Deck 10: Brain Damage and Neuroplasticity

Question 1

Strokes are caused by

A) tardive penumbra.
B) cerebral hemorrhage.
C) cerebral ischemia.
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Answer 1

both B and C

Question 2

If a person developed a brain tumor as a result of chronic cigarette smoking, the tumor would likely be

A) metastatic.
B) malignant.
C) encapsulated.
D) both A and B.
E) both B and C

Answer 2

both A and B.

Question 3

Meningiomas are

A) encapsulated.
B) diffuse.
C) infiltrating.
D) metastatic.
E) malignant.

Answer 3

encapsulated.

Question 4

A disorder in which fat deposits cause the walls of blood vessels to thicken and reduce blood flow is

A) arteriosclerosis.
B) contusion.
C) embolism.
D) dementia.
E) encephalitis.

Question 5

Metastasis is a term that refers

A) specifically to malignant tumors.
B) to tumors that have spread from the lungs to the brain.
C) to infiltrating tumors.
D) to the spread of disease from one organ to another.
E) to tumors and other growths that are attracted to neural tissue.

Question 6

Aneurysms are often

A) congenital.
B) caused by vascular poisons.
C) caused by infection.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 7

A tumor is

A) a neoplasm.
B) cluster of cells that grows independently of the rest of the body.
C) an aneurysm.
D) a thrombus.
E) both A and B

Question 8

Which of the following is a cerebrovascular disorder?

A) cerebral arteriosclerosis
B) cerebral embolism
C) cerebral thrombosis
D) all of the above
E) both B and

Question 9

"Stroke" commonly refers to

A) closed-head injuries of sudden onset.
B) cancerous brain tumors of sudden onset.
C) cerebrovascular disorders of sudden onset.
D) brain infarcts.
E) cerebral attacks.

Question 10

Both thrombuses and emboluses are

A) plugs that block blood flow.
B) tumors.
C) causes of arteriosclerosis.
D) infarcts.
E) hematomas.

Question 11

Acoustic neuromas are

A) encapsulated.
B) benign.
C) located on the 8th cranial nerve.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 12

The 8th cranial nerve

A) is a sensory nerve that comes from the ear.
B) carries auditory information.
C) carries vestibular information.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 13

The 8th cranial nerve is the

A) auditory-vestibular nerve.
B) vagus nerve.
C) trigeminal nerve.
D) olfactory nerve.
E) facial nerve.

Question 14

Which of the following is most likely to lead to an intracerebral hemorrhage?

A) a bursting aneurysm
B) a hematoma
C) cerebral ischemia
D) thrombosis
E) embolism

Question 15

Sites of arteriosclerosis are most readily apparent in

A) a Nissl-stained brain section.
B) a CT scan.
C) an fMRI image.
D) an angiogram.
E) a PET scan.

Question 16

When a thrombus moves to another site and becomes lodged there, the thrombus is called

A) a thrombosis.
B) a bolus.
C) an embolus.
D) an infarct.
E) an aneurysm.

Question 17

Cerebral ischemia is a disruption of the supply of __________ to the __________.

A) glutamate; brain
B) blood; heart
C) air; body
D) neurotransmitters; brain
E) blood; brain

Question 18

Which type of tumor is likely to be benign?

A) encapsulated
B) metastatic
C) infiltrating
D) malignant
E) congenital

Question 19

Which type of tumor would be most easy to localize in a CT scan or a brain section?

A) an infiltrating tumor
B) a metastatic tumor
C) an encapsulated tumor
D) a malignant tumor
E) a congenital tumor

Question 20

Much of the brain damage caused by cerebral ischemia is not observed for 1 or 2 __________ following the stroke.

A) seconds
B) minutes
C) hours
D) days
E) years

Question 21

General paresis is

A) an officer in the Spanish army.
B) a mild general paralysis.
C) the insanity and intellectual impairment associated with advanced cases of syphilis.
D) a bacterial infection that attacks a large group of people.
E) a viral infection that attacks a large group of people.

