Functional Neuroanatomy Questions - p. 6
151. The amygdala was named for its resemblance to:
- A. an almond
- B. an acorn
- C. an apricot
- D. an artichoke
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Correct answer: A
The term amygdala means “almond,” referring to one of the most prominent nuclei of the amygdala that has an almond-like shape.
152. A patient has a tumor that compresses the dorsal columns-medial lemniscus pathway in the right thalamus. Which of the following deficits would most likely result?
- A. loss of pain and temperature sensation on the left side of the body
- B. loss of fine touch and proprioception on the left side of the body
- C. loss of fine touch and proprioception on the right side of the body
- D. loss of motor function on the right side of the body
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Correct answer: B
The dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway decussates (crosses) in the medulla. By the time it reaches the thalamus, it is already carrying information from the opposite side of the body, so a lesion here causes loss of fine touch, vibration, and proprioception on the opposite side.
153. After a car accident, a patient is evaluated and is found to have experienced complete loss of the left side of her spinal cord at the cervical level. Which of the following deficits is likely to be part of the patient's clinical presentation?
- A. loss of pain and temperature sensation on the left side below the damage
- B. weakness or paralysis on the right side below the damage
- C. loss of touch sensations on the right side below the damage
- D. loss of pain and temperature sensation on the right side below the damage
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Correct answer: D
Complete damage of one half of the spinal cord can result in a condition known as Brown-Sequard syndrome. In this condition, the individual may experience loss of pain and temperature sensation on the opposite side of the damage, below the level of the damage. This is due to the fact that spinothalamic tract fibers (which carry pain and temperature sensations) decussate soon after entering the spinal cord.
154. Which neuron type is a modified bipolar cell specialized for transmitting sensory signals from the body to the central nervous system in humans?
- A. pyramidal neuron
- B. pseudo-unipolar neuron
- C. multipolar neuron
- D. Purkinje cell
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Correct answer: B
Pseudo-unipolar neurons initially form as bipolar neurons, but the dendrite and axon fuse together to form a single process that extends from one part of the cell body. Pseudo-unipolar neurons carry sensory signals, such as information about touch to the spinal cord.
155. How many myelinated internodes are produced by a single Schwann cell in the peripheral nervous system?
- A. 1
- B. 4-8
- C. 12
- D. over 100
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Correct answer: A
In the peripheral nervous system, glial cells called Schwann cells form myelin. Each Schwann cell wraps around one segment of an axon many times to form one myelinated internode.
156. Which structural feature of endothelial cells in brain capillaries most directly prevents substances from moving from the bloodstream into the brain at the blood–brain barrier?
- A. large pores in endothelial cells
- B. tight junctions between endothelial cells
- C. aquaporin channels in endothelial cell membranes
- D. voltage-gated ion channels on endothelial cells
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Correct answer: B
It is thought that the central components of the structure of the blood-brain barrier are the tight junctions of endothelial cells, the cells that make up the interior surface of blood vessels. The endothelial cells that make up the blood-brain barrier are fused tightly together to form tight junctions that restrict diffusion across the blood vessel lining.
157. Which meningeal layer lies directly against the inner surface of the skull and is the thickest of the meninges?
- A. dura mater
- B. arachnoid mater
- C. pia mater
- D. arachnoid trabeculae
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Correct answer: A
The outermost layer of the meninges is the dura mater, which literally means “hard mother.” This thick and tough layer adheres to the skull on one side and the arachnoid mater on the other side.
158. Information about proprioception, or the position of the body in space, is primarily processed in what part of the brain?
- A. motor cortex
- B. visual cortex
- C. somatosensory cortex
- D. auditory cortex
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Correct answer: C
The primary somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing somatic sensations, or sensations from the body that include touch, proprioception or the position of the body in space, nociception or pain, and temperature.
159. Which of the following accurately describes the white matter of the spinal cord?
- A. it primarily consists of neuronal cell bodies involved in spinal reflexes
- B. it primarily contains ascending sensory tracts and descending motor tracts
- C. it is the primary site of neurotransmitter release between spinal neurons
- D. it primarily contains clusters of interneurons responsible for local processing
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Correct answer: B
The white matter of the spinal cord consists of bundles of ascending and descending fibers that carry sensory information to the brain and motor information to the body, respectively.
160. The ventricles of the brain primarily function in the production and circulation of:
- A. dopamine
- B. cerebral blood
- C. melatonin
- D. cerebrospinal fluid
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Correct answer: D
The ventricles are a network of cavities distributed throughout the brain. Their primary role is in the production and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.
