Neuropsychology Flashcards
1
Q
The nervous system consists of the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, which includes the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
A
Central nervous
system (CNS);
peripheral nervous
system (PNS)
2
Q
Regarding the PNS, the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ controls the actions of skeletal muscles, is responsible for voluntary movement, and responds to signals from the 5 senses; the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ regulates involuntary activity (e.g., heartbeat, breathing) and has 2 subdivisions- the sympathetic and parasympathetic.
A
Somatic nervous
system;
autonomic
nervous system
3
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ division of the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the body's resources and prepares for "fight or flight," while the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ system deactivates the once active organs and is active during relaxation.
A
Sympathetic;
parasympathetic
4
Q
This part of the CNS is responsible for carrying information between the brain and the PNS.
A
Spinal
cord
5
Q
These are the information processing units of the nervous system and are made of 3 primary parts: the cell body (soma), dendrites, and axon.
A
Neurons
6
Q
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are short fibers at the end of a cell body that respond to stimulation from other neurons and carry this information toward the cell body, while the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a single fiber that carries information away from the cell body
A
Dendrites;
axon
7
Q
The electrochemical process by which information is received and processed within a neuron, whereby a cell becomes electrically excited, "fires," and creates a nerve impulse called an action potential is referred to as what?
A
Conduction
8
Q
The fact that, in any given neuron, the action potential is the same magnitude every time it occurs is referred to as the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_; basically, once the minimal threshold of electrical stimulation is reached, a neuron fires.
A
All-Or-None
Law
9
Q
TRUE or FALSE: Stronger electrical stimulation generates more action potentials in a neuron and causes them to occur in a greater numb
A
TRUE: Though size and speed of an action potential are NOT related to stimulation intensity
10
Q
What 2 factors
have an effect
on the speed of
conduction?
A
Diameter of
the axon and
myelin sheath
11
Q
What is the small space that separates individual neurons called?
A
Synapse
(or synaptic
cleft)
12
Q
This term means "partial paralysis" and is characterized by muscle weakness without full paralysis; one cause is less severe damage to the spinal cord.
A
Paresis
13
Q
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is when one half of a person's body is paralyzed, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is when a person experiences loss of use of all limbs, and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is when the lower extremities of a person's body is paralyzed.
A
Hemiplegia;
quadriplegia;
paraplegia
14
Q
What term refers to the process whereby terminal buttons take up and store excess neurotransmitters for future use?
A
Reuptake
15
Q
The breaking down of unused neurotransmitters into inactive metabolites that are eventually removed as waste is called what?
A
Enzymatic
degradation
16
Q
Neurotransmitters that have an \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ effect on post-synaptic cells increase the likelihood that an action potential will occur, while those with an \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ effect decrease the chances of an action potential occurring.
A
Excitatory;
inhibitory
17
Q
This neurotransmitter causes muscles to contract and is associated with impairments in voluntary movement; in the brain it is involved in learning/memory, with depletion of its receptors in the cortex and hippocampus occurring in Alzheimer's disease.
A
Acetylcholine
ACh
18
Q
What are neurons
that secrete
acetylcholine
called?
A
Cholinergic
neurons
19
Q
What 3 neurotransmitters are grouped into the class referred to as catecholamines?
A
Norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine
20
Q
Depleted levels of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ at brain synapses are associated with some types of depression, while excessive levels are associated with \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
A
Norepinephrine;
dopamine;
schizophrenia
21
Q
With respect to movement, excess dopamine or an increased sensitivity to dopamine receptors is related to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, while degeneration of dopamine secreting neurons is linked to the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
A
Tourette’s
syndrome;
Parkinson’s
disease
22
Q
A lack of this neurotransmitter is linked to depression, OCD, PTSD, and aggression, while high levels play a role in schizophrenia, anorexia, and autism.
A
Serotonin
23
Q
The most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, low levels of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are associated with anxiety and Parkinson's disease, while deficits in the brain's motor regions is associated with dementia and involuntary jerking of the arms and legs.
A
Gamma-Amino
Butyric Acid
(GABA)
24
Q
What primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS is associated with learning, memory, and long-term potentiation (transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory)?
