Deck 8: Consciousness, the Brain, and Behavior

Question 1

Regarding its role as a neurotransmitter in the CNS,norepinephrine

A) is secreted by brain stem neurons in response to sensory stimulation.
B) amplifies weak sensory signals and dampens strong ones so that more information can reach conscious levels.
C) is important for maintaining directed attention.
D) both "is secreted by brain stem neurons in response to sensory stimulation" and "is important for maintaining directed attention" are correct.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Habituation to a stimulus

A) is due to receptor fatigue.
B) is a result of decreased neurotransmitter release secondary to decreased calcium influx at synaptic terminals.
C) can be overcome by a stronger stimulus of the same type.
D) both "is due to receptor fatigue" and "can be overcome by a stronger stimulus of the same type" are correct.
E) both "is a result of decreased neurotransmitter release secondary to decreased calcium influx at synaptic terminals" and "can be overcome by a stronger stimulus of the same type" are correct.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Regarding schizophrenia,

A) People with schizophrenia frequently have disorders of sensory awareness.
B) Treatment of schizophrenia may result in symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
C) Lithium carbonate is the most common drug prescribed for schizophrenia.
D) Both "people with schizophrenia frequently have disorders of sensory awareness" and "treatment of schizophrenia may result in symptoms of Parkinson's disease" are correct.
E) Both "treatment of schizophrenia may result in symptoms of Parkinson's disease" and "lithium carbonate is the most common drug prescribed for schizophrenia" are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

It is believed that the rhythmic patterns of the EEG most likely originate from this structure in the brain.

A) hypothalamus
B) thalamus
C) basal ganglia
D) cerebellum
E) hippocampus

Question 5

Which of the following is not descriptive of REM sleep?

A) It is the period when dreaming occurs.
B) It normally occurs only once per night,usually just before waking up.
C) Postural muscles are virtually paralyzed during REM sleep.
D) EEG waves that resemble the awake state can be recorded during REM sleep.
E) Eyes move rapidly back and forth beneath closed lids.

Question 6

This part of the brain is thought to control the various states of consciousness.

A) cerebral cortex
B) reticular activating system
C) thalamus
D) cerebellum
E) hippocampus

Question 7

Which of the following most accurately describes the state of consciousness known as REM sleep?

A)EEG tracings show large amplitude,low frequency waves; subject has very low muscle tone; if awakened will usually report dreaming
B)EEG tracings show low amplitude,high frequency activity; subject has normal muscle tone; if awakened will usually report dreaming
C)EEG tracings show low amplitude,high frequency activity; subject has very low muscle tone; if awakened will usually report dreaming
D)EEG tracings show low amplitude,high frequency activity; subject has normal muscle tone; if awakened will not usually report dreaming
E)EEG tracings show large amplitude,low frequency waves; subject has normal muscle tone; if awakened will usually report dreaming

Question 8

Which of the following statements about sleep is correct?

A) Sleep typically occurs in stages in which a subject goes through progressively deeper stages of sleep and then awakens.
B) Sleep typically occurs in cycles in which a subject will cycle through various stages of slow-wave sleep punctuated by paradoxical sleep several times during one bout of sleep.
C) During REM sleep,blood pressure and breathing rate become elevated.
D) Both "sleep typically occurs in stages in which a subject goes through progressively deeper stages of sleep and then awakens" and "during REM sleep,blood pressure and breathing rate become elevated" are correct.
E) Both "sleep typically occurs in cycles in which a subject will cycle through various stages of slow-wave sleep punctuated by paradoxical sleep several times during one bout of sleep" and "during REM sleep,blood pressure and breathing rate become elevated" are correct.

Question 9

Damage to the septum of the limbic system causes a tame animal to become vicious,whereas destruction of the amygdala will make the same animal docile again.Which of the following statements may explain this result or correctly follow from it?

A) The septum is required for the expression of rage.
B) In a normal animal,the septum may inhibit the amygdala.
C) Stimulation of the septum in a normal animal would be likely to provoke rage.
D) Both "the septum is required for the expression of rage" and "in a normal animal,the septum may inhibit the amygdala" are correct.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 10

The alpha rhythm is the most prominent EEG pattern when an adult is

A) in REM sleep.
B) in non-REM sleep.
C) awake and relaxed with eyes open.
D) awake and thinking hard about something.

