Deck 5: Methods and Strategies of Research

Question 1

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease relate to a lack of ________ within the ________.

A) dopamine; basal ganglia
B) acetylcholine; hippocampus
C) norepinephrine; basal ganglia
D) serotonin; hippocampus
E) acetylcholine; basal ganglia

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is a rationale for lesion studies?

A) The change in behavior that follows a particular brain lesion can give important clues about the function of that brain area.
B) Lesions are easily made within the brain.
C) Brain lesions are specific for fibers of passage.
D) Brain lesions reliably produce marked changes in behaviors.
E) Brain lesions allow for activation of behavioral circuits.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

B. suffered a loss of dopamine-secreting neurons in his brain after ingesting a neurotoxin. Which of the therapies below was successful in restoring his motor function?

A) injection of fetal nigrostriatal neurons into Mr. B.'s caudate nucleus and putamen
B) oral ingestion of L-DOPA
C) oral ingestion of cocaine and amphetamine
D) infusion of dopamine directly into Mr. B.'s caudate nucleus and putamen
E) injection of radioactive L-DOPA

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Molecular biologists have tagged toxins to specific ________ that in turn will kill specific types of neurons.

A) antigens
B) receptors
C) kainic acid
D) antibodies
E) autoreceptors

Question 5

The ________ technique creates a brain lesion by killing neurons through overstimulation.

A) aspiration
B) hypoxia
C) kainic acid
D) 6-hydroxydopamine
E) radio-frequency current

Question 6

A temporary disruption of neural activity within a region of brain can be produced by

A) using a knife to cut brain tissue.
B) using an injection of muscimol into the brain region.
C) local heating of the brain using radiofrequency waves.
D) injection of kainic acid.
E) stimulation of bregma.

Question 7

The three numbers listed on a page of a stereotaxic atlas refer to

A) anterior-posterior, dorsal-ventral, and medal-lateral coordinates.
B) drill-bit diameter, length, and approximate size of lesion.
C) the settings on a stereotaxic apparatus for mice versus rats.
D) the strain, age, and weight of an animal.
E) camparison of coordinates for rats, primates, and humans.

Question 8

Of the following, which term does not belong with the other four terms?

A) electrical stimulation of the brain
B) visual examination of a stained section
C) cutting the brain
D) staining the brain
E) fixing the brain

Question 9

________ is (are) a common landmark or reference point used for stereotaxic surgery.

A) The fornix
B) The optic chiasma
C) Bregma
D) The parasagittal sutures
E) The zero point

Question 10

________ allows an experimenter to determine whether a lesion in a rat brain produced a specific behavioral effect.

A) sham-lesion control group
B) pseudo-control group
C) aspiration device
D) cooling electrode
E) microdialysis probe

Question 11

Which of the following represents a problem for interpreting the effects of a brain lesion on behavior?

A) Brain lesions are difficult to produce in animals.
B) The lesion may impair the function of a distant neural structure, which in turn alters behavior.
C) Behaviors are difficult to monitor reliably in animals.
D) Each brain structure is isolated from the others.
E) Since only 10 percent of the brain is in use, there is only a 10 percent chance that damaging a structure will induce a behavioral change.

Question 12

Infusion of ________ into the brain will destroy cell bodies through the process of overstimulation.

A) cocaine
B) GABA
C) lidocaine
D) muscimol
E) kainic acid

Question 13

Circuits within the brain perform

A) independent behaviors.
B) a single behavior that is functional for the organism.
C) reflexes that can be excitatory or inhibitory.
D) a function that contributes to a behavior.
E) are organized as "centers" that control behaviors.

Question 14

One of the oldest methods used in neuroscience to study brain function is

A) immunocytochemistry.
B) stereotaxic surgery.
C) autoradiography.
D) experimental ablation.
E) twin-study methods.

Question 15

The key advantage of a reversible lesion is that

A) axons of passage are not affected by reversible procedures.
B) each animal can serve as its own control.
C) cell bodies are not affected by reversible procedures.
D) such lesions affect brain tissue near the tip of the lesion device.
E) kainic acid is inexpensive.

