Contents
WEEK 1: THE BRAIN....................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 5: “THE BRAIN”.............................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 15: “DEVELOPMENT”.....................................................................................................................3
WEEK 2: PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: BEAR ET AL. THE PROTOTYPICAL NEURON................................................................................5
CHAPTER 4 CARLSON.....................................................................................................................................5
GENETICS AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY: A MERGER WHOSE TIME HAS COME....................................................7
WEEK 3: MEMORY.......................................................................................................................................8
CONTEXT MEMORY IN KORSAKOFF’S SYNDROME.........................................................................................8
FROM SHORT-TERM STORE TO MULTICOMPONENT WORKING MEMORY: ROLE OF MODAL MODEL...............9
WEEK 4: ATTENTION................................................................................................................................10
TOP-DOWN VERSUS BOTTOM-UP ATTENTIONAL CONTROL: A FAILED THEORETICAL DICHOTOMY..............10
CHAPTER 12: ATTENTION & DISORDERS.....................................................................................................11
CONSCIOUSNESS AND ATTENTION...............................................................................................................14
WEEK 5: EMOTION....................................................................................................................................14
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF EMOTION..........................................................................................14
CHAPTER 13: EMOTION - BAARS.................................................................................................................15
WEEK 6: EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS........................................................................................................18
THE ELUSIVE NATURE PF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS........................................................................................18
ADVANCING UNDERSTANDING OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IMPAIRMENTS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY............20
WEEK 7: MOTOR CONTROL...................................................................................................................22
BEAR ET AL., 2016.......................................................................................................................................22
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF MOVEMENT AND DISORDERS.................................................................................23
WEEK 8: INTERPRETATION OF TEST RESULTS...............................................................................24
PSYCHOMETRIC FOUNDATIONS FOR INTERPRETATION OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST RESULTS..............24
,Week 1: The Brain
Chapter 5: “The Brain”
1.1 The nervous system
You’ve got the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain and the peripheral
nervous system (PNS) which includes the autonomic and the peripheral sensory and motor systems.
1.2 The Geography of the brain
First two distinct regions are the cerebral hemispheres, connected through corpus callosum. Next
the lobes from the front (anterior) frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital lobe. Top = superior,
below = inferior. At the back – posterior.
Brodmann areas = small regional differences with each their own function and unique number.
Roughly 100 areas and thus an estimate of number of specialized regions.
Talairach coordinates = show even preciser areas in the Brodmann areas. Used in functional
brain imaging, but now even better coordinates based on 1000s of brains.
Three standard perspectives: medial (midsagittal), axial (horizontal) and coronal (crown-shaped).
Grey matter or cortex is the outer layer of the brain and is six cellular layers thick. Not all are six
layers thick. The cortex has a horizontal organization and a vertical one. The vertical one is into
columns with layers with Roman numerals starting from the top down.
Same hemisphere = ipsilateral side
Other hemisphere = contralateral hemisphere.
2.1 Evolution and personal history are expressed in the brain
There are areas of our brain that are older than others. The brain grows from the inside, so the
outer areas came later in our evolutionary history. Basic functions are controlled in lower brainstem.
2.2 Building a brain from bottom to top
Neocortex is called that because it is more recent and has six layers rather than 4 or 5.
Brainstem is continuous with spinal cord. The upper section (pons) connects the two halves of the
cerebellum. Form major route from spinal cord to brain. Then the thalamus (2 of them) which form
upper end of brainstem. Below is the hypothalamus and the pituary gland which form the
neurohormone complex. On top of the hypothalamic are the hippocampi inside the temporal lobe.
Plays role in transferring information to long term memory. Near the top of the hippocampus is the
amygdala which plays role in emotion and emotional association.
Next is the fourth ventricle (small cavities containing circulation fluid. Also site for neural stem
cells). Then the basal ganglia and caudate nucleus (control of movement and cognition).
3.1 Cerebral hemispheres; the left-right division
3.1.1 the corpus callosum
1
, The hemispheres are completely separated but linked by a large arc of white matter, the corpus
callosum. Information between hemispheres goes through the corpus callosum with a delay as short as
10 ms. Slicing of the corpus callosum to treat epilepsy has hardly any cognitive effect.