Question 22

The brain inflammation resulting from an infection is termed

A) general paresis.
B) dementia.
C) encephalitis.
D) meningitis.
E) tardive dyskinesia.

Question 23

The mumps and herpes simplex viruses are common examples of

A) cerebral tumors.
B) viruses that can attack the brain but do not have a particular affinity for brain tissue.
C) diseases that usually cause brain abscesses.
D) viruses that have a particular affinity for brain tissue.
E) bacterial infections.

Question 24

When the brain slams against the inside of the skull, blood from the resulting contusion often accumulates in the

A) subdural space.
B) ventricles.
C) internal canal.
D) fissures.
E) sulci.

Question 25

Brain injuries produced by blows that do not penetrate the skull are called

A) closed-head injuries.
B) contrecoup injuries.
C) hematomas.
D) contusions.
E) lacerations.

Question 26

Contusions

A) occur only when the brain is punctured by a sharp object.
B) involve hemorrhage and hematoma.
C) are often produced by the brain slamming against the inside of the skull.
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 27

Tardive dyskinesia is caused by

A) the chronic use of some kinds of antipsychotic drugs.
B) lead poisoning.
C) toxic psychosis.
D) mercury poisoning.
E) viral infection.

Question 28

Following cerebral ischemia,

A) glutamate is released in excessive quantities.
B) excessive activity is induced at NMDA receptors.
C) excessive numbers of calcium and sodium ions enter postsynaptic neurons.
D) postsynaptic neurons slowly die.
E) all of the above

Question 29

When there is a disturbance of consciousness following a blow to the head and there is no evidence of physical damage, the diagnosis is

A) contusion.
B) laceration.
C) concussion.
D) hematoma.
E) aneurysm.

Question 30

The word "crackpot" originally referred to people suffering from

A) caffeine poisoning.
B) tea poisoning.
C) syphilis.
D) lead poisoning.
E) mercury poisoning.

Question 31

Meningitis is

A) the result of a bacterial infection.
B) a type of encephalitis.
C) an inflammation of the meninges of the brain.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 32

Rabies is caused by

A) a bacterial infection usually transmitted in the saliva of a rabid animal.
B) a bacterial infection usually transmitted in the saliva of a rabbit animal.
C) a virus.
D) an embolism.
E) an infarct.

Question 33

Given the cascade of events leading to ischemia-produced brain damage, __________ antagonists administered immediately after a stroke might reduce the development of brain damage.

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

Question 34

In a car accident, a woman banged the front of her head on the steering wheel. A subsequent CT scan revealed a subdural hematoma over the left occipital lobe. The woman clearly had suffered a

A) contrecoup injury.
B) contusion.
C) concussion.
D) both A and B
E) both A and C

Question 35

Brain damage following ischemic strokes seems to be caused by

A) NMDA buildup.
B) excessive serotonin release.
C) an imbalance of GABA.
D) norepinephrine inhibition.
E) excessive glutamate release.

Question 36

A hematoma is a

A) type of dementia.
B) localized collection of clotted blood.
C) bruise.
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 37

Involuntary smacking and sucking movements of the lips, thrusting and rolling of the tongue, lateral jaw movements, and puffing of the cheeks are all symptoms of

A) tardive dyskinesia.
B) general paresis.
C) dementia.
D) mercury poisoning.
E) lead poisoning.

Question 38

The punch-drunk syndrome typically results from the cumulative effects of many minor

A) contusions.
B) concussions.
C) infarcts.
D) aneurysms.
E) embolisms.

Question 39

A "crackpot," in the original sense of the word, was a person who was suffering from

A) the effects of lead poisoning.
B) a type of toxic psychosis.
C) general paresis.
D) tardive dyskinesia.
E) both A and B

Question 40

The punch-drunk syndrome suggests that each individual concussion is associated with

A) some lasting damage.
B) dementia.
C) scarring.
D) a contusion.
E) meningitis.

Question 41

In partial seizures,

A) there is no epileptic spiking in the EEG.
B) the epileptic discharges do not spread throughout the brain.
C) there is no aura.
D) the seizures are always simple.
E) there is no epileptic focus.

