Deck 8: The Central Nervous System

Question 1

Which of the protective coverings of the spinal cord does the arrow in the image point to?

A) arachnoid mater
B) dura mater
C) pia mater
D) subarachnoid space

Answer 1

A

Question 2

How would damage to the area labeled #1 affect sensory and motor processing by the spinal cord?

A) failure to communicate with #9
B) failure to communicate with #8
C) failure to communicate with #5
D) failure to communicate with #7

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The cerebrospinal fluid is found immediately between which two meningeal layers?

A) arachnoid mater and dura mater
B) arachnoid mater and pia mater
C) dura mater and pia mater
D) All of the choices are correct.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the meningeal layers clings to the surface of the spinal cord and brain?

A) arachnoid mater
B) dura mater
C) pia mater
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 5

Damage to a spinal nerve will produce sensory, but not motor, symptoms.

Question 6

Why is it beneficial that sensory information received can synapse directly with a motor neuron?

A) it's not because it produces erratic and wild motion
B) because it is faster communication and causes faster involuntary movement
C) because it is faster communication and causes faster voluntary movement
D) because it can stimulate the "fight or flight" response

Question 7

Damage to the region of the spinal column that is identified by the arrow will likely result in which of the following symptoms?

A) loss of feeling and sensation only
B) loss of motor capabilities only
C) delay between sensation and motor reaction
D) no major loss, other nerves will compensate

Question 8

If Michael suffers a vertebral injury and is paralyzed from the waist down, this means that he has lost motor control but maintains sensation. What injured part of his central nervous system is most likely causing his paralysis?

A) interneurons in his sacral region that have been damaged
B) ascending tracts of nerves that have been damaged
C) only the motor neurons that innervate his body from the waist down that have been damaged
D) only the sensory motor neurons that innervate his body from the waist down that have been damaged

Question 9

Axons descending from higher brain centers synapse onto somatic motor neurons in which part of the spinal cord?

A) dorsal gray horns
B) dorsal white columns
C) ventral gray horns
D) ventral white columns

Question 10

Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated disease where the immune system targets the myelin surrounding neurons in the CNS and causes scar tissue to build up in the spinal cord. How will this affect the peripheral nerves?

A) The scar tissue in the white matter, combined with inflammation, puts pressure on the grey matter and kills the cell bodies there.
B) The scar tissue replaces the myelin and so there are no major effects because the nerves can function as normal.
C) The removal of the myelin sheath slows down electron potentials and makes them less consistent.
D) The removal of the myelin sheath speeds up the electron potential by allowing it travel down the whole neuron rather than jumping.

Question 11

Which of the following are the most likely symptoms of damage to a spinal nerve at the cervical (neck) level of the spine?

A) loss of movement in the neck
B) loss of sensation in the neck
C) loss of both sensation and movement in the neck
D) loss of motor input from the neck

Question 12

Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediate disease where the immune system targets the myelin surrounding neurons in the CNS. Which area is most affected by this condition?

A) grey matter
B) interneurons in the brain
C) long peripheral neurons
D) white matter

Question 13

Spinal nerves are considered part of the ______ nervous system.

Question 14

Ascending sensory and descending motor tracts are found in the

A) dorsal root ganglia
B) gray horns
C) ventral roots
D) white columns

Question 15

Damage to the sensory receptors in your fingertips would MOST DIRECTLY result in which of the following if your finger touched a hot object?

A) no reflex contraction that would withdraw the hand
B) no communication with an interneuron in the spinal cord
C) no perception in the pain centers of the brain
D) other receptors in the hand would detect the heat and you would reflex as normal

Question 16

The dendrites of spinal interneurons are in the dorsal gray horns, while their axon terminals are in the ventral gray horns.

Question 17

Action potentials would move in what direction through the spinal cord?

A) dorsal root -> spinal nerve -> ventral root
B) spinal nerve -> dorsal root -> ventral root
C) ventral root -> dorsal root -> spinal nerve
D) ventral root -> spinal nerve -> dorsal root

Question 18

Viral meningitis is a disease that affects the spinal cord by causing inflammation, among other things. How might this cause temporary paralysis?

