Lang Dis Adult - Cerebral Cortex Notes

Cerebral Cortex

Also called the cerebrum; largest part of the brain responsible for complex thinking, learning, personality, movement, touch, and vision.

Hemispheres

The two halves of the brain, separated by the longitudinal fissure and connected by the corpus callosum.

Hemiparesis

Weakness on one side of the body.

Hemiplegia

Paralysis on one side of the body.

Left Hemisphere

Specializes in speech, language, and verbal memory.

Right Hemisphere

Specializes in paralinguistic information, pragmatics, visual-spatial tasks, musical, and emotional processing.

Frontal Lobe

Responsible for planning, initiation, concentration, emotional responses, and express language; contains Broca’s area.

Prefrontal Cortex

Part of the frontal lobe involved in executive functions such as planning and inhibition.

Broca’s Area

Located in the left frontal lobe; responsible for speech production.

Wernicke’s Area

Located in the left temporal lobe; responsible for language comprehension.

Primary Motor Cortex

Located in the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe; controls voluntary muscular activity.

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe; receives and evaluates sensory information.

Visual Input Pathway

Information received from the retina via the optic nerve and thalamus to the occipital lobe.

Motor Homunculus

Representation of body parts in the precentral gyrus related to motor control.

Sensory Homunculus

Representation of body parts in the postcentral gyrus related to sensory perception.

Postcentral Gyrus

The most anterior part of the parietal lobe; contains the primary somatosensory cortex.

Precentral Gyrus

The most posterior portion of the frontal lobe; contains the primary motor cortex.

Arcuate Fasciculus

Connects Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, important for language repetition.

Unilateral Neglect

Failure to respond to stimuli on one side of the body, typically associated with right hemisphere damage.

Hemianopsia

Loss of half of the visual field in both eyes.

Alexia

Reading problems often associated with damage to the brain.

Agraphia

Writing problems that can arise from brain injuries.

Dyscalculia

Math problems that may indicate cognitive difficulties.