Neuroscience: Visual and Amygdala Pathways

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the likely effect of a lesion at the optic chiasm?

Achromatopsia

Right eye blindness

Bitemporal blindness (correct)

Akinetopsia

In which part of the visual pathway do axons synapse after leaving the optic nerve?

LGN (correct)

What condition results from a lesion in V4?

Blindsight

Achromatopsia (correct)

Bitemporal blindness

Akinetopsia

What characterizes processing in the visual cortex?

It involves distinct regions with unique retinotopic maps. Signup and view all the answers

What is blindsight?

A condition where a person can respond to stimuli without conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

What does the visual cortex identify about objects?

What they are and where they are located. Signup and view all the answers

Which visual defect is associated with damage to V5?

Akinetopsia Signup and view all the answers

What happens to receptive fields as neurons are processed deeper in the visual system?

They become larger and less specific. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the cortical nucleus in relation to the amygdala?

Processing olfactory information and emotional responses Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is NOT mentioned as having receptors in the amygdala?

Epinephrine Signup and view all the answers

Which symptom is characteristic of Klüver–Bucy syndrome?

An inability to understand the emotional significance of stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What effect does damage to the lateral amygdala have on fear conditioning?

Prevents fear conditioning Signup and view all the answers

The extensive connections of the amygdala are crucial for which of the following processes?

Learning, memory, and attention related to emotional stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Which area is NOT a direct output from the cortical nucleus?

Fusiform gyrus Signup and view all the answers

Which physiological responses are controlled by the brainstem regions connected to the amygdala?

Innate emotional and defensive behaviors Signup and view all the answers

What happens to accuracy in feature attention after 300 ms between cue and stimulus?

Accuracy is low Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between spatial attention and object attention based on the information provided?

Spatial attention is faster than feature attention Signup and view all the answers

What does object attention rely on when spatial attention is not involved?

Goal-directed attentional control Signup and view all the answers

During the fMRI experiment, what was observed when the face image was moving?

Decrease in fusiform face area activity Signup and view all the answers

How is space-based attention characterized?

Attention is centered on locations within the visual field Signup and view all the answers

What network is implicated in goal-directed control of attention?

Dorsal (frontoparietal) attention network Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of object properties in object attention?

They combine elementary features in a unique way Signup and view all the answers

What happens when the house image is moving in fMRI experiments?

Increased activity in the parahippocampal place area Signup and view all the answers

What defines the difference between space-based and object-based attention?

Object-based selects from perceptual groups or objects Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of the visual cortex processing is affected by the attention control networks?

Top-down control of attention Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of working memory is primarily engaged when participants push a button upon detecting a repeated stimulus?

Maintaining task goals Signup and view all the answers

Which gradient in the prefrontal cortex relates to the influence of environmental information on working memory?

Lateral–medial gradient Signup and view all the answers

In decision making, which type of decision involves how people actually make decisions rather than how they ought to make them?

Descriptive decision Signup and view all the answers

Which type of decision-making involves executing actions that are no longer controlled by rewards?

Stimulus–response decision Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes primary reinforcers in the context of decision making?

Essential for survival Signup and view all the answers

How does the anterior–posterior gradient in the prefrontal cortex primarily function?

Ranking tasks from complex to simple Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT contribute to the representation of value in decision making?

Time taken to make the decision Signup and view all the answers

What does a model-based decision entail?

Utilizing an internal representation to evaluate actions Signup and view all the answers

Which function is associated with increased activation in the lateral prefrontal cortex during higher difficulty levels of the n-back task?

Manipulation of information Signup and view all the answers

Which type of decision is characterized by evaluating the expected outcomes of actions?

Model-based decision Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is primarily associated with the evaluation of payoff in decision-making?

Orbitofrontal Cortex Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the ACC activity and decision-making behaviors?

It exerts control by promoting exploratory behavior over exploitative behavior. Signup and view all the answers

How do lesions in the OFC affect decision-making?

They result in impulsive behavior favoring immediate outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

Which pathways do dopaminergic neurons originating from the VTA travel through?

Mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of primary reinforcers in the context of learning value?

To stimulate old neural structures related to survival Signup and view all the answers

What effect does unexpected reward have on dopaminergic activity?

It leads to significantly higher activity compared to expected rewards. Signup and view all the answers

Which neural structure is mainly involved in decision-making related to the probability of reward?

Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of dopamine antagonists in reward processing?

They block electric self-stimulation to reward centers. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of temporal discounting in decision-making?

It is the tendency to prefer immediate rewards over delayed rewards. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior do dopaminergic drugs typically enhance?

Reward seeking behavior through neural pathways Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cognitive Neuropsychology Summary

Single dissociation: a lesion to brain area X impairs ability to do task A but not task B. Brain area X and task A are associated; brain area X and task B are dissociated. This does not prove task A and B use different brain areas, as the damage to X might disproportionately affect A.
Double dissociation: lesion to brain area X impairs ability to do task A but not task B; lesion to brain area Y impairs ability to do task B but not task A. This shows complementary processing in the two areas. The difference in performance is due to a selective deficit, not unequal sensitivity to tasks.
Cognitive psychology and behavioral research approach to understanding the brain by studying observable behavior, as they can't directly perceive inner workings. Behavioral experiments, patient studies (brain damage), single vs. double dissociation experiments, techniques like lesion surgery, brain stimulation, psychopharmacology, and neurosurgery are used. Manipulative approaches like TMS, pharmacology, as well as imaging techniques like ERP, PET, fMRI, and single cell recordings.
Patient studies: Single versus double dissociation studies are carried out studying differences in brain activity in response to disruptions.
Manipulating the brain, techniques like TMS, pharmacology, are used to examine brain function and structure.
Looking inside the brain: techniques like ERP, PET, fMRI, and single cell recordings used to examine brain activity and structure.

Week 2: Perception & Attention

Chapter 5: Sensation and Perception - Vision
Light passing through the lens is inverted and projected onto the retina.
Photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the retina convert light into signals.
Rods are responsible for low-light vision (mostly at night) and distributed throughout the retina. Cones are for daytime vision and concentrated near the fovea.
Three different types of cones are sensitive to different wavelengths (blue, green, red).
Fovea: cones densely packed in the center of the retina for detailed vision.
Optic nerve carries visual information from the retina to the brain.
Each optic nerve project from the retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) via the retinogeniculate pathway. Six layers in the LGN, ganglion M cells to two layers, and P ganglion cells to the top four layers.
optic nerve axons project from the LGN to the primary visual cortex (V1) in the occipital lobe via the geniculocortical pathway
Vision involves crossing at optic chiasm (intersection), forming an optic nerve that is comprised of the axons of ganglion cells.
Lesions in the visual pathway cause specific deficits (e.g., blindness in a specific field).

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This quiz explores key concepts related to the visual pathway, including effects of lesions, processing characteristics, and associated conditions. It also delves into the functions of the amygdala and its connections in emotional processing. Test your understanding of neuroscience topics such as blindsight and the role of neurotransmitters.