This is an overview of the brain regions mentioned in the primer of the course 'Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology'. These brain regions form the basis of the subject matter, so it is important to know this for the further course of the course. An overview of this can therefore be very useful:)...
Brain regions
Cerebral cortex = region of the brain that accounts for sensation, voluntary movement, and all the thought
processes we associate with consciousness. It contains motor, sensory and association areas.
Area Place Function
Primary motor area Frontal lobe - Voluntary commands to skeletal muscles:
Anterior to the central sulcus each part of the body is controlled by a
certain section
- Muscles that control facial movements and
hand movements command 2/3 of this area
- Descending tracts communicate with lower
brain centers
Primary somatosensory area Parietal lobe - Sensory information from the skin and
Posterior to the central sulcus skeletal muscles arrives here
- Large areas are dedicated to body areas
with acute sensation: face and hands
require the largest proportion
- Ascending tracts from lower brain centers
sends sensory information to this area
Premotor area Anterior to the primary motor - Sends signals to the cerebellum, which
area integrates them
- Lack of oxygen during birth can damage the
motor areas of the cerebral cortex
Somatosensory association Posterior to the primary - Processes and analyzes sensory information
area somatosensory area from the skin and muscles
Visual association area Occipital lobe - Associates new visual information with
stored visual memories
Auditory association area Temporal lobe - Performs higher-level analytical functions
regarding to sounds
Prefrontal area Association area in the frontal - Receives information from the other
lobe association areas and uses this information
to reason and plan our actions
- Reasoning, critical thinking and formulating
appropriate behaviors
Wernicke’s area Posterior part of the left - Helps us understand the written and spoken
temporal lobe word = comprehension
- Sends information to Broca’s area
Broca’s area Left frontal lobe - Stimulates the appropriate muscles for
Anterior to primary motor area speaking and writing
for speech musculature - Speech production
Primary taste area Parietal lobe - Taste sensations
Primary visual cortex Occipital lobe - Visual information is received here
Primary auditory area Temporal lobe - Accepts information from our ears
Primary olfactory area Deep surface of the frontal - Smell sensations travel to this
lobe
Tracts within the cerebrum (grote hersenen) take information among the different sensory, motor and association
areas.
Basal nuclei = masses of gray matter deep within the white matter. They integrate motor commands to ensure that
the proper muscle groups are stimulated or inhibited.
- Integration ensures that movements are coordinated and smooth.
- Parkinson disease is believed to be caused by degeneration of specific neurons in the basal nuclei.
- Diencephalon = region that encircles the third ventricle
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