Sensory Neuroscience

Question 1

Who invented the doctrine of specific nerve energies?

Answer 1

Johanne Muller

Question 2

What is the doctrine of specific nerve energies?

Answer 2

The doctrine of specific nerve energies states that the nature of a sensation depends on WHICH neurons are activated NOT on HOW the neurons are stimulated

Question 3

Charles Sherrington:

Answer 3

Coined the term “synapse”

Neurons not physically connected, but work in networks

Question 4

Wilder Penfield discovered:

Answer 4

Stimulating neurons in certain regions of the brain lead to patients feeling sensation of touches on their body.

Question 5

Horace Barlow discovered:

Answer 5

The neuron doctrine: Perception depends on a combination of specialized neurons, each selective for a particular stimulus attribute

Question 6

What is the neuron doctrine:

Answer 6

Perception depends on a combination of specialized neurons, each selective for a particular stimulus attribute

Question 7

The brain has __ organization

Answer 7

modular

Question 8

The sensory modalities have ___ receiving areas

Answer 8

The sensory modalities have primary receiving areas

Question 9

Some areas of the brain are ___ , meaning that information from several senses is combined

Answer 9

Polysensory

Question 10

Hermann von Helmholtz invented:

Answer 10

The ophthalmoscope

Question 11

Helmholtz argued that :

Answer 11

All behaviour could be explained by only physical forces (materialism)

Question 12

How did Hermann von Helmholtz prove that all behaviour could be explained by only physical forces (materialism) ?

Answer 12

To prove this, he measured the speed of the neural impulse and proved that neurons obey the laws of physics and chemistry

Question 13

Santiago Ramon y Cajal created:

Answer 13

Incredibly detailed drawings of neurons and neural structures

Question 14

Santiago Ramon y Cajal was the first person to discover :

Answer 14

the synapse

Question 15

Santiago Ramon y Cajal won:

Answer 15

The noble prize in medicine for his contributions

Question 16

Microelectrodes are used to record:

Answer 16

single neurons

Question 17

Describe how microelectrodes work:

Answer 17

-RECORDING electrode is INSIDE the nerve fibre
-Null electrode is OUTSIDE the fibre
-Difference in charge between them is -70mV
-This negative charge of the neuron relative to its surroundings is the resting potential

Question 18

When there is no stimulus, the neuron fires:

Answer 18

At baseline rate

Question 19

Stronger stimulus induce action potentials with

Answer 19

A higher firing rate

Question 20

Binding of neurotransmitters at excitatory synapses causes:

Answer 20

Na+ ion channels to open, allowing Na+ ions to enter the neuron and create an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)

Question 21

Binding of neurotransmitters at inhibitory synapses causes:

Answer 21

Cl- ion channels to open, allowing Cl- ions to enter the neuron and creating an inhibitory postsynaptic potential

Question 22

Action potentials remain:

Answer 22

The same size

Question 23

Increase in stimulus intensity can:

Answer 23

Increase the firing rate of neurons

Question 24

Refractory period is:

Answer 24

1 ms

Question 25

Upper firing rate is:

Answer 25

500 to 800 impulses/AP’s per second (Hz)

Question 26

Electroencephalography (EEG) is:

Answer 26

A technique that, using many electrodes on the scalp, measures electrical activity from populations of many neurons in the brain

Question 27

Spontaneous activity of action potentials:

Answer 27

Occurs without stimulation

Question 28

Event-Related Potential (ERP):

Answer 28

A measure of electrical activity from a subpopulation of neurons in response to particular stimuli that requires averaging many EEG recordings

Question 29

Visually Evoked Potentials (VEP):

Answer 29

A measure of electrical activity from a sub population of visual neurons to a visual stimulus

Question 30

Magnetoencephalography (MEG):

Answer 30

A technique, similar to EEG, that measures changes in magnetic activity across populations of many neurons in the brain

Question 31

Computerized tomography (CT):

Answer 31

An imaging technology that uses
X-rays to create images of slices through volumes of material (e.g. the human body)

Question 32

Magnetic resonance imagining (MRI):

Answer 32

An imaging technology that uses the responses of atoms to strong magnetic fields to form images of structures like the brain

Question 33

Positron Emission Tomography (PET):

Answer 33

Functional neuroimaging technique based on measurement of changes in blood flow associated with brain activity using a radioactive substance introduced into the blood

Question 34

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI):

Answer 34

A variant of MRI that makes it possible to measure localized patterns of activity in the brain.

Activated neurons provoke increased blood flow, which can be quantified by measuring changes of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to strong magnetic fields