The Association Cortices and Complex Brain Functions

Question 1

How many different types of neurons are there, based on their morphology?

Answer 1

• 4

Question 2

There are 4 types of different neurons based on their morphology, what are they?

Answer 2

1 - unipolar
2 - bipolar
3 - pseudopolar
4 - multipolar

Question 3

In relation to inside out cortical development, neurons are formed in one place and migrate to another. Where do they form and then migrate to?

1 - originate = hippocampus and migrate to = cortical (cortex) area
2 - originate = hypothalamus and migrate to = cortical (cortex) area
3 - originate = olfactory bulb and migrate to = cortical (cortex) area
4 - originate = ventricle zone and migrate to = cortical (cortex) area

Answer 3

4 - originate = ventricle zone and migrate to = cortical (cortex) area

Question 4

In relation to inside out cortical development neurons are formed in the ventricle zone (lining of ventricular system) and migrate to the cortical (cortex) area. How many layers of cells are in the cortical area?

Answer 4

• 6 layers

Question 5

In relation to inside out cortical development neurons are formed in the ventricle zone (lining of ventricular system) and migrate to the cortical (cortex) area. Which cells assist in the migration of neurons to the cortical area?

1 - astrocytes
2 - radial glial cells
3 - oligodendrocytes
4 - microglia

Answer 5

2 - radial glial cells

- movement of neurons is facilitated by the cytoskeleton and called radial glial cell migration

Question 6

There are 6 layers in the cortex of the brain, although some areas do have only 3-4 layers. Of the 6 layers which layers are involved in input and output?

1 - input = layers III and V and output = IV
2 - input = layers I and I and output = VI
3 - input = layers I and IV and output = VI
4 - input = layers I and V and output = VI

Answer 6

1 - input = layers III and V and output = IV

- layers III (3) and V (5) are generally thicker as they send more information

Question 7

In sensory pathways how many motor neurons are involved in the pathway?

Answer 7

• 3 motor neurons

- 1st, 2nd and 3rd order motor neuron

Question 8

In descending motor pathways (corticospinal tract) how many motor neurons are involved in the pathway?

Answer 8

• 2 motor neurons

- upper and lower motor neurons

Question 9

In the reflex arc pathways how many motor neurons are involved in the pathway?

Answer 9

• 2, that do not leave the spinal cord

- afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) neurons

Question 10

Which blood vessels supplies the majority of the internal capsule

1 - anterior cerebral artery
2 - middle cerebral artery
3 - middle meningeal artery
4 - posterior cerebral artery

Answer 10

2 - middle cerebral artery

Question 11

What is the homunculus of the brain?

Answer 11

• a topographical-organised map of the proportional representation of the contralateral somatosensory or motor neurones on the cortex or passing though a part of the brain

Question 12

Which blood vessels supplies the majority of the cortex?

1 - anterior cerebral artery
2 - middle cerebral artery
3 - middle meningeal artery
4 - posterior cerebral artery

Answer 12

2 - middle cerebral artery

Question 13

Which lobe and other structure of the brain are heavily involved in emotion, language, memory and auditory?

1 - frontal lobe and brain stem
2 - temporal lobe and cerebellar
3 - temporal lobe and brain stem
4 - temporal lobe and cortex

Answer 13

3 - temporal lobe and brain stem

Question 14

Which lobe of the brain is heavily involved in motor control, behaviour and decision-making?

1 - frontal
2 - parietal
3 - occipital
4 - temporal

Answer 14

1 - frontal lobe

Question 15

Which lobe of the brain is heavily involved in sensory control?

1 - frontal
2 - parietal
3 - occipital
4 - temporal

Answer 15

2 - parietal lobe

Question 16

Which lobe of the brain is heavily involved in visual control?

1 - frontal
2 - parietal
3 - occipital
4 - temporal

Answer 16

3 - occipital lobe

Question 17

Which part of the brain is heavily involved in fine motor control and balance?

