Deck 5: Methods and Strategies of Research

Question 1

Stereotaxic apparatuses exist for

A) mice.
B) rats.
C) humans.
D) rats and mice only.
E) mice, rats, and humans (among others).

Answer 1

E

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Researchers use electric current to destroy Brain Area A and conclude that the absence of a certain behavior is due to Brain Area A. However, Brain Area A is not actually involved; instead, a brain area that was passed through was involved in the circuit of interest. How could the researchers control for this erroneous finding?

A) sham lesions
B) conduct the experiment again on another group of animals
C) use a different path to administer the electric current
D) lesion other areas around the site of the previous lesion study
E) use humans instead

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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 5

________ 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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

Killing neurons by overstimulating them is caused by

A) electric current via wire.
B) anesthesia.
C) excitatory amino acids.
D) sucking away brain tissue.
E) radio-frequency current.

Question 10

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 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

________ 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 13

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) comparison of coordinates for rats, primates, and humans.

Question 14

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.

Question 15

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 16

Use of a stereotaxic atlas for surgery

A) provides a ballpark estimation of the location of specific brain areas.
B) provides an exact location of specific brain areas.
C) is rare.
D) is only used for humans, not animals.
E) is only used for animals, not humans.

Question 17

Which of the following chemicals can be used to create a reversible lesion in brain tissue?

A) saline
B) a local anesthetic such as lidocaine
C) glutamate
D) flurogold
E) 6-hydroxydopamine

Question 18

Brain lesions

A) do not include wounds like those suffered in concussions.
B) do not include wounds like those suffered in strokes.
C) cannot be experimentally created.
D) can be experimentally created.
E) only include wounds like those suffered in strokes.

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

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 21

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 22

Which term below means "moving forward"?

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

Question 23

The most common fixative of nerve tissue is

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

Question 24

To determine the location of a lesion after the sacrifice of an animal, brain slices created with a ___________ are stained to visualize the brain areas.

A) microtome
B) stereotaxic apparatus
C) cryocoil
D) cannula
E) oscilloscope

Question 25

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 26

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 27

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 28

Researchers want to find out which brain region precedes brain region C. To discover this, researchers can trace ________ axons using ________ labeling.

A) afferent; retrograde
B) efferent; retrograde
C) afferent; anterograde
D) anterograde; retrograde
E) efferent; anterograde

Question 29

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 the target molecule fills cell bodies.
E) A light microscopy method is used to visualize the cells in a section that contains the target molecules.

Question 30

Formalin is useful in the histology laboratory because it

A) introduces microorganisms that help to 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 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

________ 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 39

Researchers want to find out which brain region comes after brain region C. To discover this, researchers can trace ________ axons using ________ labeling.

A) afferent; retrograde
B) efferent; retrograde
C) afferent; anterograde
D) anterograde; retrograde
E) efferent; anterograde

Question 40

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 41

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 42

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 43

________ 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 44

Which term below means "moving backward"?

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

Question 45

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 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

A scientist wishing to locate small bundles of axons in the human brain would be advised to use the _______ technique.

A) transneuronal tracing
B) PET scan
C) fMRI
D) diffuser tension imaging
E) computerized tomography

Question 48

Which of the following techniques would be used to find the location of fiber bundles in the living human brain?

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

Question 49

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 50

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 51

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 52

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 53

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 54

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 55

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 56

Which scan could be used to find the location of a lesion in a living brain?

A) computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging
B) diffusion tensor imaging
C) confocal laser scanning microscopy
D) electroencephalogram
E) electron microscopy

Question 57

A recently developed method for tracing efferent axons involves

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

Question 58

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 59

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 60

To record the neural activity of a brain region, researchers would use

A) computerized tomography.
B) magnets.
C) microelectodes.
D) cannulas.
E) macroelectrodes.

Question 61

The ________ technique takes advantage of the fact that a particular ________ can open voltage-gated ion channels in neurons.
a. excitotoxicity; GABA
b. phototoxicity; light
c. optogenetic; light
d. TMS; light
e. photostimulation; magnetic waves

Question 62

The experimenter injects 2-DG into an animal and then exposes it to a new food. After the animal has been sacrificed, the brain is sliced and prepared for ____________ to determine what areas of the brain were activated.

A) autoradiography
B) microdialysis
C) functional imaging
D) positron emission tomography
E) immunocytochemistry

Question 63

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 64

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 65

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.

Question 66

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 the chemical stimulation technique.

Question 67

Infusion of low doses of ________will excite neurons.

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

Question 68

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 69

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 70

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 71

Neurons can be activated by

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

Question 72

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 73

Compared to fMRI, magnetoencephalography is beneficial in that it

A) is clearer.
B) is more detailed.
C) has excellent spatial resolution.
D) can record fast-moving events.
E) can record slow-moving events.

Question 74

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 the 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 75

To conduct recordings in a single cell, a researcher would use

A) magnetic resonance imaging.
B) magnets.
C) macroelectrodes.
D) microelectrodes.
E) microdialysis probes.

Question 76

The brain imaging method with the best spatial resolution is

A) CT.
B) PET.
C) MRI.
D) fMRI.
E) electroencephalograph.

Question 77

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 78

Which imaging technique can be used to localize dopamine?

A) fMRI
B) MRI
C) CT
D) PET
E) TMS

Question 79

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 80

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