Question 11

Drugs that are used to treat depression increase the levels of this neurotransmitter in the brain.

A) glutamate
B) serotonin
C) GABA
D) acetylcholine
E) dopamine

Question 12

Which of the following statements regarding the brain areas that direct emotion is not true?

A) The hypothalamus is the site of the conscious feeling of emotion.
B) The hypothalamus integrates emotional behaviors.
C) The limbic system delivers information about emotion from the cerebral cortex to the hypothalamus.
D) The cerebral cortex is responsible for control over emotions.
E) None of the choices are true.

Question 13

Regarding schizophrenia,

A) It is a family of mental disorders that involves disturbances of thinking,perceiving and control of motor activity.
B) Its symptoms can include paranoid delusions and hallucinations.
C) It probably has a hereditary component.
D) Both "it is a family of mental disorders that involves disturbances of thinking,perceiving and control of motor activity" and "its symptoms can include paranoid delusions and hallucinations" are correct.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 14

Schizophrenia is most strongly associated with excessive production of or sensitivity to

A) dopamine.
B) acetylcholine.
C) norepinephrine.
D) enkephalin.
E) lithium carbonate.

Question 15

Which of the descriptions is not descriptive of REM (Rapid Eye Movement)sleep?

A) visible movements of the eyes resembling those of one tracking the movements of objects in space,watching TV,etc
B) difficulty arousing the sleeper
C) oxygen consumption decreases by comparison to NREM sleep and in an alert wakeful state
D) it represents 20-25% of a person's "sleep time"
E) skeletal muscle activity is markedly reduced,except for the extraocular and respiratory muscles

Question 16

In sleep apnea

A) a person with the disorder experiences symptoms of sleep deprivation.
B) periodic bouts of respiratory failure are experienced throughout the night.
C) slow-wave and REM sleep predominate in sleep cycling.
D) seriously low blood O₂ levels result.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 17

During paradoxical sleep,

A) brain neurotransmitter activity in the pathways regulating states of consciousness is similar to that in the awake state.
B) brain oxygen consumption is lower than when awake.
C) skeletal muscle tension is dramatically increased.
D) the person is easily aroused.
E) All of the choices occur.

Question 18

If you were to record your own EEG activity while concentrating very hard on this exam,the most prominent EEG pattern would be

A) alpha rhythm.
B) beta rhythm.
C) delta rhythm.
D) theta rhythm.

Question 19

A laboratory rat has an electrode implanted in its brain.By pressing a metal bar in its cage,the animal can activate the electrode.Which of the following is most likely to be true?

A) If the animal presses the bar repeatedly,then the electrode is probably in an area associated with appetitive motivation.
B) If the animal presses the bar once,then never touches it again,then the electrode is probably in an area associated with aversive motivation.
C) Such an experiment has no relevance to emotional states in humans or human behavior.
D) Both if the animal presses the bar repeatedly,then the electrode is probably in an area associated with appetitive motivation and if the animal presses the bar once,then never touches it again,then the electrode is probably in an area associated with aversive motivation are correct.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 20

An electroencephalogram

A) is a record of action potentials in the brain.
B) records the potential difference between two points on the scalp's surface.
C) is a pattern of complex waves with amplitudes similar to those of action potentials.
D) is both is a record of action potentials in the brain and records the potential difference between two points on the scalp's surface.
E) all of these are correct: "records the potential difference between two points on the scalp's surface","is a record of action potentials in the brain",and "records the potential difference between two points on the scalp's surface" are correct

Question 21

Unlike long-term memory,working memory

A) has unlimited capacity.
B) exists in the form of either graded or action potentials.
C) can be disrupted by drugs,electroconvulsive shock or a blow to the head.
D) Both "have unlimited capacity" and "exist in the form of either graded or action potentials" are correct.
E) Both "exist in the form of either graded or action potentials" and "can be disrupted by drugs,electroconvulsive shock,or a blow to the head" are correct.

