Question 1

Yasuo has damaged his reticular formation. He is most likely to develop

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation is responsible for controlling the sleep-wake cycle and arousal in the brain. Damage to this area can result in a profound alteration of consciousness, including a persistent vegetative state. The other options, such as alexia without agraphia (inability to read without impairment of writing), phonemic but not semantic paraphasias (speech errors involving sounds rather than meaning), and mild cognitive impairment, are not typically associated with damage to the reticular formation.

Question 2

H.M. lived with anterograde amnesia. Given the description of his condition in the textbook, what would have been the hardest thing for patient H.M. to do?

Accepted Answer

H.M. had anterograde amnesia, which made it difficult for him to form new memories after his surgery, while his ability to recall past memories and other cognitive functions remained intact.

Question 3

If Orville was diagnosed with anterograde amnesia, you know this condition could be caused by all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Anterograde amnesia is typically associated with damage to the hippocampus or medial temporal lobe, or due to infections affecting these areas. The reticular formation is not typically involved in memory formation processes.

Question 4

Amnestic disorders all share the common feature of

Accepted Answer

Amnestic disorders are characterized by memory loss, which can be retrograde (loss of previously formed memories) or anterograde (inability to form new memories). Confabulations (inaccurate recollections) and anomia (difficulty recalling words or names) may be present in some cases, but they are not universal features. Neurodegeneration may be a cause of some types of amnestic disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease), but not all.

Question 5

Those who suffer from Korsakoff's Syndrome sometimes create false memories that they are absolutely certain are real. This process, called ________, can lead to confusion and difficulty in social interactions.

Accepted Answer

Confabulation is the process of creating false memories without the intention to deceive, often seen in individuals with Korsakoff's Syndrome, leading to confusion and social difficulties.

Question 6

After a car accident, Astor is in a coma and Cody is in a persistent vegetative state. If the same brain area was implicated in each of their situations, it would most likely be the

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation is involved in regulating wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions, and damage to this area can lead to coma or persistent vegetative states.

Question 7

Bert cannot form new memories, but he is able to accurately recall his childhood memories from before his stroke. Ernie cannot form new memories and often recalls memories that did not happen. Based on this information, it appears that Bert has __________, and Ernie has __________.

Accepted Answer

Bert has anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to form new memories. Ernie has Korsakoff's syndrome, which is a type of anterograde amnesia that is caused by a thiamine deficiency.

Question 8

The part of the brain that has been the focus of studies on disturbances of consciousness is

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation is involved in regulating wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions, making it a key area of study in disturbances of consciousness.

Question 9

Beverly has been diagnosed with Korsakoff's syndrome. This has likely been caused by __________, which depletes the medial dorsal thalamus of __________.

Accepted Answer

Korsakoff's syndrome is commonly caused by chronic alcoholism, which leads to a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1), affecting the medial dorsal thalamus and other brain areas.

Question 10

Marta is prone to a condition known as confabulation. That means that Marta

Accepted Answer

Confabulation is a neurological condition where a person unknowingly creates false memories to fill in gaps in their memory or to explain their current situation. It is usually seen in people with brain injuries or disorders.

Question 11

Anterograde amnesia is often caused by damage to the __________, whereas Korsakoff's syndrome is caused by damaged to the __________.

Accepted Answer

Anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to form new memories, is often caused by damage to the hippocampus. Korsakoff's syndrome, a chronic memory disorder, is primarily caused by severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which leads to damage in several areas of the brain, including the thalamus.

Question 12

After a brain surgery in 1950 to stop epileptic seizures, Barbara was no longer able to form new memories. Now, 50 years later, if you were to ask Barbara what she thinks about the Internet, she would

Accepted Answer

Barbara's inability to form new memories after her surgery means she would not have been able to learn about or understand the concept of the Internet, which became widely known after her memory impairment.

Question 13

Kevin learns that his ex-girlfriend, Brittany, has been diagnosed with delirium. Unfamiliar with this disorder, he visits a medical website and learns that delirium is commonly caused by __________, and the effects tend to be __________.

Accepted Answer

Delirium is often caused by infections, especially in the blood, and its effects are typically temporary, resolving once the underlying cause is treated.

Question 14

You are required to find and critique a movie that portrays a neuropsychological disorder. You are looking for a movie in which a person's ability to be fully aware of the world around him is impaired. In other words, you are looking for a movie that portrays a(n)

Accepted Answer

A consciousness disturbance involves impairment in the ability to be fully aware of the world around oneself. A movie that portrays this type of neuropsychological disorder is the film "Memento" (2000), directed by Christopher Nolan. The main character, Leonard, suffers from anterograde amnesia, which leaves him unable to form new memories or retain new information. This results in him being unable to fully grasp the context and consequences of his actions, as well as continually questioning his own identity and reality. The film's use of non-linear storytelling also emphasizes Leonard's impaired consciousness, as the audience experiences the story along with him in fragmented and disjointed pieces. The portrayal of his disorder is realistic and the film has been praised for its accurate portrayal of memory disorders and its representation of mental illness in general.

Question 15

Ryan cannot recall a list of words that was read to him sixty minutes ago. Even when he is given multiple choices to choose from or clues about each word, he cannot recall the words. Most likely, Ryan's memory problem is caused by damage to what brain area?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is crucial for forming new memories and transferring them from short-term to long-term memory. Damage to this area can result in difficulties with memory recall, as seen in Ryan's case.

Question 16

Noreen experiences both anterograde amnesia and confabulations. These are key symptoms that indicate Noreen suffers from

Accepted Answer

Korsakoff's psychosis is characterized by anterograde amnesia and confabulations, often due to thiamine deficiency associated with chronic alcoholism.

Question 17

Lyle, an amnesic patient, thinks that he has met you before. "I remember you because of your red hat. And I was your boss at the mayor's office in Cleveland. I was the mayor then, you know. We had many dinners together, and you used to order the Delmonico steaks with onion rings on top." Lyle firmly believes these things are true, yet none of them really happened. Lyle has damaged the __________ of his brain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lyle, an amnesic patient, thinks that he...

Question 18

When Karla sees her doctor, she tells him the tale of how they met in high school. Even though the story is false, Karla believes it is true. She also cannot form new memories. Karla probably

Accepted Answer

Karla's symptoms suggest Korsakoff's syndrome, often associated with a history of alcoholism, which can lead to confabulation (creating false memories) and an inability to form new memories.

Question 19

In cases in which consciousness is impaired due to widespread damage to both sides of the cerebral cortex, which of the following could explain these symptoms?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In cases in which consciousness is impaired...

Question 20

For the past two days, Gertruda has been hallucinating. She alternates between being overattentive to every little sight and sound in the room and being a bit sleepy and less alert. She cannot maintain a coherent conversation because she seems to forget everything very quickly, and she uses nonsensical words. Gertruda has

Accepted Answer

Gertruda's symptoms of being overattentive, alternating between alertness and sleepiness, forgetfulness, and nonsensical speech are all characteristic of delirium, which is a temporary state of confusion and disorientation. Dementia is a chronic, progressive decline in cognitive function, and a dissociation syndrome typically involves a disruption in a person's sense of identity. Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that affects movement and cognitive function, but it typically does not cause hallucinations or delirium.

Quiz 16: Neuropsychology