Exam Questions

Question 1

Which region of the brain serves as the “setpoint detector” for detecting changes in our homeostatic state? For example, this brain region allows us to detect when our body is too cold and coordinates neuronal responses to re-establish our normal body temperature. (1 mark)

Answer 1

The hypothalamus serves as the setpoint detector and regulates homeostasis by detecting changes in body temperature and activating responses to restore balance.

Question 2

Select 2 of these structures involved in “prospection” or imagining the future and describe what they contribute to the process of imagining future events. (2 marks)

Answer 2

1. The medial prefrontal cortex is involved in planning and decision-making, helping us imagine future scenarios
2. The precuneus contributes by facilitating self-reflection and mental imagery, allowing us to envision future events.

Question 3

Is dopamine a reward signal? Why or why not? (use an experimental example to support your claim) (2 marks)

Answer 3

Dopamine is not purely a reward signal but rather a prediction error signal. For example, experiments recording activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons in monkeys show that these neurons initially fire in response to an unexpected reward, but after learning, they fire in response to cues predicting the reward instead​

Question 4

Following a stroke, a patient has difficulty generating speech, repeating the same nonsense syllables. Despite this speech deficit, they fully understand what others are saying to them. What deficit would you predict they will have, and which brain region is damaged? (2 marks)

Answer 4

• The patient likely has Broca’s aphasia, characterized by difficulty in speech production but intact comprehension.
• The damaged region is the Broca’s area in the left frontal lobe, specifically in the posterior part of the frontal gyrus.

Question 5

Implanting an electrode in this subcortical brain structure will result in rats pressing a bar to activate the electrode to the point of exhaustion, even foregoing tasty food or sex. Which brain area is the electrode implanted into? What neurochemical does this structure respond to? Where does it project to control executive function? (3 marks)