Introduction to cognitive neuropsychology and the cognitive neuropsychology of language Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Introduction to cognitive neuropsychology and the cognitive neuropsychology of language Deck (17)
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1
Q

What is cognitive neuropsychology?

A

The study of the relations between brain functions and behaviour (especially as determined through evidence from damaged brains).

2
Q

What are the main ways in which a brain injury can be acquired?

A
  • Missile wounds
  • Tumours
  • Impact
  • Surgery
  • Disease
  • Strokes
3
Q

What is the assumption of modality of brain function?

A

Localisation - brain function is modular with different structures performing different roles (although functions rely on distributed brain systems - interlinked).

4
Q

What did Franz Joseph Gall recall?

A

Students with good memories had protruding eyes = theories:

  • localisation of function and individual differences
  • phrenology
5
Q

How were phrenological bumps assessed?

A

Cranioscopy (measuring tool)

6
Q

Who tricked Johan Spurzheim into thinking he was admiring the skull of Laplace, when it was actually an imbecile?

A

Flourens.

7
Q

Why did phrenology fall?

A
  • Entirely subjective
  • Outside of skull doesn’t even mirror inside of skull, let alone brain.
  • Completely made up.
8
Q

What did Flourens find when he lesioned parts of the cortex on different animals?

A
  • At first the animals moved very little and refused to eat or drink
  • Later they recovered function until they appeared normal.
    = inconsistent with localisation.
9
Q

What do lesions to the brainstem cause?

A

Permanent breathing difficulties.

10
Q

What do lesions to the cerebellum cause?

A

Loss of locomotor coordination.

11
Q

What are Brodmann’s areas?

A

Areas he mapped according to the appearance of cells in the cortex under a microscope - cytoarchitectonics.

12
Q

What is cytoarchitectonic structure influenced by?

A

Connections - it should therefore map onto psychological functions.

13
Q

What did Jean Baptiste Boullard propose?

A
  • Certain brain functions are localised
  • Damage to left hemisphere = impaired movement on the right.
  • Language on left, loss of speech when pressure applied to exposed frontal lobes.
14
Q

What did Paul Broca do?

A

Found Broca’s area:

  • Autopsy on Tan revealed a lesion in the left frontal lobe.
  • Demonstrated lateralisation and localisation
  • Anterior speech region
  • Broca’s aphasia.
15
Q

What did Carl Wernicke do?

A
  • Investigated temporal lobe region behind Broca’s area - region of the cortex that receives information from the ear.
  • Patients with damage there spoke fluently but with no sense (Wernicke’s aphasia) - they could hear but not understand.
16
Q

What do models of language processing suggest about Broca’s and Wernicke’s area?

A
  1. Auditory information sent to W (converted into sound images)
  2. Images transmitted along Arcuate fasciculus to B
  3. B = representation of speech movements, sent instructions to control mouth muscles.
17
Q

What is conduction aphasia?

A
  • Consequent on Arcuate fibre damage
  • Comprehension and speech sounds maintained
  • Speech is impaired (difficulty repeating)