Question 16

The surgical instrument used to implant an electrode or cannula into the brain is termed a

A) stereotaxic apparatus.
B) electroencephalogram.
C) cryoloop.
D) macroelectrode.
E) magnetrode.

Question 17

A key advantage of ________ lesions is that they affect only neural cell bodies and do not damage axons passing through the region.

A) hypoxic
B) aspiration
C) 6-hydroxydopamine
D) radio-frequency
E) excitotoxic

Question 18

A lesion technique that is selective for cell bodies involves

A) aspiration of tissue using a pipette.
B) overstimulation of glutamate receptors by kainic acid.
C) the flow of alternating current at the tip of an electrode.
D) the flow of electrical current through an electrode.
E) cutting of brain tissue using a retractable knife.

Question 19

Imagine that feeding behavior was eliminated when a radio-frequency lesion was used to damage the lateral hypothalamus of a rat, which suggested that cells within this region initiate feeding. If a subsequent study failed to observe a change in feeding after injection of kainic acid into the lateral hypothalamus, what conclusion would be appropriate?

A) Glial cells within the lateral hypothalamus are key for the control of eating.
B) The changes in eating noted in the first study are due to fibers that are passing through the lateral hypothalamus.
C) The changes in eating are due to damage to cell bodies within the lateral hypothalamus, and these act to initiate eating.
D) The lateral hypothalamus functions to inhibit eating.
E) The investigator should have chosen a different inhibitory amino acid.

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the experimental ablation technique?

A) The technique is one of the oldest methods used in neuroscience.
B) The term is derived from a word meaning "to overstimulate."
C) The technique involves stimulating brain tissue and then observing behavior.
D) Tissue destroyed in the ablation technique is aspirated from the brain.
E) Magnetic stimulation of the brain is an example of the ablation technique.

Question 21

________ are produced by some white blood cells and act to destroy invading microorganisms in the body.

A) Antibodies
B) Autogens
C) Antigens
D) Receptors
E) Astrocytes

Question 22

Immunocytochemical techniques take advantage of the specific affinity of antibodies for

A) dopamine receptors.
B) glial cell nuclei.
C) cytogens.
D) a peptide or protein molecule.
E) white blood cells.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of the anterograde labeling procedure?

A) A target molecule is injected into the gut.
B) The target molecule is transported from the axon terminals back to the soma and dendrites.
C) The target molecule is taken up by the dendrites of cells in the injection zone and transported through axons.
D) Eventually most the target molecule fills cell bodies.
E) A light microscopy method is used to visualize the cells in a section that contain the target molecules.

Question 24

The RNA, DNA, and associated proteins in cell bodies are collectively referred to as

A) cytoplasm.
B) amino acids.
C) Nissl substance.
D) gangliosides.
E) nucleotides.

Question 25

The ________ instrument is used to slice the brain into thin pieces for later examination.

A) microtome
B) stereotaxic
C) cryocoil
D) microiontophoretic
E) microscopy

Question 26

The ________ technique would be used to trace efferent axons from a brain region.

A) retrograde labeling method
B) staining produced by methylene blue
C) scanning electron microscopy
D) anterograde labeling method
E) computerized tomography

Question 27

Successive pages of a stereotaxic atlas refer to

A) various distances relative to the bottom of the brain.
B) the distance from the top of the skull.
C) various distances relative to bregma.
D) various distances relative to the midline.
E) horizontal sections of the brain.

Question 28

Which of the following structures can be visualized with the light microscope?

A) nucleus
B) synaptic vesicles
C) neurotransmitter receptors
D) microtubules
E) microfilaments

Question 29

Which of the following techniques can reveal the three-dimensional detail of the cells within a brain section?

A) transmission electron microscopy
B) staining produced by methylene blue
C) scanning electron microscopy
D) an anterograde labeling method
E) computational tomography

Question 30

The key use of PHA-L, a lectin made by kidney beans, in neuroscience is to

A) preserve brain tissue.
B) create neuronal lesions.
C) degrade acetylcholine molecules.
D) label neuronal pathways by anterograde transport.
E) create a reversible lesion that can temporarily alter behavior.

Question 31

The most common fixative of nerve tissue is

A) saline.
B) lidocaine.
C) flurogold.
D) kainic acid.
E) formalin.

