Exam 4 - Neurobiology

What is a growth cone? Choose the correct option.

The growing tip of a neurite

What is the role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in anxiety disorders? Choose the correct option.

Activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the stress response.

Which drug did Paul Ehrlich establish could kill Treponema pallidum (the microorganism that causes syphilis and the associated disorder called general paresis of the insane) in the blood without damaging its human host? Choose the correct option.

Arsphenamine

In which of the five "positions" of cell proliferation does the cell replicate its DNA? Choose the correct option.

Second position.

What is the role of agrin in synapse formation at the neuromuscular junction? Choose the correct option.

Binds to a MuSK receptor in the muscle cell membrane.

What is the function of the proteins secreted by cells of the ventral midline of the spinal cord? Choose the correct option.

Attract (netrin) and then repel (slit) growing axons to help them cross the midline.

True or false? The production of excess NMDA receptors boosts learning ability

True

What is OCD? Choose the correct option.

A disorder characterized by compulsions

What problem does the molecular switch hypothesis solve? Choose the correct option.

Provides a mechanism to keep postsynaptic AMPA receptors phosphorylated

True or false? Type II bipolar disorder is characterized by hypomania and marked impairments in judgment or performance, whereas type I bipolar disorder is characterized by manic episodes always occurring with major depression.

False

What is the BCM theory, named for the authors Eli Bienenstock, Leon Cooper, and Paul Munro? Choose the correct option.

Synapses that are active when the postsynaptic cell is only weakly depolarized by other inputs undergo LTD instead of LTP.

What is the effect of lithium on the nervous system? Choose the correct option.

Prevents the normal turnover of phosphatidyl inositol (PIP2) in the neuron

At what synapse does habituation to the gill-withdrawal reflex occur in Aplysia? Choose the correct option.

Synapse joining the sensory neuron and motor neuron

Which term refers to the concept that the rules of synaptic plasticity change depending on the history of synaptic or cellular activity? Choose the correct option.

Metaplasticity

Which is the process by which some experiences, held temporarily by transient modifications of neurons, are selected for permanent storage in long-term memory? Choose the correct option.

Memory Consolidation

Multiple cell types, including neurons and glia, can arise from the same precursor cells. Because of this potential to give rise to many different types of tissue, these precursor cells are also called which of the following? Choose the correct option.

Multipotent stem cells

Which of the following statements describes the disorder called panic attacks? Choose the correct option.

Sudden feelings of intense terror that occur without warning

What is the function of subplate neurons? Choose the correct option.

They attract the appropriate thalamic axons to the different parts of the developing cortex.

True or false? One hypothesis that explains why critical periods end suggests that plasticity increases when cortical activation is constrained.

False

Which of the following is one of the experimental advantages in using the invertebrate nervous system for experimental studies? Choose the correct option.

Simple genetics

What is the role of the hippocampus in the stress response? Choose the correct option.

Suppresses the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus

Which structure in the temporal lobe is affected by ECT? Choose the correct option.

Hippocampus

Which of the following describes the mechanism of action of a tricyclic antidepressant drug? Choose the correct option.

Block the reuptake of both norepinephrine and serotonin by transporters

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is released by the anterior pituitary gland when what neurochemical is released by parvocellular neurosecretory neurons of the hypothalamus? Choose the correct option.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)

What characterizes agoraphobia? Choose the correct option

Anxiety about the difficulty of escaping a situation

Which of the following is a class of drugs commonly used in the treatment of acute anxiety? Choose the correct option.

Benzodiazepines

What is positive reinforcement of behavior? Choose the correct option.

An increase in the probability of a type of behavior when it satisfies a craving

General paresis of the insane afflicted 10-15% of institutionalized psychiatric patients at the turn of the twentieth century. Which of the following is a symptom of this disorder? Choose the correct option.

Cognitive deterioration

Which of the following is a typical symptom associated with mania? Choose the correct option.

Decreased need for sleep

What is the role of the central nucleus of the amygdala in the stress response? Choose the correct option.

