrome)?
Intact repetition and naming but lack of spontaneous speech; no cognitive linkage.
What is anomic aphasia?
Difficulty naming objects, often linked to the temporal cortex (TE).
What is conduction aphasia?
Intact speech and comprehension but poor repetition due to a disconnect between perception and motor output.
What defines nonfluent aphasias?
Comprehension remains but speech production is effortful.
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Halting, grammatically poor speech with preserved understanding.
What is transcortical motor aphasia?
Good repetition but poor spontaneous speech.
What is global aphasia?
Severe speech and comprehension deficits.
What is alexia?
Loss of reading ability while writing remains relatively intact.
What is agraphia?
Inability to write, often due to right hemisphere damage.
What is word deafness?
Inability to comprehend spoken language, with intact speech, reading, and writing.
What are emotions, in neuropsychological terms?
Action dispositions and states of vigilant readiness.
What makes emotions universal?
Emotional expressions are recognizable across cultures.
What is the communicative function of emotions?
They help convey internal states and intentions to others.
What is the Papez circuit?
Includes the anterior thalamus, hypothalamus, cingulate cortex, and hippocampus.
What is the limbic system?
Papez circuit plus the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and parts of the basal ganglia.
What does Electrodermal Activity (EDA) measure?
Skin conductance linked to arousal.
What are the two pathways in LeDoux’s model?
Low Road: Thalamus → amygdala (fast, unconscious)
High Road: Thalamus → cortex → amygdala (slower, conscious)
What does Damasio’s theory propose about reasoning and emotion?
They are intertwined; bodily sensations (somatic markers) guide decision-making.
What role does the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) play according to Damasio?
Evaluates stimulus-response associations in real time.
What does Gainotti’s model suggest about hemispheres?
Right hemisphere: Emotional processing
Left hemisphere: Cognitive tasks
What does Davidson’s model suggest about valence?
Right hemisphere: Negative emotions
Left hemisphere: Positive emotions
What is a common critique of Gainotti and Davidson’s models?
They are considered too general, with weak scientific evidence.
How is language processed in the brain?
By a distributed network involving cortical (e.g., Broca, Wernicke) and subcortical (e.g., thalamus, basal ganglia) areas.
How are emotional responses generated and regulated?
Through interactions between sensory processing, physiological markers, and evaluation circuits involving the limbic system.
