Wk12 Frontal Lobes & Higher Functions

Question 1

What are some “supervisory functions” of the Fontal lobes? 3

Answer 1

WM, inhibition, control, interacting with social/physical environment

Question 2

What was the main thing that happened to Phineas Gage after his accident?

Answer 2

He underwent a dramatic personality shift

Question 3

What area of brain was damaged, phineas gage?

Answer 3

frontal cortex

Question 4

What neuropathology was associated with Arnold Pick? 2

Answer 4

Frontotemporal atrophy “knife like” thinning of the gyri in the frontal and temporal lobes 
Swollen “pick” cells with abnormal tau proteins

Question 5

What were abnormal spontaneous behaviours associated with frontotemporal dementia in Arnold Pick’s case?

Answer 5

Inappropriate jocularity 
Echolalia (repeating others’ words)
Echopraxia (repeating gestures)
Disinhibited approach or utilisation behaviours 
Unkempt, depsressed
Primitive reflexes (grasp, suck, snout, toes)

Question 6

What are the classic frontal lobe syndromes? (Which may not actually exist) 2

Answer 6

Orbitofrontal dysfunction: 
Aggression & social inappropriateness, apathy, disinhibition

Dorsomedial or dorsolateral dysfunction: 
apathy, decrease are spontaneity.

Question 7

What was more severe in Pick’s case of FTD, speech and language or memory impairment?

Answer 7

Speech and language not as severe as behavioural

Question 8

What movement disorders were found in Pick? 2

Answer 8

Perseveration & akinesia (rigidity)

Question 9

What were two early forms of frontal lobotomy?

Answer 9

Leucotome (extruding cutting wire from a rod) 
Transorbital sectioning (through the eye)

Question 10

What was the aim of frontal lobotomies at the time?

Answer 10

Calm down severe psychiatric patients

Question 11

Who invented transorbital lobotomies?

Answer 11

Walter Freeman, the travelling man

Question 12

What did Fulton and Jakobsen think of Freemans transorbital lobotomy?

Answer 12

They didn’t like it and said it would be better to use a gun if they wanted ‘efficiency’

Question 13

Why were frontal lobotomy patients “stimulus-bound”? 3

Answer 13

They reacted to whatever was in front of them and didn’t respond to imaginary situations, rules, or plans in the future.

Question 14

What neuropathology was found in W.R.? How did his life change?

Answer 14

Astrocytoma, very large. Invading lateral prefrontal cortex. 
Lost interest/motivation in many things & couldn’t attach emotions to his own prognosis.

Question 15

What does damage to the frontal lobes seem to cause?

Answer 15

Apathy
Irritibility, aggression
Poor social control, inappropriateness
Poor planning, self-direction 
Distractibility
Poor motor control 
Stimulus bound

Question 16

What are on-line manipulations?

Answer 16

Interpreting the environment based on previous knowledge

Question 17

Do mental operations in the WM involve rehearsal?

Answer 17

No

Question 18

Where does on-line manipulation occur in the brain?

Answer 18

In working memory, lateral prefrontal cortex.

Question 19

What happens when you change the instruction but not the stimulus in a neuropsychological test?

Answer 19

Change the cognitive function being used.

Question 20

What is involved in working memory manipulations?

Answer 20

Internal representation used to reorganise information

Question 21

How do McCarthy et al 1994 test spatial working memory?

Answer 21

respond to a display where a stimulus occurs in a previously presented location. Vs. just respond to the colour red (control)

Question 22

What is the Wisconsin card sorting test?

Answer 22

Ps sort cards based on categories of colour, shape or number of objects on the cards. Experimenters only provide yes or no feedback on the category.

Question 23

What does the Wisconsin card sorting test test for?

Answer 23

Concept formation
concept shifting
concept perseveration

Question 24

What does normal performance on the wisonconsin card sorting test show?

Answer 24

People given correction on their errors then shift the category they use.

Question 25

What happens when non-typical people do the WCS test?

Answer 25

No category shift based on error (perseveration)

Question 26

What happens in the WCS test, (what does it demand of the brain)?

Answer 26

Information must be integrated with info that was relevant in previous trial - manipulate information on line

Question 27

What is the function of the prefrontal cortex in the WCS test?

Answer 27

Inhibit dimension that is not relevant
Dynamically sift and filter possible alternatives

Question 28

How can you typically test chronogenesis?

Answer 28

Recency task: “which event happened more recently?”

Question 29

Is it recognition or recency which is impaired in frontal lobe impairment?

Answer 29

Recency; they can still recognised what happened.

Question 30

What are the impacts of memory organisation impairments on behaviour?

Answer 30

Can’t arrange sub actions into a correct sequence; or generate a plan for action

Question 31

How has goal-oriented behaviour been tested in the real world?

Answer 31

Running shopping errands with a list.

Question 32

What are three processes involved in goal-oriented behaviour? 3

Answer 32

1. Identify goal and select sub-goals 
2. Anticipate consequences 
3. Determine what is required to achieve sub-goals

Question 33

What is involved in selecting appropriate sub goals? 2

Answer 33

Filter irrelevant info 
Select best way to achieve goal (evaluating consequences and alternatives)

Question 34

What is the role of the ACC?

Answer 34

Considering and evaluating appropriate goals and sub goals on the basis of affective feedback. (As well as modulation of autonomic responses)

Question 35

What are the inputs 3 and output of the ACC?

Answer 35

In: 
- limbic structures (thalamus, striatum) 
- brainstem

Out: 
Prefrontal cortical areas

Question 36

What are 3 important connections concerning the ACC?

Answer 36

1. Projects to motor cortex for control
2. Reciprocal connections with lPFC for cognition/conflict monitoring
3. Afferent from thalamus & brainstem for drive/arousal functions

Question 37

What happens when people attend passively to a single visual feature out many possible ones (colour, shape, motion)? How does this change when asked to monitor changes in all three dimensions?

Answer 37

Passive = enhanced feature specific activity 

Divided attention = ACC activation

Question 38

What are specific functions of the ACC? 2

Answer 38

Divided attention (keeping track of multiple info sources) 
Amplifies emotional signals

Question 39

What is the OFC involved in?

Answer 39

Social and emotional judgement & decision-making

Question 40

Which area deals with choosing how to act? How?

Answer 40

OFC - integrates new info with goals, values, current situation

Question 41

What happened to Elliot (Damasio 1994 - OFC)?

Answer 41

Risky business ventures and bankruptcy - could speak about his failings but was unconcerned.

Question 42

What does skin conductance show about OFC damage and decision making? How?

Answer 42

Less anticipation of rewards and punishments. Skin conductivity measured against controls during card playing.

Question 43

What are the clinical implications of OFC reducing reward and punishment salience?

Answer 43

Can’t use these to motivate behaviours. Instead must relying on learning through repetition.

Question 44

What was impaired in J.S. (Acquired sociopathy)? 5

Answer 44

Poor recognition of visually presented emotions 
Reduce autonomic response to visual emotions 
Poor identification of social behaviour violations 
Poor theory of mind 
Poor judgement of moral vs social transgressions

Question 45

What may explain acquired sociopathy in J.S.?

Answer 45

Impaired ability to generate expectations of negative reactions in others, and suppressing inappropriate behaviour (OFC)