Neuropsychology

Question 1

During a working memory task, some brain regions showed increased activity other brain regions showed decreased activity, and other brain regions showed no change in activity, when compared to a control condition. This pattern of results suggested that
Select one:
a. the regions showing no change in activity showed areas of the default mode network
b. the increased regions of activity showed areas of the default mode network
c. the decreased regions of activity showed areas of the default mode network
d. the working memory task was not different to the control condition

Answer 1

c. the decreased regions of activity showed areas of the default mode network

Question 2

The central nervous system consists of the _____ and the _____.
Select one:
a. brain; spinal cord
b. sympathetic nervous system; parasympathetic nervous system
c. left cerebral hemisphere; right cerebral hemisphere
d. brain; peripheral nervous system

Answer 2

a. brain; spinal cord

Question 3

Which statement is correct?
Select one:
a. the structure of an adult neuron is fixed
b. all brain cells are covered in myelin
c. neurons and glia are two types of brain cell
d. neurons are scattered evenly throughout the brain

Answer 3

c. neurons and glia are two types of brain cell

Question 4

The scientific word for the brains “seahorse” is

Select one:

a. pons
b. hippocampus
c. hypothalamus
d. amygdala

Answer 4

b. hippocampus

Question 5

There is controversy over the effects of the drug, ecstasy, but consistent evidence that it produces a marked loss or dysfunction in
Select one:
a. cholinergic terminals
b. serotonin terminals
c. the size of your mammillary bodies
d. neurogenesis

Answer 5

b. serotonin terminals

Question 6

When several rats are housed together in an enriched environment in which many junk objects in the cage are replaced frequently, this procedure
Select one:
a. increases dendritic complexity of neurons in the forebrain
b. encourages recovery of function after brain injury
c. increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis
d. all listed here are correct

Answer 6

d. all listed here are correct

Question 7

Which statement is NOT true
Select one:
a. depression can decrease hippocampal neurogenesis
b. cognitively demanding activities can reduce the risk of dementia in older people
c. alcohol can increase the volume of the mammillary bodies
d. alcohol can cause agenesis of the corpus callosum

Answer 7

c. alcohol can increase the volume of the mammillary bodies

Question 8

Dr. Tracy Melzer and collaborators from the universities of Canterbury and Otago found that white matter pathways in the brain showed degeneration in some patients who had been diagnosed with the motor disorder, Parkinson’s disease. This evidence is consistent with the idea that

Select one:

a. All listed here are correct
b. damage beyond the substantia nigra exists, which shows that motor deficits depend on these white matter pathways
c. cognitive deficits are found in Parkinson’s disease, which are associated with degeneration of the white matter pathways in the brain
d. white matter injury causes Parkinson’s disease

Answer 8

c. cognitive deficits are found in Parkinson’s disease, which are associated with degeneration of the white matter pathways in the brain

Question 9

Which statements are true?
Select one:
a. neuroplasticity is restricted to the brain of young children and young adults
b. hemineglect patients are poor at spatial tasks
c. the substantia nigra is part of the limbic system
d. the default mode network is activated when we focus on the world to our left

Answer 9

b. hemineglect patients are poor at spatial tasks

Question 10

Which statement is true about neurogenesis?
Select one:
a. Neurogenesis is the process of destroying new neurons.
b. Neurogenesis ends during infancy.
c. Neurogenesis is the process of creating new neurons.
d. Neurogenesis ends during early adulthood.

Answer 10

c. Neurogenesis is the process of creating new neurons.

Question 11

Which is the scientific term for the brain region that includes the thalamus?
Select one:
a. myelencephalon
b. diencephalon
c. telencephalon
d. mesencephalon

Answer 11

b. diencephalon

Question 12

Which are the scientific terms for the two main regions or parts of the forebrain?
Select one:
a. telencephalon and mesencephalon
b. prosencephalon and diencephalon
c. metencephalon and myelencephalon
d. telencephalon and diencephalon

Answer 12

d. telencephalon and diencephalon

Question 13

Which structures are found in the telencephalon?
Select one:
a. basal ganglia and hypothalamus
b. basal ganglia and limbic system
c. limbic system and cerebellum
d. cerebellum and basal ganglia

Answer 13

b. basal ganglia and limbic system

Question 14

In multiple sclerosis, people who have had more and better educational achievements tend to function better than other patients with poorer educational achievements. This suggests that
Select one:
a. cognitive stimulation after diagnosis will reduce the number of lesions
b. people who are well-educated are more likely to get multiple sclerosis.
c. people who are well-educated are less likely to get multiple sclerosis
d. cognitive stimulation early in life associates with resilience to brain injury

Answer 14

d. cognitive stimulation early in life associates with resilience to brain injury

Question 15

In humans, the brain structure that takes up the greatest percentage of total volume is the:
Select one:
a. limbic system.
b. brainstem.
c. cerebral cortex.
d. cerebellum.

