Question 1

In cases of Rasmussen's syndrome,the complete removal of the cortex of one hemisphere during childhood:
A) saves the child's life at the expense of intelligence and mobility.
B) has been discontinued due to its poor record of reducing seizures.
C) demonstrates that we only need about 10 percent of our brain for normal functioning.
D) significantly reduces seizures while producing relatively mild side effects.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that complete removal of the cortex of one hemisphere during childhood significantly reduces seizures while producing relatively mild side effects such as weakness on one side of the body or language impairment. However, this procedure is only considered as a last resort when other treatments for epilepsy have failed.

Question 2

Split-brain operations are used to treat
A) epilepsy.
B) schizophrenia.
C) bipolar disorder.
D) autism.

Accepted Answer

Split-brain operations involve cutting the corpus callosum, a bundle of nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain. This procedure is primarily used to treat severe cases of epilepsy that cannot be controlled with medication. Split-brain operations have not been shown to be effective for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or autism.

Question 3

Split-brain operations are used to treat seizures because
A) seizures require coordinated activity in both hemispheres.
B) seizures still occur,but only half the body is involved.
C) electrical disturbances confined to one hemisphere may not reach threshold for observable clinical symptoms.
D) there are no other available treatments.

Accepted Answer

Electrical disturbances that cause seizures are typically confined to one hemisphere, so by severing the corpus callosum (the bridge between the two hemispheres), the spread of the electrical activity can be restricted, reducing the occurrence of seizures. However, this will result in each hemisphere having to process information independently, leading to some unusual behaviors.

Question 4

The fiber pathway connecting the two thalamic nuclei in animals and some people is the
A) anterior commissure.
B) massa intermedia.
C) corpus callosum.
D) hippocampal commissure.

Accepted Answer

The pathway connecting the two thalamic nuclei in animals and some people is the massa intermedia. The anterior commissure connects the two temporal lobes, the corpus callosum connects the two cerebral hemispheres, and the hippocampal commissure connects the two hippocampi.

Question 5

"Alien hand syndrome" refers to
A) patients' sense that their limbs do not belong to them.
B) the simultaneous performance of different tasks by the two hands.
C) phantom limb pain.
D) the performance of tasks by the hands without the patients' conscious awareness.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Alien hand syndrome" refers to
A) patients' sense...

Question 6

Fiber pathways connecting the two hemispheres are known as
A) tracts.
B) commissures.
C) ganglia.
D) decussations.

Accepted Answer

The fiber pathways that connect the two hemispheres of the brain are known as commissures. Tracts refer to fiber pathways within a single hemisphere, ganglia are clusters of nerve cells outside of the CNS, and decussations refer to points of cross-over of nerve pathways.

Question 7

Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)produced savant behavior in a _________ of participants when applied to the _________ hemisphere.
A) majority;left
B) majority;right
C) minority;left
D) minority;right

Accepted Answer

rTMS applied to the left hemisphere produced savant behavior in a minority of participants.

Question 8

The two temporal lobes are connected by the
A) anterior commissure.
B) massa intermedia.
C) corpus callosum.
D) hippocampal commissure.

Accepted Answer

The anterior commissure connects the two temporal lobes of the brain, allowing for communication between them. The massa intermedia connects the thalamus of both hemispheres, while the corpus callosum connects the two cerebral hemispheres. The hippocampal commissure connects the left and right hippocampi.

Question 9

Savant behaviors occur
A) only in individuals with autism.
B) in the majority of individuals with autism and mental retardation.
C) in a small minority of individuals with autism and mental retardation.
D) only in people who have experienced brain damage.

Accepted Answer

Savant behaviors occur in a small minority of individuals with autism and mental retardation.

Question 10

In Gazzaniga's experiment with split-brain patients in which the word "HE" appeared to the left of a fixation point and the word "ART" appeared to the right,how did participants respond when asked what they had seen?
A) They said,"ART."
B) They said,"HE."
C) They said,"HEART."
D) They were unable to respond,since they could no longer read.

Accepted Answer

In Gazzaniga's split-brain experiments, the right hemisphere (which controls the left side of the body and processes information from the left visual field) does not have direct access to the speech centers located in the left hemisphere. When the word "ART" appeared to the right of the fixation point, it was processed by the left hemisphere (which controls speech and language), leading participants to report seeing "ART." The word "HE" presented to the left of the fixation point was processed by the right hemisphere, which could not verbalize this information directly.

Question 11

Visual information about an object located to the right of center in the visual field is processed by
A) both hemispheres equally.
B) the left cerebral hemisphere.
C) the right cerebral hemisphere.
D) the left cerebral hemisphere in the majority of human participants,but in either the right hemisphere or both hemispheres in others.

Accepted Answer

Visual information from the right side of the visual field is processed by the left cerebral hemisphere due to the crossing of the optic nerves at the optic chiasm. This means that information from the right visual field is transmitted to the left side of the brain for processing.

Question 12

Lateralization refers to the
A) localization of a function to one hemisphere or the other in the brain.
B) localization of a function to one of the lobes of the brain.
C) tendency for important functions to be localized in areas away from the midline of the brain.
D) tendency for both the human brain and body to be quite symmetrical.

