Neurophysiology Of Higher Cognition

Question 1

What are the components of cognition?

Answer 1

Language
Social cognition
Decision making
Executive functioning
Memory 
Visuospatial perception

Question 2

What are the aspects of executive functioning in cognition?

Answer 2

Forward planning

Anticipation

Reasoning

Question 3

What produces cognition?

Answer 3

extensive synaptic interactions b/w pyramidal cells of all neocortical association areas

Question 4

How is spoken language produced?

Answer 4

Language conceptual system 
—> 
Mediational system
—> 
Implementation system 
—> 
Spoken language

Question 5

What makes up the Language implementation System?

Answer 5

Wernicke’s
Arcuate Fasciculus
Broca’s area
facial area of motor cortex

Question 6

Where is the language mediation System?

Answer 6

Surrounding language implementation areas

Question 7

What makes up the language mediation system?

Answer 7

Areas in temporal, parietal, and frontal association areas

Question 8

What is the job of the language mediation system?

Answer 8

Relay info to language implementation system from language conceptual system

Question 9

What is the role of the language conceptual system?

Example?

Answer 9

Provides concepts underlying our language

I.e. noun area that receives input from ventral visual pathways and provides us w/ names of things

Question 10

Infants younger than 6 mos. are known as?

Why?

Answer 10

Language universalist

Recognize all sounds that might be language as distinct sound

Do not discrimination b/w relevant and irrelevant phenomes

Question 11

What changes to language will occur in infants 6-9 mos. ?

Answer 11

Brains change and recognize specific language sounds of their native language

Will drop irrelevant phenomes
(ones that aren’t in their language)

Question 12

When is the language process complete?

How do you now?

Answer 12

At one year old

First words indicate that all irrelevant phenomes are gone

(All spoken words will be intermingled regardless of language though)

Question 13

If a second a language is learned during the language acquisition phase, what is activated?

Answer 13

Same pathway as that of the first language

From 0 -1 yr old

Question 14

If a second language is learned after the language acquision phase, what region is activated?

Answer 14

Adjacent region of Broca’s Area

Question 15

In adulthood, where is new language coded for?

Answer 15

In neighboring areas

Question 16

Why is social cognition importnat?

Answer 16

Big factor in our ability to function in interpersonal and social situations

Question 17

What 2 components is social cognition divided into?

Answer 17

Emotion comprehension

Theory of mind

Question 18

How is social cognition tied to emotion comprehension?

Answer 18

◦ Neural circuits for recognizing emotion in others is alos involved in producing that same emotion in us

Question 19

What is the process for emotional comprehension?

Answer 19

1. Perception of facial expressions (recognize face is special)
2. Emotion anatomical substrates
3. Possible activation of Mirror neuron system

Question 20

What are the anatomical substrates used to perceive facial expression (ID face as special)?

Answer 20

Superior temporal sulcus

Fusiform gyrus (fusiform face area)

Question 21

In the process of emotional comprehension, what are the anatomical substrates used for emotion?

What circuitry do these use?

Answer 21

Amygdala
Prefrontal cortex
Anterior cingulate cortex

Same emotional circuitry to recognize as to produce

Question 22

What activates the mirror neurons system?

Why is this system importnat?

Answer 22

when you do something or when you see someone else do same action

in imitation, imitative learning and emotional processing too

Question 23

Where are the facial details that cue us to what emotion we are seeing concentrated at?

Answer 23

Eyes
Nose
Mouth

Question 24

How will a normal person scan a face for emotion?

Answer 24

In the triangle of eyes, nose, and mouth

Question 25

What controls the use of eyes and will direct our gaze to the facial triangle?

Answer 25

Amygdala

Question 26

What is prosody?

Answer 26

‣ Study of tune and rhythm of speech and how these features contribute to meaning

Question 27

How is Prosody perceived?

Answer 27

1. Primary auditory cortex ID’s pitch, loudness, other characteristics 2. Right posterior superior temporal sulcus integrates pieces to find MEANING 3. Judgment of EMOTIONAL CONTENT in Frontal Cortex

Question 28

What s the theory of mind?

Answer 28

◦ Ability to understand the mental states of others and to appreciate how these differ from our own ‣ Beliefs, desires, and intentions ‣ Recognizes EMOTIONS AND the BELIEFS that lead to that emotion AND that different people have different beliefs

Question 29

What two pathways does the Theory of Mind require?

Answer 29

Core pathway Accessory pathway

Question 30

What does the Core Pathway of the Theory of Mind consist of?

Answer 30

Amygdala Connections to Medial temporal lobes Connections to Orbitofrontal areas

Question 31

What is the medial temporal lobe for?

Answer 31

Memory, sensory processing

Question 32

What is the Orbitofrontal area for?

Answer 32

Sensory and emotional processing

Question 33

What are the components of the accessory pathway of the Theory of Mind?

Answer 33

Language Executive functioning (frontal lobes)

Question 34

What serves as a scaffold for theory of mind?

Answer 34

Language | Becomes less important as you age

Question 35

What does the circuit for imitating interact with?

Answer 35

Limbic structures via the Insula

Question 36

Why is imitative behavior important? What will we imitate?

Answer 36

Crucial to development of social cognitive skill Emotional state/behavior AND Motor behaviors

Question 37

What is the flow of info thru the Mirror Neuron system?

Answer 37

1. Posterior sector of the Supeiror Temporal sulcus 2. Posterior Mirror Neuron System 3. Anterior Mirror neuron system

Question 38

What does the Posterior sector of the Supeiror Temporal sulcus do?

Answer 38

Provides visual input

Question 39

What does the Posterior Mirror Neuron System do?

Answer 39

Identifies motor action

Question 40

What does the Anterior Mirror Neuron system do?

Answer 40

ID’s goal of action

Question 41

What type of decision does the Stimulus Encoding system do?

Answer 41

Decision with EXPLICIT risk

Question 42

What are the anatomical substrates involved in the Stimulus Encoding System? Function?

Answer 42

Orbitofrontal cortex Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Striatum Evaluates EVIDENCE available in making decision

Question 43

What systems are activated for making decision with AMBIGUOUS risk?

Answer 43

Action Selection system Expected reward system

Question 44

What are decisions with explicit risk?

Answer 44

◦ Decision where RISKS ARE KNOWN relies on stimulus encoding system ‣ Evaluates evidence available to make decision

Question 45

What are decisions with ambiguous risk?

Answer 45

◦ Risks are unknown, decisions rely on expected reward system and eventually Action Selection System ‣ Predict reward, correct for error

Question 46

What are the anatomical substrates involved in the Action Selection System? Function?

Answer 46

Anterior cingulate cortex ‣ Learns and encodes the subjective value of the resutls. ‣ Involved in error detection

Question 47

What are the anatomical substrates involved in the Expected Reward System? Function?

Answer 47

Basal ganglia Amygdala Insular cortex Intraparietal cortex Predicts the expected reward

Question 48

What is the function of the Insular cortex in the Expected Reward System?

Answer 48

Processes social emotion

Question 49

What is the function of the Intraparietal cortex in the Expected Reward System?

Answer 49

Somatosensory processing, planning/intent