Neurobiology of Cognition

Question 1

What is cognition?

Answer 1

the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and senses

Question 2

What are some frontal lobe functions?

Answer 2

voluntary movement 
reasoning 
personality 
inhibitions 
initiative

Question 3

What are some parietal lobe functions?

Answer 3

knowing right from left 
reading 
writing 
body orientation 
calculation 
two point discrimination

Question 4

What effects can be seen in a dominant hemisphere parietal lesion?

Answer 4

dysphasia 
dyscalculia 
dyslexia 
apraxia 
agnosia

Question 5

What is Gerstmann Syndrome?

Answer 5

characterised by acalculia, agraphia, finger anomia and difficulty differentiating left and right

Question 6

What are some temporal lobe functions?

Answer 6

memory 
hearing 
emotions 
recognising faces 
understanding speech

Question 7

What is the main function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 7

visual reception

Question 8

Which area is more posterior - Wernicke’s or Broca’s?

Answer 8

Wernicke’s

Question 9

What type of aphasia is associated with Brocas area?

Answer 9

expressive

Question 10

What type of aphasia is associated with Wernicke’s area?

Answer 10

receptive

Question 11

What structures make up the limbic system?

Answer 11

hypothalamus
amygdala
hippocampus and dentate gyrus
cingulate gyrus

Question 12

What are the functions of the hippocampus?

Answer 12

forming new memories

spatial memory and navigation

Question 13

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

Answer 13

integrates the autonomic and endocrine systems

Question 14

What is the main function of the amygdala?

Answer 14

emotion

Question 15

What emotions are dealt with in the right amygdala?

Answer 15

negative emotions - fear, sadness

Question 16

What emotions are dealt with in the left amygdala?

Answer 16

pleasant + unpleasant + reward system

Question 17

What are the 3 stages of memory?

Answer 17

encoding
storage
retrieval

Question 18

Is glutamate excitatory or inhibitory?

Answer 18

excitatory

Question 19

What is dementia?

Answer 19

progressive cognitive decline

decline in previous levels of functioning and performing that isn’t explained by delirium or major psychiatric disorders

Question 20

What percentage of over 65s have dementia?

Answer 20

6.4%

Question 21

What is the criteria for a diagnosis of Alzheimers disease?

Answer 21

presence of dementia

insidious onset with slow deterioration

absence of clinical evidence to state decline may be caused by another system

absence of sudden onset focal neurological signs

Question 22

What is the main pathology behind AD?

Answer 22

amyloid plaques

neurofibrillary tangles

Question 23

What clinical findings lead to a diagnosis of vascular dementia?

Answer 23

abrupt/stepwise deterioration 
focal neurological signs 
hypertension 
carotid bruits 
episodes of clouded consciousness

Question 24

What is the central feature of LEWY BODY dementia?

Answer 24

progressive dementia - deficits in attention and executive function.

memory impairment may not be evident early

Question 25

What are other core features of LEWY BODY dementia?

Answer 25

fluctuating cognition and attention recurrent complex visual hallucinations - well formed and detailed spontaneous features of parkinsonism

Question 26

What dementia does REM sleep behaviour disorder have associations with?

Answer 26

Lewy body dementia

Question 27

What other features support a diagnosis of LBD?

Answer 27

``` repeated falls and fainting transient unexplained loss of consciousness autonomic dysfunction hallucinations visuospatial abnormalities ```

Question 28

What is required for a probable LBD diagnosis?

Answer 28

dementia plus 2 or more core features dementia plus one core feature and one or more suggestive features

Question 29

What are Lewy Bodies?

Answer 29

alpha-synuclein proteins within the cytoplasm of neurons

Question 30

What happens to the substantia nigra and acetylcholine producing neurons in LBD?

Answer 30

loss of dopamine in the SN loss of acetylcholine producing neurons

Question 31

What is another name for front-temporal dementia?

Answer 31

Pick's Dementia

Question 32

What features are usually preserved in front-temporal dementia?

Answer 32

memory perception spatial skills praxis

Question 33

What are Pick Bodies?

Answer 33

tau +ve spherical cytoplasmic neuronal inclusions composed of straight filaments

Question 34

What are Pick cells?

Answer 34

ballooned neurones with dissolution of chroma in

Question 35

What causes alcohol related dementia?

Answer 35

long term and excessive consumption of alcohol

Question 36

What features make up alcohol related dementia?

Answer 36

memory impairment + 1 of : ``` apraxia aphasia agnosia functional impairment executive function impairment ```