Week One - Introduction to NP and CN

Question 1

What is Neuropsychology?

Answer 1

Study of how the brain operates to produce behaviours and thought processes.

Question 2

What is Clinical Neuroscience?

Answer 2

Scientific study of mechanisms that underlie disorders and diseases of the brain and CNS.

Question 3

What does Clinical Neuroscience focus on?

Answer 3

Identifying the underlying molecular and neural substrates of psychopathology and neurological disease.

Question 4

What do Clinical Neuropsychologists do?

Answer 4

Assess persons through clinical testing in order to describe the psychological and behavioural impairments associated with brain damage.

Question 5

What do Clinical Neuropsychologists aim to decribe?

Answer 5

The patient’s strengths and weaknesses in order to give advice concerning management and rehabilitation

Question 6

What is the role of experimental neuropsychologists?

Answer 6

Assess both non brain-impaired and impaired patients in order to model and further understand how the brain functions.

Question 7

Assessments can be used to predict and enhance what?

Answer 7

Social, educational and vocational outcomes

Question 8

How long do neuropsychological treatments range from?

Answer 8

A few short sessions to multiple extended sessions.

Question 9

What are the 2 models of brain function?

Answer 9

Localizationist position

Holistic position

Question 10

What did the Localisationist view propose? (Gall)

Answer 10

That each part of the brain performs a different and separate function - psychological traits such as courage, friendliness.

Brain area sizes correlated with personality/cog traits

Question 11

What did the Holistic view propose?

Answer 11

That the whole brain involved in all mental functioning.

Question 12

What is phrenology?

Answer 12

Proposes that if a given brain area is enlarged then the corresponding area of the skull will also be in enlarged

Question 13

What 2 positives influences did Gall have?

Answer 13

1) He drew attention to the possibility that localisation could exist
2) his prenology concept was used a means of diagnosis and a better guide to treatment of mental illness

Question 14

What is aphasia?

Answer 14

An inability to talk because te speech organs do not receive appropriate brian signals

Question 15

What is fluent aphasia?

Answer 15

Able to talk, but speech makes no sense

Question 16

What did Flourens propose?

Answer 16

The loss of function depends on the extent of the damage, not on the localisation of the lesion

Question 17

What did Flourens propose about cerebral material and mental functions?

Answer 17

It is equipotential and mental functions depend on the brain functioning as a whole - the size of the injuring (over location) determines the effects of brain injury

Question 18

What is multipotentiality of brain tissue?

Answer 18

The idea that each part of the brain participates in more than one function

Question 19

What did Jackson propose about theories of brain function?

Answer 19

The loss of a specific area of the brain would cause the loss or impairment of all higher skills dependent on that one area.

Question 20

Who is considered the father of neuropsychology?

Answer 20

Alexander Luria

Question 21

Alexander Luria proposed 3 basic functions that each area of the CNS is involved in - what are they called and what do they do?

Answer 21

1. unit for regulating tone, walking, and mental states (brain stem and associated areas - regulates the arousal level of the brain and maintenance of muscle tone)
2. unit got receiving, analysing and storing information (posterior areas of the cortex - reception, integrating and analysis of sensory info)
3. unit for programming, regulation and verification of activity (frontal and prefrontal lobes - planning, executing and verifying behaviour)

Question 22

Luria proposed that all behaviour requires what?

Answer 22

The interaction of the three functions

Question 23

What is the principle of pluripotentiality?

Answer 23

Where any given brain area can be involved in few or many behaviours - emphasises the multifunctional role of the brain