Question 1

Zoltan is contemplating having split-brain surgery to treat his severe epilepsy.His concern is that after the surgery,he will have a noticeable deficit that will impair his daily functioning.What would the doctor tell Zoltan about his concern?

Accepted Answer

Split-brain surgery involves severing the corpus callosum, the structure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, to treat severe epilepsy. This procedure can lead to unique cognitive phenomena, but these are generally not noticeable in everyday activities. Thus, people in his daily life won't know he had the surgery unless he tells them. The other options (A, B, C) describe deficits that are not typically associated with split-brain surgery outcomes.

Question 2

Which of the following people is most likely to have language processed in both hemispheres?

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that left-handed individuals are more likely to have language processed in both hemispheres of the brain.

Question 3

In most individuals,in which hemisphere of the brain is Wernicke's area located?

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's area is typically located in the left hemisphere of the brain, specifically in the posterior region of the temporal lobe. This area is involved in language comprehension and the formation of coherent speech.

Question 4

Which of the following is TRUE about left-handers?

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that most left-handers process language in the left hemisphere of the brain, just like right-handers. This is known as left-hemisphere language dominance.

Question 5

Since both hemispheres receive the same input from the environment,this means that split-brain patients

Accepted Answer

Split-brain patients often require special experimental procedures to reveal the effects of their surgery because under normal circumstances, the separate hemispheres can still coordinate information through other neural pathways, making the symptoms less apparent without specific tests.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the effect that split brain surgery has on patients in their everyday lives?

Accepted Answer

Split brain surgery, which involves severing the corpus callosum to reduce the severity of epileptic seizures, generally has very little effect on patients' everyday lives. This is because the two hemispheres of the brain can still communicate through other pathways, and the brain is remarkably good at compensating for such changes. Most of the dramatic effects, such as the inability to name objects in the left visual field (because language functions are typically located in the left hemisphere), are observed only under specific test conditions. In everyday life, people rarely encounter situations where the information is strictly presented to only one hemisphere, allowing them to function normally.

Question 7

Following surgery to alleviate her epilepsy,Aino can read words presented to the right visual field,but CANNOT name objects presented to the left visual field.What type of surgery did Aino undergo,and what did it involve?

Accepted Answer

Aino underwent a split-brain surgery, which severs the corpus callosum. This surgery is done to alleviate epilepsy by preventing the spread of seizure activity from one hemisphere to the other. The result is that information presented to one side of the visual field is processed primarily by the opposite hemisphere, and since the corpus callosum is severed, the two hemispheres cannot communicate. As a result, Aino can read words presented to the right visual field (which is processed primarily by the left hemisphere) but cannot name objects presented to the left visual field (which is processed primarily by the right hemisphere).

Question 8

Victor is a split-brain patient who is allowed to reach into a paper bag with his right hand and feel the object inside.What will Victor communicate about the object in the bag?

Accepted Answer

Victor, as a split-brain patient, can use his right hand (controlled by the left hemisphere, which is responsible for language in most people) to feel the object and communicate its name.

Question 9

If a picture of a car is presented in the left visual field of a patient who has had split-brain surgery,and the word "carrot" is presented in the right visual field,what is the patient going to say they see?

Accepted Answer

In split-brain patients, the two hemispheres of the brain are unable to communicate due to the severing of the corpus callosum. Information presented to the left visual field is processed by the right hemisphere, and information presented to the right visual field is processed by the left hemisphere. The left hemisphere, which is typically responsible for language in most people, would process the word "carrot" presented in the right visual field, allowing the patient to verbally identify it. However, the image of the car presented in the left visual field would be processed by the right hemisphere, which is not primarily responsible for language, making it difficult for the patient to verbally identify the car.

Question 10

Valentino is a split-brain patient who is allowed to reach into a paper bag with his left hand and feel the object inside.What will Valentino communicate about the object in the bag?

Accepted Answer

In split-brain patients, the right hemisphere (which controls the left hand) is not connected to the language centers in the left hemisphere, so he cannot verbally name the object.

Question 11

Why do split-brain patients NOT exhibit any signs of their surgery in their daily lives?

