Deck 2: Neuroscience Approaches to Understanding Psychopathology

Question 1

Which statement is FALSE regarding spike trains?

A) The neurons connected to sensory systems all produce similar action potentials to external stimuli.
B) Spike trains are only found in specific regions of the brain.
C) The rate of spiking increases as the stimulus becomes larger.
D) If a given stimulus is continued for a long period of time, the spiking will decrease.

Answer 1

Spike trains are only found in specific regions of the brain.

Question 2

Most medications used for the treatment of mental illness influence the neurotransmitters in the ______.

A) synapse
B) action potential
C) dendrite
D) myelin sheath

Answer 2

synapse

Question 3

The chapter begins by introducing the case of David, a person with Capgras syndrome. The fact that David did not show any changes in electrodermal activity (EDA) when viewing pictures of people close to him suggests that

A) there was significant damage to his frontal lobe
B) there was a disconnect between his visual face perception areas and the emotional centers of the brain
C) he was likely a sociopath
D) he had a dissociative disorder

Answer 3

there was a disconnect between his visual face perception areas and the emotional centers of the brain

Question 4

A synapse is a ______.

A) signal
B) chemical
C) gap
D) joint

Question 5

Brain imaging techniques make it possible to

A) determine how people with mental disorders perform cognitive and emotional tasks differently from those with no disorder
B) diagnose a mental disorder that a person may have
C) determine which mental disorder a person may have
D) determine which treatment plan is best for an individual with a mental disorder

Question 6

Cocaine inhibits dopamine from being reclaimed by the neuron that sent it into the synapse. Cocaine therefore increases the amount of dopamine present in the synapse by inhibiting a process called ______.

A) restoration
B) reuptake
C) recycling
D) reuse

Question 7

In a chemical synapse, the ______ secretes neurotransmitters that are then received by the ______ and change the physiological state of the next neuron.

A) presynaptic terminal; postsynaptic channel receptors
B) synaptic cleft; presynaptic channel receptors
C) dendrites; action potential
D) deoxyribonucleic acid; postsynaptic terminal

Question 8

The brain is incredibly intricate, with neuroscientists estimating that there are approximately ______ different connections in the human brain!

A) 500 billion
B) 5 trillion
C) 50 trillion
D) 500 trillion

Question 9

Emotion is processed in the ______.

A) brain only
B) autonomic nervous system only
C) spinal cord
D) brain and autonomic nervous system

Question 10

Mrs. Lennox suffers a stroke, damaging a portion of her parietal lobe. Mrs. Lennox will MOST likely experience difficulty in ______.

A) speech comprehension
B) spatial thinking
C) object recognition
D) goal-directed movement

Question 11

Not all neurotransmitters have the same structure. As compared with small-molecule neurotransmitters, larger ______ are involved in slower, ongoing neural activity.

A) glutamate molecules
B) neuropeptides
C) serotonin
D) GABA

Question 12

At the neural level, information is encoded by the ______ of action potentials.

A) intensity
B) complexity
C) duration
D) frequency

Question 13

Because the parietal lobe is located behind the ______, it is considered ______ to it.

A) central sulcus; anterior
B) central sulcus; posterior
C) corpus callosum; anterior
D) corpus callosum; posterior

Question 14

The structures closest to the midline dividing the brain's left and right hemisphere are referred to as ______.

A) medial
B) posterior
C) dorsal
D) lateral

Question 15

______ may be considered the brain's primary neurotransmitter.

A) Serotonin
B) Dopamine
C) Glutamate
D) GABA

Question 16

______ are the basic building element of the brain.

A) Electrons
B) Neurons
C) Electrodes
D) Neutrons

Question 17

The ______ is an insulating material that covers the axon and allows the electrical signals to travel at greater speeds.

A) synapse
B) action potential
C) dendrite
D) myelin sheath

Question 18

Gloria's classmate whispers a comment to her during a lecture. The instructor loudly asks the classmates if there's something she'd like to share with the class. Neurons in Gloria's ______ lobe should fire more ______ during the instructor's call-out than during the classmate's comment.

A) occipital; intensely
B) occipital; rapidly
C) temporal; intensely
D) temporal; rapidly

Question 19

The ______ is an "all-or-none" electrical signal that travels down the axon.

