Chapter 2: Cognitive Neuroscience

Question 1

What does level of analysis refer

Answer 1

It refers to the idea that a topic can be studied in a number of different ways with each approach contributing its own dimension to our understanding.

Question 2

Define neuron doctrine

Answer 2

The idea that individual cells transmit signals in the nervous system and these cells aren’t continuous with other cells.

Question 3

State the parts of a neuron

Answer 3

Cell body: is the metabolism centre of neuron containing mechanism to keep cell alive.

Dendrites branch out from cell body to receive signals from other neurons

Axons are long processes that transmit signals to other neurons.

Question 4

What conclusions did Cajal discover

Answer 4

There’s a small gap between the end of a neurons axon and the dendrites or cell body of another called a synapse.

Neurons aren’t connected indiscriminately to other neurons but form connection to specific neurons which forms groups of interconnected neurons forming a neural circuit

There are neurons specialized to pick up info from environment called receptors which receive stimuli from senses and environment.

Question 5

What is the resting potential

Answer 5

It is the stable charge of -70Mv of a neuron at rest.

Question 6

Define nerve impulse

Answer 6

A stimulated neuron

Question 7

What is an action potential

Answer 7

The impulse stimulating the neuron and the mechanism by which information is transmitted throughout the nervous system

Question 8

What are neurotransmitter

Answer 8

Chemicals that make it possible for signals to be transmitted across gap that seperates end of axons from dendrites to another neuron.

Question 9

What is the principle of neural representation

Answer 9

It states that everything a person experiences is based not on direct contact with stimuli but on representations in the person’s nervous system.

Question 10

What is cognitive neuroscience

Answer 10

The study of the physiological basis of cognition

Question 11

What are feature detectors

Answer 11

Each neuron in the visual area of cortex responded to specific type of stimulation presented to a small area of retina and are called feature detectors because they responded to specific stimulus features such as orientation movement and length.

Question 12

What is hierarchal processing

Answer 12

The progressions from lower to higher areas of the brain

Question 13

What is sensory coding

Answer 13

Refers to how neurons represent Various characteristics of the environment.

Question 14

Define specificity coding

Answer 14

The idea that an object could be represented by the firing of a specialized neuron that respond only to that object

Question 15

What is population coding

Answer 15

Is the representation of a particular object by the pattern of firing of a large number of neurons

Question 16

When does sparse coding occur

Answer 16

When small groups of neurons are involved when a particular object is represented by a pattern of firing of only a small group of neurons with the majority of neurons remaining silent.

Question 17

Define localisation of function

Answer 17

Specific functions are served by specific areas of the brain where most cognitive functions are done by the cerebral cortex which is the layer of tissue about 3mm thick that covers the brain

Question 18

What’s neuropsychology

Answer 18

The field of psychology that aims to understand how behavior and cognition are influenced by brain functioning and that is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of people with brain damage

Question 19

What is a stroke

Answer 19

A disruption of the blood supply to the brain usually caused by a blood clot.

Question 20

What are some identified brain localisations

Answer 20

Broca’s area: specialised for speech

Wernicke’s area: responsible for language comprehension

Occipital lobe: visual cortex which receives signals from our eyes at the back of our head

Temporal lobe: auditory cortex which receives signals from the ears in the superior temporal lobe and responsible for hearing while areas in the inferior temporal lobe are associated with processing of complex visual information.

Parietal lobe: somatosensory cortex which receives signals from the skin is in the anterior part of the parietal lobe and responsible for perceptions of touch pressure and pain.

The frontal lobe: receive signals from all senses and is responsible for coordination of senses and higher cognitive functions like thinking and problem solving

Question 21

Define prosopagnosia

Answer 21

An inability to recognise faces.

Question 22

What is double dissociation

Answer 22

An occurrence where damage to one brain area causes function A to be absent while function B is present and damage to another area causes B to be absent while A is present

Question 23

What are some techniques for brain imaging

Answer 23

Magnetic resonance imaging MRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging fMRI

Electroencephalogram EEG which can pick up event related potentials ERPs

Question 24

What is the fusiform face area FFA and the parahippocampal place area PPA and the extastriate body area EBA

Answer 24

The specific brain area that is activated when looking at a face

PPA is the brain area activated when looking at indoor and outdoor scenes where info about spatial layout seems important for this area

The EBA is activated by pictures of bodies and body parts excluding faces.

Question 25

What is distributed representation

Answer 25

The idea that specific cognitive function activate many areas of the brain

Question 26

What are neural networks

Answer 26

Groups of neurons or structures that are connected together.