Question 22

Damage to that part of the brain known as Broca's area is likely to

A) cause difficulty in recognizing faces.
B) be associated with paralysis on the left side of the body.
C) impair speech.
D) both "cause difficulty in recognizing faces" and "be associated with paralysis on the left side of the body" are correct.
E) both "be associated with paralysis on the left side of the body" and "impair speech" are correct.

Question 23

Regarding psychoactive drugs,

A) both the phenomenon of "tolerance" to and the symptoms of "withdrawal" from a psychoactive drug can be explained by the positive feedback effect of the drug on the production of the endogenous neurotransmitter/neuromodulator for which the drug is an agonist.
B)Only drugs that bind to endorphin/enkephalin receptors are described as "psychoactive."
C) use of psychoactive drugs may result in physical dependence upon them.
D) both "the phenomenon of 'tolerance' to and the symptoms of 'withdrawal' from a psychoactive drug can be explained by the positive feedback effect of the drug on the production of the endogenous neurotransmitter/neuromodulator for which the drug is an agonist" and "only drugs that bind to endorphin/enkephalin receptors are described as 'psychoactive'" are correct.
E) both "the phenomenon of 'tolerance' to and the symptoms of 'withdrawal' from a psychoactive drug can be explained by the positive feedback effect of the drug on the production of the endogenous neurotransmitter/neuromodulator for which the drug is an agonist" and "use of psychoactive drugs may result in physical dependence upon them" are correct.

Question 24

Which of the following best explains how the phenomenon of "tolerance" develops with use of psychoactive drugs over time?

A) Psychoactive drugs can alter blood flow to the brain.
B) Psychoactive drugs often produce euphoria.
C) Psychoactive drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier.
D) Psychoactive drugs can inhibit production of endogenous neurotransmitters.
E) Psychoactive drugs can up-regulate receptors for endogenous neurotransmitters.

Question 25

Symptoms of withdrawal when drug use is stopped

A) may result from lower-than-normal secretion of neurotransmitter.
B) are psychological,not physical.
C) may be alleviated by taking a drug that interacts with the same receptor as the original drug.
D) both "may result from lower-than-normal secretion of neurotransmitter" and "may be alleviated by taking a drug that interacts with the same receptor as the original drug" are correct.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 26

Anterograde amnesia is associated with damage to all of the following structures of the brain,except

A) thalamus.
B) hypothalamus.
C) limbic system.
D) corpus callosum.
E) hippocampus.

Question 27

Damage to which of the following brain structures is most likely to result in difficulty in being able to remember meeting new people?

A) thalamus
B) hippocampus
C) hypothalamus
D) corpus callosum
E) broca's area

Question 28

Which of the following statements regarding higher brain functions is true?

A) A person with damage only to Broca's area of the brain will understand spoken or written speech but will have difficulty speaking.
B) A person with damage only to Wernicke's area of the brain will have motor aphasia.
C) A person with damage only to Wernicke's area of the brain will lose the ability to recognize faces.
D) Both "a person with damage only to Broca's area of the brain will understand spoken or written speech but will have difficulty speaking" and "a person with damage only to Wernicke's area of the brain will have motor aphasia" are true.
E) Both "a person with damage only to Broca's area of the brain will understand spoken or written speech but will have difficulty speaking" and "a person with damage only to Wernicke's area of the brain will lose the ability to recognize faces" are true.

Question 29

Of the following substances,which has the greatest potential to cause dependence if used regularly?

A) nicotine
B) marijuana
C) alcohol
D) cocaine
E) heroin

Question 30

Regarding psychoactive drugs,

A) they can be taken to relieve altered states of consciousness.
B) they can be taken to experience altered states of consciousness.
C) they may stimulate neuronal activity in the "reward" areas of the brain.
D) both "they can be taken to experience altered states of consciousness" and "they may stimulate neuronal activity in the 'reward' areas of the brain" are correct.
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 31

The transfer of working memory into long-term memory is

A) called memory retrieval.
B) inhibited by such hormones as ACTH,epinephrine and vasopressin.
C) thought to be caused by a relatively nonspecific "fix" signal.
D) both called memory retrieval and inhibited by such hormones as ACTH,epinephrine,and vasopressin.
E) both inhibited by such hormones as ACTH,epinephrine and vasopressin,and thought to be caused by a relatively nonspecific "fix" signal.