Activates hypothalamic stimulation of the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system

Activates periaqueductal gray matter to produce avoidance behavior

Activates the diffuse modulatory systems of the brain to increase vigilance

Which are two major classes of anxiolytic drugs? Choose the correct option.

Benzodiazepines and serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors

Which is the most common disorder that typically accompanies panic disorder? Choose the correct option.

Major depression

True or false? Mood is closely tied to the levels of released "monoamine" neurotransmitters—norepinephrine and serotonin—in the brain. According to the monoamine hypothesis of mood disorders, depression is a consequence of overexpression in one of these diffuse modulatory systems.

False

What are the side effects of reserpine, a drug that was introduced to control high blood pressure? Choose the correct option.

Severe depression

Which of the following describes schizophrenia? Choose the correct option.

Loss of contact with reality and disruption of thought

Which of the following are adverse effects of PCP intoxication? Choose the correct option.

Hallucinations, paranoia, and other symptoms of schizophrenia

Which of following are the common symptoms of OCD? Choose the correct option.

Recurrent, intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses perceived as inappropriate, grotesque, or forbidden.

What is the most common psychiatric disorder? Choose the correct option.

Anxiety disorders

Which of the hypothalamic neurons are activated during the humoral stress response? Choose the correct option.

Neurons containing the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)

How would a behaviorist treat maladaptive behavior disorders? Choose the correct option.

Reinforcing new behaviors

True or false? A natural example of synaptic competition is provided by the loss of binocular receptive fields and stereoscopic depth perception as a consequence of strabismus, a condition in which the eyes are not perfectly aligned.

True

What happens to developing cortical connections in a tissue culture when NMDA receptors are blocked with an antagonist? Choose the correct option.

Electrically active synapses are prevented from gaining AMPA receptors over the course of development.

Which of the following is a valid hypothesis for why a critical period ends? Choose the correct option.

Plasticity diminishes when axon growth ceases.

Which of the following describes the subplate layer? Choose the correct option.

Transient layer below the cortical plate that contains the first neural precursor cells to migrate from the ventricular zone

What were the animal species used by David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel for their experiments in an activity-dependent synaptic rearrangement? Why did they select these animals? Choose the correct option.

Cats and macaque monkeys, because they have good binocular vision.

Which of the following statements explains why neurons that fire together wire together? Choose the correct option.

A synapse formed by a presynaptic axon is strengthened when the presynaptic axon is active at the same time that the postsynaptic neuron is strongly activated by other inputs.

Which of the following represents the mechanism for sensitization of the gill gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia?

A decrease in K+ conductance after sensitization prolongs the action potential.

Which of the following is a requirement for long-term memory?

Synthesis of new protein

Autophosphorylation is a mechanism to keep synaptic proteins involved in memory "on" for a prolonged period.

True

The rise in [Ca²+]i during LTP induction activates two protein kinases. These are _____________ and __________.

Protein kinase C, calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

What is the main input to the hippocampus? Choose the correct option. A) Entorhinal cortex B) Fornix C) Schaffer collateral D) Ammon's horn

Entorhinal Cortex

What are the key properties of LTP at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapse?

LTP is input-specific, can be induced rapidly by high-frequency stimulation (tetanus), and is long-lasting, persisting for weeks or even a lifetime.

What receptors mediate excitatory transmission in LTP?

Excitatory transmission is mediated by AMPA receptors.

LTP and LTD in CA1 of the hippocampus may reflect the bidirectional regulation of which two processes?

Phosphorylation and the number of postsynaptic AMPA receptors.

How does lithium work in bipolar disorder?

Lithium works by preventing the breakdown of certain molecules within the lipid bilayer, mitigating the euphoria associated with bipolar disorder.

What are anxiolytic drugs, and name a few?

Anxiolytic drugs are a class of drugs used to relieve anxiety and reduce feelings of nervousness, worry, and fear. They include lithium, MAOIs, SSRIs, and NSRIs (norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors).

What is the role of the amygdala in stress response?

The amygdala exacerbates the stress response.