Cognitive Neuropsychology summary: week 1-3
Zenna Beek
October 2025
Contents
1 Week 1 - Introduction 2
1.1 Lecture 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.1 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.2 3.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.3 3.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.4 3.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.5 3.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.6 3.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.7 3.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.8 3.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.9 3.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 Week 2 - Perception and Attention 4
2.1 Lecture 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Lecture 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 Chapter 5 (5.6-5.9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3.1 5.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3.2 5.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.3.3 5.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.3.4 5.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.4 Chapter 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.1 6.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.2 6.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.3 6.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.4 6.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.4.5 6.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.4.6 6.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.5 Chapter 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.5.1 7.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.5.2 7.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5.3 7.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5.4 7.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5.5 7.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3 Week 3 - Memory 20
3.1 Lecture 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2 Lecture 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3 Chapter 9 (exc 9.7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.1 9.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.2 9.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.3 9.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.3.4 9.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.3.5 9.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.3.6 9.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1
,1 Week 1 - Introduction
1.1 Lecture 1
Cognitive Neuroscience: studies the neural basis of mental processes. “How does the brain enable the
mind?”
Cognitive Neuropsychology: similar to cognitive neuroscience, but with emphasis on cognitive effects of
brain injury or neurological disease
Cognitive psychology and behavioral research
• Cognitive psychology uses behavioral tasks to study mental representations and transformations
– Useful to understand mental processes and their limitations
• Limitations
– cannot probe anything that is not expressed in behavior
– no insight in how these processes are implemented in the brain
Patient studies
• Patient studies tell us ...
– what regions are necessary
– But not how a ’normal’ brain works
• Limitations
– Compensation mechanisms
– Damage location may vary between patients
– Specificity of damage
1.2 Chapter 3
1.2.1 3.1
Cognitive psychology: understanding how the brain represents and manipulates objects or ideas.
Fundamental goals: identifying the mental operations that are required to perform cognitive tasks and exploring
the limitations in task performance.
Two key concepts of the cognitive approach:
1. Information processing depends on mental representations.
2. These mental representations undergo internal transformations.
1.2.2 3.2
Cerebral Vascular Accidents (Strokes): Sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain, often caused by
occlusion from a foreign substance
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Brain damage caused by external forces
Researchers study patients with neurological disorders or brain lesions to examine structure–function relation-
ships.
Single Dissociation: When damage to brain area X impairs task A but not task B, showing an association
between area X and task A only.
Double Dissociation: When damage to brain area X impairs task A but not task B, and damage to area Y
impairs task B but not task A, demonstrating that the two cognitive functions are independent.
• Double dissociations are better evidence than single dissociations that damage to a particular brain region
may result in a selective deficit of a certain cognitive operation.
2
, 1.2.3 3.3
Brain function can be perturbed by drugs, genetic manipulations, and magnetic or electrical stimulation
Pharmacological Studies: Use drugs to alter neurotransmission and study cognitive effects
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): Invasive method where electrodes are implanted to modulate neuronal
activity, commonly used for Parkinson’s disease.
Optogenetics: Technique using viral transduction to insert DNA into targeted neurons, creating light-sensitive
ion channels that allow precise activation of specific cells. (mostly in animals)
Non-invasive stimulation methods
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Noninvasive method using a magnetic field to alter
neural activity; can create “virtual lesions” to study brain function.
• Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Applies constant low current via scalp electrodes
• Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS): Uses oscillating electrical current; can
modulate brain oscillations at specific frequencies to study cognitive functions.
• Transcranial Static Magnetic Stimulation (tSMS): Applies strong magnets to temporarily alter
cortical activity; safe and inexpensive.
• Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS): Uses low-intensity, low-frequency ultrasound to trigger
action potentials and target deeper brain structures with higher spatial resolution.
1.2.4 3.4
Computerized Tomography (CT/CAT): Uses X-rays and computer reconstruction to create 3-D images
from 2-D slices; identifies lesion locations and lesion–behavior relationships.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Uses strong magnetic fields to align protons in tissue; provides
high-resolution images of brain structure. Provides 3-D images of the brain.
The spatial resolution of MRI is superior to CT.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI): Performed with an MRI scanner, measures white matter pathways in the
brain and provides information about anatomical connectivity between regions.
1.2.5 3.5
Single-Cell Recording: Involves inserting a thin electrode near a neuron to measure electrical activity; record
from individual neurons and correlate increases and decreases in neuronal activity with sensory stimulation or
behavior.
Receptive Field: The specific region of space where a neuron responds to a stimulus.
Retinotopic Map: In vision, the cortical layout reflects spatial locations of stimuli; neuron activity correlates
with stimulus position.
Electrocorticography (ECoG) and electroencephalography (EEG) are two techniques to measure the electrical
activity of the brain.
• Electrocorticography (ECoG): Grids or strips of electrodes directly on the brain record population ac-
tivity over days, map motor/language functions, and help localize seizure foci before surgical intervention.
Only used in people undergoing neurosurgery.
• Electroencephalography (EEG): Noninvasive recording of population neural activity via scalp elec-
trodes. High temporal resolution, lower spatial resolution. Patterns indicate brain states (alpha: relaxed,
theta: engaged, delta: deep sleep) and detect abnormalities like epilepsy.
Event-Related Potentials (ERP): EEG responses averaged time-locked to stimuli or actions. Early compo-
nents reflect sensory processing; later ones reflect attention or cognition.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG): Measures brain magnetic fields from neurons, mainly in sulci, using
SQUID sensors. High temporal resolution and better source localization than EEG. Expensive and needs
shielding and very cold sensors.