A) Infection of the meninges weakens the protective barrier and allows other pathogens to infect the spinal cord and inhibit neuron signaling.
B) Swelling of the meninges causes the vertebrae to become more brittle and break easily, damaging neural tissue.
C) Swelling of the meninges compresses the spinal cord, inhibiting neuron signaling.
D) Infection of the meninges reduces the amount of cerebrospinal fluid found in the spinal column and thus the spinal cord will lie against the vertebrae reducing neuron signaling.

Question 19

What primary function do the vertebrae and meninges serve for the spinal cord?

A) They provide nutritional support for the spinal cord.
B) They provide a protective covering for the spinal cord.
C) They provide minimal support for the spinal cord.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 20

Your sweat glands are monitored and activated by your nervous system (that's why your palms might sweat when you're nervous). How would damage to the region of the spinal column identified by the arrow, affect the function of the sweat glands?

A) increased activity, more sweating
B) decreased activity, less sweating
C) no effect, this region only innervates muscles
D) no effect, this region only innervates effectors

Question 21

Which cranial nerve is NOT correctly matched to its function?

A) glossopharyngeal: conveys information from baroreceptors
B) hypoglossal: controls movements of the tongue
C) trigeminal: controls chewing movements
D) vagus: controls movements of the head and neck

Question 22

Suppose that while walking through your neighborhood you hear a car crash and you quickly turn you head towards the direction of the sound. This is an example of a/an

A) fast reflex
B) flexor reflex
C) cranial reflex
D) audio reflex

Question 23

Lisa is watching a tennis match and is having trouble tracking the tennis ball go back and forth across the court, but knows when it changes direction because she can hear the players hit the ball. Which part of her brain allows her to hear the details of the match and also which part may not be functioning optimally?

A) mesencephalon; reticular formation
B) inferior colliculi; superior colliculi
C) superior colliculi; inferior colliculi
D) reticular formation; mesencephalon

Question 24

Benzodiaepines are common anti-anxiety drugs that are administered to patients because they affect the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Taken in pill form, they are often fast acting and readily diffuse into the brain tissues. What conclusion can be made about benzodiazepines in the BBB?

A) they are small enough to quickly pass through
B) they are not water soluble
C) they carry no net charge, but have polar regions
C) they readily bind with carrier proteins to get through

Question 25

Parkinson's disease can affect the extrapyramidal (indirect) pathways. What symptoms would you expect a patient with Parkinson's disease to have?

A) loss with balance, muscle tone, or postural control
B) loss of itch, pain, temperature, or tickle sensation
C) loss of proprioception, pressure, touch or vibration sensation
D) loss of the ability to activate her skeletal muscles (i.e., paralysis)

Question 26

A patient has no trouble moving her eyes but does have trouble seeing things when they are close to her face. Which cranial nerve is most likely functioning incorrectly?

A) optic nerve
B) trochlear nerve
C) abducens
D) occulomotor

Question 27

A spinal reflex arc is initiated by a stimulus producing a receptor potential in a sensory receptor.

Question 28

In a spinal reflex, which of the following does NOT occur?

A) integration of sensory information in the CNS
B) somatic motor output from the CNS
C) transfer of sensory information to higher brain centers
D) propagation of motor output through the descending tracts of the spinal cord

Question 29

Cerebrospinal fluid is produced from blood plasma by ______ cells.

Question 30

A motor tract normally conveys action potentials from the spinal cord to the brain.

Question 31

The BBB functions to prevent unwanted molecules from entering the brain tissues, by which of these mechanisms?

A) requiring all molecules that pass through to use either a carrier or transport protein
B) selectively allowing some water-soluble molecules pass through with the help of proteins
C) selectively allowing some lipid-soluble molecules pass through with the help of proteins
D) requiring lipid-soluble molecules to use either a carrier or transport protein

Question 32

What is the correct sequence of information flow in a spinal reflex arc? (There can be missing steps, but the sequence must be correct.)

