Lecture 8: Using Knowledge of Brain Body Interactions

Question 1

What is targeted muscle reinnervation?

Answer 1

During amputation, nerves for missing muscles reattached to different existing muscles

Question 2

How can technologies overcome quadriplegia?

Answer 2

Neural prostheses

Question 3

What is the issue with a neural prostheses?

Answer 3

No feedback on movement

Question 4

List 3 types of different somatosensory receptors.

Answer 4

1. Free nerve endings - pain, warmth
2. Merkel’s disks - light touch
3. Pacinian corpuscles - deep pressure
4. hair follicle receptors - movement of hair

Question 5

How do recptors convert physical property into electrical one?

Answer 5

Stretch/pressure/etc. on receptors opens Na+ channel in axon causing AP

Question 6

What is a dermatome?

Answer 6

Area of body each spinal nerve innervates.

Question 7

Where else is somatosensory info sent and why?

Answer 7

Insula. Associated with emotions.

Question 8

How can technologies overcome issues of feedback?

Answer 8

Place microarrays over somatosensory cortex

Question 9

What is an efference copy?

Answer 9

Copy of motor command sent to sensory region for comparison.

Question 10

Why can’t one tickle oneself?

Answer 10

Efference copy.

Question 11

Why can schizophrenics tickle themselves?

Answer 11

Faulty efference copy - difficulty communicating with self