Question 32

A person with bilateral damage to the hippocampus will probably

A) suffer from aphasia.
B) develop symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
C) suffer impairment of consolidation of declarative memory.
D) have difficulty learning new physical skills.
E) experience all of the choices.

Question 33

Damage to that part of the brain known as Wernicke's area is likely to

A) cause difficulty in recognizing faces.
B) be associated with impairment of procedural memory.
C) impair comprehension of language.
D) impair one's ability to speak.
E) cause blindness.

Question 34

In most people,all of the following functions are lateralized to the left hemisphere except

A) arithmetic ability.
B) the ability to read and write.
C) the ability to speak.
D) the ability to recognize faces and read maps.
E) None of these choices; all of these functions are lateralized to the left hemisphere.

Question 35

Bipolar disorders

A) involve both mania and depression.
B) are most effectively treated with drugs that increase availability of dopamine.
C) are an exaggeration of normal changes in mood.
D) both "involve both mania and depression" and "are most effectively treated with drugs that increase availability of dopamine" are correct.
E) both "involve both mania and depression" and "are an exaggeration of normal changes in mood" are correct.

Question 36

About 3-5% of school-aged children are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).This neurobehavioral problem is anatomically linked,primarily,to which area of dysfunction in the brain?

A) basal nuclei
B) pituitary gland
C) prefrontal cerebral cortex
D) both basal nuclei and pituitary gland
E) both basal nuclei and prefrontal cerebral cortex

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of declarative memory?

A) recognition of a person's face and matching a name to it
B) remembering how to ride a bicycle
C) being able to recall a phone number for only a short period of time
D) being given a specific address and being able to recall it several days or weeks later
E) responding to the sight,smell,taste,or thought of one's favorite food with salivation and hunger pangs

Question 38

When a person loses consciousness,working memory is interrupted and memories are abolished for all that happened for a variable period of time before the blow that caused unconsciousness.Why?

A) The traumatic blow to the head caused a concussion through violent displacement of the brain in the skull.
B) There was a deficiency of adequate blood flow to the brain.
C) There was an interruption in the constant stream of neuron potentials to memory facilitation brain areas.
D) Conflicting external interference prevents conversion of short-term to long-term memory.
E) This is an area of neurological research which has not achieved any satisfying conclusions at the present time.

Question 39

Selective attention is facilitated,enhanced and improved by way of the _____ of the brain stem,which acts as the origin point of neurons which project to the cerebral cortex and release ________ neurotransmitter(s).

A) pons,acetylcholine
B) basal nuclei,dopamine
C) hypothalamus,serotonin
D) locus coeruleus,norepinephrine
E) thalamus,melatonin

Question 40

Conceptual aphasia is a result of damage to

A) the mouth and vocal cords.
B) the cerebellum.
C) broca's area.
D) wernicke's area.
E) the primary visual cortex.

Question 41

Neurotransmitters involved in the reward pathways include enkephalin,dopamine,and epinephrine.

Question 42

A high-amplitude,spike-wave EEG pattern is characteristic of someone in a coma.

Question 43

Aversive motivation leads one to avoid repeating a behavior.

Question 44

The EEG tracing of a relaxed individual who has closed eyes and is not concentrating on anything in particular is mainly an alpha rhythm.

Question 45

A brain stem nucleus that is strongly implicated in the mechanism for directed attention is the locus coeruleus.

Question 46

Sleep-wake cycles are produced by interactions of nuclei in the brain stem.

Question 47

A progressive decrease in an orienting response to a repeated stimulus is called adaptation.

Question 48

By reducing the pain associated with some memorable events,enkephalins and endorphins may decrease the motivation for learning to occur.

Question 49

Primary motivated behavior is behavior that is based on changes or anticipated changes in the internal environment.

Question 50

In paradoxical sleep an individual is easily aroused from a deep sleep although the EEG pattern which is observed is consistent with that of an individual in NREM sleep.

