NEUROSCIENCE WRITTEN

 

Choose the letter that best answers each of the statements below. (3 points each)

 

1. The neurotransmitters used by the preganglionic and postganglionic neurons of the parasympathetic nervous system are:

A. acetylcholine and norepinephrine

B. epinephrine and norepinephrine

C. norepinephrine and acetylcholine

D. acetylcholine and acetylcholine

E. acetylcholine and glutamate

 

2. Which of the following statements about sleep is TRUE:

A. non-REM sleep is characterized by low frequency, high amplitude brain waves

B. REM sleep is a period of low oxygen consumption

C. during REM sleep, the EEG becomes synchronized

D. most dreaming occurs during the non-REM phase of sleep

E. reticular thalamic neurons exert strong excitatory effects on thalamocortical neurons

 

3. The EEG results most directly from:

A. corticocortical connections

B. presynaptic activity in thalamocortical terminals

C. activity in dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons

D. activity in thalamocortical axons

E. activity in pyramidal cell axons projecting out of cortex

 

4. When you stand up quickly from a squatting position, you experience a drop in blood pressure. Which of the following is NOT involved in reflex activity to increase blood pressure:

A. activity in the intermediolateral cell column

B. the organ vasculosum and subfornical organ

C. the carotid body and aortic sinus

D. the solitary nucleus

E. both B and D

 

5. A lesion that involves the spinal cord at levels S2-S4 would cause which of the following:

A. difficulty controlling heart rate

B. interruption of sympathetic innervation to the urinary bladder

C. interruption of parasympathetic supply to the stomach

D. loss of parasympathetic contraction of the bladder muscle

E. Both B and D

 


6. Horner's syndrome can result from all of the following lesions EXCEPT:

A. thrombosis of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery

B. hemisection of the cervical spinal cord

C. destruction of the ciliary ganglion

D. damage to the carotid plexus

E. destruction of the intermediolateral cell column

 

7. Right about now, the smell of food from the cafeteria would probably make you salivate. Which of the following is NOT involved in mediating this response:

A. amygdala

B. olfactory bulb

C. uncus

D. hypothalamus

E. hippocampus

 

8. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of Kluver-Bucy syndrome:

A. olfactory hallucinations

B. loss of emotional responses

C. docility

D. loss of visual recognition (psychic blindness)

E. hypersexuality

 

9. Which of the following structures is most likely to be damaged in a chronic alcoholic:

            A. hippocampus

            B. mammillary bodies

            C. entorhinal cortex

            D. septal nucleus

            E. amygdala

 

10. Wallerian degeneration includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A. myelin degenerates but schwann cells proliferate

B. phagocytosis of debris in the PNS occurs by macrophages

C. it occurs in both the peripheral and central nervous systems

D. it involves chromatolysis

E. microglia are important in the phagocytosis of debris in the CNS

 

11. Which of the following types of molecules are important in fasciculation of axons:

A. cell adhesion molecules

B. extracellular matrix molecules

C. growth factors

D. collagen

E. none of the above

 

 


For questions 12-15, match the statement below with the correct hypothalamic nucleus in the list.

A. Ventromedial Nucleus

B. Supraoptic Nucleus

C. Posterior Region/Nucleus

D. Arcuate Nucleus

E. Chiasmatic Region/Anterior Nucleus

 

12. Important in heat conservation; causes shivering, vasoconstriction and elevated metabolism.

13. Contains the satiety center. Bilateral damage causes overeating.

14. Important for body cooling; controls sweating, vasodilation, and reduces somatomotor activity.

15. Neurons in this nucleus secrete a substance in response to changes in blood osmolality.

 

 

16. DIRECTIONS:  DRAW the blood supply on top of the diagram below showing the correct positions of all major vessels. Include the two major arterial sources to the CNS and the Circle of Willis. LABEL TEN arteries with their appropriate names. *Draw darkly and clearly.* (10 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


17. From the following list of blood vessels, choose one vessel that fits the description in each of the questions below and place its letter in the space provided. Note that in some cases, alternate answers may be correct, but you only need to supply ONE answer. Specific vessels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. (10 points)

 

A. Internal Carotid                                                                    H. Anterior Inferior Cerebellar

B. Anterior Cerebral                                                                 I. Posterior Inferior Cerebellar

C. Middle Cerebral                                                                  J. Anterior Spinal

D. Posterior Cerebral                                                               K. Posterior Spinal

E. Vertebral                                                                              L. Anterior Choroidal

F. Basilar                                                                                  M. Anterior Communicating

G. Superior Cerebellar                                                              N. Posterior Communicating

 

 

1. ________  A 45-year-old man collapses suddenly and is rushed to the hospital. When he regains consciousness, it is found that his memory is impaired and he cannot remember things for more than 1 or 2 minutes. This is due mostly likely to occlusion bilaterally of:

 

2. ________  This vessel supplies a tract in the caudal medulla that transmits pain and temperature information for the body.

