Question 1

Explain the neuronal mechanisms and process that allow you to determine the direction of travel of traffic when you approach a stoplight.

Accepted Answer

When you approach a stoplight, your brain processes visual information from your surroundings to determine the direction of travel of traffic. This process involves the activation of neuronal mechanisms in the visual cortex of the brain.

As you look at the stoplight and the surrounding traffic, your eyes send signals to the visual cortex, which then processes the information about the position and movement of the vehicles. This information is then integrated with your previous experiences and knowledge about traffic rules and road signs.

The visual cortex also plays a role in determining the speed and distance of the vehicles, which helps you make decisions about when to stop or proceed at the stoplight. Additionally, the brain's ability to process depth perception and motion cues allows you to accurately judge the direction of travel of the vehicles.

Overall, the neuronal mechanisms involved in determining the direction of travel of traffic when approaching a stoplight include visual processing, integration of previous experiences and knowledge, and the ability to perceive speed and distance. These processes work together to help you make quick and accurate decisions about how to navigate the traffic at a stoplight.

Question 2

Compare the spatial receptive field of a visual neuron to the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron. Is one more specific than the other, why?

Accepted Answer

The spatial receptive field of a visual neuron refers to the specific area of the visual field that the neuron responds to. This can be a small area, such as a single point, or a larger area, such as a specific region of the visual field. On the other hand, the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron refers to the specific combination of frequency and time that the neuron responds to in the auditory domain.

In terms of specificity, it is difficult to say whether one type of receptive field is more specific than the other as it depends on the specific characteristics of the neuron and the stimuli it is exposed to. However, in general, the spatial receptive field of a visual neuron may be considered more specific because it is limited to a specific area in the visual field, whereas the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron is defined by a combination of frequency and time, which may encompass a broader range of stimuli.

Additionally, the visual system is more spatially oriented, with a high degree of spatial acuity, while the auditory system is more temporally oriented, with a high degree of temporal acuity. This may also contribute to the perception that the spatial receptive field of a visual neuron is more specific than the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron.

In conclusion, while it is difficult to definitively say which type of receptive field is more specific, the spatial receptive field of a visual neuron may be considered more specific due to its limitation to a specific area in the visual field, as compared to the broader combination of frequency and time that defines the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron.

Question 3

Make an argument using at least three sensory systems as to whether grandmother cell coding or population cell coding is a more likely mechanism of coding for the complex stimuli a human experiences.

Accepted Answer

Grandmother cell coding and population cell coding are two proposed mechanisms for how the brain encodes complex stimuli. Grandmother cell coding suggests that a single neuron is responsible for representing a specific concept or stimulus, such as a particular face or object. Population cell coding, on the other hand, suggests that a population of neurons collectively represents a concept or stimulus through their combined activity.

When considering these mechanisms, it is important to take into account the involvement of multiple sensory systems in processing complex stimuli. For example, when perceiving a familiar face, the brain integrates information from the visual system (seeing the face), the auditory system (hearing the person's voice), and the olfactory system (smelling their scent).

Firstly, from a visual perspective, grandmother cell coding seems less likely to be the sole mechanism for coding complex stimuli. The visual system alone processes a vast array of stimuli, and it would be impractical for a single neuron to represent each individual stimulus. Population cell coding, which allows for distributed representation across a population of neurons, seems more plausible in this context.

Secondly, from an auditory perspective, the involvement of multiple sensory systems also supports the idea of population cell coding. When recognizing a familiar voice, the brain integrates auditory information with other sensory inputs, and it is more likely that a population of neurons collectively represents the concept of that voice rather than a single grandmother cell.

Lastly, from an olfactory perspective, the complexity of stimuli and the need for flexibility in representing various scents also aligns with the idea of population cell coding. Different combinations of odor molecules can create a wide range of scents, and it would be more efficient for a population of neurons to collectively encode these diverse stimuli.

In conclusion, considering the involvement of multiple sensory systems and the complexity of stimuli that humans experience, population cell coding appears to be a more likely mechanism for coding complex stimuli. This allows for distributed representation across a population of neurons, accommodating the diverse and flexible nature of human perception.

Question 4

Which of the statement below most accurately describes the binding problem of sensory perception?