Accepted Answer

Split-brain patients do not exhibit signs of their surgery in their daily lives because both hemispheres receive the same input from the environment. The left hemisphere predominantly controls language and analytical thinking, while the right hemisphere governs spatial perception and emotional processing, and in split-brain patients, these functions can operate independently of each other. However, if a task requires both hemispheres to work together, such as solving a problem that involves both verbal and spatial processing, split-brain patients may experience difficulty. Nonetheless, people in their daily lives are not necessarily aware of split-brain patients' deficits, and thus do not consciously avoid challenging them with complex tasks.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT true about left-handers?

Accepted Answer

Most left-handers, like right-handers, process language in the left hemisphere of the brain. However, a higher percentage of left-handers than right-handers have language functions in both hemispheres or in the right hemisphere. The statement that left-handers tend to be more analytical than right-handers is not supported by scientific evidence; analytical skills are not determined by handedness.

Question 13

Grenata has suffered a stroke to the left hemisphere of the brain that has affected her body movement.Which side of her body is most likely to have been affected?

Accepted Answer

Damage to the left hemisphere of the brain results in deficits on the right side of the body. Therefore, Grenata's right side of the body is most likely affected.

Question 14

Terrance is left-handed.What is the probability that he processes language in the right hemisphere?

Accepted Answer

The majority of left-handed individuals still process language in the left hemisphere, similar to right-handed people. However, about 30% of left-handed people have been found to process language in the right hemisphere or have significant language abilities in both hemispheres. The choice closest to this percentage is 18%, although the exact figure can vary based on the study.

Question 15

What function is the most lateralized?

Accepted Answer

Language function is the most lateralized, with most individuals having left-sided language dominance. This means that the left hemisphere of the brain is primarily responsible for language processing, including speaking, reading, and writing.

Question 16

When it comes to brain lateralization,which of the following is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Language is the most lateralized function, with the majority of people processing it in the left hemisphere. However, it is important to note that other functions, such as spatial processing, also show some degree of lateralization but to a lesser extent than language. The remaining choices are false.

Question 17

Amanda is about to meet a blind date for the first time.Her cousin arranged the date,and the only thing she knows is that her date had split-brain surgery about a year ago as a way to treat his epilepsy.What should Amanda expect to notice in her date's behaviour as a result of his surgery?

Accepted Answer

Split-brain surgery involves severing the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain. This procedure is used to treat severe epilepsy and can lead to specific cognitive and perceptual differences. However, these differences are often subtle and not easily noticeable in everyday behavior. Therefore, Amanda might not notice anything unusual in her date's behavior.

Question 18

Tomek is a split-brain patient who is staring at a fixation point in the middle of a screen.Suddenly,an apple is flashed on the left side of the screen and a hairbrush is flashed on the right.Tomek is then presented with a tray containing an apple,a hairbrush,a comb,and an orange.If he is asked to point to the object he saw,what is he likely to do?

Accepted Answer

In split-brain patients, the information presented in the left side of the visual field is processed by the right hemisphere of the brain and vice versa. Therefore, when the apple is flashed on the left side of the screen, it is processed by the right hemisphere, which is unable to communicate verbally. Similarly, when the hairbrush is flashed on the right side of the screen, it is processed by the left hemisphere, which has control over the right hand. Hence, Tomek will point to the apple with his right hand (controlled by the left hemisphere) and the hairbrush with his left hand (controlled by the right hemisphere).

Question 19

Your friend tells you he must have surgery in which they are going to disconnect communication between the two hemispheres of his brain.Which of the following diseases is your friend likely to be suffering from?

Accepted Answer

The surgery where communication between the two hemispheres of the brain is disconnected is called a corpus callosotomy, and it is usually performed in patients suffering from severe epilepsy. This surgery helps reduce the spread of epileptic seizures from one side of the brain to the other. Brain tumor, schizophrenia, and dyslexia are not usually treated with corpus callosotomy surgery.

Question 20

Brendan is a split-brain patient who is participating in an experiment.While staring at a fixation point,a picture of a hammer is flashed on the left side of the screen and a picture of a pair of glasses is flashed on the right.Brendan is then presented with a tray of objects containing a hammer,a pair of glasses,a screwdriver,and a toothbrush.If he is asked to point to the object he saw,what is he likely to do?

Accepted Answer

The left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left side. In a split-brain patient, the two hemispheres are not connected, so each hemisphere can only control the opposite side of the body. Therefore, when Brendan sees the hammer with his left hemisphere, he will point to it with his right hand. Similarly, when he sees the glasses with his right hemisphere, he will point to them with his left hand.

Quiz 3: Neuroscience