Exam 1 PSYCH 3513

Chapter 1: Intro and History

🔹 Q: What is localization in neuroscience?
🔹 A: The idea that different brain areas have specialized functions.

🔹 Q: What is equipotentiality?
🔹 A: The idea that the brain functions as a whole, and any part can perform any function.

🔹 Q: What is phrenology?
🔹 A: The outdated theory that skull bumps indicate mental traits.

🔹 Q: What is dualism?
🔹 A: The belief that the mind and body are separate entities (Descartes).

🔹 Q: What is empiricism?
🔹 A: The idea that knowledge comes from experience and observation.

🔹 Q: What is the neuron doctrine?
🔹 A: The theory that neurons are individual units that communicate via synapses.

🔹 Q: What did Fritsch & Hitzig discover?
🔹 A: That stimulating different parts of the motor cortex causes movement.

Chapter 2: The Nervous System

🔹 Q: What is the function of the ventricles?
🔹 A: They contain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that cushions and nourishes the brain.

🔹 Q: Why is the cortex folded?
🔹 A: To increase surface area for more neurons and efficient processing.

🔹 Q: What are the four lobes of the brain and their functions?
🔹 A:

• Frontal: Thinking, planning, movement.

• Parietal: Touch, spatial awareness.

• Occipital: Vision.

• Temporal: Hearing, memory.

🔹 Q: What is the difference between gray and white matter?
🔹 A:

• Gray matter: Contains neurons and synapses.

• White matter: Contains myelinated axons for communication.

🔹 Q: What are the major brain slice orientations?
🔹 A:

• Transverse (Axial): Top-down view.

• Sagittal: Side view.

• Coronal: Front view.

🔹 Q: What are the major brain viewpoints?
🔹 A: Lateral (side), medial (inner view), dorsal (top), ventral (bottom).

🔹 Q: What are the types of glial cells and their functions?
🔹 A:

• Astrocytes: Support and nourish neurons.

• Oligodendrocytes: Create myelin in the CNS.

• Schwann cells: Create myelin in the PNS.

• Microglia: Immune defense.

🔹 Q: What ions are involved in neuronal signaling?
🔹 A: Sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-), calcium (Ca2+).

🔹 Q: What is the function of the cerebellum?
🔹 A: Coordination, balance, fine motor control.

🔹 Q: What is the limbic system responsible for?
🔹 A: Emotion and memory. Includes the amygdala and hippocampus.

🔹 Q: Why is redundancy in brain arteries important?
🔹 A: It ensures continuous blood flow in case of blockage (e.g., stroke prevention).

Chapter 3: Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience

🔹 Q: What is spatial resolution?
🔹 A: The ability to see where brain activity occurs.

🔹 Q: What is temporal resolution?
🔹 A: The ability to see when brain activity occurs.

🔹 Q: What is cognitive psychology?
🔹 A: The study of mental processes like memory, attention, and perception.

🔹 Q: What is neuropsychology?
🔹 A: Studying brain function by examining brain injuries.

🔹 Q: What are the pros and cons of fMRI?
🔹 A:
✅ High spatial resolution.
❌ Low temporal resolution (slow).

🔹 Q: What are the pros and cons of EEG?
🔹 A:
✅ High temporal resolution.
❌ Poor spatial resolution.

🔹 Q: What is the BOLD signal in fMRI?
🔹 A: Blood Oxygen Level Dependent signal, indicating neural activity.

🔹 Q: What is the difference between single and double dissociations?
🔹 A:

• Single dissociation: One function is impaired, but another is not.

• Double dissociation: Two independent functions are affected differently.

🔹 Q: What is TMS?
🔹 A: A technique that temporarily disrupts brain function using magnetic pulses.

Chapter 5: Sensation & Perception

🔹 Q: What is retinotopic mapping?
🔹 A: The way the visual field is represented in the brain.

🔹 Q: What are receptive fields?
🔹 A: The area of the visual field that a neuron responds to.

🔹 Q: What are the functions of V1, V4, and V5?
🔹 A:

• V1: Primary visual cortex, detects edges.

• V4: Color processing.

• V5 (MT): Motion detection.

🔹 Q: Which sense does NOT pass through the thalamus first?
🔹 A: Olfaction (smell).

🔹 Q: What are tonotopic and retinotopic maps?
🔹 A:

• Tonotopic map: Auditory system organizes sound frequencies.

• Retinotopic map: Visual system organizes spatial information.

🔹 Q: What is the role of interaural timing and intensity?
🔹 A: Help localize sound.

🔹 Q: What is cortical plasticity?
🔹 A: The brain’s ability to reorganize itself after injury.

🔹 Q: What is synesthesia?
🔹 A: A condition where stimulation of one sense leads to experiences in another (e.g., seeing colors when hearing music).

🔹 Q: What is phantom limb syndrome?
🔹 A: Feeling sensations in a missing limb; treated with mirror therapy.

🔹 Q: How is taste transmitted to the brain?
🔹 A: Taste buds → brainstem → thalamus → gustatory cortex.

🔹 Q: Why is studying olfactory sensation in fMRI difficult?
🔹 A: Breathing motion interferes with imaging.

🔹 Q: What are the sensory receptors in the skin?
🔹 A:

• Mechanoreceptors (touch, pressure).

• Thermoreceptors (temperature).

• Nociceptors (pain).

🔹 Q: How many types of olfactory receptors exist?
🔹 A: Hundreds, each responding to different odor molecules.