Topic 17 Exam study guides

Exam 1

Neuroanatomy

  • Meninges
  • Lobes of the cerebral cortex
  • Components of the
    • Forebrain
      • hypothalamus != hippocampus
    • Midbrain
    • Hindbrain
    • What ventricles are landmarks
  • Planes of section
    • Axial/horizontal
    • Sagittal
    • Coronal/frontal
  • CNS vs. PNS
  • Components of the ANS
    • Sympathetic
    • Parasympathetic

Methods

  • Functional vs. structural
  • Spatial vs. temporal resolution

Cells

  • Neuron anatomy
  • Resting potential
    • What ions, concentrated where
    • Force of diffusion
    • Electrostatic force
  • Action potential
    • Voltage-gated channels
    • What’s happening in
      • Rising phase
      • Falling phase
  • Glia
    • Astrocytes
    • Myelinating cells
      • Cell types
      • Function of

Exam 2

Methods

  • Structural vs. functional

Neuroanatomy

  • Hypothalamus
    • Anterior/posterior pituitary
  • Sympathetic/Parasympathetic nervous system
  • Adrenal gland
    • Medulla
    • Cortex
  • Cerebral cortex
  • Cerebellum
  • Midbrain
    • Tectum
    • Tegmentum
      • Ventral Tegmental Area
      • Substantia Nigra
  • Glial cell types

Resting & action potentials

  • What ions are concentrated where (inside/outside)
    • Na+
    • K+
    • A-
    • Cl-
  • Steps/phases of action potential (what’s happening to ions & channels)
    • Onset at threshold
    • Rising phase
    • Peak
    • Falling phase
    • Reset

Neurotransmitters

  • Steps in neurotransmitter release

  • Amino acids

    • Glutamate
    • GABA

  • Acetylcholine

  • Monoamines

    • Dopamine (DA)
    • Norepinephrine (NE)/Noradrenaline (NA)
    • Serotonin/5-HT
    • Histamine
    • Melatonin

  • Anatomy (where released)

  • Disorders/conditions linked to specific neurotransmitter systems

  • Ionotropic vs. metabotropic receptors

  • Excitatory Post-Synaptic Potentials (EPSPs)/Inhibitory Post-Synaptic Potentials

Hormones

  • Hormones, where released and function of
    • Cortisol
    • Oxytocin
    • Melatonin
    • AVP/ADH
  • HPA axis, SAM axis
    • Anatomy
    • Hormones and neurotransmitters released

Evolution

  • Principles of evolution; evidence for
  • Milestones of history of life on Earth
  • Humans vs. other animals brain size, structure, composition

Exam 3

Methods

  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)

Neuroanatomy

  • Location and names of cerebral ventricles
  • What sensory/motor areas are located in each lobe

Neurochemistry

  • Events leading to release of neurotransmitter

Evolution & Development

  • What measure(s) of brain structure or function decline in childhood and adolescence?
  • Where do cells that can make new neurons & glia in adult mammals reside?
  • How mammalian brains compare
  • Human cerebellum size vs. non-human animals

Psychopathology

  • Monoamine hypothesis of depression
  • Evidence for link between serotonin dysfunction and depression
  • SSRIs and SNRIs
  • What is ECT and how is it used
  • Treatments for bipolar disorder
  • Risk factors for depression, schizophrenia
  • Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia
  • Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia and its flaws and alternatives

Emotion

  • Locationist vs. constructionist account
  • Focal points of Plutchik’s perspective
  • Non-human animal behaviors/physiology vs. human
  • Neurotransmitters involved in affective states, responses
  • Effect of stimulation of “reward” pathway, main sites
  • Brain sites that release dopamine
  • Typical cortisol release patterns
  • Acute vs. chronic stressors

Sensory systems

  • Interoception vs. exteroception
  • Properties of cutaneous (skin) receptors
  • Why spicy-tasting foods also seem hot
  • What sensory signals propagate quickly and which slowly
  • Receptive field sizes and relationship with sensitivity
  • Anatomy of somatosensory system