Introduction to higher cognitive functions Flashcards
(33 cards)
What are higher cognitive functions?
Complex mental processes
Skills set of the brain
Perception, attention, learning, memory, decision making, language skills and reasoning
Define cognition:
mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses
What is the general principle of higher cognitive functions?
requires the ability to process necessary information through multiple sensor inputs:
- inputs = sensory information
- processor = brain
- outputs = executive functions/actions (outputs are the things you selectively response to as you’ve chosen to be aware of them)
integrated processing - how the brain processes inputs and what outputs it sends out
What does mindfulness do?
teaches you to recognise things that you aren’t necessarily aware of beforehand - taking a moment to become aware of other stimuli around you
What is the cocktail party effect?
how you can know what your friends are saying when you are out at a busy bar and you’ve had a drink and there are lots of different stimuli yet you still manage to zone out other stimuli so you can focus on the conversation
What is the stroop test?
stroop effect is the fact you can respond fast to words that are present in that colour compared to naming the colour of a word that isnt that word
Selective attention
Colours are not necessarily an automatic process like reading
What are the key functions of the frontal lobe?
“basic computer”
Executive functions, thinking, planning, organising, decision making, problem solving, emotions and behavioural control and personality
Contains Broca’s area
What are the key functions of the parietal lobe?
Perception, making sense of the world, arithmetic, spelling
What are the key functions of the occipital lobe?
vision
What are the key functions of the temporal lobe?
memory, understanding, language
contains Wernicke’s area
What are the two areas involved in language?
Broca’s area: speech production
Wernicke’s area: speech comprehension
What are specific language disorders?
Spoken word comprehension (understanding speech)- receptive language disorder
Written word comprehension (reading) - language processing disorder
Spoken word production (talking) and written word production (writing) - expressive language disorder
What are the effects of Broca’s aphasia?
non-fluent / expressive / productive / motor aphasia
Impaired production of speech Severely limited speech output May have anomia Mainly content word (lack of function words) Lack syntax Frustration with difficulties- often using gestures to express themselves Comprehension is relatively normal impaired repetition Reading aloud is impaired Writing- poorly formed letters
What are the typical lesions causing broca’s aphasia and what is the typical pathology?
Left posterior-inferior frontal cortex and underlying white matter
Stroke of upper division of left middle cerebral artery
What are the effects of Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluent / sensory / receptive aphasia
Severely impaired comprehension of spoken and written language
Impairment to location of memories of words
Fluent, socially conventional speech - meaningless though
Patient’s appear undisturbed by their difficulties but it can be very difficult for families
Use made up but similar sounding words
Repetition impaired
Reading aloud impaired
Well formed letters when writing
What are the typical lesions causing Wernicke’s aphasia and what is the typical pathology?
Superior posterior temporal region including angular gyri - commonly subcortical lesion of temporal isthmus
Stroke of lower division of left middle cerebral artery
What are the observations are you trying to attain in terms of speech and language in psychiatry?
Speech
- slowed
- fast
- disorganised
Language is expression of thoughts
- content (e.g. depressed, grandiose, paranoid)
- speed (e.g. poverty, mania)
- form of thought (schizophrenia, disorganised thinking)
What is language an expression of?
it is an expression of what we are thinking therefore it can be an important indicator for a psychiatric problem
- people who are depressed tend to demonstrate changes in their language
What brain functions are associated with the frontal lobe?
- voluntary movement
- language production
- comportment
- executive functions
- motivation
What brain functions are associated with the temporal lobe?
- Audition
- Language comprehension
- Memory
- Emotion
What does it mean by language dominance?
Left hemisphere is dominant for language in >90% of right handed people and 70% in left handed people
How can left hemisphere dominance be demonstrated?
Through:
- aphasias
- wada test
- split brain patients
- neuroimaging studies
- brain stimulation studies
What was phineas gage like post head injury?
Motor control, perception and language were all still intact
His QoL had deteriotated
General impairments in control (disinhibited, impulsive, antisocial, profane) with changes in mood and personality
Dysexecutive syndrome / frontal lobe syndrome / pseudopsychopathy
What are the functions of the frontal lobe?
Cognition and memory
Ability to concentrate and attend, elaboration of thought “the gatekeeper” for judgement and inhibition, personality and emotional tracts
Motor cortex- voluntary motor activity
Premotor cortex - storage of motor patterns and voluntary activities
Language - motor speech