Question 42

The process by which neurons passively die as the result of injury is

A) apoptosis.
B) necrosis.
C) dementia pugilistic.
D) fasciculation.
E) general paresis.

Question 43

Neuropsychological disorders with genetic causes are not usually related to dominant genes because

A) those who possess them are less likely to produce fit offspring.
B) dominant genes are usually singular.
C) recessive genes are far more potent.
D) recessive genes are far more common.
E) humans are not still evolving.

Question 44

Which of the following disorders results from a mutation that produces an extra chromosome 21?

A) Down syndrome
B) meningitis
C) tardive dyskinesia
D) general paresis
E) multiple sclerosis

Question 45

The diagnosis of epilepsy is applied to all people who experience

A) convulsions.
B) seizures.
C) scalp electroencephalography.
D) spontaneously recurring seizures.
E) clonus.

Question 46

Simple and complex are the two major categories of

A) epilepsy.
B) partial seizures.
C) generalized seizures.
D) convulsions.
E) automatisms.

Question 47

The two major categories of seizures are

A) generalized and simple.
B) generalized and partial.
C) petit mal and grand mal.
D) cortical and subcortical.
E) complex and simple.

Question 48

Down syndrome is

A) a toxic psychosis.
B) a toxic dementia.
C) the result of a single abnormal dominant gene.
D) is associated with a lack of acetylcholine.
E) the result an extra chromosome 21 resulting from a genetic accident.

Question 49

Simple partial seizures are

A) Jacksonian.
B) partial seizures whose symptoms are primarily sensory or motor.
C) often characterized by the systematic spread of motor symptoms through the body.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 50

Which of the following causes epilepsy?

A) neurotoxins
B) cerebrovascular diseases
C) head injuries
D) all of the above
E) both A and C

Question 51

Cell death produced by activation of a cell's genetic program for suicide is called

A) apoptosis.
B) necrosis.
C) an infarct.
D) gliosis.
E) a tragedy.

Question 52

Which of the following can act as an endogenous neurotoxin?

A) mercury
B) lead
C) an antibody
D) tardive dyskinesia
E) an infarct

Question 53

With respect to epilepsy, clonus is to tonus as

A) rigidity is to tremor.
B) rigidity is to loss of balance.
C) loss of balance is to rigidity.
D) tremor is to rigidity.
E) tonus is to loss of balance.

Question 54

An epileptic focus is a site in the brain

A) next to the thalamus.
B) contralateral to the aura.
C) at which generalized epileptic discharges congregate.
D) at which epileptic discharges spontaneously arise and spread to other sites.
E) was discovered by Jackson.

Question 55

Automatisms are often components of

A) complex partial seizures.
B) simple partial seizures.
C) generalized seizures.
D) absence seizures.
E) tonic-clonic seizures.

Question 56

In epileptic patients who do not experience convulsions, the diagnosis of epilepsy rests heavily on

A) postmortem evidence.
B) the analysis of blood samples.
C) electroencephalographic evidence.
D) angiograms.
E) CT scans.

Question 57

An epileptic aura is a psychological experience that

A) precedes the onset of epilepsy.
B) precedes a convulsion.
C) follows a convulsion.
D) occurs during a convulsion.
E) replaces a convulsion.

Question 58

Necrotic cell death

A) usually involves inflammation.
B) is usually much slower than apoptotic cell death.
C) usually requires several days.
D) is the result of a genetic program for self-destruction.
E) is apoptotic.

Question 59

Neural apoptosis usually begins with

A) inflammation of the area.
B) ischemia.
C) shrinkage of the cell body.
D) swelling of the axon.
E) retrograde degeneration.

Question 60

Neurological disorders are rarely caused by dominant genes

A) because all individuals carrying them would be at a major disadvantage in terms of survival and reproduction.
B) unless the dominant genes do not express themselves until after the peak reproductive years.
C) because dominant genes rarely mutate.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 61

The major neurochemical correlate of Parkinson's disease is a reduction of

A) cortical acetylcholine.
B) dopamine in the substantia nigra and striatum.
C) acetylcholine in the striatum.
D) serotonin in the cortex.
E) the ratio of acetylcholine to dopamine in the cortex.

