Your great uncle recently had a stroke, and there have been some subtle differences in his behavior. For example, you were playing checkers, and he was doing fine. But when your checker was "kinged" and could therefore move according to a different set of rules, he didn't seem to be able to adjust. When you asked him if he realized what the rules said, he did, but he continued to play as if he didn't. Considering what you learned about brain areas and memory, what part of his brain would you suspect has damage?
A) the hippocampus
B) the diencephalon
C) the prefrontal cortex
D) the parietal lobe

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision making, cognitive flexibility, and attentional control. In this scenario, the great uncle's inability to adjust to the new rules after his checkers were "kinged" suggests that he may have damage to this area of his brain, causing him to struggle with decision making and adapting to changes in the game. The hippocampus is primarily involved in memory consolidation and recall, the diencephalon is responsible for sensory processing and homeostasis, and the parietal lobe is involved in sensory integration and spatial awareness, none of which would necessarily explain his behavior while playing checkers.

Your Great Uncle Recently Had a Stroke, and There Have