1 - frontal
2 - parietal
3 - occipital
4 - cerebellum

Answer 17

4 - cerebellum

Question 18

What does cortical plasticity, also referred to as neuroplasticity refer to?

Answer 18

• brains ability to form new neural connections and reorganise itself as required

Question 19

Cortical plasticity, also referred to as neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections based on individual experiences, lifestyle and environment. Does the CNS or PNS posses a greater ability to do this?

Answer 19

• PNS

Question 20

Cortical plasticity, also referred to as neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections based on individual experiences, lifestyle and environment. Although the PNS has a greater potential for cortical plasticity, how is stroke an example of this?

Answer 20

• in a stroke some brain tissue becomes ischaemic and dies
• ability to move that was associated with dead brain tissue is also lost
• during rehab the body is able to regain some of the lost movement
• this demonstrates that a new part of the brain is now able to control the movement

Question 21

Is a Ischemic stroke or Hemorrhagic stroke more common?

Answer 21

• ischaemic stroke

Question 22

What are the 2 most common causes of stroke?

Answer 22

• thrombosis = blood clot (called a thrombus) blocks the blood flow to parts of the brain.
• atherosclerosis is where artery lining becomes thickened and narrowed by plaque

Question 23

In strokes we use the term ‘time is tissue’, what does that mean?

Answer 23

• a stroke will cause tissue furthest from blood vessel to die
• around stroke gets some blood but function is impaired
• aim is to try and re-fuse the tissue to save the brain

Question 24

When we talk about speech, specifically language there are 2 terms that are used aphasia and dysphasia, what do these mean in relation to language?

Answer 24

• a = without and phasia = speech
  = aphasia = full loss of language
• dys = dysfunctional and phasia = speech
  = partial loss of language

Question 25

When we talk about speech, specifically language there are 2 terms that are used aphasia (full loss) and dysphasia (partial loss). What % of patients experience this following a stroke?

1 - 5-10%
2 - 15-25%
3 - 25-40%
4 - >40%

Answer 25

3 - 25-40%

Question 26

Which hemisphere is the dominant one in relation to language?

Answer 26

• left hemisphere regardless of left or right handed
• left handed = 95% left hemisphere
• right handed = 70% left hemisphere

Question 27

The 2 broadmanns areas 44 and 45 in the frontal lobe make up what?

Answer 27

• Broca’s area
• important for expressive language
• supplied by the middle cerebral artery

Question 28

Broadmanns area 22 in the temporal lobe makes up what?

Answer 28

• wernickes area
• linked to speech, specifically comprehension of written and spoken language
• supplied by the middle cerebral artery

Question 29

The 2 brodmanns areas 44 and 45 in the frontal lobe make up the Broca area and the brodmann area 22 makes up wernickes area. What is it that connects these 2 areas in the brain?

1 - corpus callosum
2 - mesolimbic system
3 - arcuate fascicules
4 - internal capsule

Answer 29

3 - arcuate fascicules

- white matter tract

Question 30

The 2 brodmanns areas 44 and 45 in the frontal lobe make up the Broca area and the brodmanns area 22 is the wernickes area. The arcuate fascicules, a white matter tract connects these 2 areas in the brain, which is an association tract (connects same side of hemisphere). What can happen if there is a lesion in Brocas area, which is important for expressive language?

1 - patient can understand, knows what to reply but unable to speak properly
2 - patient cannot understand, does not know what to reply but is able to speak properly
3 - patient cannot understand, knows what to reply and is able to speak properly
4 - patient can understand, does not know what to reply and is unable to speak properly

Answer 30

1 - patient can understand, knows what to reply but unable to speak properly

Question 31

The 2 brodmanns areas 44 and 45 in the frontal lobe make up the Broca area and the brodmanns area 22 is the wernickes area. The arcuate fascicules, a white matter tract connects these 2 areas in the brain. What happens if there is a lesion in Wernickes area, which is important in speech, specifically comprehension of written and spoken language.

