Ischemia is to ____ as hemorrhage is to ____.
a. older individuals; younger individuals
b. proximal; distal
c. obstruction; rupture
d. barely noticeable; lethal
Tryptophan enters the brain by an active-transport protein that it shares with ____ and
other large amino acids.
a. phenylalanine
b. melatonin
c. lactose
d. glucose
A split-brain patient that was briefly shown an apple in the left visual field and a banana
in the right visual field would report having seen:
a. an apple.
b. a banana.
c. neither.
d. both.
What is the current status of research on transfer of training through brain extracts?
a. It is generally accepted that this works under a variety of conditions.
b. Transfer succeeds only in planaria: it has never worked with any other species.
c. It has been revealed that claims of such a phenomenon were based on fraud.
d. Research ended without a conclusion because the phenomenon was difficult to
replicate.
Which of the following is NOT true about hibernation?
a. The longer an animal spends in hibernation, the shorter its life expectancy.
b. During hibernation, an animal’s body temperature drops.
c. Pet hamsters sometimes hibernate.
d. An extract from the brain of a hibernating animal can cause another animal to lower
its body temperature.
We can identify a wide variety of bitter substances because:
a. we have many different bitter receptors.
b. we have only one bitter receptor that responds to all bitter substances.
c. we can combine the activity of the sour and salty receptors.
d. even Pacinian corpuscles respond to bitter substances.
You are walking after dark. A sudden noise frightens you. Your heart pounds, your pulse
races, and your breathing rate increases. These responses are due to your:
a. parasympathetic nervous system.
b. sympathetic nervous system.
c. somatic nervous system.
d. immune system.
A distinctive symptom of Korsakoff’s syndrome is:
a. tremors.
b. dementia.
c. memory loss.
d. confabulation.
Electroconvulsive shock therapy is sometimes recommended for patients with strong
suicidal tendencies because it:
a. produces its benefits faster.
b. does not impair memory.
c. produces permanent, not temporary, relief.
d. is based on a theory, not just trial and error discoveries.
After a cut through the spinal cord, axons grow back enough to restore functioning in
certain ____ but not in ____.
a. adults; infants
b. infants; adults
c. fish; mammals
d. mammals; primates
Denervation supersensitivity refers to an increase in:
a. production and release of neurotransmitters.
b. growth of axon branches.
c. responses to neurotransmitters.
d. polarization of the membrane at rest.
In people suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, the startle response is:
a. generally absent.
b. generally weaker than in other people.
c. the same as in other people.
d. generally stronger than in other people.
Having an identical twin with Parkinson’s disease greatly increases the other twin’s
likelihood of also getting Parkinson’s disease if the:
a. first twin had late-onset Parkinson’s disease.
b. first twin had early-onset Parkinson’s disease.
c. twins are male.
d. twins are female.
Cells in the inferior temporal cortex respond vigorously to their preferred shape:
a. but only if the stimulus is also the preferred color.
b. as long as it is also a particular size.
c. as long as it is stationary.
d. regardless of its exact size or position on the retina.
According to the text, in the control of behavior, genes are ____.
a. all important and difficult
b. are irrelevant
c. neither all important nor irrelevant
d. all important
Paths from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord are called the:
a. pyramidalspinal tracts.
b. horizontalspinal tracts.
c. dorsospinal tracts.
d. corticospinal tracts.
For which of the following is the drug treatment generally only a little better than a
placebo?
a. Parkinson’s disease
b. schizophrenia
c. epilepsy
d. mild to moderate depression
Some neurons die during development because:
a. they are surrounded by glia.
b. they do not receive enough GABA.
c. they receive too much NGF.
d. they fail to receive enough NGF.
A drug that blocks the effects of a neurotransmitter is called a(n):
a. agonist.
b. antagonist.
c. depressant.
d. protagonist.
The pons acts as a bridge between:
a. the hindbrain and the forebrain.
b. the thalamus and the hypothalamus.
c. one side of the nervous system and the other.
d. the thalamus and the cerebral cortex.
Which of the following would be a physiological explanation for why birds sing?
a. Testosterone causes the growth of certain brain areas which control singing in certain
birds.
b. Birds sing due to instinct.
c. Birds sing because they hear their song early in life and form a template which
controls later singing.
d. Birds sing to defend territories and attract mates.
Why is blocking dopamine synapses to relieve schizophrenic symptoms not a strong
clue about the underlying problem?
a. It only works for about 10-15% of all patients.
b. It takes 2-3 weeks to affect a behavioral change.
c. It only works for about 2-3 weeks.
d. Schizophrenics produce too much dopamine.
Jill is interested in studying how hormones influence sexual behavior of rats. She is
most likely a:
a. biological psychologist.
b. neuroscientist.
c. clinical psychologist.
d. psychiatrist.
Watching another person shoot a basketball is most likely to activate ____ neurons in
the brain of the person who is watching.
a. primary motor cortex
b. spinal cord
c. mirror
d. observational
A man has suffered brain damage that has left him unable to recognize the faces of his
wife and children, although he can identify them by their voices. What is his condition?
a. Aphasia
b. Prosopagnosia
c. lateral inhibition
d. motion blindness
Research suggests that ____ sleep is most important for strengthening memories of
motor skills.
a. stage II
b. stage I
c. deep
d. REM
In humans, the optic nerves from the two eyes follow what pathway?
a. They go directly to the ipsilateral hemisphere, without contacting each other.
b. They go directly to the contralateral hemisphere, without contacting each other.
c. Half of the axons from each eye cross to the other side at the optic chiasm.
d. They combine to send identical information to each hemisphere.
A single visual pattern is presented under two conditions. Under one condition, the
viewer is conscious of it, and under the other, the viewer is not. How does the activity
differ in the brain, if at all?
a. Conscious activity is in the cortex. Unconscious activity is in subcortical areas.
b. Activity is more intense and spreads more widely during conscious perception.
c. Conscious activity is in the left hemisphere. Unconscious is in the right hemisphere.
d. The brain activity is the same in both cases.
The symptoms of tardive dyskinesia are:
a. anterograde and retrograde amnesia.
b. tremors and other involuntary movements.
c. outbursts of unprovoked violent behavior.
d. attacks of anxiety that prevent active behavior.
A tumor in the temporal lobe may give rise to:
a. flashes of light.
b. visual hallucinations.
c. olfactory hallucinations.
d. prolonged yawning.
Individuals with pure autonomic failure:
a. do not experience emotions.
b. are paralyzed.
c. are always fearful.
d. do not experience much intensity of emotion.