Chapter 8 selected

Question 1

primary motor cortex

Answer 1

Fritsch/Hitzig; precentral gyrus of the frontal cortex just anterior to the central sulcus; elicits movements

Question 2

posterior parietal cortex

Answer 2

one of the first areas to become active in movement; keeps track of position of body relative to the world; damage results in trouble finding objects in space even after describing appearance accurately

Question 3

supplementary motor cortex

Answer 3

important for planning and organizing a rapid sequence of movements (i.e. inhibiting habitual movement when needed)

Question 4

prefrontal cortex

Answer 4

active dduring a delay before movement, stores sensory information relevant to a movementand is important for considering the probably outcomes of possible movements (damage = illogical movements)

Question 5

Mirror neurons

Answer 5

active during preparation for a movement and while watching someone else perform a similar movement; one of the most exciting for researchers because they may be important for understanding other people, identifying with them and imitating them; activated by seeing or being reminded of an action

Question 6

readiness potential

Answer 6

motor cortex produces activity called readiness potential before any voluntary movement; begins approx 500ms before the movement

Question 7

corticospinal tracts

Answer 7

paths from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord

Question 8

lateral corticospinal tract

Answer 8

set of axons from the primary motor cortex, surrounding areas and red nucleus; axons of the lateral tract extend directly from the motor cortexto their target neurons in the spinal cord; in medullar pyramids it crosses to contralateral side of cord; controls movement in peripheral areas such as hands and feet

Question 9

red nucleus

Answer 9

a midbrain area primarilty responsible for controlling the arm muscles

Question 10

medial corticospinal tract

Answer 10

axons from many parts of cerebral cortex and surrounding areas; includes axons from midbrain tectum, reticular formation, and vestibular nucleus; axons go to both sides of spinal cord and controls muscles of the neck, shoulders, and trunk

Question 11

vestibular nucleus

Answer 11

brain area that receive input from vestibular system

Question 12

nuclei

Answer 12

clusters of cell bodies

Question 13

cerebellar cortex

Answer 13

surface of the cerebellum

Question 14

Purkinje cells

Answer 14

neuron of cerebellar cortex; flat, 2D, sequential planes, parallel to one another

Question 15

parallel fibers

Answer 15

neuron of cerebellar cortex; axons parallel to one another and perpendicular to planes of Purkinje cells

Question 16

basal ganglia

Answer 16

group of large subcortical structues in the forebrain incl caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus; cn and p send info to gp, then to thalamus and relayed to cerebral cortex

Question 17

antisaccade task

Answer 17

a task where you are supposed to look away from a powerful attention-getter

Question 18

Parkinson’s Disease

Answer 18

rigidity, tremors, slow movements, difficulty initiating physical and mental activity; 1-5% of people over 65; loss of olfaction an early syptom; basal gangia cells are impaired

Question 19

MPTP

Answer 19

a chemical drug that the body converts to MPP that produces parkinson’s-like disease; accummulates in and destroys neurons that release dopamine

Question 20

L-Dopa

Answer 20

precursor to dopamine that can cross the blood-brain barrier; neurons in the brain convert it to dopamine (ineffective for some patients, does not prevent continued loss of neurons, unpleasant side effects incl nausea, insomnia, hallucinations etc.)

Question 21

stem cells

Answer 21

immature cells that are capable of differentiating into a wide variety of other cell types

Question 22

Huntington’s disease

Answer 22

severe neurological disorder affecting 1/1000 in the US; associated with gradual, extensive brain damage especially int he caudate nucleus, putamen, cerebral cortex and globus pallidus

Question 23

Huntingtin

Answer 23

protein coded by gene for huntington’s disease; mutant form only harmful in the brain where it occurs inside neurons, increasing nt release and later forming clusters that impairs mitochondria and transport of chemicals own the axon