Neuroscience – The Brain (Quiz 4 Review)

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering brain structures, functions, disorders, neurotransmitters, and key examples from the lecture notes to prepare for Quiz 4.

What basic life functions are controlled by the medulla?

Breathing, swallowing, and blood-circulation—automatic, unconscious processes essential for survival.

Which brain structure is nicknamed the “little brain” and coordinates movement and balance?

The cerebellum.

Why do athletes sometimes "choke" under pressure, according to cerebellar function?

They stop relying on automatic cerebellar ‘muscle memory’ and begin consciously controlling movements like a beginner.

How does alcohol affect the cerebellum?

It depresses cerebellar activity, leading to poor balance and coordination (e.g., field-sobriety walk-and-touch-nose tests).

What role does the thalamus play in sensory processing?

It acts as the relay center, directing nearly all sensory nerves to the appropriate cortical lobes (except smell).

Which sense bypasses the thalamus and where is it processed first?

Smell; it goes directly to the olfactory bulb at the tip of the frontal lobe.

What rare condition involves ‘crossed’ sensory pathways, causing people to taste sounds or see numbers as colors?

Synesthesia.

Which brainstem structure regulates arousal and the sleep–wake cycle?

The reticular formation.

What everyday example illustrates selective attention by the reticular formation (RF)?

The "cocktail-party phenomenon"—hearing your name stand out from background chatter.

List the four survival-related drives controlled by the hypothalamus (the 4 F’s).

Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, and Mating (sex).

Define homeostasis in terms of hypothalamic function.

Maintaining optimal internal conditions (e.g., body temperature, blood pressure) by triggering corrective processes.

What happens if the hypothalamic ‘satiety center’ is damaged?

The individual may not stop eating, leading to obesity and health issues.

Why do crash diets often fail, based on hypothalamic ‘set point’ theory?

The brain interprets dieting as starvation, slowing metabolism to defend a pre-programmed weight range.

Name two stress hormones released when the hypothalamus activates the adrenal glands.

Adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine).

Which limbic structure detects threats and triggers fear?

The amygdala.

How can amygdala overactivity and underactivity manifest differently?

Overactivity relates to anxiety and heightened fear/empathy; underactivity appears in some individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and low fear.

Why might lie-detector tests fail with criminals who have ASPD?

Their underactive amygdala produces little physiological fear response, so measures like heart-rate or sweating change minimally when they lie.

In sex-differences research, which amygdala side is more active in females and what is its focus?

The left amygdala; it interacts more with the internal world (thoughts, emotions) and the hippocampus.

Which hippocampal role is crucial for long-term memory formation?

Storing new information during the day and distributing it to cortical long-term memory during REM sleep.

What neurological event left Clive Wearing with profound anterograde amnesia?

Encephalitis destroyed his hippocampi (and other regions), preventing new long-term memories.

What neurotransmitter is heavily involved in the brain’s pleasure pathways?

Dopamine.

How do addictive drugs manipulate the brain’s reward system?

They directly or indirectly increase dopamine release in pleasure centers.

Describe the famous rat experiment illustrating dopamine’s power.

Rats pressed a lever to self-stimulate dopamine release until exhaustion, ignoring food, pain, or offspring.

What part of the brain is responsible for higher intellectual functions and is heavily folded?

The cerebral cortex of the cerebrum.

Differentiate gray matter from white matter in the cortex.

Gray matter contains cell bodies and unmyelinated neurons; white matter consists of myelinated axons.

What structure connects the two cerebral hemispheres, allowing communication?

The corpus callosum.

Is there evidence that people are strictly ‘right-brained’ or ‘left-brained’?

No; both hemispheres are used equally, and the popular ‘right/left-brained’ personality myth is false.

Which hemisphere is usually larger due to language centers?

The left hemisphere.

Name the four cortical lobes.

Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, and Temporal.

List three executive-function tasks governed by the frontal lobe.

Examples include impulse control, planning/organization, and problem-solving (others: working memory, task shifting, emotional regulation).

What is the role of the primary motor cortex and where is it located?

It issues voluntary movement commands; it is in the frontal lobe.

Damage to Broca’s area causes what type of aphasia?

Non-fluent (expressive) aphasia—difficulty producing clear, fluent speech while comprehension is relatively intact.

Which lobe houses the primary somatosensory cortex?

The parietal lobe.

What determines the amount of cortical area devoted to different body parts in the somatosensory and motor strips?

Sensitivity and usage of the body part, not its physical size.

Where is the primary visual cortex located?

In the occipital lobe.

Which lobe contains the primary auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area?

The temporal lobe.

Describe Wernicke’s aphasia.

Fluent but nonsensical speech accompanied by impaired comprehension of spoken and written language.

Why can’t you tickle yourself, according to cerebellar function?

The cerebellum anticipates self-generated movements, eliminating the element of surprise necessary for a tickle response.

What phenomenon explains waking to your own alarm yet sleeping through other noises?

Selective attention governed by the reticular formation—relevant stimuli (alarm) trigger arousal while irrelevant sounds are ignored.

Name two hormones involved in hunger and satiety that the hypothalamus responds to.

Ghrelin (hunger) and leptin (satiety).

What eating disorder is characterized by restricted intake without concern for body image, often due to sensory issues?

ARFID—Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

Which sex shows a proportionally larger hippocampus and more amygdala connections, possibly influencing memory and emotion?

Females.

What are the ‘sulci’ and ‘gyri’ of the cortex?

Sulci are creases (grooves) and gyri are bulges (ridges) that increase cortical surface area.

Explain why GLP-1 agonist drugs (e.g., Ozempic) aid weight loss.

They act on the hypothalamus to enhance satiety signals and slow digestion, reducing food intake.

What is the last cortical region to fully mature, often into the mid-20s?

The frontal lobe.

How does ADHD relate to frontal-lobe function?

It involves deficits or delayed maturation in executive-function networks of the frontal lobe and their connectivity.

Define ‘sleep inertia’ as regulated by the reticular formation.

The period (≈15 minutes–1.5 hours) between waking and becoming fully alert.

Why is the corpus callosum sometimes cut surgically, and what is the result?

To treat severe epilepsy; post-surgery the hemispheres cannot fully communicate, functioning like two separate brains in one body.

Which lobe initially processes smell and taste, linking them to strong memories?

The frontal lobe, which then routes signals to the limbic system.

Give an evolutionary explanation for the larger male hypothalamic ‘sex-drive’ region.

Males can potentially father many more offspring, so stronger reproductive drive increases genetic success.

How can rumination versus distraction help explain sex differences in coping with stress?

Females tend to ruminate (internal focus), linked to depression risk, while males more often distract or problem-solve externally.

Why are people with psychosis more often victims than perpetrators of crime?

Psychotic individuals are vulnerable due to impaired reality testing, making them easier targets rather than likely offenders.

What do lie detectors measure, and why is fear crucial for their accuracy?

Physiological arousal (heart rate, sweating, breathing); guilt-induced fear increases these metrics, signaling deception.

Which cortical hemisphere primarily handles language production and comprehension in most people?

The left hemisphere.

What is the ‘set point’ theory of body weight?

The hypothalamus maintains a preferred weight range; deviations trigger metabolic changes to return to that range.

Why can experience modify the amount of cortex devoted to a body part?

Neuroplasticity—frequent use or heightened sensitivity (e.g., violinists’ fingers) can expand cortical representation.

How does the amygdala contribute to empathy?

When properly active, it allows a person to feel or understand others’ emotions, enhancing empathetic response.

Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with reward, motivation, and many addictive behaviors?

Dopamine.