Thalamus/EEG (Thalamus as the Gateway to Consciousness)

Question 1

during ________, a large part of the sensory information is not relayed to cortex.

Answer 1

deep sleep

Question 2

when the animal’s fight or flight system is engaged sensory information is
relayed to ______ processed optimally for quick decision making.

Answer 2

cortex

Question 3

________ is a type of epilepsy

prevalent in children where the child has sudden staring spells.

Answer 3

Absence epilepsy

Question 4

Levetiracetam, Keppra

Answer 4

x

Question 5

when you observe the EEG pattern of a patient with absence epilepsy during the starting episode it is strikingly similar to that of _____`__________

Answer 5

slow wave sleep (δ waves of ~3 Hz)

Question 6

Because the thalamus is deep in the ____________ the EEG cannot report on its activity directly

Answer 6

diencephalon

Question 7

EEG Measures?

Answer 7

Surface activity of the brain in Voltage

Question 8

Voltage =

Answer 8

V=IR
i= current
r=restince

Question 9

EEG: Cortex i1, i2, i3

Answer 9

All add up= i (i=current)
Veeg= i(r)
occurs because this is an organized area of cells

Question 10

Thalamus affects activity of cortical neurons through axonal connectivity between the thalamus and the cortex, thus….

Answer 10

Thalamus can be seen on EEG????

~I think that’s what he means

Question 11

The channel responsible

for the slow Ca2+ spike is a ______

Answer 11

T type Ca2+ channel.

Voltage gated- it is
inactivated by depolarization.

Thalamic relay neuron

Question 12

Thalamic relay (TR) neurons are cells located in the thalamus that receive an input from a sensory system and relay that information to cortex via
excitatory glutamatergic synapses onto:

Answer 12

pyramidal

cortical neurons with soma in layer IV of cortex

Question 13

When the cell is hyperpolarized by the action of the thalamic reticular cells the inactivation gate opens and the T type Ca2+ channel will generate Ca2+ spikes at a frequency:

Answer 13

of ~3 Hz

Question 14

on top of the slow T type Ca2+ spike are several fast action potentials (an action potential “burst”).

Answer 14

B/c thalamic relay neuron’s axon connects to the cortical pyramidal cell the burst of firing of action potentials in the TR cell elicits firing of the cortical pyramidal cell at a δ frequency eliciting the slow wave EEG that is recorded
during slow wave sleep

Question 15

Thalamic relay (TR) neurons are cells located in the thalamus that receive an input from a sensory system and relay that information to cortex via \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ onto pyramidal
cortical neurons with soma in layer IV of cortex

Answer 15

excitatory glutamatergic synapses

Question 16

T type Ca channel can do what?

Answer 16

Can activate K channels

????

Question 17

______are low-voltage activated channels that open during membrane depolarization.

Answer 17

T-type calcium channels

Question 18

Cells located in the thalamus that receive an input from a sensory system and relay that information to cortex via excitatory glutamatergic synapses onto pyramidal
cortical neurons with soma in layer IV of cortex

Answer 18

Thalamic relay (TR) neurons

Question 19

Inactivate gate T type channel closes at

Answer 19

-55