KNES 471 Day 2 Activity Answers PDF

KNES 471 Day 2 Activity Answers 1. Please discuss what each part of the brain is responsible for: a. Frontal Lobe b. Parietal Lobe c. Occipital Lobe d. Cerebellum e. Medulla Oblongata a. Frontal Lobe – Responsible for higher cognitive functio...

KNES 471 Day 2 Activity Answers 1. Please discuss what each part of the brain is responsible for: a. Frontal Lobe b. Parietal Lobe c. Occipital Lobe d. Cerebellum e. Medulla Oblongata a. Frontal Lobe – Responsible for higher cognitive functions like decision-making, problem-solving, voluntary motor movements, emotions, and speech (Broca’s area). b. Parietal Lobe – Processes sensory information like touch, temperature, and pain; plays a role in spatial awareness and coordination. c. Occipital Lobe – Primarily responsible for vision, including processing visual stimuli and interpreting colors, shapes, and motion. d. Cerebellum – Coordinates voluntary movements, balance, and posture; also involved in motor learning. e. Medulla Oblongata – Controls vital autonomic functions such as heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure; also involved in reflexes like swallowing and sneezing. 2. Which structure of the brain is responsible for motor learning? The Cerebellum plays a major role in motor learning by refining movements and adapting to new motor patterns, but the cerebral cortex also plays a key role to motor learning. 3. Which parts of the brain are responsible for balance? 1. Cerebellum (fine-tunes movement and coordination). 2. Vestibular System in the inner ear (communicates with the brain about head position). 3. Brainstem (especially the vestibular nuclei for balance reflexes). 4. List the levels of hierarchy from the spinal cord to the brain. Spinal Cord → Brainstem → Cerebellum → Thalamus → Cerebral Cortex 5. What is spina bifida vs microcephaly? Spina Bifida – A neural tube defect where the spinal cord doesn’t fully develop, leading to issues like paralysis or nerve damage. Usually caused by a lack of folic acid during pregnancy. Microcephaly – A condition where a baby’s head is smaller than expected due to abnormal brain development, often linked to infections (like Zika virus) or genetic disorders.  6. What are the causes of Parkinson’s? a. Loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. b. Genetic mutations (e.g., LRRK2, PARK genes). c. Environmental factors (pesticide exposure, head trauma). d. Aging and oxidative stress. 7. What is habituation? Habituation happens when the body gets used to a repeated, harmless stimulus, causing the response to decrease over time. This technique is often used to help patients get more comfortable with sensations that initially feel unpleasant or uncomfortable. Vestibular Rehabilitation for Dizziness/Vertigo: Take a patient with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), for example. They might do specific head movements that initially make them dizzy. After practicing these movements over time, their dizziness decreases because the brain gets used to it. Chronic Pain Management: Another case would be someone with chronic lower back pain. If they repeatedly perform movements like bending or lifting, which normally cause discomfort, their body gradually becomes less sensitive to those movements, and their pain response diminishes. What is Sensitization? Sensitization is the opposite. It’s when repeated exposure to a stimulus makes the body more sensitive to it. This is usually something we try to avoid in therapy, but it can happen under certain circumstances. Post-Surgical Pain: After surgery, some patients may become overly sensitive to even the slightest touch or movement around the surgical area. This can cause pain, even from light contact, which leads them to avoid moving altogether, making the problem worse. Fibromyalgia: In fibromyalgia, patients may have an exaggerated response to everyday sensations like pressure or exercise. A normal amount of pressure or movement can trigger pain, and this is an example of central sensitization, where the nervous system heightens the pain response. 8. What is Procedural Learning, give examples in the clinic? Procedural Learning is the learning of motor skills and habits through repetition. Examples in the clinic: A stroke patient relearning to walk through repeated practice. A patient with Parkinson’s improving handwriting through repeated exercises. Learning to transfer from a wheelchair to a bed through repetitive movement.  9. What are the principles suggested by Kleim and Jones? Use it or lose it – Neural circuits not used will degrade. Use it and improve it – Practice strengthens neural pathways. Specificity – Learning must be specific to the task. Repetition matters – High repetition is needed for long-term change. Intensity matters – More challenging tasks lead to better adaptation. Time matters – Timing of therapy affects recovery. Salience matters – Tasks must be meaningful to the patient. Age matters – Younger brains adapt more easily than older brains. Transference – Skills learned in one area can transfer to another. Interference – Bad habits can interfere with learning new skills.