Question 32

________ refers to a histological procedure in which blood is drained and replaced by another fluid, such as a salt solution.

A) Microdialysis
B) Perfusion
C) Fixation
D) Staining
E) Desanguination

Question 33

A ________ is a thin slice of brain used in histology.

A) cell fragment
B) brain cut
C) section
D) horizontal view
E) tissue segment

Question 34

Formalin is useful in the histology laboratory because it

A) introduces microorganisms that to help decompose the brain after death.
B) halts the enzyme process that breaks down brain tissue after death.
C) quickly removes the blood from the brain.
D) softens the brain tissue.
E) produces a reversible lesion of the brain.

Question 35

Which of the following is true of stereotaxic surgery?

A) A stereotaxic instrument does not require coordinates from a brain atlas.
B) The carrier arm can be manipulated in two dimensions.
C) The head-holder is designed to fix the skull in a rigid position.
D) The stereotaxic instrument is useful for implanting magnetic coils into brain.
E) The surgery can be accomplished by inserting an electrode by hand into the brain.

Question 36

Of the structures in the following list, cresyl violet stains ________ most intensely.

A) dendrites
B) axons
C) synapses
D) cell bodies
E) terminal buttons

Question 37

Which term below means "moving forward"?

A) antigen
B) retrograde
C) antibody
D) anterograde
E) axoplasmic transport

Question 38

The fine details of neuron structure in a brain slice or section are revealed by

A) albumin fixation.
B) stains.
C) immersion in xylene.
D) cyanoacrylate glue.
E) visual examination of raw brain slices using MRI.

Question 39

A recently developed method for tracing efferent axons involves

A) PHA-L.
B) cresyl violet.
C) methylene blue.
D) iodinated glutamate.
E) formalin.

Question 40

Which of the following is true of confocal laser scanning microscopy?

A) This technique is limited to a magnification of X100.
B) The confocal laser scanning microscope uses an electron beam to scan a thin slice of tissue.
C) The procedure can be used to visualize living brain cells.
D) This technique can only be used for tissue subjected to formalin.
E) This technique has less resolution than does light microscopy.

Question 41

The ________ is used to identify a series of interconnected neurons in brain in a retrograde fashion.

A) 6-hydroxydopamine
B) pseudorabies virus
C) methylene blue
D) fluorogold
E) PHA-L

Question 42

A key advantage of the method using pseudorabies virus relative to that of anterograde and retrograde labeling techniques is that

A) the pseudorabies virus technique can be used in living brains.
B) the pseudorabies virus can identify serial connections among two or more neurons.
C) anterograde and retrograde labeling procedures take weeks as opposed to hours to trace connections.
D) the pseudorabies virus technique provides three-dimensional detail of cell anatomy.
E) levels of the virus in an area are an indication of the relative activity of that area. .

Question 43

The ________ technique can be used to visualize differences between white matter and gray matter in a living subject.

A) confocal laser scanning microscopy
B) transneuronal tracing procedure
C) magnetic resonance imaging
D) stereotaxic procedure
E) computerized tomography

Question 44

The ________ technique is used to visualize axon bundles in living human brain.

A) computerized tomography
B) diffusion tensor imaging
C) magnetic resonance imaging
D) confocal scanning microscope
E) PET scan

Question 45

The ________ technique could be used to trace axons that are afferent to the injected region.

A) retrograde labeling
B) electrolytic lesion
C) anterograde labeling
D) microdialysis
E) axoplasmic transport

Question 46

The ________ technique uses a radio frequency wave to excite hydrogen atoms in the brain to create an image of the living human brain.

A) computerized tomography
B) microdialysis
C) magnetic resonance imaging
D) retrograde tracing
E) PET scan

Question 47

What is the source of the electrical potentials recorded from the scalp of a human subject?

A) the natural current found in skin
B) the signals generated by the contraction of muscle fibers that lie under the scalp
C) the summated activity of nerve cell action potentials and postsynaptic potentials
D) the signals generated by the activity of the sweat glands
E) the movements of our eyes

Question 48

The usefulness of pseudorabies virus for histological analyses is

A) for the tracing of serial synaptic connections.
B) for the tracing of afferent fibers.
C) because it is an excitotoxin like kainic acid.
D) for the tracing of efferent fibers.
E) that this virus only affects nerve cells outside the brain and spinal cord.