Answer 15

c. cerebral cortex.

Question 16

After birth, the human brain:
Select one:
a. can generate new neurons only in the brainstem.
b. generates new glial cells but is unable to produce new neurons.
c. generates new neurons, especially in areas key to learning and memory.

Answer 16

c. generates new neurons, especially in areas key to learning and memory.

Question 17

During the 1960s, experiments were conducted in which rats were housed in either enriched or deprived environments. Results showed that:
Select one:
a. both groups developed significantly larger synapses and thicker cerebral cortexes.
b. after weeks in the two environments, the brains of the groups showed few differences.
c. the brains of the enriched group had thicker cerebral cortexes, larger cortical neurons, and thicker, more developed synapses than did those of the deprived group.
d. the rats in the deprived group were far more sociable than those in the enriched group because they had fewer objects to explore, thereby putting more emphasis on socializing rather than exploring.

Answer 17

c. the brains of the enriched group had thicker cerebral cortexes, larger cortical neurons, and thicker, more developed synapses than did those of the deprived group.

Question 18

Who is more likely to experience growth of the hippocampus?
Select one:
a. a London taxi driver
b. a London mathematician
c. a London politician
d. a London teacher

Answer 18

a. a London taxi driver

Question 19

Which scientist theorized that some synapses in the brain have the property of growing stronger whenever the postsynaptic neuron fires immediately after the presynaptic neuron fires?
Select one:
a. Alois Alzheimer
b. Donald Hebb
c. Ivan Pavlov
d. Albert Einstein

Answer 19

b. Donald Hebb

Question 20

A study of London taxi drivers described in the text suggests that extensive spatial learning can increase the size of the \_\_\_\_\_ in humans.
Select one:
a. pituitary
b. hippocampus
c. amygdala
d. cerebellum

Answer 20

b. hippocampus

Question 21

The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are more to do with action and motor aspects of behaviour.
Select one:
a. temporal lobes
b. frontal lobes
c. occipital lobes
d. parietal lobes

Answer 21

b. frontal lobes

Question 22

Brain damage that includes the orbitofrontal cortex is most likely to give rise to:
Select one:
a. impulsiveness and disinhibition
b. amnesia and poor emotional control
c. inflexibility and poor planning
d. apathy and poor motivation

Answer 22

a. impulsiveness and disinhibition

Question 23

The terms occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal are:
Select one:
a. functional areas of the cerebral cortex.
b. lobes of the cerebral cortex.
c. processes controlled by the cerebral cortex.
d. subcortical structures.

Answer 23

b. lobes of the cerebral cortex.

Question 24

The cerebral cortex is divided into left and right hemispheres, each with four visible lobes. What is NOT considered one of the four lobes?
Select one:
a. the temporal lobe
b. the occipital lobe
c. the sensory lobe
d. the parietal lobe

Answer 24

c. the sensory lobe

Question 25

Juanita was hit in the back of the head with a hockey stick. Which lobe of the brain was most likely to have been damaged?
Select one:
a. frontal
b. occipital
c. temporal
d. parietal

Answer 25

b. occipital

Question 26

Renee has a life-threatening case of epilepsy that is not responding to normal treatment. Doctors have decided to sever the massive bundles of axons that connect the left and right hemispheres of her brain. What structure of Renee's brain will be severed?
Select one:
a. fissure
b. hippocampus
c. midbrain
d. corpus callosum

Answer 26

d. corpus callosum

Question 27

Which structure in the brain, comprised of a massive bundle of axons, connects the left and right hemispheres together?
Select one:
a. corpus callosum
b. hippocampus
c. cerebellum
d. occipital lobe

Answer 27

a. corpus callosum

Question 28

People whose corpus callosum has been severed to treat epilepsy:
Select one:
a. no longer have direct neural communication between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
b. no longer have the ability to carry on a conversation.
c. no longer have the ability to engage in tasks requiring physical coordination.
d. suffer a considerable loss in measured IQ.

Answer 28

a. no longer have direct neural communication between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Question 29

In a split-brain study, if a picture of a key is briefly shown in the patient’s right visual field, the patient will typically:
Select one:
a. be able to identify and describe the key as well as anyone else.
b. insist that the object pictured was only half a key.
c. acknowledge seeing the object but name it incorrectly.
d. deny seeing anything but would select the key from a group of objects with the right hand.