Accepted Answer

A)  we preferentially choose one sense over another when recognizing objects and therefore we are bound to a specific type of object 
B)  multiple senses are called into play when you confront a complex object that may have many identifying features (color, texture, motion, smell, sound) and it is necessary to put all of the input together for object recognition 
C)  multiple senses are called into play when you confront a complex object that may have many identifying features (color, texture, motion, smell, sound) and it is necessary to catagorize all of the input individually before we can recognize an object 
D)  some senses are inherently bound together like smell and taste and therefore treating them independently to analyze a stimulus that might have a taste but no odor is impossible 
A)  we preferentially choose one sense over another when recognizing objects and therefore we are bound to a specific type of object 
B)  multiple senses are called into play when you confront a complex object that may have many identifying features (color, texture, motion, smell, sound) and it is necessary to put all of the input together for object recognition 
C)  multiple senses are called into play when you confront a complex object that may have many identifying features (color, texture, motion, smell, sound) and it is necessary to catagorize all of the input individually before we can recognize an object 
D)  some senses are inherently bound together like smell and taste and therefore treating them independently to analyze a stimulus that might have a taste but no odor is impossible

Question 5

Match each cell with the stimulus it responds to:
-_____line shaped stimuli from a particular location in their visual field

Accepted Answer

A)  on center cell 
B)  off center cell 
C)  simple cell 
D)  complex cell. 
A)  on center cell 
B)  off center cell 
C)  simple cell 
D)  complex cell.

Question 6

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: (
-_____inability to see a collection of features as an object

Accepted Answer

A)  apperceptive agnosia 
B)  associative agnosia 
C)  amusia 
D)  pure word deafness 
E)  nonverbal auditory agnosia
F) prosopagnosia 
A)  apperceptive agnosia 
B)  associative agnosia 
C)  amusia 
D)  pure word deafness 
E)  nonverbal auditory agnosia
F) prosopagnosia

Question 7

Are you able to determine which of the above circles is brighter than the other? Explain in your own words what mechanism of your visual processing center enables or inhibits this visual discrimination.

Accepted Answer

The answer of   
Are you able to determine...

Question 8

Sensory deprivation experiments have yielded all of the following insights into the development of our sensory systems, except.

Accepted Answer

A)  when and with severity a sensitive period for a stimulus occurs during development is not uniform across all types of stimuli 
B)  deprivation of stimulus during the sensitive period of development always results in irreversible deficits 
C)  experience-dependent neural plasticity is most effectively accomplished during a sensitive period of development 
D)  a lack of early pattern vision can result in permanent visual deficits 
A)  when and with severity a sensitive period for a stimulus occurs during development is not uniform across all types of stimuli 
B)  deprivation of stimulus during the sensitive period of development always results in irreversible deficits 
C)  experience-dependent neural plasticity is most effectively accomplished during a sensitive period of development 
D)  a lack of early pattern vision can result in permanent visual deficits

Question 9

Which of the following is true of retinal color opponent cells?

Accepted Answer

A)  opponent cells are important detectors of color contrast 
B)  if blue-yellow opponent cells are excited by S-cones, they are inhibited by M-cones 
C)  if blue-yellow opponent cells are excited by S-cones, they are inhibited by L-cones 
D)  if red-green color opponent cells are excited by M-cone activation, they are inhibited by L-cone activation 
A)  opponent cells are important detectors of color contrast 
B)  if blue-yellow opponent cells are excited by S-cones, they are inhibited by M-cones 
C)  if blue-yellow opponent cells are excited by S-cones, they are inhibited by L-cones 
D)  if red-green color opponent cells are excited by M-cone activation, they are inhibited by L-cone activation

Question 10

Design an experiment using primates where you test if the descending inputs to the LGN contribute more to the on and off center target sites or the antagonistic surrounding inhibition sites.

Accepted Answer

To design an experiment to test if the d

Question 11

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: (
-_____inability to recognize the faces of people

Accepted Answer

A)  apperceptive agnosia 
B)  associative agnosia 
C)  amusia 
D)  pure word deafness 
E)  nonverbal auditory agnosia
F) prosopagnosia 
A)  apperceptive agnosia 
B)  associative agnosia 
C)  amusia 
D)  pure word deafness 
E)  nonverbal auditory agnosia
F) prosopagnosia

Question 12

What might be the consequences of a child growing up without any exposure to music or the sound of musical instruments in their life and could these consequences be reversed in adult life?

Accepted Answer

The consequences of a child growing up w

Question 13

Which of the statements is best supported by the data above of recorded individual action potentials from the two neurons?