A) synapse
B) action potential
C) dendrite
D) myelin sheath

Question 20

One purpose of the sympathetic nervous system is to

A) allow individuals to feel empathy toward other people
B) calm a person down after being startled
C) make us feel excited and move blood to our muscles
D) transmit information regarding fine motor movements to the muscles

Question 21

The ______ pattern of electrical activity in the brain is associated not only with memory performance but also with coordinating emotional information between the limbic areas and the frontal areas of the brain.

A) alpha
B) beta
C) theta
D) delta

Question 22

According to the text, "With the increased sophistication of brain imaging technology came the increased ability to view the manner in which various areas of the brain work together." The focus on connections between brain areas implied in this statement MOST immediately brings to mind the brain imaging technique called ______.

A) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
B) positron emission tomography (PET)
C) electroencephalography (EEG)
D) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 23

Dr. Munakata is using a strong magnet to track blood oxygen changes in participants' brains as they complete decision-making tasks. Dr. Munakata is using ______ to examine the brain's activity.

A) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
B) positron emission tomography (PET)
C) electroencephalography (EEG)
D) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 24

In ______, brain activity is assessed by recording electrical activity at the scalp.

A) electroencephalography (EEG)
B) magnetoencephalography (MEG)
C) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
D) positron emission tomography (PET)

Question 25

Shannon is studying in her room, concentrating on a passage in her chemistry textbook and solving a few practice problems. Suddenly, she notices how chilly the room is. In Shannon's brain, activity of the ______ network has momentarily interrupted processing in the ______ network.

A) central executive; salience
B) salience; central executive
C) default; central executive
D) salience; default

Question 26

In ______, brain activity is assessed by measuring small magnetic field gradients entering and exiting and entering the scalp.

A) positron emission tomography (PET)
B) electroencephalography (EEG)
C) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
D) magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Question 27

______ is a field of ethical inquiry that is asking how brain processes are involved in making moral decisions, as well as who should have access to your internal processes.

A) Behavioral ethics
B) Neuroethics
C) Human ethics
D) Decision ethics

Question 28

Event-related potentials are ______ evoked potentials.

A) different from
B) the opposite of
C) the same as
D) similar to

Question 29

EEG activity related to a particular event, such as the presentation of a picture or sound, is called ______.

A) classical conditioning
B) event-related potentials (ERPs)
C) a spike train
D) diffusion tension imaging (DTI)

Question 30

Individuals with schizophrenia display (1) decreased brain volume and (2) a loss of white matter in the brain. Findings 1 and 2 MOST likely reflect the results of brain imaging research using ______ and ______, respectively.

A) DTI; fMRI
B) fMRI; EEG
C) fMRI; DTI
D) EEG; DTI

Question 31

Which brain imaging method has the LEAST precise temporal resolution?

A) positron emission tomography (PET)
B) electroencephalography (EEG)
C) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
D) magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Question 32

Currently, the major brain imaging techniques do NOT include ______.

A) magnetoencephalography (MEG)
B) positron emission tomography (PET)
C) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
D) encephalectomy (EPA)

Question 33

Jackie is using cocaine. While cocaine use is associated with a variety of EEG patterns, the text implies that ______ activity is among these patterns.

A) alpha
B) beta
C) theta
D) delta

Question 34

Gemma drifts from alert wakefulness to a drowsy state as she finishes studying. An electroencephalogram would reveal a change from a(n) ______ pattern of brain activity to a(n) ______ pattern.

A) beta; alpha
B) alpha; beta
C) theta; delta
D) delta; theta

Question 35

The main advantage of magnetoencephalography (MEG) over electroencephalography (EEG) is that MEG

A) does not expose the individual to radiation
B) is less costly and time consuming
C) better localizes the spatial origin of the signal
D) is less invasive to the individual

Question 36

White matter allows for long-range connections between neurons, facilitating networking. Roughly ______ of the brain is white matter.

A) 10%
B) 90%
C) 45%
D) 25%

Question 37

Brent is taking part in an experiment in a cognitive neuroscience lab on campus. Silently, he reads rapid sequences of words flashed on a computer screen. The electrical activity of his brain is simultaneously recorded through skull electrodes. The brain-scanning technique used in this study is ______.

A) diffusion tension imaging (DTI)
B) electroencephalography (EEG)
C) positron emission tomography (PET)
D) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 38

In the brain, the ______ pattern of electrical activity is associated with the inhibition of the activity of other brain areas.