3.2 Output and input: the front-back division
To understand the division, you have to be able to locate the central sulcus and the Sylvian fissure.
The sensory (input) regions are posterior to the central sulcus and the sylvian fissure. Most of the
processing of the input happens in the parietal lobe. The motor (output) regions are located in the
frontal lobe, just across the somatosensory regions which allows for tight coupling between touch,
pressure and pain and the action or motor system.
Two homunculi somatosensory cortex (feeling) and in motor cortex (action).
3.3 The major lobes: visible and hidden
3.3.1 frontal lobe
The site for motor planning and output. The prefrontal cortex is the non-motor part of the frontal
cortex and most distinctive cognitive part of the brain, specifically needed for executive functions and
for emotional and personality processes and social cognition and also Broca’s area.
3.3.2 parietal lobe
One important function of the parietal lobe is multiple maps of body space (knowing where your
body is in relation to space). The function of the inferior parietal lobe is thought to be multisensory
integration.
3.3.3 Temporal lobe
It’s the region where sound is processed and also where auditory and speech comprehension
systems are located. In inferior and posterior parts also representing visual objects and fusiform face
area.
3.3.4 Occipital lobe
Home to visual cortex where visual input is processed.
3.3.5 insula and Sylvian fissure
The insula is below the temporal lobe. May be involved in gut feeling and interoception (feeling
of inner organs0. The sylvian fissure is a large sulcus that differs between persons and even
hemispheres. It includes the supratemporal plane that’s home to primary and secondary auditory
cortex and part of Wernicke’s area.
3.3.6 Medial temporal lobe
Part of temporal lobe but functionally and anatomically different. Home to hippocampi and
regions associated with memory functions. The upper arc is called the cingulate gyrus and is used
during tasks that involve conflicting stimuli or responses. Recent research shows very close interaction
between ancient regions of cortex and episodic memory.
3.4 Massive interconnectivity of cortex and thalamus
Think of the thalamus as a relay station almost all input stops off at the thalamus. The largest
crosswise fibre bridge is the corpus callosum.
2
WEEK 1: THE BRAIN....................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 5: “THE BRAIN”.............................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 15: “DEVELOPMENT”.....................................................................................................................3
WEEK 2: PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: BEAR ET AL. THE PROTOTYPICAL NEURON................................................................................5
CHAPTER 4 CARLSON.....................................................................................................................................5
GENETICS AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY: A MERGER WHOSE TIME HAS COME....................................................7
WEEK 3: MEMORY.......................................................................................................................................8
CONTEXT MEMORY IN KORSAKOFF’S SYNDROME.........................................................................................8
FROM SHORT-TERM STORE TO MULTICOMPONENT WORKING MEMORY: ROLE OF MODAL MODEL...............9
WEEK 4: ATTENTION................................................................................................................................10
TOP-DOWN VERSUS BOTTOM-UP ATTENTIONAL CONTROL: A FAILED THEORETICAL DICHOTOMY..............10
CHAPTER 12: ATTENTION & DISORDERS.....................................................................................................11
CONSCIOUSNESS AND ATTENTION...............................................................................................................14
WEEK 5: EMOTION....................................................................................................................................14
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF EMOTION..........................................................................................14
CHAPTER 13: EMOTION - BAARS.................................................................................................................15
WEEK 6: EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS........................................................................................................18
THE ELUSIVE NATURE PF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS........................................................................................18
ADVANCING UNDERSTANDING OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IMPAIRMENTS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY............20
WEEK 7: MOTOR CONTROL...................................................................................................................22
BEAR ET AL., 2016.......................................................................................................................................22
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF MOVEMENT AND DISORDERS.................................................................................23
WEEK 8: INTERPRETATION OF TEST RESULTS...............................................................................24
PSYCHOMETRIC FOUNDATIONS FOR INTERPRETATION OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST RESULTS..............24
,Week 1: The Brain
Chapter 5: “The Brain”
1.1 The nervous system
You’ve got the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain and the peripheral
nervous system (PNS) which includes the autonomic and the peripheral sensory and motor systems.
