Question 1

According to the gate theory of pain transmission, activity in the _____ can inhibit the pain pathway in the spinal cord.

Accepted Answer

The gate theory of pain suggests that non-painful input, such as that from the haptic-proprioceptive pathway, can close the "gates" to painful input, preventing pain sensation from traveling to the central nervous system.

Question 2

Vestibular receptors convey information about:

Accepted Answer

Vestibular receptors are responsible for detecting changes in movement direction, speed, and the body's position relative to gravity, making all the options correct.

Question 3

The vestibular system is in the:

Accepted Answer

The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and is responsible for maintaining balance and spatial orientation.

Question 4

Both the posterior and anterior spinothalamic tracts send their signals to the ventrolateral:

Accepted Answer

The posterior and anterior spinothalamic tracts transmit sensory information to the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, which then relays the signals to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.

Question 5

Why is treating chronic pain so difficult?

Accepted Answer

Chronic pain is difficult to treat because there are multiple pain pathways in the spinal cord, making it complex to target and manage effectively.

Question 6

Hair cells in the vestibular system fire more action potentials when the hair:

Accepted Answer

Hair cells in the vestibular system increase their firing rate when bent in a specific direction, as this bending opens ion channels that lead to depolarization and increased action potentials.

Question 7

Unilateral damage to the spinal cord will result in the loss of _____ on the same side of the body and loss of _____ on the opposite side of the body below the site of the damage.

Accepted Answer

Unilateral damage to the spinal cord results in loss of touch and proprioception on the same side (ipsilateral) due to the dorsal column-medial lemniscal pathway, and loss of pain and temperature on the opposite side (contralateral) due to the spinothalamic tract crossing over in the spinal cord.

Question 8

Internal organs like the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels:

Accepted Answer

Internal organs have pain receptors, but they do not have their own direct pathways to the brain. Instead, they send pain signals through shared pathways with other body parts, which can lead to referred pain.

Question 9

Information from the _____ crosses to the other side of the brain in the brainstem, whereas the _____ crosses to the other side of the brain in the spinal cord.

Accepted Answer

The posterior spinothalamic tract crosses in the brainstem, while the anterior spinothalamic tract crosses in the spinal cord.

Question 10

What is deafferentation?

Accepted Answer

Deafferentation refers to the loss of incoming sensory input, typically due to nerve damage or injury, resulting in a lack of sensory information reaching the central nervous system.

Question 11

Research has demonstrated that phantom limb pain can be alleviated through the use of:

Accepted Answer

Using a mirror to create the illusion of the missing limb can help alleviate phantom limb pain by tricking the brain into perceiving movement and presence of the limb, which can reduce pain sensations.

Question 12

When a physician taps the patellar tendon with a hammer, it causes a knee jerk reflex by sending stretch signals to:

Accepted Answer

The knee jerk reflex is a simple spinal reflex that involves sensory neurons sending signals to the spinal cord, which then directly communicate with motor neurons to cause muscle contraction, bypassing the brain.

Question 13

Axons that carry information about pain and temperature form the:

Accepted Answer

The anterior spinothalamic tract is responsible for transmitting information about crude touch, pain, and temperature from the body to the brain.

Question 14

Somatosensory information is carried from the body to the CNS by the:

Accepted Answer

The posterior-root ganglion neurons, also known as dorsal root ganglion neurons, carry somatosensory information from the body to the central nervous system (CNS).

Question 15

Stimulation of the _____ is effective in reducing pain.

Accepted Answer

The periaqueductal gray matter is involved in pain modulation and can reduce pain when stimulated.

Question 16

Action potentials in the semicircular canals are stimulated by:

Accepted Answer

Bending of hair cells in the semicircular canals due to movement of the endolymph stimulates action potentials.

Question 17

Which of the following receptors are slowly adapting receptors?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following receptors are slowly...

Question 18

The haptic and proprioceptive axons form the:

Accepted Answer

The dorsal spinothalamic tract is responsible for carrying haptic (touch) and proprioceptive (position sense) information from the body to the brain.

Question 19

Pain in blood vessels and internal organs that is felt as pain at the body surface is known as:

Accepted Answer

Referred pain is a type of pain that is felt in a part of the body that is not the source of the pain. It is caused by the activation of nerves that supply both the source of the pain and the area where the pain is felt.

Question 20

Which of the following receptors is NOT a rapidly adapting receptor?

Accepted Answer

Ruffini corpuscles are slowly adapting receptors, while Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscles are rapidly adapting. Golgi tendon organs are also not rapidly adapting.

Quiz 11: How Does the Nervous System Respond to Stimulation and Produce Movement