Accepted Answer

A)  the two neurons are located in different parts of the cortex 
B)  the two neurons are synchronous 
C)  the two neurons are asynchronous 
D)  the two neurons are located in close proximity 
E)  all of the above 
A)  the two neurons are located in different parts of the cortex 
B)  the two neurons are synchronous 
C)  the two neurons are asynchronous 
D)  the two neurons are located in close proximity 
E)  all of the above

Question 14

A 62-year old man suffers an ischemic stroke and after 2 months still insists he has absolutely no sense of smell. What can you conclude his pathology and do you think it is possible that his sense of smell could return, why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The fact that the 62-year old man insist

Question 15

The rhythmic depolarization and hyperpolarization of a lamprey's spinal column persists even in the presence of TTX. How does this support the central pattern generator hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  action potentials between neurons are eliminated 
B)  hyperpolarization is inhibited 
C)  depolarization is inhibited 
D)  NMDA receptors are irreversibly inhibited 
E)  all of the above 
A)  action potentials between neurons are eliminated 
B)  hyperpolarization is inhibited 
C)  depolarization is inhibited 
D)  NMDA receptors are irreversibly inhibited 
E)  all of the above

Question 16

Which of the following is a possible ordering of the projections from the retina to the higher ordered visual processing centers?

Accepted Answer

A)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$middle temporal area$\rightarrow$V4$\rightarrow$inferior temporal cortex 
B)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$V2$\rightarrow$V3$\rightarrow$V4 $\rightarrow$inferior temporal cortex 
C)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$V3$\rightarrow$middle temporal area$\rightarrow$posterior parietal cortex 
D)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$V4$\rightarrow$inferior temporal cortex 
E)  all of the above 
A)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$middle temporal area$\rightarrow$V4$\rightarrow$inferior temporal cortex 
B)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$V2$\rightarrow$V3$\rightarrow$V4 $\rightarrow$inferior temporal cortex 
C)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$V3$\rightarrow$middle temporal area$\rightarrow$posterior parietal cortex 
D)  lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus $\rightarrow$V1$\rightarrow$V4$\rightarrow$inferior temporal cortex 
E)  all of the above

Question 17

Loss of smell, known as anosmia, might result from damage to either of which of the following anatomical locations?

Accepted Answer

A)  gustatory cortex, olfactory bulb 
B)  olfactory bulb, piriform cortex 
C)  pre-frontal cortex, cerebellum 
D)  thalamus, lateral geniculate nucleus 
E)  none of the above 
A)  gustatory cortex, olfactory bulb 
B)  olfactory bulb, piriform cortex 
C)  pre-frontal cortex, cerebellum 
D)  thalamus, lateral geniculate nucleus 
E)  none of the above

Question 18

Oliver Sack's famous essay The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat details an account of a patient with a very specific case of prosopagnosia. Assuming that there is no overt neuronal death, such a disorder might benefit the most from which treatment?

Accepted Answer

A)  oral administration of GABA receptor agonists 
B)  deep brain stimulation of the extrastriate cortex 
C)  deep brain stimulation of the inferior portion of the temporal lobe 
D)  oral administration of glutamate receptor agonists 
A)  oral administration of GABA receptor agonists 
B)  deep brain stimulation of the extrastriate cortex 
C)  deep brain stimulation of the inferior portion of the temporal lobe 
D)  oral administration of glutamate receptor agonists

Question 19

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: (
-_____inability to identify pieces of music

Accepted Answer

A)  apperceptive agnosia 
B)  associative agnosia 
C)  amusia 
D)  pure word deafness 
E)  nonverbal auditory agnosia
F) prosopagnosia 
A)  apperceptive agnosia 
B)  associative agnosia 
C)  amusia 
D)  pure word deafness 
E)  nonverbal auditory agnosia
F) prosopagnosia

Question 20

Sparse coding that neurons that sensory neurons employ to reduce the number of action potentials necessary for a sense organ to get information to the sensory processing areas of the brain. This is analogous to what technique used in digital processing?

Accepted Answer

A)  high resolution data processing where each data point is treated with equal processing 
B)  data compression where multiple data points with the same value are treated as one or two points 
C)  data compression where multiple data points are just averaged to give one uniform value 
D)  all of the above 
A)  high resolution data processing where each data point is treated with equal processing 
B)  data compression where multiple data points with the same value are treated as one or two points 
C)  data compression where multiple data points are just averaged to give one uniform value 
D)  all of the above

Explain the neuronal mechanisms and process that allow you to determine the direction of travel of traffic when you approach a stoplight.

Compare the spatial receptive field of a visual neuron to the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron. Is one more specific than the other, why?

Make an argument using at least three sensory systems as to whether grandmother cell coding or population cell coding is a more likely mechanism of coding for the complex stimuli a human experiences.

Which of the statement below most accurately describes the binding problem of sensory perception?

Match each cell with the stimulus it responds to: -_____line shaped stimuli from a particular location in their visual field

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: ( -_____inability to see a collection of features as an object

Are you able to determine which of the above circles is brighter than the other? Explain in your own words what mechanism of your visual processing center enables or inhibits this visual discrimination.

