practice questions

Question 1

use of morris water maze test

Answer 1

tests ability of of animal to learn and remember the location of the hidden escape platform in a swimming pool following repeated trials

Question 2

what is the main neurotransmitter pathway implicated in mediating reinforcing rewarding
behaviours?

Answer 2

dopamine

Question 3

define allosteric modulator

Answer 3

An allosteric modulator influences the
activity of an agonist via binding the receptor a site
distinct from the orthosteric binding site

Question 4

examples of anaesthetics that activate GABA A and glycine receptors

Answer 4

propofol
volatile anaesthetics
barbiturates
neurosteroids
etomidate

Question 5

examples of anaesthetics that activate K2p channels

Answer 5

volatile anaesthetics
nitrous oxide
xenon

Question 6

examples of anaesthetics that inhibits NMDA R

Answer 6

ketamine

nitrous oxide

Question 7

example of anaesthetics that inhibit nicotinic ACh receptors

Answer 7

volatile anaesthetics

Question 8

describe D1-like receptors

Answer 8

dopamine binds
G-protein coupled
signal via Gas to activate adenyl cyclase
increase cAMP signalling

Question 9

describe the social interaction test

Answer 9

an unconditioned test used to measure markers of depression and anxiety
measures how long an animal spends interacting with a foreign animal
a depressed/anxious animal will spend less time interacting

Question 10

describe the forced swim test

Answer 10

an unconditioned test used to measure markers of depression and anxiety
measure frequency and duration of how long animal spends swimming before it gives up, how long animal spends trying to get out and how long it spends immobile

Question 11

describe conditioned fear test

Answer 11

animal becomes conditioned to associate a pain e..g footshock with a cue
animal freezes when it receives the shock and learns to freeze when it is exposed to the cue
test how many exposures it takes before the feezing behaviour is unlearned
anxious animal takes longer before conditioned fear is extinguished

Question 12

describe conditioned place preference test

Answer 12

tests motivational effects of the drug administered

learning phase –> animal administered drug in one chamber and saline in another which have different environmental cues
over time animal learns associations between drug and environment

test phase –> no drugs applied allow animal to explore cues of chambers

results –> conditioning causes animal to spend more time in environment associated with drug due to reinforcement behaviours

Question 13

2-AG

Answer 13

2-arachinadonylglycerol

Question 14

describe the mechanism of DSI

Answer 14

prolonged depolarisation triggers release of endocannabinoids from postsynaptic in Ca2+-
dependant manner
endocannabinoids act as a retrograde messengers
bind to presynaptic CB1 receptors on inhibitory GABAergic interneurons
CB1 receptors are negatively coupled via Gi/o proteins to presynaptic N-type Ca2+ channels
Inhibition of these Ca2+ channels suppresses inhibition

Question 15

potentiation of which receptor causes hypnosis and sedation

Answer 15

GABA A

Question 16

potentiation of which receptor causes a slow cortical EEG

Answer 16

GABA A