Answer 29

a. be able to identify and describe the key as well as anyone else.

Question 30

Researchers found that split-brain patients generally solved spatial puzzles and drew geometric diagrams better with the \_\_\_\_\_ hand, indicating the \_\_\_\_\_ hemisphere's superiority in spatial tasks.
Select one:
a. right; left
b. left; right
c. left; left
d. right; right

Answer 30

b. left; right

Question 31

In split-brain studies, when a picture of a common object was flashed to the _____, the patient typically would be unable to _____, but would be able to _____.
Select one:
a. left visual field; identify it by touch; name it
b. right visual field; describe it; name it
c. left visual field; identify it verbally; identify it by touch with the left hand
d. right visual field; identify it verbally; identify it by touch with the left hand

Answer 31

c. left visual field; identify it verbally; identify it by touch with the left hand

Question 32

Carl’s corpus callosum has been surgically severed to control his severe epilepsy. When a word describing an object is flashed briefly onto Carl’s left visual field, he is _____, ______ to vocally describe it.
Select one:
a. unable to identify the object with his left hand, but is able
b. able to identify the object with his left hand, but is unable
c. unable to identify the object with his right hand, but is able
d. able to identify the object with his right hand, but is unable

Answer 32

b. able to identify the object with his left hand, but is unable

Question 33

Alex has trouble speaking and understanding language in general due to a recent brain injury. He most likely has:
Select one:
a. a split-brain.
b. aphasia.
c. a concussion.
d. paralysis.

Answer 33

b. aphasia.

Question 34

Research has shown that when so-called “split-brain patients” have a picture of an object flashed in their _____ visual field, they are unable to _____ what they have been shown.

Select one:

a. right; verbally describe
b. right; see
c. left; see
d. left; verbally describe

Answer 34

d. left; verbally describe

Question 35

Damage anywhere within large portions of the left hemisphere is most likely to disrupt:
Select one:
a. Clock-drawing.
b. memory.
c. coordination.
d. language.

Answer 35

d. language.

Question 36

Individuals who suffer from Broca's aphasia have speech that retains its \_\_\_\_\_ but loses its \_\_\_\_\_.
Select one:
a. grammatical structure; meaning
b. meaning; grammatical structure
c. meaning; articulation
d. grammatical structure; articulation

Answer 36

b. meaning; grammatical structure

Question 37

After suffering brain damage, Taliah has difficulty understanding the meaning of words and finding the appropriate words to express the meanings she wants to convey. In trying to come up with the meaning of words, she uses heavy amounts of pronouns and nonsensical words as substitutes. Taliah is most likely experiencing which brain-damage-facilitated language disorder?
Select one:
a. long-term potentiation
b. split-brain syndrome
c. Broca's aphasia
d. Wernicke's aphasia

Answer 37

d. Wernicke’s aphasia

Question 38

After suffering brain damage, Ajo’s speech has become laboured and telegraphic. He speaks in sentences like “Buy bread store.” He also has difficulties understanding language, and is confused by grammatically complex sentences. Which brain-damage-facilitated language disorder does Ajo MOST likely have?

Select one:

a. Wernicke’s aphasia
b. Broca’s aphasia
c. split-brain syndrome
d. long-term potentiation

Answer 38

b. Broca’s aphasia

Question 39

A person who says “Want glass water” to express the desire for a drink is most likely to have

Select one:

a. Wernicke’s aphasia.
b. damage to the hippocampus.
c. split-brain syndrome.
d. Broca’s aphasia.

Answer 39

d. Broca’s aphasia.

Question 40

An individual with specific damage to Broca’s area is most likely to:
Select one:
a. have difficulty comprehending grammatically complex sentences.
b. produce what seems like fast telegraphic speech.
c. produce laboured and telegraphic speech and have difficulty comprehending grammatically complex sentences.
d. Have damage to the visual cortex

Answer 40

c. produce laboured and telegraphic speech and have difficulty comprehending grammatically complex sentences.

Question 41

Speech that is superficially fluent, filled with articles, prepositions, and nonsense words, but deficient in content words is characteristic of:
Select one:
a. Broca’s aphasia.
b. Wernicke’s aphasia.
c. nonfluent aphasia and Broca’s aphasia.
d. nonfluent aphasia.

Answer 41

b. Wernicke’s aphasia.