Sensory deprivation experiments have yielded all of the following insights into the development of our sensory systems, except.

Which of the following is true of retinal color opponent cells?

Design an experiment using primates where you test if the descending inputs to the LGN contribute more to the on and off center target sites or the antagonistic surrounding inhibition sites.

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: ( -_____inability to recognize the faces of people

What might be the consequences of a child growing up without any exposure to music or the sound of musical instruments in their life and could these consequences be reversed in adult life?

Which of the statements is best supported by the data above of recorded individual action potentials from the two neurons?

A 62-year old man suffers an ischemic stroke and after 2 months still insists he has absolutely no sense of smell. What can you conclude his pathology and do you think it is possible that his sense of smell could return, why or why not?

The rhythmic depolarization and hyperpolarization of a lamprey's spinal column persists even in the presence of TTX. How does this support the central pattern generator hypothesis?

Which of the following is a possible ordering of the projections from the retina to the higher ordered visual processing centers?

Loss of smell, known as anosmia, might result from damage to either of which of the following anatomical locations?

Oliver Sack's famous essay The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat details an account of a patient with a very specific case of prosopagnosia. Assuming that there is no overt neuronal death, such a disorder might benefit the most from which treatment?

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: ( -_____inability to identify pieces of music

Sparse coding that neurons that sensory neurons employ to reduce the number of action potentials necessary for a sense organ to get information to the sensory processing areas of the brain. This is analogous to what technique used in digital processing?

Nervous System Organization

Computing With Neurons

Neuronal Plasticity

Developing a Nervous System

Protecting and Maintaining the Adult Nervous System

Sensors I: Remote Sensing

Sensors II: Sensing on Contact

Using Muscles and Glands

Regulating Vital Bodily Functions

Controlling Posture and Locomotion

Localizing Stimuli and Orienting in Space

Regulating Brain States

Remembering Relationships

Selecting Actions, Pursuing Goals

Being Different From Others

Filters

Exam 12: Identifying Stimuli and Stimulus Objects

Explain the neuronal mechanisms and process that allow you to determine the direction of travel of traffic when you approach a stoplight.

Compare the spatial receptive field of a visual neuron to the spectrotemporal receptive field of an auditory neuron. Is one more specific than the other, why?

Make an argument using at least three sensory systems as to whether grandmother cell coding or population cell coding is a more likely mechanism of coding for the complex stimuli a human experiences.

Which of the statement below most accurately describes the binding problem of sensory perception?

Match each cell with the stimulus it responds to: -_____line shaped stimuli from a particular location in their visual field

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: ( -_____inability to see a collection of features as an object

Are you able to determine which of the above circles is brighter than the other? Explain in your own words what mechanism of your visual processing center enables or inhibits this visual discrimination.

Sensory deprivation experiments have yielded all of the following insights into the development of our sensory systems, except.

Which of the following is true of retinal color opponent cells?

Design an experiment using primates where you test if the descending inputs to the LGN contribute more to the on and off center target sites or the antagonistic surrounding inhibition sites.

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: ( -_____inability to recognize the faces of people

What might be the consequences of a child growing up without any exposure to music or the sound of musical instruments in their life and could these consequences be reversed in adult life?

Which of the statements is best supported by the data above of recorded individual action potentials from the two neurons?

A 62-year old man suffers an ischemic stroke and after 2 months still insists he has absolutely no sense of smell. What can you conclude his pathology and do you think it is possible that his sense of smell could return, why or why not?

The rhythmic depolarization and hyperpolarization of a lamprey's spinal column persists even in the presence of TTX. How does this support the central pattern generator hypothesis?

Which of the following is a possible ordering of the projections from the retina to the higher ordered visual processing centers?

Loss of smell, known as anosmia, might result from damage to either of which of the following anatomical locations?

Oliver Sack's famous essay The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat details an account of a patient with a very specific case of prosopagnosia. Assuming that there is no overt neuronal death, such a disorder might benefit the most from which treatment?

Match the following agnosias with their symptoms: ( -_____inability to identify pieces of music

Sparse coding that neurons that sensory neurons employ to reduce the number of action potentials necessary for a sense organ to get information to the sensory processing areas of the brain. This is analogous to what technique used in digital processing?

Nervous System Organization

Computing With Neurons

Neuronal Plasticity

Developing a Nervous System

Protecting and Maintaining the Adult Nervous System

Sensors I: Remote Sensing

Sensors II: Sensing on Contact

Using Muscles and Glands

Regulating Vital Bodily Functions

Controlling Posture and Locomotion

Localizing Stimuli and Orienting in Space

Regulating Brain States

Remembering Relationships

Selecting Actions, Pursuing Goals

Being Different From Others

Filters