Question 49

Of these techniques for visualizing the living human brain, the first developed was

A) computerized tomography.
B) diffusion tensor imaging.
C) magnetic resonance imaging.
D) microdialysis.
E) PET scanning.

Question 50

Single-unit recordings

A) represent summated neural activity of many neurons.
B) are made using macroelectrodes placed on the skull surface.
C) indicate that serotonergic neuron activity is nil during REM sleep.
D) suggest that serotonin-containing neurons excite REM sleep.
E) do not require elaborate amplifiers and equipment.

Question 51

The ________ method can be used to identify the neural inputs to a brain region.

A) retrograde labeling
B) electrolytic lesion
C) anterograde labeling
D) microdialysis
E) transdialysis

Question 52

The chemical ________ can be used to trace the paths of afferent axons.

A) 6-hydroxydopamine
B) cresyl violet
C) methylene blue
D) fluorogold
E) PHA-L

Question 53

Which term below means "moving backward"?

A) antigen
B) retrograde
C) antibody
D) anterograde
E) axoplasmic transport

Question 54

Anterograde transneuronal tracing involves the injection of ______ into a brain region and subsequent release from axon terminals onto _______.

A) flurogold; axon terminals
B) PHA-L; axons
C) herpes simplex virus; axons
D) pseudorabies virus; glial cells
E) herpes simplex virus; dendrites

Question 55

The ________ labeling method uses chemicals that are taken up by dendrites and then transported through axons toward terminal buttons.

A) retrograde
B) axoplasmic
C) anterograde
D) heterosynaptic
E) homosynaptic

Question 56

Study of the function of the living human brain in the past was difficult because

A) it is difficult to induce brain damage in humans for the purpose of research.
B) brain damage is uniform from case to case.
C) brain damage is too common.
D) researchers have to wait for the natural death of a brain-damaged human.
E) by the time researchers obtain a brain, it has undergone significant degradation.

Question 57

The term ________ is a common name for a device used to display the changes in voltage recorded from the scalp over time.

A) tricorder
B) autoradiograph
C) polygraph
D) CT scanner
E) XY recorder

Question 58

The ________ is a device used to record and amplify the electrical activity of the brain from the scalp.

A) microdialysis probe
B) macroelectrode
C) polygraph
D) microelectrode
E) micromyograph

Question 59

Imagine that prior research has suggested that neurons from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) project to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to control eating behavior. To confirm this suggestion, your next step might be inject PHA-L into the ________ and confirm its transport to the ________.

A) PVN; vagal neurons that control chewing
B) PFC; vagal neurons that control chewing
C) PFC; PVN
D) vagal neurons that control chewing; PFC
E) PVN; PFC

Question 60

The ________ is a device used to detect the electrical activity of a single nerve cell in the brain.

A) micromyograph
B) macroelectrode
C) electroencephalograph
D) microelectrode
E) microdialysis probe

Question 61

Infusion of low doses of ________will excite neurons.

A) GABA
B) glycine
C) lidocaine
D) glutamate
E) 6-hydroxydopamine

Question 62

Peptides or proteins can be localized in the brain using

A) immunocytochemistry.
B) microiontophoresis.
C) in situ hybridization.
D) high-performance liquid chromatography.
E) microelectrodes.

Question 63

Which of the following is an advantage of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique?

A) fMRI scanners can be built cheaply.
B) Oxygen has a long-half life in brain.
C) The fMRI technique has a moderate degree of inherent danger.
D) The technique is slower than PET but is easier to compute.
E) The fMRI scan has a higher resolution relative to the PET scan.

Question 64

A transmitter such as acetylcholine can be localized in the brain by

A) immunocytochemistry.
B) detecting the enzyme that produces acetylcholine.
C) macroelectrodes.
D) microelectrodes.
E) optogenetic tracing.

Question 65

How did the neurosurgeons detect the fact that clamping off Mrs. F.'s left common carotid artery produced insufficient blood flow to her brain?