3
Zenna Beek
October 2025
Contents
1 Week 1 - Introduction 2
1.1 Lecture 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.1 3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.2 3.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.3 3.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.4 3.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.5 3.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.6 3.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.7 3.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.8 3.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.9 3.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 Week 2 - Perception and Attention 4
2.1 Lecture 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Lecture 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 Chapter 5 (5.6-5.9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3.1 5.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3.2 5.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.3.3 5.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.3.4 5.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.4 Chapter 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.1 6.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.2 6.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.3 6.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4.4 6.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.4.5 6.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.4.6 6.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.5 Chapter 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.5.1 7.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.5.2 7.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5.3 7.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5.4 7.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5.5 7.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3 Week 3 - Memory 20
3.1 Lecture 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2 Lecture 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3 Chapter 9 (exc 9.7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.1 9.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.2 9.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3.3 9.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.3.4 9.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.3.5 9.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.3.6 9.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1
,1 Week 1 - Introduction
1.1 Lecture 1
Cognitive Neuroscience: studies the neural basis of mental processes. “How does the brain enable the
mind?”
Cognitive Neuropsychology: similar to cognitive neuroscience, but with emphasis on cognitive effects of
brain injury or neurological disease
Cognitive psychology and behavioral research
• Cognitive psychology uses behavioral tasks to study mental representations and transformations
– Useful to understand mental processes and their limitations
• Limitations
– cannot probe anything that is not expressed in behavior
– no insight in how these processes are implemented in the brain
Patient studies
• Patient studies tell us ...
– what regions are necessary
– But not how a ’normal’ brain works
• Limitations
– Compensation mechanisms
– Damage location may vary between patients
– Specificity of damage
1.2 Chapter 3
1.2.1 3.1
Cognitive psychology: understanding how the brain represents and manipulates objects or ideas.
Fundamental goals: identifying the mental operations that are required to perform cognitive tasks and exploring
the limitations in task performance.
Two key concepts of the cognitive approach:
1. Information processing depends on mental representations.
2. These mental representations undergo internal transformations.
1.2.2 3.2
Cerebral Vascular Accidents (Strokes): Sudden disruption of blood flow to the brain, often caused by
occlusion from a foreign substance
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Brain damage caused by external forces
Researchers study patients with neurological disorders or brain lesions to examine structure–function relation-
ships.
Single Dissociation: When damage to brain area X impairs task A but not task B, showing an association
between area X and task A only.
Double Dissociation: When damage to brain area X impairs task A but not task B, and damage to area Y
impairs task B but not task A, demonstrating that the two cognitive functions are independent.
• Double dissociations are better evidence than single dissociations that damage to a particular brain region
may result in a selective deficit of a certain cognitive operation.
2
, 1.2.3 3.3
Brain function can be perturbed by drugs, genetic manipulations, and magnetic or electrical stimulation
Pharmacological Studies: Use drugs to alter neurotransmission and study cognitive effects
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): Invasive method where electrodes are implanted to modulate neuronal
activity, commonly used for Parkinson’s disease.
Optogenetics: Technique using viral transduction to insert DNA into targeted neurons, creating light-sensitive
ion channels that allow precise activation of specific cells. (mostly in animals)
Non-invasive stimulation methods
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Noninvasive method using a magnetic field to alter
neural activity; can create “virtual lesions” to study brain function.
• Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Applies constant low current via scalp electrodes
• Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS): Uses oscillating electrical current; can
modulate brain oscillations at specific frequencies to study cognitive functions.
• Transcranial Static Magnetic Stimulation (tSMS): Applies strong magnets to temporarily alter
cortical activity; safe and inexpensive.
• Transcranial Focused Ultrasound (tFUS): Uses low-intensity, low-frequency ultrasound to trigger
action potentials and target deeper brain structures with higher spatial resolution.
1.2.4 3.4
Computerized Tomography (CT/CAT): Uses X-rays and computer reconstruction to create 3-D images
from 2-D slices; identifies lesion locations and lesion–behavior relationships.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Uses strong magnetic fields to align protons in tissue; provides
high-resolution images of brain structure. Provides 3-D images of the brain.
The spatial resolution of MRI is superior to CT.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI): Performed with an MRI scanner, measures white matter pathways in the
brain and provides information about anatomical connectivity between regions.
1.2.5 3.5
Single-Cell Recording: Involves inserting a thin electrode near a neuron to measure electrical activity; record
from individual neurons and correlate increases and decreases in neuronal activity with sensory stimulation or
behavior.
Receptive Field: The specific region of space where a neuron responds to a stimulus.
Retinotopic Map: In vision, the cortical layout reflects spatial locations of stimuli; neuron activity correlates
with stimulus position.
Electrocorticography (ECoG) and electroencephalography (EEG) are two techniques to measure the electrical
activity of the brain.
• Electrocorticography (ECoG): Grids or strips of electrodes directly on the brain record population ac-
tivity over days, map motor/language functions, and help localize seizure foci before surgical intervention.
Only used in people undergoing neurosurgery.
• Electroencephalography (EEG): Noninvasive recording of population neural activity via scalp elec-
trodes. High temporal resolution, lower spatial resolution. Patterns indicate brain states (alpha: relaxed,
theta: engaged, delta: deep sleep) and detect abnormalities like epilepsy.
Event-Related Potentials (ERP): EEG responses averaged time-locked to stimuli or actions. Early compo-
nents reflect sensory processing; later ones reflect attention or cognition.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG): Measures brain magnetic fields from neurons, mainly in sulci, using
SQUID sensors. High temporal resolution and better source localization than EEG. Expensive and needs
shielding and very cold sensors.
3
