Neuroscience: Brain Functions and Disorders

Terms

• Gyri/sulci: Increase the amount of cortex in the cranial cavity.
• Disconnection syndrome: Occurs when the corpus callosum is severed, causing each hemisphere to be unaware of the other.
• Aphasia: Language deficits due to lesions in Wernicke's or Broca's areas.
• Nonfluent aphasia: Characterized by slow speech and difficulty choosing words.
• Fluent aphasia: Involves the creation of made-up words.
• Cerebral lateralization: Structural and functional differences between the cerebral hemispheres, pronounced more in males.

Brain Functions

• Electroencephalogram (EEG): Records brain waves, used to study normal brain function, like sleep and consciousness. Lack of brain waves is a sign of brain death.
• Alpha waves: Indicate wakefulness, rest, and mind-wandering with eyes closed.
• Beta waves: Associated with mental activity and sensory stimulation.
• Theta waves: Common in children, intensely frustrated individuals, and drowsy/sleeping adults.
• Delta waves: High-amplitude waves typically found in deep sleep in adults.

Parts of the Brain

• Cerebrum: Responsible for sensory perception, memory, thought, judgment, and voluntary motor actions. Divided by a longitudinal fissure into two hemispheres.
• Cerebral hemispheres: Receive sensory information from and send motor commands to the opposite side of the body.
• Cerebral cortex: Contains white matter and specific functions aren't precisely linked to specific regions.
• Frontal lobe: Involved in voluntary motor functions, motivation, foresight (prefrontal cortex).
• Parietal lobe: Integrates general senses and taste, between the central sulcus and parieto-occipital sulcus.
• Occipital lobe: Primary visual center of the brain, located caudal to the parieto-occipital sulcus.
• Temporal lobe: Situated lateral and horizontal, below the lateral sulcus, involved with hearing, smell, learning.
• Insula: Deep within the lateral sulcus, linked to understanding spoken language and taste.

Cranial Nerves and other structures

• Projection: Structures extending vertically between the cerebrum, lower brain, and spinal cord center.

• Commissural: Connects different regions within the same hemisphere.

• Corpus callosum: Important structure for commissural connections.

• Association fibers: Connect different regions within the same hemisphere.

• Limbic system: A complex system related to emotions and learning, from specific regions of cerebrum and diencephalon.

• Postcentral gyrus: Sensory input processed here becomes conscious, spatial awareness.

• Sensory areas: Receive and process sensory input from the body.

• Visual cortex and auditory cortex: Crucial for processing visual and auditory sensory information.

• Taste and smell areas: Processes taste and smell.

• Precentral gyrus: (Primary motor cortex) sends signals to the brainstem and spinal cord, causing muscle contraction.

• Language structures: Wernicke's and Broca's area are located in the left hemisphere for language processing and creation of spoken language.

• Cranial nerves: A range of nerves with diverse functions, including sensory, motor, and mixed functions (e.g., olfactory, optic, oculomotor, etc.).

Explore key concepts in neuroscience, focusing on brain functions, communication disorders, and hemispheric specialization. This quiz covers terms like aphasia, EEG, and cerebral lateralization. Test your understanding of how brain structures correlate with various cognitive processes.