Question 1

Which of the following appears to be a major cause of autism?

Accepted Answer

A)  A decreased brain volume 
B)  Underconnectivity of major intra- and interhemispheric regions of the brain 
C)  An increase in the thickness of myelin in the corpus callosum 
D)  None of the above is correct

Question 2

Cortical hypoarousal accounts for

Accepted Answer

A)  forgetfulness. 
B)  excessive fidgeting. 
C)  poor attentiveness and concentration. 
D)  Both a and c are correct

Question 3

Autistic spectrum disorders commonly co-occur with symptoms of all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  hallucinations. 
B)  seizures. 
C)  anxiety. 
D)  hyperactivity.

Question 4

Quantitative EEG studies of children affected by ADHD reveals

Accepted Answer

A)  hyperarousal of the cortex. 
B)  hyperarousal of the motor systems. 
C)  hypoarousal of most cortical areas. 
D)  Both b and c are correct

Question 5

Evidence supporting the dopamine-deficit theory of ADHD includes finding

Accepted Answer

A)  an increased expression of dopamine transporters in the caudate nucleus. 
B)  fewer dopamine transporters in the frontal cortex. 
C)  decreased dopamine inhibitory control over arousal systems. 
D)  depressed dopamine activity in the thalamic reticular nucleus.

Question 6

The most widely used assessment scale for measuring treatment outcomes for ADHD is the

Accepted Answer

A)  ADHD Rating Scale. 
B)  Brown ADHD Scales. 
C)  Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Rating Scale. 
D)  Connor's Global Index.

Question 7

The underlying pathology of ADHD involves

Accepted Answer

A)  cortical hypoarousal. 
B)  reticular activating system abnormalities. 
C)  depressed dopamine activity in the frontal cortices. 
D)  All of the above are correct

Question 8

In individuals with ADHD, the thalamic reticular nucleus

Accepted Answer

A)  inhibits sensory information from activating the sensory cortex. 
B)  is disinhibited. 
C)  routes sensory information to the wrong sensory cortex. 
D)  is not regulated by dopamine.

Question 9

NE pathways originate in the ________ and project along the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  locus coeruleus; reticular activating system 
B)  raphe nucleus; reticular activating system 
C)  locus coeruleus; cortical pathway 
D)  reticular activating system; thalamus

Question 10

A child inflicted with Asperger's disorder has essentially the same symptoms as an autistic child EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  restricted repetitive patterns of behavior. 
B)  impairments in speech development. 
C)  impairment in social interaction. 
D)  Both b and c are correct

Question 11

Compared to normal control subjects, autistics demonstrate ________ activity in the ________ gyrus during sentence comprehension tasks.

Accepted Answer

A)  depressed; superior temporal 
B)  increased; superior temporal 
C)  less; inferior frontal 
D)  Both b and c are correct

Question 12

The ________ genu and ________ splenium are significantly smaller in people with autism.

Accepted Answer

A)  anterior; anterior 
B)  posterior; posterior 
C)  anterior; posterior 
D)  posterior; anterior

Question 13

There is a strong correlation between the size of the ________ and ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  genu; functional interconnectivity in the brain 
B)  splenium; the severity of ADHD 
C)  genu; the number of axons it contains 
D)  splenium; how well autistics respond to drug treatment

Question 14

Amphetamines increase the availability of DA by

Accepted Answer

A)  increasing the release of NE and DA from synaptic vesicles. 
B)  blocking the reuptake transporter of NE. 
C)  causing the transporters for DA to act in reverse. 
D)  All of the above are correct

Question 15

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding ADHD?

Accepted Answer

A)  A diagnosis of ADHD usually occurs in late childhood. 
B)  In many cases, ADHD symptoms dissipate by early adulthood. 
C)  Approximately 8 percent of children under the age of ten are diagnosed with ADHD at any given time. 
D)  Childhood ADHD frequently occurs with other behavioral disorders.

Exam 6: Attention and Developmental Disorders: Attention-Deficithyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder