Lecture 3: Neuropsychology of Spatial Cognition and disorders of Spatial Processing

Question 1

What is Spatial Processing?

Answer 1

The ability to understand, represent and manipulate information about objects and their positions in space including visual and auditory information

Question 2

What is the dorsal stream?

Answer 2

A visual processing pathway in the brain that’s crucial for spatial location, motion detection and guiding actions related to objects

Question 3

What are the 2 key parts of the dorsal stream?

Answer 3

• Parietal Lobe
• Superior Parts of the temporal lobe

Question 4

What is the Parietal lobe made up of?

Answer 4

• Inferior Parietal Cortex
• Intraparietal Sulcus

Question 5

What do the different parts of the parietal lobe do?

Answer 5

• Inferior Parietal cortex = Integrates visual and sensory information for spatial processing. It is crucial for object localisation and movement coordination
• Intraparietal Sulcus = Processes depth perception, eye movements and hand-eye coordination

Question 6

What is the superior parts of the temporal lobe made up of?

Answer 6

• Medial Temporal cortex
• Medial Superior Temporal Cortex

Question 7

What does each part of the superior temporal lobe do?

Answer 7

• Medial Temporal Cortex = Specialised for motor detection and helps track moving objects in space
• Medial Superior Temporal Cortex = Plays a role in perceiving complex motion

Question 8

What is the Parietal Cortex?

Answer 8

A part of the parietal lobe that plays a crucial role in integrating sensory information, spatial processing, and attention including functions like touch, temperature, pain and body awareness

Question 9

What are the three pathways that go from the parietal cortex to other parts of the brain?

Answer 9

• Visual guidance of Action
• Spatial Working Memory
• Navigation

Question 10

What does each pathway that goes from the parietal cortex project to?

Answer 10

• Visual Guidance Of Action = Projects to the premotor cortex
• Spatial Working Memory = Projects to the prefrontal cortex
• Navigation = Projects to the medial temporal cortex

Question 11

What is the function of every part of the brain that the parietal cortex projects to?

Answer 11

• Visual Guidance of Action = Plays a crucial role in planning, preparing for and executing movements. Helps coordinate movement based on visual input
• Spatial Working memory = Deals with higher order cognitive function like decision-making, reasoning, personality expression and social behaviour. It supports short-term storage of spatial information.
• Navigation = Plays a vital role in memory function, particularly in encoding, consolidating and retrieving declarative memories. It is crucial for spatial awareness and navigation.

Question 12

What is the function of every pathway?

Answer 12

• Visual guidance of Action = Essential for reaching, grasping and hand-eye coordination
• Spatial Working memory = Involved in decision-making and planning movements in space
• Navigation = Helps with episodic memory

Question 13

What are declarative memories?

Answer 13

Conscious memories

Question 14

What is episodic memory?

Answer 14

The ability to learn, store, and retrieve information about unique personal experiences that occur in daily life?

Question 15

What is the body space?

Answer 15

The area immediately surrounding an individual where they can reach or be reached in external entities

Question 16

What is body space made up of?

Answer 16

Peri-personal space (The space immediately around the body within arm’s reach)
Extra-personal space (Space beyond arm’s reach, used for navigation)

Question 17

What are the frames of reference?

Answer 17

The relationship between the object and the subjects spatial positions

Question 18

What are the two frames of reference?

Answer 18

Egocentric
Allocentric

Question 19

What do the two frames of reference do?

Answer 19

Egocentric - A reference that is relative to the observer
Allocentric - A reference that is relative to objects or landmarks in the environment

Question 20

What are the three types of egocentric frames of reference?

Answer 20

Retino-centric
Head-Centred
Body-Centred

Question 21

What do the three egocentric frames of reference do?

Answer 21

Retino-Centric = Sensitive to stimuli in specific parts of the brain
Head-centred = Sensitive to stimuli relative to the head, regardless of eye position
Body-centred = Sensitive to stimuli relative to the body

Question 22

What is motion processing?

Answer 22

The visual system’s specialised function of analysing and interpreting movement in the environment.

Question 23

What is Motion discrimination?

Answer 23

The ability to perceive and distinguish between different types of movement, including direction, speed and the nature of motion.

Question 24

What is constructional praxis?

Answer 24

The ability to physically manipulate items to produce specific spatial relationships

Question 25

What are navigational abilities?

Answer 25

The cognitive processes and skills used to orient oneself, plan routes and move through an environment

Question 26

What are the 2 key types of navigation?

Answer 26

- Route Based Navigation - Map Based Navigation

Question 27

What does each type of navigation do?

Answer 27

- Route Based Navigation = Following a set of directions, it relies on external cues to guide movement, utilising egocentric coordinates - Map Based Navigation = Involves building a mental representation of the environment based on allocentric coordinates

Question 28

What are the four syndromes that affect navigation?

Answer 28

- Egocentric disorientation - Landmark Agnosia - Anterograde disorientation - Heading disorientation

Question 29

What does each syndrome affecting navigation do?

Answer 29

- Ego-centric disorientation = A neurological condition in which individuals struggle to represent the location of objects or themselves in relation to their own body - Landmark Agnosia = A visual impairment where the individual struggles to recognise familiar landmarks - Anterograde disorientation = The impaired ability to learn and navigate new environment whilst still being able to navigate in familiar environments - Heading disorientation = The inability to derive directional information from landmarks to reach a destination

Question 30

Where must damage take place for a syndrome affecting navigation to exist?

Answer 30

- Ego-centric disorientation = Posterior parietal region - Landmark Agnosia = Damage to the ventral stream, medial part of the occipital lobe, Parahippocampal gyrus - Anterograde disorientation = Damage to the para-hippocampal gyrus - Heading disorientation = Retro-splenial cortex

Question 31

What brain areas support navigation?

Answer 31

- Parahippocal place Area - Retrosplenial Cortex - Medial Temporal Lobe

Question 32

What does each brain are supporting navigation do?

Answer 32

- Parahippocal place area = Recognition of Landmarks - Retrospatial cortex = Coding of position of observer in relation to landmarks - Medial Temporal Lobe = Learning routes or maps, coding the relationship between landmarks

Question 33

What is optic ataxia?

Answer 33

When one has the difficulty in visually guiding reaching and inaccurate hand movement despite functioning vision and motor skills

Question 34

What is optic ataxia caused by?

Answer 34

Damage to the parietal lobe