Useful Concepts: Neurologic Problem-Solving, Behavioral Neurology, How Good Brain Goes Bad

Front 1

What are some neurologic conditions that are transient?

Back 1

Focal processes:
TIA
Migrane
Seizure

Diffuse:
Hypoperfusion
Migrane
Seizure

Front 2

What actions are typically performed by the left side of the brain?

Back 2

Language
Mathematics

Front 3

What actions are typically performed by the right side of the brain?

Back 3

Music
Drawing
Spatial perception

Front 4

What is the order of activation in a reflex arc?

Back 4

TENDON STRETCHES
Ia afferent nerve activated, which synapses on a
Motor nerve, which is activated and sends a signal to
Muscle
CONTRACTION

Front 5

What is the function of the cerebellum in motor activity?

Back 5

Matching joint position goals to a motor program's intent: "I want this ball to go to the 40 yard line"

Front 6

What is the function of the basal ganglia in motor activity?

Back 6

Matching the motor program to an immediate goal: "I want to pick a pass program rather than a run program

Front 7

What is the function of the pre-frontal cortex in motor activity?

Back 7

Matching the immediate goal to long-term goals: "We have two minutes left...we need to pass rather than run because we need to conserve the clock"

Front 8

What is the function of Wernicke's area? Where is it located?

Back 8

Language comprehension

It's located near the auditory portion of the brain in the temporal lobe

Front 9

What is the function of Broca's area? Where is it located?

Back 9

The motor parts of language: muscles moving lips, etc.

It's located near the motor part of the brain that controls the mouth

Front 10

Generally, what part of the brain is involved in language production? Comprehension?

Back 10

Production: Anterior

Comprehension: Posterior

Front 11

Related to speech to pathology, what does the term fluency mean?

Back 11

How do things come out of someone's mouth?
-Rhythm
-Rate

If they're speaking anything that's like a language, even if it's jibberish, they're fluent.

Front 12

What is meant by a repetition circuit in language? Does it require higher cortical functioning?

Back 12

It's when something goes to the auditory complex-->motor complex-->speaking

It doesn't involve any higher brain centers.

Front 13

If the transcortical sensory network is impaired, what will happen to language? Will repetition be spared?

Back 13

Language will be divorced from any higher brain centers

The person WILL still be able to repeat things

Front 14

If someone has damage at Wernicke's area, what deficits will be present?

Back 14

An inability to take in and make sense of language: comprehension is damaged

Fluency is still intact

Front 15

If someone has damage at Broca's area, what deficits will be present?

Back 15

Inability to perform the motor movements that makes words: fluency is damaged

Comprehension is still intact

Front 16

Normally, what hemisphere normally contains language functionality?

If you're right handed, is this the case?
If you're left handed, is this normally the case?

Back 16

The L hemisphere almost always has language

If R handed, this is definitely true
If L handed, this is still true, but there are a greater proportion of people with R hemisphere language function

Front 17

What happens to repetition in a mixed transcortical lesion?

Back 17

It's spared, but you have no connection whatsoever to higher concepts

Front 18

If there is a lesion in conductance pathways, what happens to language?

Back 18

Comprehension and fluency are still present, but repetition is damaged

Front 19

What is the function of the angular gyrus?

Back 19

It's the dictionary/naming center

It connects a concept to the world, linking it with a picture

Front 20

What is the definition of alexia?

Back 20

a type of aphasia where damage to the brain causes a patient to lose the ability to read

Front 21

What is the definition of agraphia?

Back 21

a loss of the ability to write or to express thoughts in writing because of a brain lesion

Front 22

What is the definition of apraxia?

Back 22

An inability to perform a previously learned set of coordinated movements even though the necessary component skills (intellect, coordination, sensation) remain intact.

Front 23

If someone has apraxia, in what hemisphere is there normally a lesion?

Back 23

Domimnant hemisphere

Front 24

If someone has neglect, what does that mean?

Back 24

They ignore one half of the world: they'll only draw half the numbers on a clock face, etc.

Front 25

In what cases is neglect more severe? Why/

Back 25

When you've got a neglect in a non-dominant hemisphere, especially in the parietal lobe.

The nondominant hemisphere, in addition to the contralateral world, attends to the ipsilateral world.

Example: R handed person with a lesion in the R parietal lobe

Front 26

What is the definition of:

Episodic memory?
Semantic memory?
Procedural memory?
Working memory?

Back 26

Episodic: What did you do last summer?
Semantic: What's the capital of Tibet?
Procedural: Riding a bike
Working: Mental rehearsal

Front 27

What's Hebb's theory for how memory works?

Back 27

You've got a whole network of neurons. If one of them is activated, you get the whole network going.

For example, when you say "Or not to be", you are washed with memories of reading Hamlet in AP English

Front 28

What part of the brain is in charge of working memory?

Back 28

Prefrontal cortex

Front 29

What parts of the brain is in charge of procedural memory?

Back 29

Supplementary motor area
Basal ganglia
Cerebellum

Front 30

What parts of the brain are involved in semantic memory?

Back 30

Inferolateral temporal lobe

Front 31

What are the functions of the limbic system?

Back 31

HOME

Homeopathic
Olfactory
Memory (episodic)
Emotion/Drive

Front 32

What is the pathway involved in the limbic system?

Back 32

Hippocampal formation-->
Fornix-->
Mammillary body-->
Mammillothalamic tract-->
Anterior thalamic nucleus-->
Cingulate gyrus-->
Parahippocampal gyrus-->
Entorihinal cortex-->
Hippocampal formation

Front 33

What is excitotoxicity? What neurotransmitters are involved? What ultimately happens?

Back 33

You get overstimulation of the cells by glutamate and aspartate, resulting in the activation of metabolic pathways that create free radicals

Apoptosis is the end point

Front 34

What types of proteases are activated in apoptosis?

Back 34

Caspases

Front 35

After necrosis in the brain, what happens? What types of cells lay down this tissue?

Back 35

Gliosis

Astrocytes