A) sensory stimulus -> receptor potential in sensory receptor -> action potential(s) in sensory neuron -> neurotransmitter release by sensory neuron
B) neurotransmitter release by sensory neuron -> action potential(s) in motor neuron -> neurotransmitter release by motor neuron -> action potential in motor neuron -> response in effector
C) graded potential in motor neuron -> action potential(s) in motor neuron -> neurotransmitter release by motor neuron -> response in effector
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 33

If you were to submerge your hand in a bucket of ice water, after only a few seconds your instinct would be to remove your hand from the cold environment. You perceive the desire to remove your hand from the water because

A) sensory neurons communicate with your brain that the cold is undesirable and removing your hand will solve the problem
B) sensory neurons synapse with interneurons in the spinal cord to reflex and pull your arm out of the cold water
C) motor neurons in your arm are receiving stimulation from both the brain and the spinal cord to pull your arm out of the water
D) sensory neurons communicate to your brain that the motor neurons in your arm are shutting down due to the cold

Question 34

Action potentials for involuntary movements travel through the spinal cord via what channels?

A) vestibulospinal tract
B) corticobulbar tract
C) ascending tracts
D) descending tracts

Question 35

Patients with Parkinson's disease suffer from a loss of neurons in the brain that make dopamine. One treatment is to provide a drug that increases dopamine levels in the brain. This drug is taken as a daily pill. However, dopamine can't be used directly as it can't cross the blood-brain barrier. Instead a precursor to dopamine (L-Dopa) is given, as it can pass through the BBB with the assistance of a transporter protein, and then be converted into dopamine in the brain tissue. What properties allow L-Dopa to pass through and prevent dopamine from passing, respectively?

A) L-dopa is lipid soluble, dopamine is as well
B) L-Dopa is not water-soluble, while dopamine is
C) L-dopa is more water soluble than dopamine
D) L-dopa is less water soluble than dopamine

Question 36

Katy has suffered a stroke in her brain stem affecting function of her medulla. Which symptom would NOT be consistent with damage to this area of the brain?

A) changes in heart rate
B) hiccups
C) problems maintaining consciousness
D) problems regulating her breathing

Question 37

General anesthesia can result in patients having hypothermia (i.e., a lower than normal body temperature). Which brain area would you predict might possibly be affected by anesthesia to produce hypothermia?

A) basal nuclei
B) brain stem
C) cerebellum
D) diencephalon

Question 38

Neurons need a steady supply of oxygen and glucose to survive.

Question 39

Immediately after a head to head collision during a football game, Marshawn has trouble regulating his breathing and oddly has the hiccups. Which area of the brain might be affected?

A) brain stem
B) frontal cortex
C) hypothalamus
D) thalamus

Question 40

Which of the following cranial nerves is NOT involved with eye movement?

A) trochlear
B) accessory
C) occulomotor
D) abducens

Question 41

Cats are very good at sleeping often during the day without being completely unaware of their surroundings. Which stage of sleep do cats most likely stay in?

A) transition stage
B) light-moderate
C) deep sleep
D) moderately deep sleep

Question 42

If someone is convicted of a crime of passion, which brain systems were most likely in control of the person's behaviors?

A) prefrontal cortex and premotor cortex
B) limbic system and prefrontal cortex
C) prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus
D) hypothalamus and limbic system

Question 43

Andrea is sitting in her physiology class one day and suddenly has a stroke. When the doctor asks her questions, Andrea has difficulty understanding the questions the doctor in asking her, but continues to try to explain what is wrong. What area of her brain is most likely still functioning?

A) Wernicke's area
B) Broca's area
C) prefrontal cortex
D) premotor cortex

Question 44

Damage to the left side of a patient's left premotor cortex is likely to result in which of the following symptoms?

A) difficulty coordinating new, difficult movements
B) trouble throwing a ball with her left hand
C) difficulty playing the piano
D) problems grabbing door handles with her left hand

Question 45

Amy has an accident causing her not to be able to recognize different objects, such as a comb or apple. Which part of her cerebral cortex do you suspect she has damaged?

