Higher Cortical Flashcards
(89 cards)
Describe the role of the cerebral cortex in the brain.
The cerebral cortex acts as the ‘executive suite’ of the brain, responsible for conscious awareness, sensory perception, voluntary motor initiation, communication, memory storage, and understanding.
Explain the composition of the cerebral cortex.
The cerebral cortex is a thin layer (2–4 mm) of gray matter composed of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, glial cells, and blood vessels, but it does not contain axons.
How much of the total brain mass does the cerebral cortex constitute?
The cerebral cortex constitutes about 40% of the total brain mass.
Define the three types of functional areas found in the cerebral cortex.
The three types of functional areas in the cerebral cortex are motor areas (control voluntary movement), sensory areas (conscious awareness of sensation), and association areas (integrate diverse information).
Explain the concept of lateralization in the cerebral cortex.
Lateralization refers to the specialization of cortical function that can occur in only one hemisphere of the brain, with each hemisphere concerned with the contralateral (opposite) side of the body.
Describe the location and function of the primary motor cortex.
The primary motor cortex is located in the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe and is responsible for the conscious control of precise, skilled, skeletal muscle movements.
What is the significance of pyramidal cells in the primary motor cortex?
Pyramidal cells are large neurons in the primary motor cortex that allow for conscious control of precise, skilled movements.
Explain the concept of somatotopy in the primary motor cortex.
Somatotopy refers to the mapping of all muscles of the body to specific areas on the primary motor cortex, allowing for organized control of movement.
What is the motor homunculus?
The motor homunculus is an upside-down caricature that represents the contralateral motor innervation of different body regions in the primary motor cortex.
Describe the areas of the cortex involved in conscious awareness of sensation.
The areas involved in conscious awareness of sensation include the primary somatosensory cortex, somatosensory association cortex, visual areas, auditory areas, vestibular cortex, olfactory cortex, gustatory cortex, and visceral sensory area.
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located and what is its function?
The primary somatosensory cortex is located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe and is responsible for receiving general sensory information from the skin and proprioceptors.
What is spatial discrimination in the context of the somatosensory cortex?
Spatial discrimination is the ability to identify the specific body region being stimulated, which is a function of the primary somatosensory cortex.
Explain the role of the visual association area in the cerebral cortex.
The visual association area surrounds the primary visual cortex and uses past visual experiences to interpret visual stimuli, such as color, form, or movement.
Describe the location and function of the primary auditory cortex.
The primary auditory cortex is located on the superior margin of the temporal lobes and interprets information from the inner ear regarding pitch, loudness, and location.
What is the function of the auditory association area?
The auditory association area, located posterior to the primary auditory cortex, stores memories of sounds and allows for the perception of sound stimuli.
Where is the gustatory cortex located and what does it perceive?
The gustatory cortex is located in the insula, just deep to the temporal lobe, and is involved in the perception of taste.
What is the function of the olfactory cortex?
The olfactory cortex is located on the medial aspect of the temporal lobe and is responsible for the perception of smell.
Describe the role of the piriform lobes in the brain.
The piriform lobes are part of the primitive rhinencephalon and are involved in the conscious awareness of odor.
Explain the function of the cerebral cortex’s multimodal association areas.
Multimodal association areas receive inputs from multiple sensory areas, give meaning to the information, store it in memory, tie it to previous experiences, and help decide on actions.
Define the anterior association area of the cerebral cortex.
The anterior association area, also known as the prefrontal cortex, is involved with intellect, cognition, recall, personality, and contains working memory for abstract ideas, judgment, reasoning, persistence, and planning.
How does the development of the anterior association area depend on external factors?
The development of the anterior association area depends on feedback from the social environment.
Describe the function of the posterior association area in the cerebral cortex.
The posterior association area, located in the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, plays a role in recognizing patterns and faces, localizing us in space, and understanding written and spoken language.
Explain the significance of the limbic association area.
The limbic association area, part of the limbic system, involves structures like the cingulate gyrus and hippocampus, providing emotional impact that makes scenes important and helps establish memories.
What is functional neuroimaging and its relevance to the cerebral cortex?
Functional neuroimaging, such as PET and MRI, shows that specific motor and sensory functions are located in discrete cortical areas called domains, while higher functions are spread over many areas.
