1. The Behavioral Geography of the Brain
Chapter 2

2. Brain Pathology and Psychological Functions
Remember…
Any given behavior is the product of a myriad of complex neurophysiological and biochemical interactions involving the whole brain

3. The Structure of the Brain
The Human Brain
Cerebral Hemisphere
Cerebellum
Brain Stem

4. Cerebral Hemispheres
Cerebral hemispheres constitutes the largest part of the human brain. The cerebral hemispheres contain the parts of the brain that evolved most recently– and thus are involved in behaviors of particular
interest to clinical
neuropsychologists.

5. The Four Lobes Named after the bones of the skull that cover them
Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe

6. The Frontal Lobes
The front portion of the cerebral cortex, including Broca’s speech area (controls language expression, directs the muscle movements involved in speech) and the motor cortex; damage impairs movement, planning, and flexibility in behavioral strategies

7. Frontal Lobes

8. Parietal Lobe
The region of the cerebral cortex behind the frontal lobe and above the temporal lobe. The parietal lobes can be divided into two functional regions.
1. Involves sensation and perception
2. Integrating sensory input, primarily with the visual system.
The first function integrates sensory information to form a single perception (cognition). The second function constructs a spatial coordinate system to represent the world around us.

9. Parietal Lobe

10. Occipital Lobe
The rearmost portion of the cerebral cortex; contains the primary visual cortex
The Peristriate region of the occipital lobe is involved in visual-spatial processing, discrimination of movement and color discrimination

11. Occipital Lobe

12. Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobes include both the hippocampus and amygdala as well as our receptive speech centre Wernicke’s area
Found in the left temporal lobe, the Wernicke’s area controls language reception. This area is involved in language comprehensions and expression.

13. Temporal lobe

14. Lateralization of Function
Although the two cerebral hemispheres cooperate with each other, they do not perform identical functions.
Some functions are LATERALIZED – located primarily on one side of the brain

15. Left Hemisphere Participates in the analysis of information
The extraction of the elements that make up the whole experience. This ability makes the left hemisphere good at recognizing serial events– events whose elements occur one after the other…

16. Left Hemisphere
Talking
Comprehension
Reading
Writing

17. Right Hemisphere
Specialized for synthesis; it is good at putting isolated elements together to perceive things as a whole (e.g., our ability to draw sketches like a three-dimensional object)

18. Right Hemisphere
Read Maps
Navigation
Construct complex objects

19. Left Hemispheric damage of the Parietal lobe
Damage to the left Hemisphere can disrupt the ability of a person to draw (can’t make precise hand movements); drawings look shaky and sloppy.
Drawing by patient with left hemisphere parietal damage

20. Right Hemispheric damage of the Parietal lobe
Damage to the right parietal lobe impairs a persons ability to pay attention to stimuli located toward the opposite (left) side of the body.
Drawing by patient with right parietal lobe damage

21. Primary Motor Cortex The motor cortex sends messages out to the body
When specific parts of this region in the left or right hemispheres are stimulated, specific body parts moved on the opposite side of the body.

22. Sensory Cortex This cortical area receives information
from the skin senses
and the movement of
body parts. The more
sensitive a body region
the greater the cortical
area devoted to it.

23. Prefrontal Cortex Deficits
Slowing of thoughts and behaviour
Loss of spontaneity
Perseveration
Loss of self-awareness
Changes in emotional reactions
Deficiencies in foresight and planning
Inappropriateness, jocular, disinhibited.

24. Loss of Self-Awareness
Indifferent to events that would normally be expected to affect them emotionally. For example, they may show no signs of distress at the death of a close relative.

25. Deficits in Foresight and Planning
When people’s frontal lobes are damaged, they often do or say things that have unfavorable consequences because they have lost their ability to plan their actions.