Neuro - Cortical Orgnisation + Function

Question 1

What is the microscopic organisation of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 1

6 layers + many columns

Question 2

How was the cerebral cortex organised by cytoarchitecture?

Answer 2

52 regions

Question 3

What does frontal lobe do?

Answer 3

→ regulating + initiating motor function
→ language
→ cognitive functions
→ attention
→ memory

Question 4

What does parietal lobe do?

Answer 4

→ sensation, touch, pain
→ sensory aspects of language
→ spatial orientation
→ self - perception

Question 5

What does occipital lobe do?

Answer 5

→ processes visual info

Question 6

What does Temporal lobe do?

Answer 6

→ processes auditory info
→ emotions
→ memories

Question 7

What makes up the limbic lobe?

Answer 7

→ amygdala
→ hippocampus
→ mamillary body
→ cingulate gyrus

Question 8

What does limbic lobe do?

Answer 8

→ learning
→ memory
→ emotion motivation
→ reward

Question 9

Where does the insular cortex lie?

Answer 9

Deep within lateral fissure

Question 10

What does insular lobe do?

Answer 10

→ visceral sensations, 
→ autonomic control,
→ interoception, 
→ auditory processing, 
→ visual- vestibular integration

Question 11

What matter makes up the cerebral cortex?

Answer 11

Grey + white matter

Question 12

What is grey matter?

Answer 12

Neuronal all bodies + glial cells

Question 13

What is white matter?

Answer 13

Myelinated neuronal axons

Question 14

What do white matter tracts do?

Answer 14

Connect cortical areas

Question 15

What are the 3 types of fibres that make up white matter tracts?

Answer 15

→ association
→ commissural
→ projection

Question 16

What do association fibres do?

Answer 16

connect areas within the same hemisphere

Question 17

What do commissural fibres do?

Answer 17

Connect homologous structure in left + right hemispheres

Question 18

What do projection fibres do?

Answer 18

Connect cortex with lower brain structures (e.g. thalamus, brain stem and spinal cord)

Question 19

What are the 2 types of association fibres? What’s more common?

Answer 19

Short + long

→ short

Question 20

What does the superior longitudinal fasciculus do?

Answer 20

Long, connects frontal and occipital lobes

Question 21

What does the arcuate fasciculus do?

Answer 21

connects frontal and temporal lobes

Question 22

What does the inferior longitudinal fasciculus do?

Answer 22

connects temporal and occipital lobes

Question 23

What does the uncinate fasciculus do?

Answer 23

connects anterior frontal and temporal lobes

Question 24

What are 2 examples of Commissural fibres?

Answer 24

→ corpus callosum

→ anterior commissure

Question 25

Where do afferent + efferent projection fibres do?

Answer 25

→ efferent = away from cortex | → afferent = towards cortex

Question 26

Where do the projection fibres converge?

Answer 26

internal capsule between thalamus + basal ganglia

Question 27

What are 3 main features of primary cortices?

Answer 27

→ Function predictable → Organised topographically → Symmetry between left and right

Question 28

What are 3 main features of secondary / association cortices?

Answer 28

→ Function less predictable → not organised topographically → weak or absent symmetry between left and right

Question 29

What are the 3 main motor areas of the frontal lobe? | Which one is primary and secondary?

Answer 29

→ primary → supplementary (secondary/association) → premotor (secondary/association)

Question 30

What does the primary motor cortex do?

Answer 30

→ controls fine, discrete, precise voluntary movements. | → Provides descending signals to execute movements.

Question 31

What does the supplementary area do?

Answer 31

Involved in planning complex movements (e.g. internally cued)

Question 32

What does the premotor area do?

Answer 32

involved in planning movements (e.g. externally cued)

Question 33

What are the 2 main sensory cortices of the parietal like? Which one is primary and secondary?

Answer 33

→ primary somatosensory | → somatosensory association

Question 34

What does the primary somatosensory cortex do?

Answer 34

processes somatic sensations arising from receptors in the body (e.g. fine touch, vibration, two-point discrimination, proprioception, pain and temperature)

Question 35

What does the somatosensory association area do?

Answer 35

→ Interpret significance of sensory information, e.g. recognizing an object placed in the hand. → Awareness of self + awareness of personal space

Question 36

What are the 2 main cortices of the occipital lobe? | What do they do?

Answer 36

→ primary visual cortex = processes visual stimuli | → visual association = gives meaning + interpretation of visual input

Question 37

What are the 2 main cortices of the temporal lobe? | What do they do?

Answer 37

→ primary auditory cortex : processes auditory stimuli | → auditory association : gives meaning + interpretation of auditory input

Question 38

Where is the prefrontal cortex located? What does it do?

Answer 38

``` Frontal lobe → attention → adjusting social behaviour → planning → personality expression → decision making ```

Question 39

Where is the Broca's area located? What does it do?

Answer 39

Frontal lobe, Usually only left hemisphere | → production of language + speech

Question 40

Where is the wernicke's area located? What does it do?

Answer 40

Temporal lobe | → understanding language

Question 41

How do frontal lobe lesions present?

Answer 41

→ Changes in personality | → Inappropriate behaviour

Question 42

How do parietal lobe lesions present?

Answer 42

→ Contralateral neglect → Lack of awareness of self on opposite side to lesion → Lack of awareness of opposite side to lesion of extrapersonal space

Question 43

How do temporal lobe lesions present?

Answer 43

→ Lateral leads to agnosia, inability to recognise | → Medial = anterograde amnesia

Question 44

How do Broca’s area lesions present?

Answer 44

Expressive aphasia – poor production of speech, comprehension intact

Question 45

How do Wernicke’s area lesions present?

Answer 45

Receptive aphasia – poor comprehension of speech, production is fine

Question 46

How do primary visual cortex lesions present?

Answer 46

blindness in the corresponding part of the visual field

Question 47

How do visual association lesions present?

Answer 47

→ deficits in interpretation of visual information | → e.g. prosopagnosia: inability to recognise familiar faces or learn new faces (face blindness)

Question 48

How does a PET scan assess cortical function?

Answer 48

→ positron emission tomography | → blood flow directly to a brain region

Question 49

How does a fMRI scan assess cortical function?

Answer 49

→ functional MRI | → looks at amount of blood oxygen in a brain region

Question 50

What is an EEG?

Answer 50

electroencephalography

Question 51

What is an MEG?

Answer 51

magnetoencephalography

Question 52

How does an EEG assess cortical function?

Answer 52

measures electrical signals produced by the brain using event-related or evoked potentials

Question 53

How does an MEG assess cortical function?

Answer 53

measures magnetic signals produced by the brain using event-related or evoked potentials