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Questions and Answers
What is cognitive control?
The set of psychological processes that contribute to planning, controlling, and regulating the flow of information processing.
Who is Phineas Gage?
A 25-year-old railroad foreman who suffered a worksite injury leading to significant behavioral changes.
Before his accident, Phineas Gage was known for being hard-working and responsible.
True
The ventromedial region was spared during Phineas Gage's accident.
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What was one professional impact observed in another case study after a frontal glioma surgery?
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Which cognitive control process is indicated as necessary due to no prior associations between correct objects and rewards?
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The _________ is critical for working memory performance.
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What is the n-back task used to test?
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What is the goal of the Tower of London task?
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Prefrontal lesions improve working memory performance.
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Study Notes
Cognitive Control
- The set of psychological processes facilitating planning, controlling, and regulating information flow.
- These processes bias the selection of actions and thoughts to enable goal-directed behavior.
- Cognitive control involves suppressing irrelevant thoughts and actions while strengthening those related to goals.
The Frontal Cortex
- Cognitive Control is a function of the Frontal Cortex.
Phineas Gage
- Railroad foreman who suffered a severe brain injury.
- Injury involved a ventromedial frontal lobe lesion.
- Gage exhibited significant personality and behavioral changes post-injury.
- Pre-injury: Hardworking, responsible, and well-liked.
- Post-injury: Became impulsive, irreverent, and displayed poor social behavior.
Other Case Study
- 50-year-old attorney underwent frontal lobe surgery for a glioma.
- Post-surgery, he displayed concentration and detail-oriented issues.
- Professional performance declined, and emotional responses became blunted.
- Lack of shame and embarrassment despite awareness of shortcomings.
Cognitive Control: Framework
- Cognitive Control is a balance between habits and goal-directed behavior.
- Emotions play a role in the framework.
Working Memory
- A key component of cognitive control.
- Required for tasks without prior association between correct object and reward.
Prefrontal Cortex and Working Memory
- Some prefrontal cells respond during the cue period, while others during the delay period in a delayed response task.
- These are known as "delay cells".
Prefrontal Lesions and Working Memory
- Impair working memory performance.
The N-Back Task
- A test of working memory.
- Participants indicate when a current stimulus matches the one from n steps earlier in a sequence.
Increased Prefrontal Activity
- Increased prefrontal activity during lures (incorrect stimulus requiring inhibition) is associated with greater working memory span.
The Tower of London Test
- Measures planning and problem-solving abilities.
- Involves moving balls between posts to achieve a target configuration within a limited number of moves.
- Greater difficulty as configurations become more complex.
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
- Plays a significant role in planning, working memory, and inhibitory control.
- Shows increased activity during the Tower of London task.
Manipulation of Representations
- The Prefrontal Cortex allows for manipulation of representations stored in the Temporal Cortex.
Inhibitory Control
- Inhibiting prepotent responses to achieve goals.
- Suppressing distractions and irrelevant stimuli.
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Description
Explore the functions of cognitive control and its connection to the frontal cortex through case studies, including the famous Phineas Gage incident. Test your understanding of how cognitive processes govern goal-directed behavior and personality changes following brain injuries. This quiz covers key concepts in psychology and neuroscience.
