Behavioural Neuro

Question 1

Who created a map of localised brain functions, which turned out to be wrong but fundamentally a good idea?

Answer 1

Franz Joseph Gall

Question 2

What is phrenology?

Answer 2

Psychological functions being localised to different areas of the cortex.

Question 3

Describe Karl Lashley’s “mass action” hypothesis.

Answer 3

The size of a brain lesion defines the deficit.

Question 4

Give 2 disadvantages of myelin sheaths.

Answer 4

Reduces action potential size and requires them to be regenerated periodically.

Question 5

Which type of glial cell produces myelin?

Answer 5

Oligodendrocytes

Question 6

Which type of glial cell provides energy as lactate, sometimes storing it as glycogen?

Answer 6

Astrocytes

Question 7

Which type of glial cell removes dead tissue and infection?

Answer 7

Microglia

Question 8

What is a chemical way to measure communication between neurons?

Answer 8

Microdialysis

Question 9

Give 2 disadvantages of EEGs for neurophysiological recording.

Answer 9

Low spatial resolution and they only record from the cortex.

Question 10

Give 2 disadvantages of multi-cell recording for neurophysiological recording.

Answer 10

It only records groups of neurons and is invasive.

Question 11

Give 2 advantages of single cell recording for neurophysiological recording.

Answer 11

Very high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution.

Question 12

Give and advantage and disadvantage of intracellular approaches to neurophysiological recording.

Answer 12

Allows examination of sub-cellular processes, but can only be done on one cell at a time.

Question 13

Which type of post-synaptic receptor transmits information quickest?

Answer 13

Ionotropic

Question 14

Which hypothesis suggests synapses all have equal weighting in making a neuron fire?

Answer 14

Point neuron hypothesis.

Question 15

Describe an agonist.

Answer 15

A drug that facilitates the effects of a particular neurotransmitter on the postsynaptic cell.

Question 16

Describe an antagonist.

Answer 16

A drug that inhibits the effects of a particular neurotransmitter on the postsynaptic cell.

Question 17

Where are nicotinic receptors found?

Answer 17

In the brain and muscles.

Question 18

Where are muscarinic receptors found?

Answer 18

The brain.

Question 19

Which brain functions is the dorsolateral pond often linked to?

Answer 19

Sleep and learning.

Question 20

Name a brain area which is often badly damaged due to Alzheimer’s disease, causing a decrease in ACh.

Answer 20

Basal forebrain.

Question 21

What does a lesion to the medial septum cause?

Answer 21

Loss of LFP rhythm in the hippocampus.

Question 22

After a task is well learned, dopamine neurons respond respond to the primary/secondary reinforcer.

Answer 22

Secondary

Question 23

What is the name for the activation of various neurotransmitter systems having a large impact on the rest of the brain?

Answer 23

Neuromodulation.

Question 24

Describe the main physiological characteristic of slow wave sleep.

Answer 24

Delta activity.

Question 25

What activity during R.E.M. Sleep shows EEG desynchrony?

Answer 25

Theta and beta activity.

Question 26

EEG synchrony, moderate muscle tone and absence of eye movements are characteristics of which stage of sleep?

Answer 26

Slow wave sleep.

Question 27

Which sleep disorder causes sufferers to stop breathing during sleep, potentially causing brain damage?

Answer 27

Sleep apnea.

Question 28

Which sleep disorder causes sufferers to suddenly fall asleep while doing another activity?

Answer 28

Narcolepsy.

Question 29

Which sleep disorder causes a brief conscious paralysis?

Answer 29

Cataplexy.

Question 30

Which sleep disorder causes sufferers to act out their dreams?

Answer 30

REM sleep disorder.

Question 31

Briefly describe the mutual inhibitory system controlling arousal.

Answer 31

The sleep promoting region in the VLPA and the brain and forebrain arousal systems.

Question 32

Which neurons in the lateral hypothalamus activate arousal systems?

Answer 32

Orexinergic neurons.

Question 33

Which cells are described as R.E.M.-on cells?

Answer 33

Acetylcholine.

Question 34

Which sleep disorder is caused by an inability to produce K complexes, meaning sufferers get no slow wave sleep?

Answer 34

Fatal familia insomnia.

Question 35

Flow of cerebrospinal fluid is (increased/decreased) during sleep.

Answer 35

Increased

Question 36

Declarative memories are improved by (R.E.M./SWS) sleep.

Answer 36

SWS

Question 37

Non-declarative memories are improved by (R.E.M./SWS) sleep.

Answer 37

R.E.M.

Question 38

Describe a possible mechanism for consolidation of memories during sleep.

Answer 38

The replay of a sequence of place cells.

Question 39

Which neurons have an internal mechanism to track time, and help control the timing of sleep?

Answer 39

Suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons.

Question 40

What causes Parkinson's disease?

Answer 40

Loss of dopamine neurons from the midbrain.

Question 41

Describe 4 symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Answer 41

Muscle rigidity, akinesua, bradykinesia and resting tremor.

