Neurobiology of Cognition Flashcards
(48 cards)
What functions are thought to be specific to the mind rather than the brain?
Higher level thinking:
- memory
- judgement
- social communication
What is Mind-Body dualism?
Philosophical view that mind/mental phenomena are non-physical
OR that mind and body are distinct and separable.
What is meant by substance dualism?
Philosophical view that two sorts of substances exist: the mental and the physical.
What is known as semantic memory?
Remembering factual information
What test can be completed to check that patients with Dementia still have the cognitive ability to drive?
Divided Attention Test
What part of driving do patients with dementia often struggle with?
Unfamiliar situations
=> procedural memory is usually intact, but they have difficulty reacting when presented with something they weren’t expecting
How did Aristotle first describe a memory?
Holding a perceived experience in mind and recognising that you have seen it externally in the past (i.e. it is not an internal thought)
What did Galen propose about the brain?
That it was the source of mental activity
Most functions are coordinated by multiple areas of the brain. TRUE/FALSE?
TRUE
Where is Broca’s area located?
Posterior inferior frontal gyrus
What does a lesion in Broca’s area cause?
Broca’s dysphasia - Patient an comprehend others but has difficulty forming words and fluent speech
Where is Wernicke’s area located?
Superior Temporal gyrus
What does a lesion in Wernicke’s Area cause?
Receptive dysphasia
=> patient can comprehend language
=> speech is fluent, but often does not make much sense as they do not understand what they are saying
What are Brodmann’s Areas and in which area is the Primary Motor Cortex located?
cerebral cortex classified into areas by its cyto-architecture
i.e. histological structure and cellular organisation
Primary Motor Cortex = Brodmann’s Area 4
What scan can be used to identify which areas increase in activity during certain tasks?
Functional MRI
- shows increase in blood flow in certain areas
Briefly explain the multi-store model of memory
Sensory memory -> pay attention to it -> Moves to Short term Memory -> Rehearsal -> Long term Memory
Retrieval of memory from long term to short term -> Recall
How long do memories remain in the short term memory for?
between 7 secs to 1 min
What part of the brain is responsible for encoding short term memory to become long term memory?
Hippocampus
What is the definition of dementia and what else is required for a diagnosis?
Progressive global cognitive decline
IRREVERSIBLE
- must also be at least mild functional impairment present for diagnosis
If patients have a diagnosis of mild dementia and still wish to carry on with work as normal, what support can be put in place?
- Employment adjustments can be made if patient still has decent function
Where does Alzheimer’s usually begin in the brain?
Mediotemporal lobes (hence why memory is affected early)
What are the most common presenting symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
Most common - memory problems
May also have word finding difficulty
What 3 symptoms are indicative of Alzheimer’s dementia?
Dysphasia
Dyspraxia (lack of coordination)
Agnosia (difficulty identifying objects)
Name an end stage symptom of Alzheimer’s dementia
Loss of swallow
=> dysphagia
