Methods Of Biological Psychology & Neuroscience

Question 0

Lesion study- a synonym for experimental ablation

Answer 0

Determine what functions are performed by different regions, how these functions are combined to elicit certain behaviour

Consider interpretation of observed behaviours

Question 1

Experimental ablation

Answer 1

Removal/ destruction portion of brain

Functions that can no longer be performed are the ones the region previously controlled

Question 2

Electrical currents

Answer 2

Cell ablation by heat produced by high radio frequencies

Question 3

Excitotoxic lesion

Answer 3

Brain lesion produced by intracerebral injection of an excitatory amino acid

Question 4

Sham lesion

Answer 4

Placebo procedure that duplicates all the steps of producing a brain lesion except for the one that actually causes the brain damage

Question 5

Steriotaxic surgery

Answer 5

Gives exact coordinates for all areas of brain

Given by bregma- junction of Sagittarius and coronal sutures of skull

Question 6

Fixation and staining

Answer 6

Check location of lesion

Brain needs to be preserved to prevent decomposition

Question 7

Fixative

Answer 7

Chemical such as formalin (aqueous solution of formaldehyde gas) used to prepare and preserve body tissue

Question 8

Perfusion

Answer 8

Animal blood is replaced by saline solution or fixative in preparing brain for histological examination

Question 9

Microtome

Answer 9

Instrument that produces very thin slices of body tissue

Question 10

Anterograde labelling method - moving forward

Answer 10

Labels axons and terminal buttons of neurons whose cell bodies are located in a particular region

Question 11

PHA-L

Answer 11

Protein derived from kidney beans used as an anterograde tracer

After few days animal is sacrificed and immunocytochemical methods are used trace the PHA-L in cells

Question 12

Retrograde labelling method - moving backwards

Answer 12

Labels cell bodies that give rise to terminal buttons that form synapses with cells in a particular region

Question 13

Macro electrode

Answer 13

Electrode used to record the electrical activity of large numbers of neurons in a particular region of brain

Question 14

Metabolic activity

Answer 14

Measured using 2-deoxyglucose - sugar that enters cell along with glucose but not metabolized

Auto radiography- locates radioactive substance in a slice of tissue