Phineas Gage Case Study

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Questions and Answers

What personality changes did Phineas Gage experience after his accident?

He lost interest in alcohol.

He was more responsible and sociable.

He became impatient and obstinate. (correct)

He became more efficient and capable.

What is a symptom of pseudodepression associated with left frontal lobe lesions?

Engagement in social activities.

Loss of initiative. (correct)

Heightened sexual interest.

Increased social abilities.

Which behavior is associated with pseudopsychopathy linked to right frontal lobe lesions?

Promiscuous sexual behavior. (correct)

Strong impulse control.

Increased financial responsibility.

Verbal restraint.

What year did Moniz initiate psychosurgery with frontal lobotomies?

1935 Signup and view all the answers

What was the goal of the transorbital leucotomy developed by Freeman?

To alleviate psychiatric symptoms. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of Phineas Gage's accident was unusual regarding his consciousness?

He never lost consciousness. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common effect of lesions in the ventral prefrontal lobes?

Increases in impulsive behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What physical evidence remained after the accident involving Phineas Gage?

The tamping iron was recovered. Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is activated by facial expressions of disgust?

Insula Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding left hemisphere lesions in patients?

They tend to show depressive-catastrophic reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What reaction is typically observed with right hemisphere inactivation during emotional testing?

Indifference and sarcasm Signup and view all the answers

What physical sensation can be caused by electrical stimulation of the insula?

Nausea Signup and view all the answers

In the context of emotional processing, which hemisphere is primarily associated with negative emotions?

Right hemisphere Signup and view all the answers

What type of expressions activate the amygdala, according to the studies?

Fearful expressions Signup and view all the answers

What is a known association of disgust in terms of sensory experience?

Bad taste associated with food Signup and view all the answers

During the Wada test, what reaction is linked to left inactivation?

Catastrophic reactions Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary task in the target detection exercise presented?

Identify the position of the target 'T' Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the arrangement of the targets and distractors have on the task?

It increases the time needed to identify the target Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding target detection?

Target detection can require significant time Signup and view all the answers

In Treisman & Gelade's study, what may be inferred about the positioning of 'T's and 'X's?

Their arrangement affects how easily the target can be found Signup and view all the answers

What implication can be drawn from the repeated phrase 'Find the T' in the content?

It suggests that target recognition can vary but remains constant in instruction Signup and view all the answers

What is a strength of the experiment related to the pairing of targets?

Spiders and snakes were paired with similar-looking non-dangerous creatures. Signup and view all the answers

Which limitation of the experiment could affect the results?

It didn't measure people's fear of snakes or spiders. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon is observed in fearful participants regarding attention?

They struggle more to disengage from threatening stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

What procedural aspect aimed to eliminate handedness effects in the study?

Targets were balanced between the left and right sides. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes divergent thinking from convergent thinking?

Divergent thinking allows for multiple responses. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the strength of randomizing trial order important?

It prevents participants from anticipating stimuli sequences. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of behavior is decreased with frontal lobe injury?

Overall behavior including spontaneity. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Stroop test primarily measure?

Inhibition and cognitive control. Signup and view all the answers

How are the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test cards meant to be categorized?

By either number, shape, or color. Signup and view all the answers

Which area is primarily associated with divergent thinking?

Dorsolateral prefrontal area. Signup and view all the answers

What finding was observed in patients with a left frontal lesion while performing the Stroop test?

Impairment in inhibition tasks. Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive skill is assessed by tasks that require producing words starting with specific letters?

Verbal fluency. Signup and view all the answers

Who demonstrated that patients with prefrontal dorsolateral lesions were impaired in concept formation?

Milner. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Phineas Gage’s Case

In 1848, a tamping iron went through Phineas Gage’s skull, destroying his frontal lobes.
Phineas Gage survived the accident and appeared to have no loss of consciousness.
After the accident, his personality changed drastically.
He became irresponsible, lacking social graces, and unable to hold a job.
He was no longer the efficient and capable foreman he was before the accident.

Symptoms of Frontal Lobe Lesions

Impaired social and sexual behavior
Changes in personality

Pseudodepression

Appears after lesions of the left frontal lobe.
Symptoms include outward apathy, indifference, loss of initiative, reduced sexual interest, and little verbal output.

Pseudopsychopathy

Appears after lesions of the right frontal lobe.
Symptoms include immature behavior, lack of tact and restraint, promiscuous sexual behavior, coarse language, lack of social graces, and increased motor activity.

Effect of Ventral Prefrontal Lobes on Emotion

Psychosurgery was initiated in 1935 by Moniz, aiming to alleviate psychiatric symptoms through frontal lobotomies.
The procedure was widely used without scientific evidence.
In 1945, Freeman developed a simplified procedure called “transorbital leucotomy,” also known as the ice-pick lobotomy, which was used on tens of thousands of people.

Insula Responds to Disgust

The insula is activated by facial expressions of disgust.
The gustatory cortex is located in the insula, leading to associations between disgust and bad food.
Electrical stimulation of the insular region can cause nausea.
Epileptic auras that present as a “bad taste” or nausea often originate in the insula.

Hemispheric Asymmetry in Emotions

Right inactivation leads to euphoric-maniacal reactions.
Left inactivation leads to depressive-catastrophic reactions.
The left hemisphere is thought to house positive emotions while the right hemisphere houses negative emotions.

Hemsipheric Asymmetry in Emotions

Patients left hemisphere lesions tend to show catastrophic reactions when confronted with their difficulties.
Patients with right hemisphere lesions can be indifferent, unaware of their difficulties, disinhibited, and even euphoric.

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Area

Divergent thinking generates many responses to a question.
Convergent thinking leads to one answer to a question.
Frontal lobe injury disrupts divergent thinking.

The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Area: Divergent Thinking

Verbal fluency is measured by the number of words a patient can produce starting with a specific letter.
Figural fluency is measured by a patient’s ability to produce multiple drawings.

The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Area: Inhibition

The Stroop Test measures a patient’s ability to read the color of font instead of the word itself.
Patients with left frontal lesions perform poorly on the Stroop Test.

The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Area: Concept Formation

The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test assesses a patient's ability to learn and adapt to changing rules in classifying cards.
Patients with prefrontal dorsolateral lesions perform poorly.

Target Detection

The ability to locate a specific target amongst distractors is tested using a Visual Search Task.
Target detection takes longer when more distractors are present.

Spider Fear Experiment

Participants with arachnophobia demonstrate attentional capture and distraction by spiders.
Spiders can be either the target or distractors in the Visual Search Task.
Fearful participants show stronger effects than non-fearful controls.

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Description

Explore the fascinating case of Phineas Gage, who survived a severe brain injury that drastically altered his personality. This quiz delves into the effects of frontal lobe lesions, including concepts like pseudodepression and pseudopsychopathy. Understand how such injuries can impact behavior and social interactions.