Damage to higher association cortical areas can selectively affect which domain?

Damage to higher association cortical areas can selectively affect which domain?

• A. Olfactory
• B. Hearing
• C. Taste perception
• D. Personality, emotion, behavior, and cognition

Answer: (D)

Higher association cortical areas coordinate and regulate complex functions like planning, judgment, personality, emotion, behavior, and higher-order cognition. When these regions are damaged, the impact shows up as changes in how a person thinks, acts, and regulates emotions—typical features seen with prefrontal or limbic association cortex injury. In contrast, primary sensory areas handle basic perceptions (smell, sound, taste). Damage there would mainly disturb those primary senses, not the broad, integrated domains of personality and cognition. So the domain most affected by damage to higher association cortex is personality, emotion, behavior, and cognition.

Higher association cortical areas coordinate and regulate complex functions like planning, judgment, personality, emotion, behavior, and higher-order cognition. When these regions are damaged, the impact shows up as changes in how a person thinks, acts, and regulates emotions—typical features seen with prefrontal or limbic association cortex injury. In contrast, primary sensory areas handle basic perceptions (smell, sound, taste). Damage there would mainly disturb those primary senses, not the broad, integrated domains of personality and cognition. So the domain most affected by damage to higher association cortex is personality, emotion, behavior, and cognition.