THE CEREBRAL CORTEX BIOLOGICAL

Patricia Maye Abinoja || SEPTEMBER 2021

PSYCHOLOGY
Transcribers: HERRERA, JERYL ANNE

MODULE 3.2

Cerebral Cortex

Cerebral Cortex
- The most prominent part of the mammalian brain
- The cells on the outer surface of the cerebral cortex are
gray matter, and their axons extending inward are white
matter

Two Bundles of Axons

- Corpus Callosum and the smaller Anterior Commissure.
- Several other commissures (pathways across the midline)
link subcortical structures

The visual cortex is in the same place, the auditory cortex is in

the same place, and so forth.

Organization of the Cerebral Cortex

Lamina V, which sends long axons to the spinal cord and other
distant areas is the thickest in the motor cortex, which has the
greatest control of the muscles.
Lamina IV, which receives axons from the sensory nuclei of the
thalamus, is prominent in the sensory areas of the cortex
(visual, auditory, and somatosensory) but absent from the motor
cortex
The cells of the cortex are also organized into columns of cells
perpendicular to the laminae.
Illustrates the idea of columns, although in nature they are not
so straight. The cells within a given column have similar
properties to one another The Occipital Lobe
For example, if one cell in a column responds to touch on the
palm of the left hand, then the other cells in that column do, too. - At the posterior (caudal) end of the cortex, is the main
If one cell responds to a horizontal pattern of light at a particular target for visual information.
location, then other cells in the column respond to the same - Smallest part of the brain
pattern in nearby locations - Functions: Visual processing, receive information, light
signals
Laminae
- Layers of cell bodies that are parallel to the surface of the Primary Visual Cortex or Striate Cortex
cortex and separated from each other by layers of fibers - The posterior pole of the occipital lobe
- Because of its striped appearance in cross section
- Destruction of any part of striate cortex causes cortical
blindness in the related part of the visual field

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[PSY1201] MODULE 3.1 – THE CEREBRAL CORTEX – Patricia Maye Abinoja
The Parietal Lobe
- Lies between the occipital and the central sulcus, deep
groove in the surface of the cortex
- To monitor all the information about the eye, neck, and
body position
- Numerical Information
Postcentral Gyrus
- Also known as primary somatosensory cortex
- Receives sensations from touch receptors, muscle-stretch
receptors, and joint receptors
Two of the bands receive mostly light-touch information, one
receives deep-pressure information, and one receives a
combination of both
The Temporal Lobe
- Is the lateral portion of each hemisphere, near the temples
- It is the primary cortical target for sanctuary information
- Auditory function
The human temporal lobe- in most cases, the left temporal lobe
is essential for understanding spoken language.
The temporal lobe also contributes to complex aspects of
vision, including perception of movement and recognition
of faces.
A tumor in the temporal lobe may give rise to elaborate auditory
or visual hallucinations, whereas tumor in the occipital lobe
ordinarily evokes only simple sensations, such as flashes of
light
The temporal lobes are also important for emotional and
motivational behaviors.
Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
- Temporal lobe damage can lead to a set of behaviors
The Frontal Lobe
- Containing the primary motor cortex and the prefrontal
cortex, extends from the central sulcus to the anterior limit
of the brain.
Precentral Gyrus
- The posterior portion of the frontal lobe
- Specialized for the control of fine movements, such as
moving a finger.
Separates areas are responsible for different parts of the body,
mostly on the collateral (opposite) side but also with slight
control of the ipsilateral (same) side.
Primary Cortex
- Traditional map of the precentral gyrus
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Prefrontal Cortex
- The most anterior portion of the frontal lobe
- Neurons in prefrontal cortex have huge numbers of
synapses and integrate an enormous amount of
information
Prefrontal Lobotomy
- Surgical disconnection of the prefrontal cortex from the
rest of the brain
The surgery consisted of damaging the prefrontal cortex or
cutting its connections to the rest of the cortex. Lobotomy
began with a report that damaging the prefrontal cortex of
laboratory primates made them tamer without noticeably
impairing their sensations or coordination.
Among the common consequences of prefrontal lobotomy
where Apathy, a loss of the ability to plan and take intitative,
memory disorders, distractibility, and a loss of emotional
expression
Functions of the Prefrontal Cortex
- The middle zone pertains to working memory, cognitive
control, and emotional reactions
- The anterior zone of the prefrontal cortex is important for
making decisions, evaluating which of several courses of
action is likely to achieve the best outcome
- People with prefrontal cortical damage often make
decisions that seem impulsive, because they failed to
weigh all the likely pros and cons
Working Memory
- Ability to remember recent events, such as where you
parked your car or what you were talking about before an
interruption. People with damage to the prefrontal cortex
have trouble on the delayed response task, in which they
see or hear something, and then have to respond to it after
a delay
Effects of Brain Damage
- With loss of speech also showed damage in and around
that area, now known as Broca’s Area
- Brain damage can produce inability to recognize faces, an
inability to perceive motion, a shift of attention to the right
side of the world, changes in motivation and emotion,
memory impairments, and a host of other specialized
effects.
Additional Information from Video Lecture
Broca and Wernicke's Areas
Temporal lobe : Wernicke
- Comprehension
Wernicke's Aphasia
- impaired ability to comprehend speech and think of words to express
own thoughts.
Angular Gyrus
- visual to auditory information
if damage : impairs reading ability
Postcentral gyrus
4 bonds:
2 bonds- receives light touch sensation
1 bond - receives deep pressure
1 bond receives combination of light touch and deep pressure.
Frontal Lobe : Broca
- Production of Speech
Broca's Aphasia
- understand language but speak slowly and laboriously
Left and right brain
[PSY1201] MODULE 3.1 – THE CEREBRAL CORTEX – Patricia Maye Abinoja

Electroencephalograph
-measurements of electrical activity - brain waves

Ablation - the removal of a brain area, generally with a surgical knife

Lesion - damage to a structure

Optogenetic stimulation - activates a light-sensitive protein.

If that protein opens a sodium channel = excitation of neuron
If that protein opens

FMRI- tracks changes of 02 levels in blood

- more detailed than PET scan

MRI - tracks small strokes

-more detailed than CT scan

CT Scan- strokes and tumors

- safe for those with implants

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