1.2 The Geography of the brain
First two distinct regions are the cerebral hemispheres, connected through corpus callosum. Next
the lobes from the front (anterior) frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital lobe. Top = superior,
below = inferior. At the back – posterior.
Brodmann areas = small regional differences with each their own function and unique number.
Roughly 100 areas and thus an estimate of number of specialized regions.
Talairach coordinates = show even preciser areas in the Brodmann areas. Used in functional
brain imaging, but now even better coordinates based on 1000s of brains.
Three standard perspectives: medial (midsagittal), axial (horizontal) and coronal (crown-shaped).
Grey matter or cortex is the outer layer of the brain and is six cellular layers thick. Not all are six
layers thick. The cortex has a horizontal organization and a vertical one. The vertical one is into
columns with layers with Roman numerals starting from the top down.
Same hemisphere = ipsilateral side
Other hemisphere = contralateral hemisphere.
2.1 Evolution and personal history are expressed in the brain
There are areas of our brain that are older than others. The brain grows from the inside, so the
outer areas came later in our evolutionary history. Basic functions are controlled in lower brainstem.
2.2 Building a brain from bottom to top
Neocortex is called that because it is more recent and has six layers rather than 4 or 5.
Brainstem is continuous with spinal cord. The upper section (pons) connects the two halves of the
cerebellum. Form major route from spinal cord to brain. Then the thalamus (2 of them) which form
upper end of brainstem. Below is the hypothalamus and the pituary gland which form the
neurohormone complex. On top of the hypothalamic are the hippocampi inside the temporal lobe.
Plays role in transferring information to long term memory. Near the top of the hippocampus is the
amygdala which plays role in emotion and emotional association.
Next is the fourth ventricle (small cavities containing circulation fluid. Also site for neural stem
cells). Then the basal ganglia and caudate nucleus (control of movement and cognition).
3.1 Cerebral hemispheres; the left-right division
3.1.1 the corpus callosum
1
, The hemispheres are completely separated but linked by a large arc of white matter, the corpus
callosum. Information between hemispheres goes through the corpus callosum with a delay as short as
10 ms. Slicing of the corpus callosum to treat epilepsy has hardly any cognitive effect.
3.2 Output and input: the front-back division
To understand the division, you have to be able to locate the central sulcus and the Sylvian fissure.
The sensory (input) regions are posterior to the central sulcus and the sylvian fissure. Most of the
processing of the input happens in the parietal lobe. The motor (output) regions are located in the
frontal lobe, just across the somatosensory regions which allows for tight coupling between touch,
pressure and pain and the action or motor system.
Two homunculi somatosensory cortex (feeling) and in motor cortex (action).
3.3 The major lobes: visible and hidden
3.3.1 frontal lobe
The site for motor planning and output. The prefrontal cortex is the non-motor part of the frontal
cortex and most distinctive cognitive part of the brain, specifically needed for executive functions and
for emotional and personality processes and social cognition and also Broca’s area.
3.3.2 parietal lobe
One important function of the parietal lobe is multiple maps of body space (knowing where your
body is in relation to space). The function of the inferior parietal lobe is thought to be multisensory
integration.
3.3.3 Temporal lobe
It’s the region where sound is processed and also where auditory and speech comprehension
systems are located. In inferior and posterior parts also representing visual objects and fusiform face
area.
3.3.4 Occipital lobe
Home to visual cortex where visual input is processed.
3.3.5 insula and Sylvian fissure
The insula is below the temporal lobe. May be involved in gut feeling and interoception (feeling
of inner organs0. The sylvian fissure is a large sulcus that differs between persons and even
hemispheres. It includes the supratemporal plane that’s home to primary and secondary auditory
cortex and part of Wernicke’s area.
3.3.6 Medial temporal lobe
Part of temporal lobe but functionally and anatomically different. Home to hippocampi and
regions associated with memory functions. The upper arc is called the cingulate gyrus and is used
during tasks that involve conflicting stimuli or responses. Recent research shows very close interaction
between ancient regions of cortex and episodic memory.
3.4 Massive interconnectivity of cortex and thalamus
Think of the thalamus as a relay station almost all input stops off at the thalamus. The largest
crosswise fibre bridge is the corpus callosum.
2
