Anatomy & Physiology Fundamentals Flashcards

The magnocellular pathway in the visual system is thought to be particularly relevant to dyslexia because it processes:

Answer: Rapid temporal changes and motion

The magnocellular pathway processes rapid temporal information and motion, and some researchers propose that magnocellular deficits contribute to the visual timing difficulties seen in some individuals with dyslexia.

Which lobe of the brain contains the primary auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus)?

Answer: Temporal lobe

Heschl's gyrus, the primary auditory cortex, is located on the superior surface of the temporal lobe within the lateral sulcus (Sylvian fissure).

Which neurotransmitter is most closely associated with attention and focus, and is targeted by stimulant medications sometimes used in co-occurring ADHD?

Answer: Dopamine and norepinephrine

Stimulant medications used for ADHD primarily increase dopamine and norepinephrine availability in prefrontal circuits, improving attention and executive function.

The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the left hemisphere, also known as Broca's area, contributes to reading by:

Answer: Supporting phonological analysis and subvocal rehearsal

Broca's area (left IFG) is involved in phonological processing, articulatory rehearsal, and the assembly of phonemes during decoding, making it important for reading.

Which part of the inner ear contains the hair cells responsible for transducing sound waves into neural signals?

Answer: Cochlea

The cochlea contains hair cells (inner and outer) that convert mechanical vibrations from sound waves into electrical neural signals transmitted via the auditory nerve.

The angular gyrus, located at the junction of temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, is important for reading because it:

Answer: Integrates visual, auditory, and language information for grapheme-phoneme mapping

The angular gyrus is a convergence zone that integrates multimodal information, supporting the mapping of visual letter patterns (graphemes) to their corresponding sounds (phonemes).

Neuroplasticity research in dyslexia intervention studies most commonly shows that effective reading instruction leads to:

Answer: Increased activation in left-hemisphere reading circuits and reduced compensatory right-hemisphere activity

After effective reading intervention, neuroimaging studies show normalization of left-hemisphere reading network activation and reduction in the compensatory over-recruitment of right-hemisphere regions.