Split brain + disorders Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is hemiplegia?
Hemiplegia is paralysis of one side of the body, caused by damage to the primary motor cortex.
Damage to the right side of the cortex paralyzes the left side of the body.
What are association areas in the brain and what damage can it cause?
Association areas do not show fixed mapping and are implicated in higher mental functions. They cannot be pinpointed to a specific location for tasks like planning. Damage is more difficult due to this non-fixed mapping
Damage to these areas is more complicated due to their non-fixed mapping.
What is prosopagnosia?
Prosopagnosia is the difficulty in recognizing faces due to damage to the fusiform gyrus in the temporal/occipital lobes.
Some individuals cannot recognize familiar faces or even identify a face as a face.
What happened to Phineas Gage?
Phineas Gage suffered a severe brain injury when an iron pole went through his frontal lobe, leading to significant personality changes.
He became aggressive and out of control after the accident.
What are the effects of damage to the prefrontal cortex?
Damage to the prefrontal cortex can lead to deficiencies in response inhibition, planning, and foresight of consequences. It can result in personality changes such as depression or criminal conduct. Alcohol can cause temporary damage.
Individuals may appear uninvolved, depressed, or exhibit psychopathic behavior.
What is apraxia?
Apraxia is a serious disturbance in the initiation or organization of voluntary action, leading to fragmented and disorganized actions.
This condition is associated with damage to the frontal lobe.
What is neglect syndrome?
Neglect syndrome occurs when individuals with right-sided parietal damage neglect the left side of space, often accompanied by anosognosia (denial of effect). There are problems with hemi-attention, and the syndrome can present as visual, auditory, or tactile.
It can manifest as visual, auditory, or tactile neglect.
Why is neglect asymmetrical?
Neglect is asymmetrical because the right hemisphere controls attention to both sides of space, while the left hemisphere only controls the right side.
Damage to the right hemisphere results in neglect of the left side.
What is the split brain?
The split brain refers to the surgical separation of the left and right hemispheres to control intractable epilepsy.
This procedure prevents seizures from spreading between hemispheres.
What is the corpus callosum?
The corpus callosum is the largest cerebral commissure, and the largest communicating pathway between the hemispheres.
What are the effects of split-brain surgery?
Split-brain surgery is successful in controlling epilepsy. It can lead to psychological symptoms. Also but rare, alien hand syndrome, where one hand takes a life of its own.
Rarely, evidence of a split mind can occur, such as the ‘alien hand’ phenomenon.
What is callosal agenesis?
Callosal agenesis is a developmental disorder where the corpus callosum does not develop, leading to a naturally split brain. As the people are young, they compensate well and can normally name visual objects in both fields of vision.
It may be accompanied by other neurological problems but many individuals appear normal.