A
Glutamate
25
Q
These neuromodulators bind to opiate receptor sites, reducing activity in the thalamus and cerebral cortex, thereby inhibiting feelings of pain and increasing feelings of pleasure.
A
Endorphins
(endogenous
morphine)
26
Q
This area of the
brain consists of
the brain stem and
the cerebellum.
A
Hindbrain
27
Q
What 2 parts of
the brain are
contained in
the brain stem?
A
Medulla
Oblongota
and Pons
28
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ contains vital centers that control digestion, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing; damage to it often leads to death.
A
Medulla
Oblongota
29
Q
Lying directly above the medulla and connecting the 2 sides of the cerebellum, the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ helps in the regulation of arousal states.
A
Pons
30
Q
What brain structure, sitting on top of the medulla and pons, is responsible for maintaining balance, coordinating movements, and controlling posture?
A
Cerebellum
31
Q
This condition occurs with damage to the cerebellum and is characterized by slurred speech, severe tremors, and loss of balance.
A
Ataxia
32
Q
This area of the brain contains the substantia nigra and reticular formation; all information passing between the brain and the spinal cord passes through it.
A
Midbrain (aka
mesencephalon)
33
Q
Parkinson's disease results from degeneration of neurons in this brain structure.
A
Substantia
Nigra
34
Q
What brain structure plays a role in respiration and reflex control, pain and touch sensations, and sleep and arousal?
A
Reticular
Formation
35
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is crucial for maintaining a waking state, arousal, and attention; neurons from it arouse the brain and facilitate information reception by appropriate neural structures.
A
Reticular
Activating
System
36
Q
This area of the brain contains the hypothalamus, thalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, and cerebral cortex.
A
Forebrain
37
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is responsible for maintaining the body's homeostasis (temperature, fluid levels, metabolism, etc.) and also plays a role in intentional behaviors such as feeding, sex, aggression, and maternal behavior.
A
Hypothalamus
(remember 4
F’s: Fight, Flight,
Feed, Fornicate)
38
Q
What brain structure relays incoming sensory information to the cortex for all senses but olfaction, is involved in language, memory, and motor activity, and regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness?
A
Thalamus
39
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ code and relay information related to control of voluntary movement, sensorimotor learning, and motoric expressions of emotion; abnormalities in it are linked with Tourette's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, depression, mania, OCD, and psychosis.
A
Basal
Ganglia
40
Q
This consists of a group of brain structures (amygdala, septum, hippocampus) that work together to mediate the emotional component of behavior.
A
Limbic
System
41
Q
This limbic system structure plays a role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions and mediates defensive/aggressive behavior; lesions in it produce Kluver-Bucy Syndrome.
A
Amygdala
42
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ serves to inhibit emotionality; in rats, lesions produce hyper-emotionality and rage, while electrical stimulation is extremely pleasurable.
A
Septum
43
Q
This limbic system structure is involved in learning and memory, particularly transferring new information from short-term to long-term memory; damage to this area can cause anterograde amnesia.
A
Hippocampus
44
Q
This is the last part of the brain to stop growing and undergoes more structural change following birth than any other part of the central nervous system.
A
Cerebral
cortex
45
Q
What term refers to the fact that the left hemisphere of the brain controls functions on the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere controls functions on the left side of the body?
A
Contralateral
representation
46
Q
What are the 4
lobes of the
cerebral
cortex?
A
Frontal;
Parietal;
Occipital;
Temporal
47
Q
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is involved in motor behavior, executive functions, expressive language, and orientation to person, place, and time; it consists of the primary motor, premotor, and prefrontal cortex
A
The frontal
lobe
48
Q
Damage to a specific area of the premotor cortex of the frontal lobe can produce \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, which is characterized by a severe deficiency in expressive language (e.g., speech is slow and poorly articulated, very few words are used).
A
Broca’s
aphasia (aka
expressive
aphasia)
49
Q
Damage to this area of the frontal lobe usually results in decreased motivation, difficulty making decisions, deficient self-awareness, poor social control, and perseveration.
A
Prefrontal
cortex
