Lecture 5 - Modularity

Question 1

Describe the case of Phineas Gage (1823-1860)

Answer 1

Phineas Gage (1823-1860)

• In 1848 had an accident while laying a railroad in Vermont.
• This changed his personality.

Contemporary account:

• …He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom)…

Question 2

What are 4 different methods of explorations of the brain.

Answer 2

• Behaviourism
• Psychophysics
• Neuroanatomy
• Neuroscience

Question 3

List 5 ways in which you can assess a patient with cognitive impairment.

Answer 3

• Anatomical brain scan (CT or MRI)
• Interviews and behavioural assessment
• Normal psychometric tests
• Standardised neuropsychological tests
• Unstandardised tests

Information about a patients deficits can be obtained by asking the patient or those close to the patient.

Tests such as IQ tests allow for comparison with a large sample of what is considered normal data. May reveal a general deficit in abilities. These are not designed to tell us about particular cognitive deficits.

Standardised test are validated as measure of selective cognitive impairment.

Question 4

List 4 standardised neuropsychological tests.

Describe 2.

Answer 4

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale WAIS
  (see relevant powerpoint, slide 12 for diagram)
• Wisconsin card sorting

- National Adult Reading Test
> Measure of ‘pre-morbid’ IQ
> Tests pronunciation of words
* Depot, Simile, Heir, Recipe
* Prelate, Syncope, Topiary,  Superfluous
* Synecdoche, Cidevant
   Si Nec Do Kee (part is used to refer to whole)
   Seed Evon (former)

• Behavioural Inattention Test

Question 5

What is a standardised test?

Answer 5

• Clear coding system

- Compare with published norms.

Question 6

What is an unstandardised test?

Answer 6

• Able to probe individual problems of a particular case.
• Absence of extensive age-matched controls.
• Controls can be established afterwards.

Question 7

Define the condition Agnosia.

Answer 7

Neuropsychological condition.

Agnosia -

Loss of ability to recognise.

Question 8

Define the condition Prosopagnosia.

Answer 8

Neuropsychological condition.

Prosopagnosia -

Loss of ability to recognise faces.

Question 9

Define the condition Alexia.

Answer 9

Neuropsychological condition.

Alexia -

Loss of ability to recognise test.

Question 10

Define the condition Time agnosia.

Answer 10

Neuropsychological condition.

Time agnosia -

Loss of ability to order events.

Question 11

Define the condition Aphasia.

Answer 11

Neuropsychological condition.

Aphasia -

Many types of communication difficulties.

Question 12

Define the condition Unilateral neglect.

Answer 12

Neuropsychological condition.

Unilateral neglect -

Failing to attend to one side.

Question 13

Describe:

• Associations
• Dissociations
• Double dissociations

Answer 13

(see relevant powerpoint, slides 19-23)

Question 14

List 3 other methods to investigate brain function.

Describe them.

Answer 14

• fMRI
  Functional magnetic resonance
  imaging
  > Measures blood oxygen levels in the brain as an indicator of regional activity (BOLD)
  > High spatial resolution (voxels of less than 1mm)
  > Records in 3D (ie, internal brain activity)
  Disadvantages
  > Indirect measure of brain activity
  > Slow responses (2-5s) makes temporal resolution poor
• MEG/EEG
  Magnetoencephalography
  Electroencephalography
  > Measurement of electrical action potentials at the scalp to infer synaptic activity.
  > High temporal resolution (better than 1ms)
  Disadvantages
  > Poorer spatial localisation
• TMS
  Transcranial magnetic stimulation
  > The use of powerful magnets to stimulate parts of the brain.
  > Knock out technique – virtual lesion

Question 15

What are event related potentials? (ERPs)

Answer 15

• Take a particular event and measure the pattern of potentials following it.
• Repeat many times.
• Find the average pattern for a particular type of event.