Exam 3 Studies

Question 1

Gazzaniga study

Answer 1

Self recognition in a split brain patient JW

Question 2

2-3 things we know in the Gazzaniga study

Answer 2

• Face recognition of others typically relies on structures in the right hemisphere

Question 3

Gap in our knowledge in the Gazzaniga study

Answer 3

What hemisphere is self-recogntion localized in?

Question 4

Independent variable in Gazzaniga study

Answer 4

% MG or % JW

Question 5

Dependent variable in Gazzaniga study

Answer 5

Proportion of yes in left hemisphere or right hemisphere

Question 6

Method of Gazzaniga study

Answer 6

A split brain patient was shown a gradient of morphed faces (10% his face, 90% a familiar other; 50% his face, 50% familiar other etc)

Question 7

Results of Gazzaniga study

Answer 7

The right hemisphere is better at recognizing the familiar other at lower percentages, while the left hemisphere is better at recognizing the self at lower percent

Question 8

Conclusion of Gazzaniga study

Answer 8

A double dissociation between the right and left hemisphere in self and other recognition occurs.

Question 9

Liu study

Answer 9

Optogenetic stimulation of a hippocampal engram
activates fear memory recall

Question 10

2-3 things known in the Liu study

Answer 10

• A specific memory is thought to be encoded by a sparse population of neurons
• The dentate gyrus plays a critical role in discriminating between similar contexts

Question 11

Gap in our knowledge in the Liu study

Answer 11

Whether it’s possible to elicit the behavioral output of a specific memory by activating a memory engram/memory trace

Question 12

Independent variable in the Liu study

Answer 12

Whether a blue light was shined/optogenetic manipulation occurred

Question 13

Dependent variable in the Liu study

Answer 13

Behavioral: freezing behavior of the rat
Neural: resulting fluorescence of rat’s brain to show activity

Question 14

Method for the Liu study

Answer 14

1. Mice were exposed to a non-dangerous environment, then a very different context where they developed fear responses
2. Mice were put on special diet so neurons in dentate gyrus would produce channelrhodopsin when active, which is sensitive to blue light
3. Mice were put in the non-dangerous environment then had a blue light shone on their dentate gyrus.

Question 15

Results of Liu study

Answer 15

When optogenetics activated neurons involved in the fear response in a non-fear conditioned environment, rats exhibited fear responses such as freezing

Question 16

Conclusion of the Liu study

Answer 16

Activation of the subset of dentate gyrus neurons involved in the fear conditioning led to behavioral reproduction of that fear behavior, creating an artificial memory

Question 17

Bagherzadeh study

Answer 17

Alpha synchrony and the neurofeedback control of spatial attention

Question 18

2-3 things known in Bagherzadeh study

Answer 18

• Increases in alpha synchrony are associated with decrease in neuronal excitability
• Correlation between covert attention and lateralized parietal alpha oscillations has been established in MEG studies
• Increased alpha synchrony in one hemisphere is associated with reduced attention in the contralateral visual field

Question 19

Gap in our knowledge in Bagherzadeh study

Answer 19

Whether alpha synchrony has a role in attention towards attended targets vs. distractors

Question 20

Hypothesis of Bagherzadeh study

Answer 20

Neurofeedback to modulate alpha synchrony in one hemisphere will alter visual processing and attention in opposite hemifield

Question 21

Independent variable in Bagherzadeh study

Answer 21

Modification of alpha synchrony in right or left parietal cortex

Question 22

Method of Bagherzadeh study

Answer 22

Subjects modulated their alpha asymmetry to alter contrast of stimuli used in a match to sample task presented at the center of gaze

Question 23

Dependent variable of Bagherzadeh study

Answer 23

Performance on Posner cuing task

Question 24

Results of Bagherzadeh study

Answer 24

The change in alpha synchrony causes a bias in visual processing and attention in the corresponding visual field