161. This anatomical term means "toward the tail." In humans, it refers to the lower end of the spinal cord, but to the posterior (back) part of the brain.
- A. rostral
- B. dorsal
- C. ventral
- D. caudal
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Correct answer: D
Caudal means "towards the tail." At the level of the spinal cord in humans, rostral points up towards the head while caudal points down towards the end of the cord. In the brain, however, caudal points toward the posterior part of the brain.
162. Visual information leaves the eye via the optic nerve. After passing through the optic chiasm, these fibers are referred to as the:
- A. optic nerve (still)
- B. optic radiations
- C. optic tract
- D. optic capsule
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Correct answer: C
The ganglion cells leaving the eye form the optic nerve. At the optic chiasm, about 60% of the axons from the optic nerve cross over to the other side of the brain, while the rest stay on the side they originated on. After the optic chiasm, the visual fibers are no longer called the optic nerve—they’re now called the optic tract.
163. This gyrus of the cerebral cortex sits directly above the corpus callosum. It is thought to play important roles in emotion and memory, among other things.
- A. precentral gyrus
- B. fusiform gyrus
- C. cingulate gyrus
- D. transverse temporal gyrus
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Correct answer: C
The cingulate gyrus sits just above the corpus callosum. Its functions are not fully understood, but it is thought to play important roles in emotion and memory.
164. The subarachnoid space lies directly between which two adjacent layers of the meninges?
- A. dura mater and arachnoid mater
- B. arachnoid mater and pia mater
- C. dura mater and pia mater
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Correct answer: B
The subarachnoid space is a region between the arachnoid mater and pia mater that contains cerebrospinal fluid.
165. The striatum is commonly divided into dorsal and ventral components. The dorsal striatum is primarily composed of which two structures?
- A. caudate nucleus and putamen
- B. globus pallidus and nucleus accumbens
- C. putamen and subthalamic nucleus
- D. caudate nucleus and substantia nigra
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Correct answer: A
The striatum is often conceptualized a being divided into dorsal and ventral sections; the dorsal striatum contains the caudate and putamen while the ventral striatum contains the nucleus accumbens.
166. This brain region was named for its structural resemblance to a marine animal:
- A. hippocampus
- B. amygdala
- C. insula
- D. habenula
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Correct answer: A
The word "hippocampus" comes from the Greek word for "seahorse." It earned this name because when you remove the hippocampus from the brain, it vaguely resembles a seahorse. You can see an image of the hippocampus next to a seahorse on this page of my website:
167. This structure is one of the major dopamine-producing regions of the brain. It is well-known for its role in motivation, reward, and addiction, and it has a large group of neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens:
- A. nucleus basalis
- B. raphe nucleus
- C. locus coeruleus
- D. ventral tegmental area
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Correct answer: D
The ventral tegmental area, or VTA, is in the brainstem. Although it contains several different types of neurons, it is primarily characterized by its dopaminergic neurons, which project from the VTA throughout the brain, including to reward-related areas like the nucleus accumbens.
168. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway plays an important role in reward. It connects the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to several limbic structures, with the primary part of the pathway extending from the VTA to the:
- A. cerebellum
- B. thalamus
- C. raphe nuclei
- D. nucleus accumbens
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Correct answer: D
The main portion of the mesolimbic pathway connects the VTA with the nucleus accumbens. This pathway is activating during rewarding experiences, such as the use of addictive drugs.
169. The hippocampus is often subdivided anatomically into 4 regions, designated CA1 through CA4. What does the CA stand for?
- A. cellular array
- B. cortical area
- C. central arch
- D. cornu ammonis
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Correct answer: D
The structure of the hippocampus has been likened to the curved horn of a ram or the horns of the ancient Egyptian god Ammon and thus has been called Ammon’s horn or cornu ammonis. Accordingly, the hippocampus has been subdivided anatomically into 4 regions designated CA1 through CA4; the CA stands for cornu ammonis.
170. Which of the following is the primary output structure of the hippocampal formation?
- A. dentate gyrus
- B. subiculum
- C. CA3 region
- D. CA1 region
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Correct answer: B
The subiculum serves as the primary output structure of the hippocampal formation. Information processed through the hippocampal circuit is funneled into the subiculum, which then sends projections to a wide range of targets, including the entorhinal cortex and other cortical and subcortical areas.
171. Long-term memory for factual knowledge, such as knowing that an axon carries electrical signals away from the cell body of a neuron, is an example of:
- A. implicit memory
- B. episodic memory
- C. sensory memory
- D. semantic memory
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Correct answer: D
Declarative memory is sometimes called explicit memory, and it refers to memories we can consciously access and describe. This includes episodic memory, which involves events from our own lives—such as what you did yesterday—or semantic memory, which consists of facts and general knowledge, like knowing what an axon is.