1 - patient can understand, has preserved fluency and can speak
2 - patient cannot understand, loss of fluency but can repeat and speak
3 - patient can understand, has fluency but is unable to repeat
4 - patient can understand, does not know what to reply and is unable to speak properly

Answer 31

3 - patient can understand, has fluency but is unable to repeat

Question 32

The most posterior part of the corpus callosum is called the splenium. If this is damaged or there is a lesion here, this can cause alexia. What is alexia (sounds like dyslexia)?

1 - inability to speak
2 - inability to read
3 - inability to repeat in speech
4 - inability to sing

Answer 32

2 - inability to read

• splenium is located in the occipital lobe
• splenium connects wernickes area, important for comprehension of written and spoken language and the visual cortex
• information does not move between wernickes area and visual cortex
• inability to comprehend written language (like reading) but can write from memory

Question 33

What is the WADA test procedure?

Answer 33

• Intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (ISAP)
• sodium amobarbital infused into left or right internal carotid artery
• patient performs language and memory tests
• EEG confirms no electrical activity on side infused

Question 34

The WADA test procedure is an intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (ISAP). Sodium amobarbital is infused into left or right internal carotid artery. The patient then performs language and memory tests and EEG activity is recorded, and this is repeated on both sides and compared. What is the WADA test useful for?

Answer 34

• to determine which side of the brain controls language and memory
• assists doctors in trying to preserve language and memory when performing neurosurgery for severe epilepsy for example

Question 35

What is prosopagnosia (greek words for “face” and “lack of knowledge)?

1 - inability to recognise faces
2 - inability to read
3 - inability to repeat in speech
4 - inability to sing

Answer 35

1 - inability to recognise faces

- can occur from birth but can also occur if there is a lesion in the non-dominant hemisphere (fusiform gyrus)

Question 36

What is Gerstmann syndrome?

Answer 36

• a rare disorder characterised by the loss of four specific neurological functions:

1 - inability to write (dysgraphia or agraphia)
2 - the loss of the ability to do mathematics (acalculia),
3 - the inability to identify one’s own or another’s fingers (finger agnosia)
4 - inability to make the distinction

Question 37

Gerstmann syndrome is a rare disorder characterised by the loss of four specific neurological functions:

1 - inability to write (dysgraphia or agraphia)
2 - the loss of the ability to do mathematics (acalculia),
3 - the inability to identify one’s own or another’s fingers (finger agnosia)
4 - inability to make the distinction

Does it affect the dominant or non-dominant hemisphere?

Answer 37

• dominant hemisphere

Question 38

Gerstmann syndrome is a rare disorder characterised by the loss of four specific neurological functions:

1 - inability to write (dysgraphia or agraphia)
2 - the loss of the ability to do mathematics (acalculia),
3 - the inability to identify one’s own or another’s fingers (finger agnosia)
4 - inability to make the distinction

Which lobe does it affect in the dominant hemisphere and which blood vessel that is the most common that occurs in strokes supplies it?

1 - frontal and middle cerebral artery
2 - parietal and middle cerebral artery
3 - occipital and middle cerebral artery
4 - temporal and middle cerebral artery

Answer 38

2 - parietal and middle cerebral artery

Question 39

What is aprosody?

• a = lack of
• prosody = speech

Answer 39

• absence of the normal variations in the rhythm, stress, and pitch of speech,
• patients generally have a monotone speech

Question 40

Aprosody is the absence of the normal variations in the rhythm, stress, and pitch of speech, meaning patients generally have a monotone speech. Is the dominant or non-dominant hemisphere generally affected?

Answer 40

• non dominant hemisphere

Question 41

Aprosody is the absence of the normal variations in the rhythm, stress, and pitch of speech, meaning patients generally have a monotone speech. The dominant hemisphere is generally affected. What part of the brain is generally affected?

Answer 41

• broca’s (44 and 45 Brodmanns areas)

- wernicke’s areas (22 Brodmann area)