Deck 12: Learning and Memory

Question 1

ACTH injections may facilitate memory

A) via hippocampal receptors for ACTH.
B) via interactions with the adrenal glands.
C) in intact (no brain lesions) individuals.
D) by transport of ACTH fragments into the brain.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Experiments suggest that epinephrine increases glucose levels by

A) stimulating acetylcholine (ACh) release in the brain.
B) activating alpha adrenergic receptors in the periphery.
C) activating beta adrenergic receptors in the periphery.
D) blocking alpha adrenergic receptors in the periphery.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Training under the influence of a drug or hormone often induces a behavioral or motivational state that is encoded as part of the memory. This phenomenon is known as

A) state-dependent learning.
B) registration.
C) encoding or consolidation.
D) retrieval.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which is the correct summary of opioid effects on learning?

A) Opioids enhance learning when the stimuli to be learned are pleasant.
B) Opioids produce amnesia when the stimuli to be learned are aversive.
C) Opioids do not produce state-dependent effects on learning.
D) Both a and b

Question 5

Hippocampal long-term potentiation is greatest in the _______ of _______.

A) morning; diestrus
B) afternoon; diestrus
C) morning; proestrus
D) afternoon; proestrus

Question 6

A group of food-deprived mice are placed on a T maze where they are rewarded with food for picking the correct alley. Those animals that are rewarded immediately after the trial show greater recall than animals rewarded 3 hours after training. This enhanced recall is most likely due to

A) opiates.
B) CCK.
C) cortisol.
D) epinephrine.
E) All of the above

Question 7

The CA fields of the hippocampus are composed of _______ cells.

A) pyramidal
B) granule
C) Purkinje
D) stellate

Question 8

In the laboratory, sex differences are often observed in nonhuman animals and humans. Generally, males perform better on tests of _______ learning than females.

A) declarative
B) episodic
C) spatial
D) verbal

Question 9

Vasopressin and oxytocin often have opposing actions on memory. Generally, vasopressin _______ memory, whereas oxytocin _______ memory.

A) impairs; enhances
B) enhances; impairs
C) crystallizes; enhances
D) improves; enhances

Question 10

Which statement regarding the brown-headed cowbird is accurate?

A) Females have larger hippocampi than males.
B) Males have larger hippocampi than females.
C) The member of the breeding pair that is responsible for finding food has the largest hippocampi.
D) There is no sex difference in the size of the hippocampi in this species.

Question 11

Which would you use in experiments to test spatial memory in rat?

A) Radial arm maze
B) Elevated plus maze
C) Morris water maze
D) Two-way shuttle box
E) Both a and c

Question 12

Your experimental goal is enhancing spatial memory in a rat using epinephrine. When would be the best time to administer memory enhancing dosage to receive the desired effect?

A) Before training
B) Immediately after training
C) During training
D) Following a substantial period of time that allows initial molecular memory process to take place

Question 13

Your experimental goal in rats is to eliminate a previous learned skill. In order to do just that, it would be wise to use

A) glucose
B) epinephrine
C) oxytocin
D) vasopressin
E) Both c and d

Question 14

Males may outperform females on visuospatial tasks due to sex differences in all of the following except

A) activity levels.
B) problem solving strategy.
C) learning style.
D) larger brains resulting from testosterone.

Question 15

Exposure to short day lengths tend to

A) expand hippocampal volume.
B) shrink hippocampal volume.
C) expand amygdalar volume.
D) shrink amygdalar volume.

Question 16

List three hormones that affect learning.

Question 17

List three types of learning.

Question 18

What are some of the brain and behavioral outcomes in adults of chronic stress in rodents?

Question 19

What is the impact of hormone on learning across the estrous and menstrual cycles?

Question 20

Learning and memory are hypothetical constructs. Describe how to measure learning and memory. Defend the validity of the concept of learning and memory.

Question 21

Stress impairs memory. Design a study that determines the hormonal contribution to memory impairment during stress.

Question 22

Describe the difference between operant conditioning and classical conditioning. How might you use each approach to study the role of hormones on learning and memory?