172. After a stroke, a patient is able to understand language but has great difficulty speaking. She can only produce one word at a time and speaks in short, fragmented sentences. Damage to which area of the brain below is most likely responsible for her symptoms?
- A. Wernicke's area
- B. primary auditory cortex
- C. Broca's area
- D. angular gyrus
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Correct answer: C
Broca’s area is primarily involved in speech production. Damage to this region can result in Broca’s aphasia, which is characterized by difficulty forming complete sentences and speaking fluently, despite relatively preserved language comprehension.
173. Which part of the cerebellum is MOST responsible for comparing actual limb position with the intended position during a movement?
- A. vestibulocerebellum
- B. spinocerebellum
- C. cerebrocerebellum
- D. dentate nucleus
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Correct answer: B
The spinocerebellum receives information about limb position from the spinal cord and uses this information, for example, to compare where a limb is in space with where it should be if the movement were going as planned. If there is a discrepancy, the spinocerebellum can modify motor signals to correct any errors in the movement.
174. Which mechanism best explains how activation of the direct pathway of the basal ganglia is thought to facilitate movement?
- A. excitation of nuclei that inhibit thalamocortical activity
- B. direct excitation of motor cortex neurons by the striatum
- C. increased inhibitory signaling from the thalamus to the cortex
- D. inhibition of nuclei that inhibit thalamocortical neurons
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Correct answer: D
The direct pathway promotes movement by inhibiting the globus pallidus internal and substantia nigra pars reticula, which normally inhibit the thalamus. This reduces inhibition of thalamocortical neurons, allowing increased cortical activity and facilitating movement.
175. Where in a neuron are neurotransmitters typically stored before being released into the synaptic cleft?
- A. axon hillock
- B. dendrites
- C. axon terminals
- D. nucleus
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Correct answer: C
Neurotransmitters are stored in small membrane-bound sacs called synaptic vesicles, which cluster in the presynaptic axon terminal. When an action potential arrives, calcium influx triggers vesicle fusion with the presynaptic membrane, releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
176. Which part of a neuron integrates incoming signals to determine whether an action potential will be initiated?
- A. dendrites
- B. axon
- C. synaptic boutons
- D. axon hillock
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Correct answer: D
When information is received at the dendrites, it causes changes in the electrical properties of the cell, and the axon hillock is a region where those changes are integrated to determine if the incoming signals are strong enough for the neuron to initiate its own action potential.
177. Which of the following terms refers to the region where optic nerve fibers from both eyes partially cross and reorganize to form the optic tracts?
- A. lateral geniculate nucleus
- B. superior colliculus
- C. visual cortex
- D. optic chiasm
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Correct answer: D
At the optic chiasm, fibers from the nasal (medial) half of each retina cross to the opposite side, while fibers from the temporal (lateral) halves stay on the same side. This partial crossing allows visual information from the same visual field to be processed together in the opposite hemisphere of the brain.
178. Why is the primary visual cortex sometimes referred to as the "striate cortex?"
- A. its neurons fire in a striped pattern when exposed to visual stimuli
- B. myelinated axons runs along calcarine sulcus, creating a striped appearance
- C. it receives input from the retina in the form of stripe-like wave patterns
- D. the optic tract forms a stripe as it enters the cortex
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Correct answer: B
The primary visual cortex is found in the occipital lobe, surrounding and extending into a sulcus called the calcarine sulcus. A large band of myelinated axons runs along the edges of the calcarine sulcus, giving the primary visual cortex a striped appearance. Because of this, it is sometimes called the striate cortex.
179. The dopamine neurons that travel in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway (a major pathway in the reward system) mostly originate in which structure?
- A. nucleus accumbens
- B. amygdala
- C. hippocampus
- D. ventral tegmental area (VTA)
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Correct answer: D
Most dopamine neurons in the mesolimbic pathway originate in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain. These neurons project to the nucleus accumbens and other regions, playing a central role in reward, motivation, and reinforcement learning.
180. Neurons whose cell bodies are found in the anterior horn of the spinal cord are primarily involved with:
- A. transmitting sensory information
- B. regulating hormone secretion
- C. controlling the contraction of skeletal muscle
- D. regulating heart rate
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Correct answer: C
The anterior horn contains the cell bodies of motor neurons that activate skeletal muscle. These neurons, called alpha motor neurons, leave the cord in the ventral roots and represent the way the nervous system enacts voluntary and involuntary movements.