A) alpha
B) beta
C) theta
D) delta

Question 39

In a method called ______, researchers use an MRI magnet to track the pattern of cortical connections in the brain.

A) magnetoencephalography (MEG)
B) positron emission tomography (PET)
C) electroencephalography (EEG)
D) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Question 40

A researcher plots the amount of white matter in the brain as a function of participants' age, from childhood through old age. Higher values on the y-axis indicate more white matter. The graph's function should resemble a(n) ______.

A) straight, negatively sloped line
B) inverted U
C) U-shaped curve
D) horizontal line

Question 41

The default network is also called the ______ network.

A) central executive
B) dorsal attention
C) salience
D) intrinsic

Question 42

The study of genetics began with the work of ______.

A) Gregor Mendel
B) Heinrich Hertz
C) Thomas Young
D) Albert Michelson

Question 43

A single deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule, along with the proteins attached to it, is called a(n) ______.

A) helix
B) histone
C) allele
D) chromosome

Question 44

When a person has two different alleles for a particular gene, he or she is said to be ______ for those alleles.

A) homozygous
B) multizygous
C) heterozygous
D) dizygous

Question 45

When a person has two copies of the same allele, she or he is said to be ______ for that allele.

A) homozygous
B) unizygous
C) heterozygous
D) monozygous

Question 46

The ______ network is the neural network that is active during internal processes.

A) central executive
B) default
C) salience
D) sensory

Question 47

If the allele of a particular gene from the father differs from the allele of the same gene from the mother, the person is ______ for that gene.

A) phenotypic
B) heterozygous
C) polymorphic
D) homozygous

Question 48

The study of environmental factors that turn genes on and off and are passed to the next generation is referred to as ______.

A) epigenetics
B) Mendel's first law of segregation
C) Mendel's second law of assortment
D) the Genome Project

Question 49

According to the textbook, people with schizophrenia have difficulty inhibiting the ______ network.

A) default
B) central executive
C) salience
D) sensory

Question 50

"For example, Broca's area in the left frontal lobe is dedicated to speech production, whereas the fusiform face area is specialized for processing faces," lectures a psychology instructor. The instructor is MOST likely describing the concept of ______.

A) inhibition
B) connectivity
C) excitation
D) modularity

Question 51

"Different areas of the brain perform different functions." This statement refers to the concept of ______.

A) inhibition
B) connectivity
C) modularity
D) excitation

Question 52

______ refers to the idea that different areas of the brain work together in specific circumstances.

A) Connectivity
B) Modularity
C) Functionality
D) Specificity

Question 53

Mendel's law of ______ states that both nondominant elements must be present for a recessive trait to appear.

A) independent assortment
B) conservation
C) segregation
D) attraction

Question 54

William James's notion of the stream of consciousness BEST describes activity in the ______ network.

A) central executive
B) dorsal attention
C) default
D) salience

Question 55

Mendel's law of ______ states that the inheritance of the gene of one trait is not affected by the inheritance of the gene for another trait.

A) independent assortment
B) conservation
C) segregation
D) attraction

Question 56

Manny is staring absentmindedly out of the window of the city bus on his way home from work. He is not looking at anything in particular and letting his mind wander. Manny's ______ network is MOST likely active in his brain.

A) central executive
B) salience
C) default
D) dorsal attention

Question 57

A friend tells you she is fascinated by the way the environment affects the expression of genetic potential. You suggest she explore the field of ______.

A) replication
B) epigenetics
C) lifespan development
D) genetics

Question 58

The concept of ______ describes how specific areas of the brain are dedicated to certain types of processes.

A) connectivity
B) modularity
C) functionality
D) specificity

Question 59

Keeping in mind the small-world framework, modularity and connectivity are BEST described as ______ concepts.

A) unrelated
B) complementary
C) similar
D) synonymous

Question 60

Maddie receives the brown-eyed allele of the eye color gene from her mother but the blue-eyed allele of the eye color gene from her father. Maddie is ______ for the eye color gene.

A) heterozygous
B) phenotypic
C) polymorphic
D) homozygous

Question 61

In ______ inheritance, the environment and experiences of your ancestors may have marked their genes such that the total copy you receive is different from the copy they started with.

A) Mendelian
B) epigenetic
C) mitochondrial
D) biological

Question 62

Which is NOT true about the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)?

