CORTICAL ORGANISATION AND FUNCTION

Question 1

How many layers is the cerebral cortex organised into?

Answer 1

6 layers

Question 2

How many areas is the cerebral cortex split into based on cytoarchitecture?

Answer 2

52 regions

Question 3

List the functions of the frontal lobe

Answer 3

Regulating and initiating motor function, language, cognitive functions, attention, memory

Question 4

List the functions of the parietal lobe

Answer 4

Sensation - touch, pain
Sensory aspects of language
Spacial orientation, self-perception

Question 5

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 5

Processing visual information

Question 6

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

Answer 6

Processing auditory information
Emotion
Memories

Question 7

What does the limbic lobe contain?

Answer 7

Amygdala, hippocampus, mamillary body, cingulate gyrus

Question 8

What is the limbic lobe concerned with?

Answer 8

Learning, memory, emotion, motivation and reward

Question 9

What is the insular cortex concerned with?

Answer 9

Visceral sensations, autonomic control, interoception, auditory processing, visual-vestibular integration

Question 10

What makes up grey matter in the brain?

Answer 10

Neuronal cell bodies and glial cells

Question 11

What makes up white matter?

Answer 11

Myelinated neuronal axons arranged in tracts

Question 12

Describe the 3 types of white matter tracts in the brain

Answer 12

Association fibres - connect areas within same hemisphere

Commissural fibres - connect homologous structures in left and right hemispheres

Projection fibres - connect the cortex with lower brain structures (e.g. thalamus, brain stem and spinal cord)

Question 13

Which association fibre connects the frontal and occipital lobes?

Answer 13

Superior longitudinal fasciculus

Question 14

Which association fibre connects the frontal and temporal lobes?

Answer 14

Arcuate fasciculus

Question 15

Which association fibre connects the temporal and occipital lobes?

Answer 15

Inferior longitudinal fasciculus

Question 16

Which association fibre connects the frontal and temporal lobes?

Answer 16

Uncinate fasciculus

Question 17

Name 2 commissural fibres

Answer 17

Corpus callosum, anterior commissure

Question 18

What do projection fibres present as in the cortex?

Answer 18

Corona radiata

Question 19

Where do projection fibres converge through?

Answer 19

Internal capsule between thalamus and basal ganglia

Question 20

Whats the difference between primary and secondary/association cortices?

Answer 20

Primary - function predictable, organised topographically, symmetry between left and right

Secondary - function less predictable, not organised topographically and weak symmetry or none at all

Question 21

Name the areas secondary to the primary motor cortex and what they do

Answer 21

Both involved in planning complex movements

Supplementary area - internally cued (e.g. speech)
Premotor area - externally cued (external stimuli e.g. seeing object and reacting to it)

Question 22

Name the area associated with the primary somatosensory cortex and its function

Answer 22

Somatosensory association area - interprets the significance of sensory info e.g. recognising an object placed in your hand

Also gives awareness of self and personal space

Question 23

Name the area associated with the primary visual cortex

Answer 23

Visual association area - gives meaning and interpretation of visual input

Question 24

Name the area associated with the primary auditory cortex

Answer 24

Auditory association area - gives meaning and interpretation to auditory input

Question 25

What does it mean when I say that the primary auditory cortex is tonographic?

Answer 25

Different frequencies of sound are mapped onto different parts of the auditory complex

Question 26

What is Broca's area?

Answer 26

Motor production of language

Question 27

What is Wernicke's area?

Answer 27

Sensory understanding of language

Question 28

What does the prefrontal cortex control?

Answer 28

Attention, adjusting social behaviour, planning, personality expression, decision making

Question 29

What can a frontal lobe lesion present as?

Answer 29

Changes in personality | Inappropriate behaviour

Question 30

What can a parietal lesion present as?

Answer 30

Contralateral neglect e.g. lack of awareness on self on contralateral side (internal neglect) lack of awareness of extrapersonal space on contralateral side (external neglect)

Question 31

What can a lesion in the temporal lobe present as?

Answer 31

Agnosia - inability to recognise

Question 32

What can a lesion in Broca's area present as?

Answer 32

Expressive aphasia - poor production of speech

Question 33

What can a lesion in Wernicke's area present as?

Answer 33

Receptive aphasia - poor comprehension of speech

Question 34

What can a lesion in the primary visual cortex present as?

Answer 34

Blindness in corresponding part of visual field

Question 35

What can a lesion in the visual association area present as?

Answer 35

Deficits in interpretation of visual information e.g. prosopagnosia (inability to recognise familiar faces or learn new faces)

Question 36

Name 2 imaging techniques to see cortical function

Answer 36

Positron emission tomography (PET) | Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 37

How does PET work?

Answer 37

A radioactive isotope is bound to glucose which is carried by the blood and allows viewer to see which part(s) is undertaking activity when patient carries out specific task

Question 38

How does fMRI work?

Answer 38

Allows you to see the amount of blood oxygen in a brain region whilst subject performs task

Question 39

What is the difference between EEG and MEG?

Answer 39

EEG - electroencephalography - measure electrical signals produced by brain MEG - magnetoencephalography - measure magnetic signals produced by brain

Question 40

EEG is often used in the diagnosis of which condition?

Answer 40

Epilepsy due to out of control depolarisation of neurones in brain

Question 41

How do somatosensory evoked potentials help to recognise an abnormal nervous system?

Answer 41

A series of waves that reflect sequential activation of neural structures along the somatosensory pathways is created. These waves should occur at specific times after stimulation in normal people

Question 42

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 42

Use of electromagnetic induction to stimulate neurones and allows the assessment of functional integrity of neural circuits

Question 43

What is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Answer 43

Use of low direct current over the scalp to increase or decrease neuronal firing rates

Question 44

What is an imaging techniques used to asses structure of the brain?

Answer 44

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) - based on the diffusion of water molecules showing the pathways of the brain