Question 42

As a result of brain injury, Wayne has lost much of his ability to speak. He talks in short, laboured sentences such as, “Go . . . store.” He is able to comprehend most of what is said to him, but not grammatically complex sentences. This type of disorder would be diagnosed as:

Select one:

a. split-brain syndrome.
b. Wernicke’s aphasia.
c. Broca’s aphasia.
d. temporal lobe amnesia.

Answer 42

c. Broca’s aphasia.

Question 43

People with \_\_\_\_\_ aphasia, also known as fluent aphasia, have difficulty understanding language and produce sentences full of nonsense words.
Select one:
a. Broca's
b. Gazzaniga's
c. Hebb's
d. Wernicke's

Answer 43

d. Wernicke’s

Question 44

Given what is known about the use of PET (positron emission tomography) in language research, what would an individual expect to see in fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) studies of appropriate verb generation (e.g., in response to viewing the word hammer, the subject might say pound or hit)?
Select one:
a. low fMRI activity in the frontal lobes encompassing Broca’s area, as well as high fMRI activity in the temporal lobe encompassing Wernicke’s area
b. high fMRI activity in the frontal lobes encompassing Broca’s area, as well as high fMRI activity in a portion of the temporal lobe just to the rear of Wernicke’s area
c. low fMRI activity in the frontal lobes encompassing Broca’s area, as well as low fMRI activity in a portion of the temporal lobe just to the rear of Wernicke’s area
d. high fMRI activity in the frontal lobes encompassing Broca’s area, as well as high fMRI activity in the temporal lobe encompassing Wernicke’s area

Answer 44

b. high fMRI activity in the frontal lobes encompassing Broca’s area, as well as high fMRI activity in a portion of the temporal lobe just to the rear of Wernicke’s area

Question 45

Which structure, located in the middle of the brain, is often described as being the relay station and has connections with nearly all the other parts of the brain?
Select one:
a. thalamus
b. cerebellum
c. hypothalamus
d. limbic system

Answer 45

a. thalamus

Question 46

Identify the structure that is not part of the limbic system
Select one:
a. caudate nucleus
b. mammillary bodies
c. hippocampus
d. cingulate cortex

Answer 46

a. caudate nucleus

Question 47

An MRI revealed damaged mammillary bodies but relatively intact cortical regions in a middle-aged woman. The person is most likely to be experiencing
Select one:
a. Parkinson's disease
b. Alzheimer's disease
c. Korsakoff's syndrome
d. schizophrenia

Answer 47

c. Korsakoff’s syndrome

Question 48

The main difference between amnesia and dementia is
Select one:
a. dementia always affects more than memory
b. amnesia always affects IQ
c. amnesia always affects childhood memories
d. dementia always affects the limbic system

Answer 48

a. dementia always affects more than memory

Question 49

The limbic system is believed to play a major role in
Select one:
a. problem solving and executive function
b. vision and language
c. motor and sensory function
d. memory and emotion

Answer 49

d. memory and emotion

Question 50

What causes the primary motor impairments in Parkinson’s disease?

Select one:

a. degeneration of the amygdala
b. degeneration of the cerebellum
c. degeneration in the cerebellum, the amygdala and the substantia nigra
d. degeneration of the substantia nigra

Answer 50

d. degeneration of the substantia nigra

Question 51

The structure in the limbic system that plays the most important role in the acquisition of everyday memories is:
Select one:
a. hippocampus.
b. amygdala.
c. hypothalamus.
d. midbrain.

Answer 51

a. hippocampus.

Question 52

Which statement is FALSE regarding the human brain?
Select one:
a. The brain is much smaller than expected in proportion to human body size.
b. The most prominent feature of the brain is its size.
c. The brain changes over the course of development and in response to learning.
d. The brain is the eventual source for behavior and cognition

Answer 52

a. The brain is much smaller than expected in proportion to human body size.

Question 53

Human brains dedicate a large amount of volume to the associative areas of the brain relative to the \_\_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_\_ areas.
Select one:
a. sensory; motor
b. temporal; parietal
c. prefrontal; occipital
d. Broca's; Wernicke's

Answer 53

a. sensory; motor

Question 54

Patients with the Korsakoff’s syndrome or with medial temporal lobe amnesia have similar core deficits because

Select one:

a. they have damage to parts of the limbic system responsible for memory.
b. they have damage to parts of the cerebellum responsible for memory.
c. they have damage to parts of diencephalon responsible for memory.
d. they both suffered acute injury to the brain

Answer 54

a. they have damage to parts of the limbic system responsible for memory.