PHYS: Higher Cortical Function

Question 1

What are the 6 layers of cerebral cortex?

Answer 1

• I, II, III - intracortical association fibres (mainly interneurons within that region of cortex)
• IV - incoming sensory fibres terminate
• V, VI - output fibres leaving cortex (V to brain stem/SC, VI to thalamus)

Question 2

What are higher cortical functions?

Answer 2

• Executive functions - planning, decision-making, attention
• Reasoning, memory, learning
• Language, musical appreciation
• Emtoional feelings and expression, motivation
• Self-awareness, body image

Question 3

What are the 3 major divisions of association cortex?

Answer 3

• Pariteo-occipito-temporal AA
  
  • polysensory integration and language
• Prefrontal AA
  
  • executive functions, motor planning, working memory, attention
• Limbic AA
  
  • memory, emotion, motivation

Question 4

What is the function of the parieto-occipito-temporal association area? What is the result of damage to these areas?

Answer 4

• Provides interpretive meaning
• Spatial coordinates (continuous analysis of spatial orientation)
  
  • Damage: failure to plan movement of opposite side of body
• Processing of visual language (reading)
  
  • Damage: lose reading language comprehension
• Naming objects area (coordinates names learnt - visual names and physical nature
  
  • Damage: lose names
• Language comprehension area (Wernicke’s)
  
  • Damage: can’t process language

Question 5

What are the function of the prefrontal association area?

Answer 5

• Ability to plan consequences and actions
• Calling forth information and using it to obtain a goal
• Working memory
• Elaboration of thought
  
  • correlate divegent info
  • culture appropriate personality/behaviour

Question 6

What are the consequences of lesions to the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 6

Loss of:

• Complex problem-solving
• Ability to perform sequential tasks
• Ability to learn parallel tasks
• Morals, social appropriateness
• Purpose

Question 7

What is the function of the Limbic Association Cortex? What does damage here cause?

Answer 7

• Behaviour, judgement, insight, emotions & motivation
• Provides emotional drive for activating other brain regions
• Motivational drive for learning
  
  • Damage: difficulties iwth abstract reasoning, judgement and mood

Question 8

What functions of the brain are involved in communication?

Answer 8

• Sensory integration (audiovisual)
• Formation thoughts: choosing words (Wernicke’s area)
• Motor control of vocalization: vocalization (Broca’s area)

Question 9

What is Wernicke’s area function (parieto-occipito-temporal AA)?

Answer 9

• General interpretive area
  
  • integrates comprehensive interpretive function
  • integrates auditory/visual/somatic AAs
• Language-based intellectual function
  
  • integrates senses to form thoughts

So potent as integrative centre due to its location.

Question 10

What is the function of Broca’as area (prefrontal AA)?

Answer 10

• Pre-motor speech - word formation
  
  • initation & execution of plans & motor patterns for expressing words
  • initiates skilled patterns of movement
    
    • larynx, lip, mouth, repsiratory & accessory muscles
  • articulation
    
    • intonation, timing, intensity changes, sequential sound

Question 11

Explain how higher executive function is lateralised

Answer 11

Left:

• language
• reading
• mathematical/analytical
• music (musicians)

Right:

• body image
• complex spatial tasks
• non-verbal ideation
• music (non-musicians)