A) association areas
B) limbic system
C) motor areas
D) sensory areas

Question 46

The greatest degree of inhibition of motor neuron activity occurs during which stage of sleep?

A) NREM - Stage 1
B) NREM - Stage 2/3
C) NREM - Stage 4
D) REM

Question 47

Emotional behavior results from neural connections from the limbic system to other parts of the brain.

Question 48

After eating a large Thanksgiving dinner, you watch your uncle while he sits on the couch. You notice that his head begins to droop and his legs start to twitch. Suddenly, he bolts awake and sees you looking at him and through short breaths says that he wasn't really sleeping. Which stage of sleep was he most likely in?

A) stage 3
B) stage 1
C) stage 2
D) REM

Question 49

Which physiological change does NOT occur during REM sleep?

A) decreased heart rate and blood pressure
B) decreased somatic motor neuron activity and muscle tone
C) higher frequency, lower-amplitude EEG waves
D) increased activity in the visual association area and limbic system

Question 50

In primary somatosensory cortex there are more regions of integration associated with the fingers, lips and feet than any other body part. Why does this make sense?

A) those areas cover more relative surface area compared to other body parts
B) those body parts exchange with the environment more than other parts
C) those body parts move the most
D) those areas feel more pain than other areas so the brain is more sensitive to them

Question 51

Jackson is blind and reads using Braille, a system of raised dots that are felt with the fingers. Which of the following is the correct sequence of events in the language pathway when Jackson reads using Braille and then tells his friend what he's reading?

A) common integrative area -> Broca's area -> Wernicke's area -> speech muscles
B) primary auditory cortex -> Wernicke's area -> Broca's area -> primary motor cortex
C) primary motor cortex -> Broca's area -> Wernicke's area -> speech muscles
D) primary somatosensory cortex -> Wernicke's area -> Broca's area -> primary motor cortex

Question 52

If the connection between the limbic system and hypothalamus were damaged, what effects would you expect?

A) no emotions would happen
B) the emotion would not be perceived
C) there would be no involuntary autonomic or somatic motor responses
D) there would be no voluntary somatic motor response

Question 53

Alandra is a young girl that has trouble speaking and seems to experience erratic and uncontrollable emotions and sometimes wild mood swings. A doctor's initial diagnosis is autism, but what might be a viable, alternative explanation?

A) damage to her Wernicke's area and limbic system
B) damage to her Broca's area and limbic system
C) damage to her Broca's area and prefrontal cortex
D) damage to her Wernicke's area and prefrontal cortex

Question 54

Which part of the cerebrum is NOT correctly matched with a function that it would perform?

A) common integrative area: feeling a banana in a shopping bag and recognizing it by shape
B) prefrontal cortex: making a plan to go to the movies with a friend
C) premotor cortex: processing visual information
D) Wernicke's area: reading and understanding words

Question 55

Helen Keller was an American woman that was both blind and deaf, but eventually learned to communicate with others through sign and spoken language by making contact with others. Despite her impairments, which areas of her brain were clearly still functioning to allow her to understand others?

A) primary motor cortex and Wernicke's area
B) Broca's area
C) Wernicke's area
D) somatosensory cortex and Wernicke's area

Question 56

Vanessa is very adept at visiting a location once and remembering how to get there and navigate around all of the physical features of that place. Based on this, it can be said that which area(s) of her brain are high-functioning?

A) hippocampus
B) limbic system
C) cerebellum
D) thalamus

Question 57

If a person were to experience damage to his/her cerebral cortex, what would be the first point of inhibition along the emotional pathway?

A) inhibition of emotion formation
B) inhibition of emotion perception
C) inhibition of an emotional somatic response
D) inhibition of an emotional autonomic response

Question 58

If memories are formed in the hippocampus, which is a part of the limbic system, how does that connection affect the memories that are formed?

A) It is common to only remember emotions rather than events or procedures.
B) Memories are formed when the rest of the limbic system is inactive.
C) Stronger emotions increase the strength of the memories formed.
D) Weaker emotions increase the strength of the memories formed.

