Physiology 57: Cerebral Cortex, Intellectual Functions Of The Brain, Learning And Memory

Front 1

3 types of neurons in the cerebral cortex

Back 1

granular, fusiform, pyramidal

Front 2

What are granular neurons?

Back 2

short interneurons in the cortex

Front 3

Layers of the cortex (1-6)

Back 3

molecular, external granular, pyramidal, internal granular, large pyramidal, fusiform

Front 4

Glutamate is an (excitatory or inhibitory) neurotransmitter?

Back 4

excitatory

Front 5

GABA is an (excitatory or inhibitory) neurotransmitter?

Back 5

inhibitory

Front 6

Which is more prominent in the cortex? Pyramidal or fusiform cells

Back 6

pyramidal

Front 7

Layers 1-3 of the cortex primarily serve what purpose?

Back 7

communication within the cortex (horizontal fibers)

Front 8

Layer 4 of the cortex is used primarily in what function?

Back 8

sensory signal input

Front 9

Layer 5-6 of the cortex is used primarily in what function?

Back 9

motor signal output

Front 10

Almost all sensory input passes through the thalamus to get to the cortex. What is one known exception to this?

Back 10

olfactory sensation

Front 11

What are sensory association areas?

Back 11

analyze the sensory inputs

Front 12

A patient is having difficulty with spatial orientation. Which association area is damaged?

Back 12

parieto-occipital association area

Front 13

The angular gyrus is used in what daily activity?

Back 13

reading (processing visual language)

Front 14

The angular gyrus is found in which association area?

Back 14

parieto-occipital association area

Front 15

A patient has a lesion affecting Wernicke's area. What will they have difficulty doing?

Back 15

language comprehension

Front 16

Wernicke's area is found in which association area?

Back 16

parieto-occipital association area

Front 17

A patient is having difficulty naming objects. What association area is likely damaged?

Back 17

parieto-occipital association area

Front 18

What are the basal ganglia?

Back 18

thalamic circuits for motor control; close association with frontal cortex

Front 19

Thought processes are carried out by which association area?

Back 19

prefrontal association area

Front 20

Elaboration of thoughts and "working" memory is done in which association area?

Back 20

prefrontal association area

Front 21

Broca's area is used for what function?

Back 21

speaking of words

Front 22

Emotion and behavior are controlled by which association area?

Back 22

limbic association area

Front 23

What is prosopagnosia?

Back 23

inability to recognize faces

Front 24

Which side of the brain is usually dominant in most people?

Back 24

left (most people are right handed because of this)

Front 25

A patient is able to read and recognize words, but is unable to understand the words. What area of the brain is damaged?

Back 25

Wernicke's area in parieto-occipital association area

Front 26

A patient is able to physically read words, but cannot interpret them or recognize them when reading. What area of the brain is damaged?

Back 26

Angular gyrus. if Wernicke's is still intact, they can hear words and understand them, but have difficulty reading the words and understanding them: dyslexia

Front 27

If a patient is right handed, which side of their brain will have a more developed Wernicke's area and angular gyrus?

Back 27

left side dominant

Front 28

Communication between hemispheres is accomplished via what fibers?

Back 28

corpus callosum

Front 29

Why did patients with pre-frontal lobotomies have increased rage?

Back 29

side effect from some removal of the neighboring limbic system; not really due to the pre-frontal area

Front 30

Why did patients with pre-frontal lobotomies have less progress towards goals?

Back 30

easily distracted

Front 31

What is the deficit in patients with Wernicke's aphasia?

Back 31

they can hear and understand a word, but cannot understand the meaning of the word (the thought process of why it is important etc.)

Front 32

What is the deficit in patients with global aphasia?

Back 32

total dementia with regard to word understanding or expression

Front 33

The ability to choose words to speak is done by what part of the brain?

Back 33

Wernicke's area

Front 34

What is Broca's aphasia?

Back 34

inability to speak or innervate the facial muscles

Front 35

How do signals of word choice get from Wernicke's area to Broca's area?

Back 35

arcuate fascilulus

Front 36

Process of hearing and speaking. (start from auditory sensation)

Back 36

auditory sensation of words, Wernicke interpret the words, Wernicke determines the words to be spoken, send those words to Broca's via arcuate fascilulus, Broca's decides how to make the words/sounds, Broca's activates motor/speech

Front 37

Process of reading and speaking. (start from visual sensation)

Back 37

crude visual sensation of words in visual area, sent to the angular gyrus for visual analysis, sent to Wernicke interpret the words, Wernicke determines the words to be spoken, send those words to Broca's via arcuate fascilulus, Broca's decides how to make the words/sounds, Broca's activates motor/speech

Front 38

Even with a completely removed corpus callosum, why is a patient still able to react emotionally on both sides of the brain?

Back 38

the areas of the brain for emotion communicate via the anterior commissure, not the corpus callosum

Front 39

What is the "holistic" theory of what a thought is?

Back 39

thought is a repeated pattern of stimulation from all parts of the brain simultaneously

Front 40

What is habituation?

Back 40

inhibitory memory response; block out inconsequential memories that we don't need/want

Front 41

What is facilitation?

Back 41

positive memory; sensitization of memory traces/neuron pathways that we want to keep

Front 42

What is declarative memory?

Back 42

memory of all details of an experience (all sensory, all causes, suroundings)

Front 43

What is skill memory?

Back 43

muscle memory, athletic skill, quick calculations of muscle movement

Front 44

How does habituation occur?

Back 44

progressive closure of calcium channels = less neurotransmitter release = less excitation of the memory trace = loss of the memory

Front 45

How does facilitation occur?

Back 45

stimulation of presyanptic terminal + sensory terminal = serotonin release = G-protein/ cAMP mechanism = phosphorylation of K channels = blocks K channels = longer action potential/more calcium= more activation of the memory trace pathway

Front 46

What are some structural changes that may be responsible for long-term memory?

Back 46

more vesicle release sites, more vesicles, more terminals

Front 47

During the learning process, why do we remember things for life?

Back 47

neuronal connections are being formed. if they weren't being formed, the neurons would disappear and learning wouldn't happen

Front 48

How can short-term memories be transferred into long-term memories?

Back 48

rehearsal

Front 49

A patient with anterograde amnesia has a lesion most likely in ...

Back 49

the hippocampus

Front 50

What is anterograde amnesia?

Back 50

inability to store new memories

Front 51

What is retrograde amnesia?

Back 51

inability to recall old memories

Front 52

A patient has retrograde amnesia. A lesion is most likely located in the ...

Back 52

thalamus. the person cannot search for the memory. some involvement of the hippocampus is also possible (but that is mostly for storage of new memories-anterograde amnesia)

Front 53

A patient is unable to form new memories due to a hippocampus lesion. Can they still perform skill learning? Why?

Back 53

Yes, because it depends on physical rehearsal rather than symbolic rehearsal in the mind