Question 42

Festive Lewy bodies.

Answer 42

Accumulated unused proteins clogging up the cytoplasm of cells, suggesting neurodegeneration.

Question 43

What is a side effect of the drug L-Dopa?

Answer 43

Tardive dyskinesia, or uncontrolled movements.

Question 44

Describe 4 cognitive deficits seen in late stage Alzheimer's disease.

Answer 44

Memory, attention, language and spatial orientation.

Question 45

What accumulates in extra cellular plaques in the cortex during Alzheimer's disease?

Answer 45

Beta-amyloid peptide (AB).

Question 46

What causes Huntington's disease?

Answer 46

A hereditary gene on chromosome 4 that causes production of the protein huntingtin (htt), with a segment of repeated glutamine.

Question 47

Give the formal name for motor neuron disease.

Answer 47

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Question 48

Where does the damage occur in multiple sclerosis?

Answer 48

The white matter in the brain and in the spinal cord.

Question 49

What damage occurs in multiple sclerosis?

Answer 49

Demyelination.

Question 50

What causes a hemorrhagic stroke?

Answer 50

A burst blood vessel.

Question 51

What causes an obstructive stroke?

Answer 51

A blocked blood vessel.

Question 52

Describe priming.

Answer 52

The improvement in identifying/processing a stimulus because it has been presented previously.

Question 53

Describe sensitisation.

Answer 53

Increase in response to a stimulus through repeated exposure.

Question 54

What elements of episodic memory do rats demonstrate, and which area is response for this?

Answer 54

'What, where and which' - the hippocampus.

Question 55

Define spatial memory.

Answer 55

A map like cognitive representation of familiar spatial locations.

Question 56

Define navigation.

Answer 56

Mechanisms that enable us to find our way around familiar and unfamiliar environments.

Question 57

Which area of the rat Brian becomes more active during accurate navigation?

Answer 57

The right hippocampus.

Question 58

The posterior hippocampus is (larger/smaller) in people with lots of navigational experience.

Answer 58

Larger.

Question 59

What cells in the medial entorhinal cortex help us understand distance, speed and navigation without landmarks?

Answer 59

Grid cells.

Question 60

Describe allocentric memory.

Answer 60

The hippocampus network keeps track of spatial location relative to landmarks.

Question 61

How was schizophrenia treated before drug therapies?

Answer 61

Insulin coma, shock therapy and frontal lobotomy.

Question 62

Which brain abnormality often coincides with the onset of schizophrenia?

Answer 62

Dramatic loss of cortical gray matter in adolescence.

Question 63

Describe hypofrontality.

Answer 63

Decreased activity in the dorsolateral frontal cortex, associated with negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 64

Short alleles for the serotonin transporter only increases risk of depression in combination with what?

Answer 64

Having suffered stressful life events.

Question 65

Describe extinction of a conditioned fear.

Answer 65

The cue is presented many times without the aversive stimuli, so the individual learns not to be scared.

Question 66

Describe cognitive regulation of a conditioned fear.

Answer 66

Activity in the amygdala is decreased by increasing activation in the VM -'and DL prefrontal cortex.

Question 67

Describe blocking the reconsolidation of a conditioned fear.

Answer 67

When a previously consolidated memory is recalled, LTP is blocked by blocking protein synthesis and the memory is erased.

Question 68

Damage to the flocculonodular lobe or vermis of the cerebellum produces what effect?

Answer 68

Postural and balance problems.

Question 69

Damage to the intermediate zone of the cerebellum produces what effect?

Answer 69

Limb rigidity.

Question 70

Damage to the lateral zone of the cerebellum produces what effect?

Answer 70

Weakness and decomposition of movement and cerebellar ataxia.

Question 71

Where are mirror neurons found?

Answer 71

The ventral premotor cortex and inferior temporal lobe.

Question 72

Describe limb apraxia.

Answer 72

Inappropriate movement of limbs, especially to verbal commands.

Question 73

Describe constructional apraxia.

Answer 73

Inability to perceive and imagine geometric relations.

Question 74

Describe phenomenal consciousness.

Answer 74

A rich detailed perception of everything we experience.

Question 75

Describe access consciousness.

Answer 75

The information that we can access through cognitive processes.

Question 76

What does change blindness suggest about consciousness?

Answer 76

Obviously different items are consciously processed but subtly different items are not.

Question 77

What 3 systems are associated with acetylcholine?

Answer 77

Dorsolateral pons, basal forebrain and medial septum.

Question 78

What 3 systems are associated with the dopamine system?

Answer 78

Nigrostriatal, mesolimbic and mesocortical.

Question 79

Where is the most important noradrenergic system?

Answer 79

Locus coeruleus.

Question 80

Where does the most important serotinergic system originate?

Answer 80

Raphe nuclei of the midbrain and pons.

Question 81

What is the path integration?

Answer 81

Info on speed and how far has been travelled (from grid cells).