Accepted Answer

Lateralization refers to the localization of a function to one hemisphere or the other in the brain. This means that certain functions are controlled by specific areas in either the left or right hemisphere of the brain.

Question 13

Comparisons of a savant with autism and savant patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD)indicate that all patients may have experienced _________ deficits.
A) right hemisphere
B) left hemisphere
C) no measurable
D) subcortical

Accepted Answer

Both savants with autism and those with frontotemporal dementia often show deficits in the left hemisphere, which is associated with language and analytical processing, while their right hemisphere abilities, such as artistic or musical skills, may be enhanced.

Question 14

The structure indicated by the number 2 in this illustration is the
A) corpus callosum.
B) massa intermedia.
C) anterior commissure.
D) hippocampal commissure.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  The structure indicated by the number...

Question 15

Most savant behaviors involve behaviors that are typically
A) lateralized to the right hemisphere.
B) lateralized to the left hemisphere.
C) lateralized.
D) managed by subcortical structures.

Accepted Answer

Savant behaviors are often associated with abilities that involve pattern recognition, music, and mathematics, which are typically associated with the right hemisphere of the brain. Therefore, most savant behaviors are lateralized to the right hemisphere.

Question 16

Joseph Bogen severed which of the following pathways in his split-brain surgeries?
A) the fornix
B) the stria terminalis
C) the arcuate fasciculus
D) the corpus callosum

Accepted Answer

Joseph Bogen's split-brain surgeries involved severing the corpus callosum, the main pathway connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Question 17

The largest fiber pathway linking the two cerebral hemispheres is the
A) anterior commissure.
B) massa intermedia.
C) corpus callosum.
D) hippocampal commissure.

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is the largest fiber pathway that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. It contains over 200 million fibers and plays a critical role in the communication between the two hemispheres. The anterior commissure, hippocampal commissure, and massa intermedia are also fiber pathways that connect various parts of the brain, but they are much smaller and less important than the corpus callosum.

Question 18

You know your friend Ramon has just had a split-brain surgery to treat his uncontrollable epileptic seizures.When Ramon returns to school,it is likely that he will
A) have trouble verbalizing his feelings.
B) no longer be a star athlete as his coordination will have been affected.
C) almost be the same,but his grades will probably drop a bit.
D) seem the same for the most part,but he'll tell you about some very subtle changes that showed up in some follow-up tests of cognitive function.

Accepted Answer

Split-brain surgery typically only affects the communication between the two hemispheres of the brain, and most individuals are able to function relatively normally after the surgery. However, subtle changes in cognitive function may be noticed on follow-up tests, even if they are not immediately apparent in daily life. Ramon's grades may not necessarily drop, as his intellect and abilities may not have been affected by the surgery. Coordination is also typically not affected by split-brain surgery, so choice B is not the best option. While some individuals may have difficulty verbalizing their feelings after split-brain surgery, this is not always the case and is not a guaranteed outcome.

Question 19

Split-brain operations
A) were not successful in treating epilepsy.
B) improved the frequency of seizures,but not the severity.
C) improved the severity of seizures,but not the frequency.
D) improved both the severity and frequency of seizures.

Accepted Answer

Split-brain operations, which involve severing the corpus callosum, have been successful in reducing both the frequency and severity of seizures in patients with epilepsy.

Question 20

Split-brain operations like Bogen's produce
A) no changes in personality,intelligence,or language.
B) changes in personality,but none in intelligence or language.
C) changes in intelligence,but none in personality or language.
D) changes in personality,intelligence,and language.

Accepted Answer

Split-brain operations, which involve severing the corpus callosum to treat severe epilepsy, typically do not result in changes to personality, intelligence, or language. The procedure primarily affects the communication between the two hemispheres of the brain, but these cognitive functions generally remain intact.

Quiz 13: Lateralization, language, and Intelligence

In cases of Rasmussen's syndrome,the complete removal of the cortex of one hemisphere during childhood:

Split-brain operations are used to treat

Split-brain operations are used to treat seizures because

The fiber pathway connecting the two thalamic nuclei in animals and some people is the

"Alien hand syndrome" refers to

Fiber pathways connecting the two hemispheres are known as

Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) produced savant behavior in a _ of participants when applied to the _ hemisphere.

The two temporal lobes are connected by the

Savant behaviors occur

In Gazzaniga's experiment with split-brain patients in which the word "HE" appeared to the left of a fixation point and the word "ART" appeared to the right,how did participants respond when asked what they had seen?

Visual information about an object located to the right of center in the visual field is processed by

Lateralization refers to the

Comparisons of a savant with autism and savant patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) indicate that all patients may have experienced _________ deficits.

The structure indicated by the number 2 in this illustration is the

Most savant behaviors involve behaviors that are typically

Joseph Bogen severed which of the following pathways in his split-brain surgeries?

The largest fiber pathway linking the two cerebral hemispheres is the

You know your friend Ramon has just had a split-brain surgery to treat his uncontrollable epileptic seizures.When Ramon returns to school,it is likely that he will

Split-brain operations

Split-brain operations like Bogen's produce