Question 1

The _____ appears to be critical for human memory.

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is widely recognized as a key brain structure for the formation of new long-term memories and is essential to the consolidation of both declarative and spatial memories. Damage to the hippocampus can result in anterograde amnesia, which is difficulty in creating new memories.

Question 2

Sharon speaks in fairly grammatical sentences that are almost devoid of meaning.She might have _____ aphasia.

Accepted Answer

Sharon's symptoms describe Wernicke's aphasia, characterized by fluent speech that lacks meaning, indicating a problem in language comprehension.

Question 3

The _____ portion of the brain is disproportionately larger in primates than in most mammals.

Accepted Answer

The frontal portion of the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex, is larger in primates compared to most mammals. This is associated with higher cognitive functions such as decision-making, planning, and social behavior, which are more developed in primates. The other choices (B, C, and D) are also important regions of the brain, but they do not show the same level of disproportion in size between primates and other mammals.

Question 4

The left hemisphere and the right hemisphere are connected by the:

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a large bundle of neural fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, allowing communication and integration of information between them. The amygdala, basal ganglia, and medulla oblongata are structures that are primarily located within one hemisphere of the brain and do not serve as a primary connection between the two.

Question 5

_____ relies on the fact that there is more oxygenated hemoglobin in regions of greater neural activity.

Accepted Answer

fMRI relies on the fact that there is more oxygenated hemoglobin in regions of greater neural activity, allowing for the visualization of brain activation in response to tasks or stimuli. EEG and MEG measure electrical activity in the brain, while PET uses radioactive tracers to measure brain metabolism.

Question 6

The _____ lobe is involved in object recognition.

Accepted Answer

The temporal lobe is primarily responsible for processing sensory input such as auditory perception and object recognition. It contains the primary auditory cortex and is involved in vision and memory, making it the best choice for the question. The other lobes listed have different primary functions.

Question 7

_____ is BEST at detecting activity in the sulci of the cortex and is less sensitive to activity in the gyri or activity deep in the brain.

Accepted Answer

MEG (Magnetoencephalography) is best at detecting activity in the sulci of the cortex because magnetic fields produced by cortical activity are not distorted by intervening tissue, so they can be precisely localized to specific regions of the brain. Conversely, fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is less sensitive to activity in the sulci and more sensitive to activity in the gyri. PET (Positron Emission Tomography) primarily detects activity deep in the brain, while EEG (Electroencephalography) has limited spatial resolution and is most sensitive to activity on the cortical surface.

Question 8

Billy and Mac were in a car accident.Oddly,Billy suffered damaged to Broca's area,while Mac suffered damage to Wernicke's area.As a result:

Accepted Answer

Broca's area is associated with speech production and language processing, while Wernicke's area is associated with language comprehension. Damage to either results in language deficits, not visual deficits.

Question 9

Nick speaks in short,ungrammatical sentences.He might have _____ aphasia.

Accepted Answer

Broca's aphasia, also known as non-fluent aphasia, is characterized by difficulty in expressing language through speech or writing, along with halting speech and short, grammatically incorrect sentences. This aligns with the given description of Nick's speech.

Question 10

The body sends more blood to more active areas of the brain.This is referred to as the:

Accepted Answer

The hemodynamic response refers to the increase in blood flow to more active areas of the brain. This response is measured using imaging techniques such as fMRI and is important for understanding brain function and processes. The other options (B, C, and D) do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 11

Which structure or structures is/are involved in motor functioning? I.the basal ganglia
II.the cerebellum
III.the frontal lobe

Accepted Answer

The basal ganglia, cerebellum, and frontal lobe are all involved in motor functioning. The basal ganglia play a key role in the control and regulation of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, and routine behaviors. The cerebellum is crucial for motor control, particularly in coordination, precision, and accurate timing of movements. The frontal lobe, specifically the motor cortex, is involved in planning, controlling, and executing voluntary movements.

Question 12

Planning is performed by the _____ lobe.

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe is responsible for various functions including planning, decision-making, problem-solving, and behavior regulation. Therefore, planning is performed by the frontal lobe.

Question 13

In _____,a radioactive tracer is injected into the bloodstream.

Accepted Answer

Among the given options, only PET (Positron Emission Tomography) utilizes a radioactive tracer that is injected into the bloodstream to measure the functional activity of organs and tissues in the body. EEG (Electroencephalography), fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and MEG (Magnetoencephalography) do not involve the use of radioactive tracers.

Question 14

Spatial processing occurs in the _____ lobe.

Accepted Answer

Spatial processing is the ability to understand and navigate space. The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory information related to spatial awareness, including the perception of objects in space, the ability to mentally visualize space, and the calculation of distances between objects. The other lobes are not specifically associated with spatial processing.

Question 15

The left hemisphere is associated with _____ processing. I.analytic
II.linguistic
III.perceptual
IV.spatial

Accepted Answer

The left hemisphere of the brain is primarily involved in analytic and linguistic processing. Analytic processing refers to logical reasoning, problem-solving, and detailed analysis, while linguistic processing involves language skills such as reading, writing, and speaking.

Question 16

Damage to the _____ results in amnesia.

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is a region of the brain that is critically involved in the formation and retrieval of new memories. Damage to the hippocampus can result in anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to form new memories, as well as retrograde amnesia, which is the loss of memories that were formed before the damage occurred.

Question 17

Victor is a neuroscientist.The imaging technique that he is using has very good temporal resolution but isn't very useful at identifying the location in the brain that is producing neural activity.This technique is called:

Accepted Answer

ERP (event-related potential) has very good temporal resolution, meaning it can measure very precise timings of neural activity in the brain. However, it typically cannot identify the specific location in the brain where this activity is occurring, as it measures the overall electrical activity of the brain. fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) are imaging techniques that can identify specific areas of the brain that are active during specific tasks, but they have poorer temporal resolution than ERP. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a structural imaging technique that can provide high-resolution images of the brain's structure, but it does not measure neural activity.

Question 18

_____ records the electrical potentials that are present on the scalp.

Accepted Answer

EEG (electroencephalogram) records the electrical activity of the brain by placing electrodes on the scalp. The other options (fMRI, MRI, PET) all use different techniques such as measuring blood flow or metabolic activity, but not direct electrical activity.

Question 19

The right hemisphere is associated with _____ processing. I.analytic
II.linguistic
III.perceptual
IV.spatial

Accepted Answer

The right hemisphere is commonly associated with perceptual and spatial processing, making choices B and D viable options. However, it is not typically associated with analytic or linguistic processing, eliminating choices A and C. Therefore, the best choice is D, which includes the only two options commonly associated with the right hemisphere.

Question 20

Jesse is a researcher working with split-brain patients.He presents a complex command to one patient in the right ear (the right-ear patient)and presents the same complex command to another patient in the left ear (the left-ear patient).Jesse finds that:

Accepted Answer

In split-brain patients, the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice versa. Therefore, when a complex command is presented to the right-ear patient, the information is sent to the left hemisphere, which is responsible for language processing, and the patient should comprehend it. Conversely, when the same command is presented to the left-ear patient, the information is sent to the right hemisphere, which is not responsible for language processing, and the patient may not comprehend it. Therefore, option B is correct, while options A, C and D are incorrect.

Quiz 1: The Science of Cognition