A) MtDNA is stable and mutates very slowly.
B) MtDNA is separate from the DNA found in the cell's nucleus.
C) MtDNA is inherited only from the father.
D) The dysfunction of the mtDNA is likely involved in specific mental disorders.

Question 63

Whether a segment of DNA is relaxed or condensed-and therefore able or unable to be activated-is influenced by epigenetic ______.

A) histones
B) inheritances
C) alleles
D) marks or tags

Question 64

George and Henry are identical twins. George was raised by his mother, and Henry was raised by his father. Based on this information, one can conclude that the boys'

A) phenotypes will be the same because their genotypes are exactly the same
B) phenotypes will be different even though their genotypes are exactly the same
C) genotypes will be different because their phenotypes are different
D) genotypes will be the same because their phenotypes are the same

Question 65

The job of a gene is to lay out the process by which a particular protein is made, or to ______ a protein.

A) decode
B) encode
C) process
D) direct

Question 66

Larissa is often described as "dramatic" or "theatrical." She is always "on" and always wants to be the center of attention. She is extremely emotional and often exaggerates the things that happen to her. Larissa's example BEST illustrates ______ personality disorder.

A) histrionic
B) psychopathic
C) avoidant
D) narcissistic

Question 67

Harpending and Sobus (1987) suggest that some personality disorders can represent behaviors that were once adaptations. They explicitly cite ______ personality disorder and ______ personality disorder.

A) psychopathic; histrionic
B) schizoid; histrionic
C) psychopathic; narcissistic
D) schizoid; narcissistic

Question 68

A ______ is the blueprint that provides instructions to the body, whereas the person's ______ is the trait that is expressed on the outside.

A) protein; genotype
B) phenotype; DNA
C) phenotype; genotype
D) genotype; phenotype

Question 69

Strands of DNA consist of four types of nucleotides that are identical except for the base. Which of the following is NOT one of the four bases?

A) adenine
B) guanine
C) cryosine
D) thymine

Question 70

In ______ inheritance, DNA is inherited only from the mother, in clear violation of the classical Mendelian view.

A) Mendelian
B) epigenetic
C) mitochondrial
D) biological

Question 71

Which insight BEST reflects a contribution of the evolutionary perspective to our understanding of psychopathology?

A) Psychopathology may reflect unconscious conflicts.
B) Psychopathology may reflect behaviors and traits that might be especially functional in some contexts.
C) Psychopathology may reflect negative or distorted thinking patterns.
D) Psychopathology may reflect the difficulty some people have in finding meaning or satisfaction in life.

Question 72

Gavin has brown hair and green eyes. These traits are part of his ______.

A) genotype
B) karyotype
C) phenotype
D) archetype

Question 73

Even identical twins with the same ______ can display a different ______ if their environmental conditions differ during their development.

A) genotype; phenotypes
B) predispositions; growth patterns
C) phenotype; genotypes
D) alleles; behaviors

Question 74

John lies, cheats, and steals. He doesn't care how he hurts others. Based solely on this information, John's case BEST illustrates ______ personality disorder.

A) histrionic
B) psychopathic
C) avoidant
D) narcissistic

Question 75

Which personality trait is shared by those with psychopathic personality disorder and those with histrionic personality disorder?

A) cold
B) emotional
C) manipulative
D) callous

Question 76

Which of these animals' sleep is characterized by putting one half of the brain to sleep while the other half remains awake?

A) elephants
B) primates
C) lizards
D) dolphins

Question 77

Psychopathic personality disorder is to histrionic personality disorder as ______ is to ______.

A) dishonest; callous
B) sexuality; dominance
C) female; male
D) callous; emotional

Question 78

In order for an individual's genetic material to be manifest in the individual's observable characteristics, the information in the DNA must first do what?

A) be encoded in ribonucleic acid (RNA)
B) determine the sequence of amino acids
C) go to the part of the cell capable of proteins
D) produce proteins by producing amino acids

Question 79

Which statement is FALSE with respect to sleep in different species?

A) Birds do not sleep.
B) All animals are impaired by sleep deprivation.
C) Similar mechanisms control sleep across species.
D) Some animals sleep standing up.

Question 80

From an evolutionary perspective, both psychopathic and histrionic personality disorder reflect adaptive strategies related to ______.

A) dominance
B) sexuality
C) creativity
D) safety