Task 7 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is Korsakoff’s syndrome, and what brain areas does it affect?
A form of amnesia caused by damage to the mammillary bodies, dorsomedial thalamus, and frontal lobes.
What types of memory remain intact in amnesiacs?
Short-term memory, procedural learning, and classical conditioning.
How do amnesiacs experience time and self?
They live in an ephemeral present, unable to form a continuous narrative of their lives.
What is anosognosia?
A condition where a patient is unaware of their own neurological deficits.
What brain damage is associated with anosognosia?
Damage to the right parietal lobe.
What is Anton’s syndrome?
A condition where a blind patient insists they can see, often making up excuses when they bump into objects.
What is hemifield neglect?
A disorder where patients fail to perceive the left side of their world, often due to right hemisphere damage.
Can unconscious stimuli influence patients with neglect?
Yes, emotional or significant stimuli in the neglected field can still affect behavior
What is blindsight?
The ability to respond to visual stimuli without conscious awareness, typically due to damage in V1.
How does blindsight challenge theories of consciousness?
It suggests that vision can function without conscious perception, questioning the role of qualia.
What alternative neural pathways enable blindsight?
The superior colliculus and other non-cortical visual pathways.
What is the Riddoch phenomenon?
A form of blindsight where patients can detect fast-moving stimuli but not static objects.
What is asomatognosia?
A lack of recognition of a body part, often affecting the left arm after right hemisphere damage.
What is somatoparaphrenia?
A severe form of asomatognosia where patients believe their limb belongs to someone else.
What brain areas are involved in somatoparaphrenia?
Damage to the medial frontal cortex and right orbitofrontal cortex.
What does the study of brain damage reveal about consciousness?
Consciousness is not a unified experience but depends on multiple brain systems.
How does sensory substitution challenge traditional views of perception?
It suggests that vision, touch, and hearing are flexible and can adapt to new sensory inputs.
What does blindsight suggest about functionalism vs. qualia?
It raises questions about whether conscious experience is necessary for perception or if perception is purely functional.
How does Korsakoff’s syndrome affect episodic and procedural memory?
Episodic memory for recent events is impaired, but procedural memory remains intact.
What is the role of the Wada test in brain research?
It temporarily disables one hemisphere to assess language and memory function before brain surgery.
What is confabulation in amnesiacs?
The unconscious creation of false memories to fill in gaps due to memory loss.
What behaviors are typical in patients with hemifield neglect?
Ignoring the left side of objects, drawings, and their own body.
How do patients with Anton’s syndrome respond to their blindness?
They deny their blindness and fabricate reasons for their inability to navigate the environment.
How can training help patients with hemifield neglect?
Encouraging patients to turn their heads can help them become aware of their neglected visual field.