A) Her EEG record showed spike wave activity.
B) Her EEG record showed slow wave activity.
C) Her EMG records were greater on the left side of her body relative the right side.
D) Her EEG record showed a flat line.
E) Her heart stopped beating.

Question 66

A key advantage of the microdialysis technique is

A) it can assess brain function on a moment-by-moment basis.
B) the ability to sample transmitter substances in an awake living organism.
C) that it uses radioactive molecules that break down quickly.
D) that it can be easily used in humans.
E) that only very small computers are needed for this technique to monitor brain function.

Question 67

The ________ method uses an antibody linked to a radioactive molecule to bind to a peptide or an enzyme in brain tissue.

A) immunocytochemistry
B) autoradiography
C) immunochemistry
D) microiontophoresis
E) optogenetic

Question 68

The ________ technique uses photographic emulsions to record the activity of discrete neurons in the brain.

A) neuromagnetometer
B) microdialysis
C) electroencephalograph
D) superconducting quantum devices (SQUID)
E) 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography

Question 69

Which of the following methods cannot reveal the metabolic activity of regions of the rat brain?

A) PET scans
B) fMRI scans.
C) 2-DG autoradiography
D) measurement of Fos protein
E) injection of kainic acid

Question 70

The ________ procedure uses magnetic waves to alter brain neural activity.

A) magnetic cytochemistry
B) microiontophoresis
C) endocytotic
D) in situ hybridization
E) transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 71

The primary disadvantage of the positron emission tomography (PET) scan technique relates to

A) the operating cost of the scanner.
B) the long-half life of the radioactive 2-deoxyglucose molecule.
C) the inherent danger posed by the technique.
D) an inability of the technique to assess changes in metabolic activity.
E) the fact that the technique can measure neuron volume, but not activity.

Question 72

A useful attribute of immediate early genes for neuron visualization techniques is that

A) immediate early genes fluoresce when active.
B) these genes quickly reduce their activity level.
C) immediate early genes control glucose utilization.
D) the presence of the gene product in the nucleus is a marker of neuron activation.
E) immediate early gene activation can be detected by CT scans.

Question 73

The ________ technique takes advantage of the requirement of active nerve cells for more fuel to identify areas of neural activity.

A) neuromagnetometer
B) microdialysis
C) electroencephalograph
D) c-Fos
E) 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography

Question 74

The ________ is a device that takes advantage of the tiny magnetic fields that are produced by the electrical activity of the brain to produce a record of neural activity in the awake brain.

A) micromyograph
B) PET scanner
C) electroencephalograph
D) microelectrode
E) neuromagnetometer

Question 75

A key disadvantage of the electrical stimulation technique is that

A) it cannot be used to inactivate neurons.
B) the procedure cannot be used in live animals.
C) behavioral changes are rarely noted after electrical stimulation of the brain.
D) the stimulation does not always duplicate natural neural processes.
E) it is more expensive than is the chemical stimulation technique.

Question 76

The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique measures changes in ________ to image brain metabolic activity.

A) GABA
B) x-ray diffraction
C) blood oxygen level
D) magnetic waves
E) glucose levels

Question 77

The major advantage of chemical stimulation using glutamate infusion is that

A) it activates cell bodies but not axons.
B) it only activates neurons in cortex.
C) it is less complicated to achieve than is electrical stimulation.
D) it activates axons, but not cell bodies.
E) dendrites are inactivated by the technique.

Question 78

The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique is used to

A) record the electrical activity of individual neurons.
B) induce the secretion of neurotransmitters from neurons.
C) record the neural activity of particular brain regions.
D) localize receptors within brain tissue sections.
E) electrically stimulate neurons.

Question 79

Neurons can be activated by

A) infusion of GABA.
B) radiofrequency stimulation.
C) ablation.
D) chemical stimulation.
E) aspiration.

Question 80

A transient ischemic attack involves the

A) temporary loss of neural function brought on by blood clots in the brain.
B) permanent cell death induced by loss of blood flow through the brain.
C) fits of rage associated with temporal lobe epilepsy.
D) alteration of neural function due to a burst blood vessel in the brain.
E) loss of brain function during hypothermia.