Neurocognition

I. Methodology
     A. Direct Stimulation
     B. Patient Populations
     C. Scanning of Normal Mental Activity
          1. CAT scans
          2. PET/ fMRI
          3. EEG

II. Background
     A. Parts of the Brain
          1. Neurons
          2. Synapses
          3. Neurotransmitters
          4. Structures
               a. Old brain   brain stem
               b. Forebrain   subcortical structures
                    Thalamus
                    Hypothalamus
                    Corpus Callosum
                    Hippocampus
                    Amygdala
                    Olifactory bulb
               c. Lobes of the neocortex
                    Frontal
                    Parietal
                    Temporal
                    Occipital

     B. Principles
          1. Contralaterality
          2. Hemispheric specialization

III. Attention/Perception
     A. Visual System     
     B. perception/attention
          1. Neglect Patients
               Hemifield Neglect
               Local/global Neglect
          2. Prosopagnosia/Agnosia deficits can be quite specific
          3. Normal People (shifting attention)

IV. Memory 
     A. Amnesia (Anterograde -- HM, Retrograde)
          1. Incidental vs. Intentional/Deliberate
          2. Implicit vs. Explicit tasks
                Practice effects in maze learning
                Word Fragment Completion          
     B. Normal People -- Emotional Memory -- Adrenaline/Amygdala
     
V. Language
Are there specific language centers in the brain?
     A. Aphasias (Broca's/ Wernicke's)

        Aphasia  the disruption of language due to a brain-related disorder

        Classic view of Broca's: speech impaired, comprehension normal 

        Wernicke's aphasia (normal speech, impaired comprehension, meaning)

        A variety of other highly specific aphasias also occur.  
        
     B. Dyslexia

     C. Reading in Normal People

     D. Split Brain patients
 
     E. Right hemisphere syndrome