Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology &

1
C81BIO
Dr. Mark Haselgrove
Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology
Cognitive Neuropsychology of Language
2
Overview of the lecture

• Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology
• What is it?
• History (i) Phrenology Localization
• (ii) Recovery of function following damage

(2) Mapping the brain Brodmanns map
(3) Cognitive Neuropsychology of
Language Brocas Area and Aphasia Wernickes
area and aphasia
3

• Introduction What is Cognitive Neuropsychology?

- The study of the relationship between brain
function and behaviour.
- Especially as determined through evidence from
damaged brains, but can include other methods
(e.g. imaging).

• Missile wounds (bullets)
• Tumours (cancer)
• Impact (road accidents)
• Surgery (intractable epilepsy)
• Disease (encephalitis, hydrocephalus, HIV)
• Strokes (blocks, bleeds)

4

• Introduction What is Cognitive Neuropsychology?

- The study of the relationship between brain
function and behaviour.
- Especially as determined through evidence from
damaged brains, but can include other methods
(e.g. imaging).

• Missile wounds (bullets)
• Tumours (cancer)
• Impact (road accidents)
• Surgery (intractable epilepsy)
• Disease (encephalitis, hydrocephalus, HIV)
• Strokes (blocks, bleeds)

5

• Introduction What is Cognitive Neuropsychology?

- The study of the relationship between brain
function and behaviour.
- Especially as determined through evidence from
damaged brains, but can include other methods
(e.g. imaging).

• Missile wounds (bullets)
• Tumours (cancer)
• Impact (road accidents)
• Surgery (intractable epilepsy)
• Disease (encephalitis, hydrocephalus, HIV)
• Strokes (blocks, bleeds)

- Aims to assign particular psychological
functions to particular brain structures (if we
accept modularity of brain function).
6

• Introduction What is Cognitive Neuropsychology?

CAUTION!

• Assumption brain function is localised or
  modular, with different structures performing
  different roles.
• Many functions rely on distributed brain systems.
• Language, memory etc. use much of the brain.
• Brain regions are specialized to perform
  particular roles, but these may not map neatly
  onto our ideas of brain functions.

7

• Introduction History

• Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828).
• Johan Spurzheim (1776-1832)

- As a youth, Gall was annoyed by students with
a good memory but poor original thinking -
Recalled these students had large protruding eyes
Developed a theory of brain function Localisatio
n of function Different parts of the brain
responsible for variations in individual
differences
8

• Introduction History

- People who had skills in maths, music, sense of
colour combativeness, - bumps in other areas -
Depressions in skull indicate underdevelopment -
Amativeness (sex drive) behind lower part of ears
Variety of people with different extreme traits
examined Murderers (N25) Sadists Tortur
ers Considered evidence from paintings and busts
Phrenology
9

• Introduction History

- The fall and collapse of Phrenology

• - Used as a method of personality assessment
  Cranioscopy

- Invited quackery, and ridicule by association -
Most assessments entirely subjective

• Outside of the skull does not mirror even
• the inside of the skull, let alone the
  underlying brain

Pierre Flourens (1794-1867)
The famous physiologist, Magendie, preserved the
brain of Laplace. Spurzheim had the very natural
wish to see the brain of the great man. To test
the science of the phrenologist, Mr Magendie
showed him, instead of the brain of Laplace, that
of an imbecile. Spurzheim, who had already
worked-up his enthusiasm, admired the brain of
the imbecile as he would have admired that of
Laplace
10

• Introduction History

Flourens also conducted experiments
Lesioned parts of the cortex of different
animals Observed how it behaved
At first ? Moved very little, refused to eat and
drink Later ? Recovery of function. To the
point of appearing normal.
Pattern of loss and recovery seemed inconsistent
with the assumption of localisation
However Lesions to Parts of the brain stem ?
permanent breathing difficulties Cerebellum ?
loss of locomotor co-ordination (not sex drive!)
11
(2) Mapping the brain

• - Brodmanns Areas (BAs, 1909)
• - Appearance of cortex under microscope
  (cytoarchitectonics)
• - Should BAs map neatly onto psychological
  functions?
• - Partly, because cytoarchitectonic structure is
  influenced by connections.

12
(2) Mapping the brain

• - Brodmanns Areas (BAs, 1909)
• - Appearance of cortex under microscope
  (cytoarchitectonics)
• - Should BAs map neatly onto psychological
  functions?
• - Partly, because cytoarchitectonic structure is
  influenced by connections.

13
(3) Cognitive Neuropsychology of Language
Launched the field of Neuropsychology Jean
Baptiste Bouilaud (1796-1881)
Proposed that certain functions were
localised Physicians noted that damage to left
hemisphere ? impaired movement on right Writing
also disruptedLanguage on the left?
Bouilauds son in law, Ernest Auburtin, reported
a case of a patient who lost the ability to speak
when pressure was applied to the exposed frontal
lobes
Paul Broca (1824-1880) Received a patient
Monsieur Tan Leborgne Could only say Tan and
utter an oath
14
(3) Cognitive Neuropsychology of Language
Tan died in 1861 Autopsy revealed a lesion to
the left frontal lobe Thus demonstrating
Lateralization Localization
Anterior speech region Brocas area Syndrome
that results Brocas Aphasia from damage to
this area
15
(3) Cognitive Neuropsychology of Language
Carl Wernicke (1848-1904) Investigated region of
the cortex that receives information from the
ear. Behind Brocas area
Wenickes patients - Spoke fluently, but with
no sense - Could hear, but could not understand
what was said to them
This region of temporal lobe Wernickess
area Syndrome that results Wernickes
Aphasia from damage to this area
16
(3) Cognitive Neuropsychology of Language
Model of Language processing Auditory
information sent to (1) Wernickes area (Sounds
? sound images) (2) Sound images
transmitted along Arcuate fasciculus
to (3) Brocas area (representation of speech
movements) From here instructions sent
to control mouth muscles..
Conduction aphasia Consequent upon Arcuate
fibres being damaged Comprehension
maintainedand speech sounds Speech impaired
(difficulty repeating what is said to them)
17
Reading
Kolb, B., Wishaw, I. Q. (2003). Fundamentals of
Human Neuropsychology, Worth Publishers. Chs 1,
3 17.
Email Mark.Haselgrove_at_nottingham.ac.uk
Next Time The Neuropsychology of Memory and
Vision (1st May noon)