Cognitive Neuropsychology Flashcards
This is determined through evidence from damaged brains and imaging such as;
Missile wounds (bullets) Tumours (cancer) Impact (road accidents) Surgery (epilepsy) Disease (HIV) Strokes (blocks, bleeds)
Cognitive neuropsychology is…
The relationship between brain function and behaviour
Cognitive neuropsychology assumes …
Brain function is localised or modular with different structures performing different roles
However brain regions are…
Specialised to perform certain roles but there may not map onto our ideas of functions.
We must differentiate between roles and functions
Frank Joseph Gall
Developed localisation of function
Different parts of the brain are responsible for any variations in individual differences
Phrenology was an early attempt to pinpoint aspects of cognitive development
Bumps in skull - skills in maths music etc
Depressions in skull - underdevelopment
Pierre Flourens (1794-1867) ridiculed LaPlace …
The outside of the skull doesn’t mirror the inner skull let alone the underlying brain
Lesioned parts of cortex on different animals shows they recovered function to normal. This is inconsistent with the assumption of localisation
Brain stem - permanent breathing difficulties
Cerebellum - loss of locomotor coordination
Brodmann’s Areas (BA) 1909
He was an early anatomist.
BA should map onto psychological functions as cytoarchitectonic structure is influenced by connections
Divisions in Brodmann’s Areas = divisions in functions
Jean Baptiste Bouilaud (1796-1881)
Proposed that certain functions were localised.
Damage to the left hemisphere lead to impaired movement on the right side
Paul Broca (1824-1880) pateimt Tan Leborgne
Could only say Tan or utter an oath. Tan died in 1861 and an autopsy revealed lesion to the left frontal lobe
This demonstrates lateralisation and localisation
Broca’s area is…
The anterior speech region
Broca’a Aphasia is…
When someone is able to comprehend the question and give contextually correct answers but cannot give long answers
Carl Wernicke (1848-1904)
Investigated the cortex that receives information from the ear which is behind Broca’a area
Wernicke’s area is…
Region of temporal lobe
Wernicke’s Aphasia is …
When someone just rambles and is unable to comprehend what is being said to them
Auditory information is sent to…
1) Wernicke’s area (sounds - sound images)
2) sounds are transmitted along the accurate fasciculus
3) Broca’s area (representation of speech movements)
Then instructions are sent to control mouth muscles
