Dr.Quinn performs a neurological examination on his patient Ishmael.At one point he asks Ishmael to smile,but Ishmael produces only a crooked smirk.At the end of the examination,Ishmael tells Dr.Quinn a humorous story,at which point Ishmael smiles ear-to-ear.Dr.Quinn suspects that Ishmael suffered damage to his ____.
A)motor cortex
B)amygdala
C)basal ganglia
D)cerebellum

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The motor cortex is responsible for voluntary movements, including the muscles of the face used for smiling. Ishmael's crooked smirk suggests that there may be damage to the area of the motor cortex responsible for controlling the muscles involved in smiling. However, the fact that he is able to smile when hearing a humorous story suggests that the pathways for emotional expression of smiling (which are controlled by different brain regions, such as the amygdala) are still intact. The basal ganglia and cerebellum are not directly involved in controlling facial movements or expressions.

DrQuinn Performs a Neurological Examination on His Patient Ishmael