Question 62

In about 90% of patients with Parkinson's disease, there is clear evidence that the disease was caused by

A) genetic factors.
B) a stroke.
C) a tumor.
D) a neurotoxin.
E) none of the above

Question 63

Which general class of drugs is useful in treating Parkinson's disease?

A) dopamine agonists
B) dopamine antagonists
C) MAO inhibitors
D) tricyclics
E) phenothiazines

Question 64

Complex partial seizures

A) often result from temporal lobe pathology.
B) are often characterized by automatisms.
C) often include absence attacks.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 65

The most common type of epilepsy, about half the cases in adults, is

A) simple partial.
B) complex partial.
C) tonic-clonic.
D) absence.
E) myoclonic.

Question 66

The 3-per-second spike and wave is

A) an effective play in volleyball.
B) characteristic of tonic-clonic convulsions.
C) a correlate of absence seizures.
D) a correlate of simple partial seizures.
E) a correlate of complex partial seizures.

Question 67

Parkinson's disease typically strikes in

A) infancy.
B) childhood.
C) adolescence.
D) early adulthood.
E) middle or late adulthood.

Question 68

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease are temporarily alleviated in some patients by injections of

A) L-DOPA.
B) tyrosine.
C) dopamine.
D) serotonin.
E) adrenaline.

Question 69

Tremor at rest, muscular rigidity, slowness of movement, and a masklike face are symptoms of

A) Down syndrome.
B) Parkinson's disease.
C) epilepsy.
D) Huntington's disease.
E) multiple sclerosis.

Question 70

Generalized seizures always involve

A) the entire brain.
B) tonus.
C) clonus.
D) cyanosis.
E) auras.

Question 71

Which of the following is a generalized seizure?

A) complex partial seizure
B) absence
C) tonic-clonic
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 72

A professor in the middle of a lecture unbuttoned his shirt and rebuttoned it several times in rapid succession, started to sing, and then ran out of the room. He was discovered several hours later sleeping in the rain on a bench in front of the university library. He could not remember his classroom behavior, and he had no idea how he had fallen asleep in the rain. The professor may have experienced

A) a tonic-clonic attack.
B) a generalized seizure.
C) a complex partial seizure.
D) a spike-and-wave discharge.
E) an absence attack.

Question 73

In cases of Parkinson's disease, the following are degenerated:

A) terminals in the striatum.
B) cell bodies in the substantia nigra.
C) axons in the nigrostriatal pathway.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 74

Parkinson's disease is associated with degeneration of the

A) thalamus.
B) substantia nigra.
C) cerebellum.
D) cortex.
E) hippocampus.

Question 75

Illustrated here are EEG discharges characteristic of

A) absence seizures.
B) tonic-clonic seizures.
C) simple partial seizures.
D) complex partial seizures.
E) myoclonic seizures.

Question 76

Although L-DOPA does have some beneficial effects, it is not a solution to the problem of Parkinson's disease because it

A) typically becomes less and less therapeutically effective with use.
B) is too expensive.
C) can be safely administered to only a small proportion of patients.
D) is unstable at room temperature.
E) does not pass through the blood-brain barrier.

Question 77

Tonic-clonic convulsions produce __________, which itself can cause brain damage.

A) absences
B) incontinence
C) cerebral hypoxia
D) auras
E) clonus

Question 78

Which type of discharges are associated with absence seizures?

A) tonic
B) clonic
C) tonic-clonic
D) 3-per-second spike-and-wave
E) absence discharges

Question 79

Which of the following is common in children and often ceases in puberty?

A) absence epilepsy
B) tonic-clonic epilepsy
C) temporal lobe epilepsy
D) simple partial epilepsy
E) Jacksonian epilepsy

Question 80

Which of the following is a controversial treatment for Parkinson's disease?

A) electroconvulsive shock
B) deep brain stimulation
C) prefrontal lobotomy
D) split-brain operations
E) dopamine antagonists