 

3. ________  Occlusion of a branch of this vessel results in blindness in one eye.

 

4. ________  Occlusion of this vessel causes a symmetrical loss of pain and temperature from the nipple area to the umbilicus on both sides of the body.

 

5. ________  A 50 year old woman admitted to the emergency room displays Horner's syndrome on the right side. The gag reflex was absent on the right side and there was loss of pain and temperature sensation on the right face. In addition, there was ataxia and dysmetria of the right arm and leg. Occlusion of which vessel would cause these symptoms.

 

6. ________  A pupil that is dilated and non-reactive to light, inability to turn the eye medially, a contralateral hemiplegia of the body, and contralateral paralysis of the lower face would be caused by occlusion of a branch of this vessel:

 

7. ________  Paralysis of the left side of the tongue and hemiplegia of the right side of the body would result from occlusion of this vessel:

 

8. ________  Paralysis with increased muscle tone and deep tendon reflexes in the left leg, loss of tactile sensation in the left leg, and inability to localize pin prick sensation in the left leg although it can be felt would result from occlusion of a branch of this vessel:

 

9. ________  This vessel supplies the primary auditory cortex.

 

10. ________  Loss of touch, pain, and temperature sensation on the right face, paralysis of the muscles of mastication of the right jaw, inability to elicit the corneal reflex on the right side, and ataxia and dysmetria in the right upper and lower limbs would be caused by occlusion of a branch of this vessel:

 


18. A 29 year-old woman suddenly experienced double vision and weakness of her left upper and lower limbs. Neurological examination showed weakness of her left arm and leg accompanied by increased resistance to passive stretch, increased tendon reflexes, and the Babinski sign in her left foot. In addition, she had loss of tactile sensation and limb position sense on the left side in the leg, trunk, arm, and neck. Pin prick sensation was normal. Both eyes converged when she visually followed a probe as it was brought close to her nose. However, her right eye was deviated medially. When she attempted to gaze to the right, her left eye moved to the right but her right eye did not move.

 

Answer the following questions assuming that the above symptoms are caused by a single lesion in the nervous system. (5 pts)

A. Name the specific level of the CNS (e.g. rostral or caudal medulla, T2 of spinal cord, dorsal part of postcentral gyrus, etc.) that is involved in this case (1.5):                                                                                             

 

B. The lesion is located on which side of the CNS (0.5):                                            

 

C. Draw a cross-sectional diagram (similar to your slides) showing the damaged area and correct level of the nervous system that would produce these symptoms. Indicate on your diagram the POSITION and NAMES of structures (tracts or nuclei) damaged by the lesion. (3)

 

 

 

 


19. An 80-year-old man collapsed suddenly while he was in the shower. He was taken to the hospital and regained consciousness after 2 days. A neurological exam showed paralysis of the right upper limb with hyperactive reflexes and increased muscle tone. The right arm was held in a flexed posture with the elbow and wrist bent. The right corner of his mouth drooped, but he could close and open both eyes equally on each side.  There was loss of tactile sensation on the right upper limb and right side of the face and he could not distinguish the position of his right arm when it was moved passively. Pin prick was felt, but poorly localized in the right limb and right face. He also had a right lower homonymous quadrantanopsia.

 

Answer the following questions assuming that the above symptoms are caused by a single lesion in the nervous system. (5 pts)

A. Name the specific level of the CNS (e.g. rostral or caudal medulla, T2 of spinal cord, dorsal part of postcentral gyrus, etc.) that is involved in this case (1.5):                                                                                             

 

B. The lesion is located on which side of the CNS (0.5):                                            

 

C. Draw a diagram (similar to your slides) showing the damaged area and correct level of the nervous system that would produce these symptoms. Indicate on your diagram the POSITION and NAMES of structures (tracts or nuclei) damaged by the lesion. (3)
1. D

2. A

3. C

4. B

5. D

6. C

7. E

8. A

9. B

10. D

11. A

12. C

13. A

14. E

15. B

 

17.

1. L

2. E

3. A

4. J

5. I

6. D

7. J

8. B

9. C

10. F