Question 51

Lack of an adequate amount of sleep at its worst can cause death,as well as serious memory retention and learning difficulties.

Question 52

All of the psychogenic drugs that induce drug dependence act on the same neurotransmitter/receptor system.

Question 53

The integrator of inner emotions and emotional behaviors is the thalamus.

Question 54

The mood disorders are primarily disturbances of thought processes.

Question 55

Alcohol is a stimulant and antidepressant.

Question 56

A brain structure thought to be involved in dependence upon certain euphorigenic drugs is the nucleus accumbens.

Question 57

Administration of chlorpromazine to a rat that has an electrode implanted in the lateral hypothalamus will cause an increase in rate of the rat's self-stimulation.

Question 58

The most nearly correct sequence of activation of brain areas when one responds in writing to a verbal command is:

A) primary auditory cortex; Wernicke's area; Broca's area; supplementary motor cortex; primary motor cortex.
B) primary auditory cortex; Broca's area; supplementary motor cortex; Wernicke's area; primary motor cortex.
C) primary auditory cortex; Broca's area; Wernicke's area; supplementary motor cortex; primary motor cortex.
D) primary auditory cortex; Broca's area; Wernicke's area; primary motor cortex; supplementary motor cortex.
E) primary auditory cortex; Wernicke's area; Broca's area; primary motor cortex; supplementary motor cortex.

Question 59

Dreaming occurs when one is in NREM sleep.

Question 60

EEG arousal is the recording of brain activity of someone who has just been awakened from sleep.

Question 61

Brain size and the complexity of neuronal circuits are fixed and independent of environmental stimulation.

Question 62

Memory consolidation probably occurs via an increase in the effectiveness of existing synapses and also via formation of new ones.

Question 63

Both short- and long-term memory are seated in and associated with the same specific functional regions of the brain.

Question 64

EEG with waves of high-amplitude and low frequency is descriptive of or occurs during

A) slow-wave sleep.
B) paradoxical sleep.
C) both slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.
D) neither slow-wave sleep nor paradoxical sleep.

Question 65

Rapid eye movement is descriptive of or occurs during

A) slow-wave sleep.
B) paradoxical sleep.
C) both slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.
D) neither slow-wave sleep nor paradoxical sleep.

Question 66

Retrograde amnesia associated with a traumatic head injury can be directly related to the loss of memories considered as both short-term and long-term,including any events immediately related to the trauma.

Question 67

Learning is generally facilitated if the material to be learned is emotionally neutral.

Question 68

Dreaming is descriptive of or occurs during

A) slow-wave sleep.
B) paradoxical sleep.
C) both slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.
D) neither slow-wave sleep nor paradoxical sleep.

Question 69

Pulsate secretion of growth hormone is descriptive of or occurs during

A) slow-wave sleep.
B) paradoxical sleep.
C) both slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.
D) neither slow-wave sleep nor paradoxical sleep.

Question 70

Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memory for all events that happened before a serious brain trauma such as a blow to the head.

Question 71

Tolerance to drugs that are neurotransmitter agonists is thought to involve increased release of the neurotransmitter in response to the drug.

Question 72

Persons suffering from anterograde amnesia continually have short lived,rapidly changing perceptions of events that they have only imagined,but then cannot recall them later as a consequence of an inability to translate these "false memories" from short-term to long-term memory.

Question 73

Absence of postural muscle tone is descriptive of or occurs during

A) slow-wave sleep.
B) paradoxical sleep.
C) both slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.
D) neither slow-wave sleep nor paradoxical sleep.

Question 74

Stressful situations are likely to be remembered in striking detail in part because of the hormones released as a result of the stress.

Question 75

Working memory is labile and can be lost in response to any condition that interrupts electrical activity of the brain.

Question 76

Alpha EEG rhythm is descriptive of or occurs during

A) slow-wave sleep.
B) paradoxical sleep.
C) both slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep.
D) neither slow-wave sleep nor paradoxical sleep.

Question 77

The right side of the brain is specialized for identifying visual patterns and three-dimensional objects.