Question 59

Inhibiting neurons of the Reticular Activating System (RAS) system promotes sleepiness.

Question 60

The anterior pituitary gland in the brain releases higher-than-normal amounts of leutinizing hormone (LH) into the blood at the beginning of a woman's ovulation cycle and together with another hormone (FSH), they trigger the release of the egg from her ovaries. If she does not become pregnant then the LH levels in her blood will return to normal (as opposed to staying high after conception). Which is the most likely site in the brain for the control of these hormone levels?

A) anterior pituitary gland
B) thalamus
C) hypothalamus
D) cerebellum

Question 61

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used as antidepressants and function exactly as their name implies: they inhibit the reuptake of serotonin from the synaptic cleft by the pre-synaptic neuron. What effect will this have on these serotonin pathways?

A) they increase the amount of serotonin released
B) they increase the effects of serotonin on the post-synaptic neuron
C) they decrease the amount of serotonin released by the post-synaptic neuron
D) the decrease the effects of serotonin on the post-synaptic neuron

Question 62

Alzheimer's patients often suffer from a variety of symptoms including memory loss, such as where they are, the date and time and people they may have just met. But it is not unusual for these patients to remember their daily routines and environments. What are these examples of, respectively?

A) loss of short, retention of long-term memory
B) loss of short-term, retention of long-term memory
C) loss of long-term, retention of explicit memory
D) loss of implicit memory, retention of short-term memory

Question 63

It is common to teach a dog not to go to the bathroom inside the house and attempt to teach it to go outside in the grass. If a dog owner gave her pet a treat every time it went to the bathroom outside, she would be utilizing which learning technique?

A) shaping
B) associative learning
C) non-associative learning
D) habituation

Question 64

Hunger is an example of a/an

A) drive
B) emotion
C) need
D) reward

Question 65

An abuse victim is brought into the hospital after being rescued from an attack. When the doctor goes in to visit with the patient he reaches his hand out to examine her eyes. When he does this, the patient flinches and raises her hand in defense. This is most likely an example of

A) fear
B) sensitization
C) habituation
D) explicit memory

Question 66

Dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRIs) are a type of drug which inhibit the removal of dopamine from the synaptic cleft. What effect might this have on the individual due to changes in the neural pathways of the brain?

A) decreased sense of motivation and reward
B) decreased unpleasant sensations
C) increased sense of motivation and reward
D) increased unpleasant sensations

Question 67

How can non-drug related behaviors such as gambling and viewing pornography be considered addictions if no chemicals enter the human body?

A) The surge of dopamine caused by participation in these behaviors can motivate people to chase the feelings of pleasure and reward.
B) Because sex is a primary motivated behavior, by definition it is addictive
C) These behaviors are examples of secondary motivated behaviors that people strive to fill the need for, and dopamine is the reward system.
D) No scientific evidence has proven that these behaviors are actually addictive or even connected to the mesolimbic system.

Question 68

Changes in the strength of communication between neurons can involve both pre-synaptic and post-synaptic changes.

Question 69

Gambling can be addictive because of the rewarding stimulation that people feel when they win at various games of chance. How might winning at a game of poker affect someone's dopamine pathways and consequently lead to addiction?

A) strengthen the pathways, neural pathways are consciously controlled
B) strengthen the pathways, increasing the frequency or amount of neurotransmitter can strengthen the neural pathway
C) weaken the pathways, too much dopamine can become toxic and the individual may die
D) weaken the pathways, increased dopamine decreases over time post synaptic response and thus decrease the immediate reward for that behavior

Question 70

Hayden has been playing the piano for many years. Now he can play many songs from memory. This is an example of what process?

A) declarative memory
B) habituation
C) procedural memory
D) sensitization

Question 71

If the NMDA receptors are blocked, but the post-synaptic cell is depolarized to -50mV, will changes in synaptic transmission occur?

A) no
B) yes, but only in the post-synaptic cell
C) yes, but only in the pre-synaptic cell
D) yes, in both the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic cells