Exam 03

Published

February 26, 2026

Modified

December 17, 2025

A. Main (40 points)

Answer the following questions.

1) One counterintuitive feature of human brain development in childhood and adolescence is that there is considerable loss of both _ and _.

A. White matter; CSF
B. neurons; synapses
C. BOLD responses; glutamate-releasing neurons
D. Metabolic efficiency; EEG amplitudes

2) Brain imaging evidence suggests that emotions activate a distributed network of brain areas, not specific locations in the brain.

A. True
B. False.

3) Plutchik’s biological approach to emotion focuses on an emotion’s and______.

A. subjective feelings; facial expressions
B. arousal; valence (positive/negative)
C. intensity; subjective feelings
D. influence on reproduction; link to defense behavior

4) The serotonin (or monoamine) hypothesis of depression suggests that

A. lowered levels are a major cause of the disorder
B. increased levels are a major cause of the disorder
C. lower ACh levels exacerbate the disorder’s positive symptoms
D. higher DA levels are linked to the disorder’s positive symptoms

5) Within an animal group, e.g., mammals, large species tend to have _______ brains.

A. larger
B. smaller
C. less metabolically active
D. more quickly developing

6) Brain circuits that control some behaviors and physiological responses associated with different emotions appear similar in humans and non-human animals.

A. True
B. False.

7) All of the following are common treatments for bipolar disorder EXCEPT:

A. Lithium
B. Anticonvulsants
C. Antipsychotics
D. Dopamine agonists

8) The neurotransmitter __________ is released by motor neurons onto muscle fibers in the PNS:

A. Glutamate
B. Dopamine
C. Acetylcholine
D. Melatonin

9) There are two main locations in the ventral midbrain where neurons that release dopamine can be found, the and the __.

A. Pons; Cerebellum
B. Thalamus; Hypothalamus
C. Superior Colliculus; Inferior Colliculus
D. Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA); Substantia Nigra

10) Which of the following are not examples of questions that interoceptive sensory systems provide information about?

A. Where is that tiger moving and how fast?
B. Am I hot or cold?
C. Am I hungry or thirsty?
D. Am I tired or full of energy?

11) Which of the following events must occur for neurotransmitter to be released from an axon’s presynaptic terminal?

A. Voltage-gated K+ channels must open to permit K+ to enter the cell.
B. Voltage-gated Ca++ channels must open to permit Ca++ to enter the cell.
C. Neurotransmitters must diffuse through the cytoplasm to the presynaptic membrane.
D. None of the above.

12) In comparison to other animal groups that have similar body sizes, the human brain is __________.

A. larger
B. smaller
C. the same size
D. less dense

For the next three (3) questions match the correct label to the letters in the figure below.

13) Third Ventricle

14) Lateral Ventricle

15) Fourth Ventricle

16) Receptors in the skin provide information about all of the following object properties EXCEPT:

A. Texture
B. Temperature
C. Color
D. Shape

17) Room-temperature foods with capsaicin “taste” spicy and “feel” hot because ________.

A. Receptors in your mouth respond both to chemical cues and increases in temperature.
B. Receptors in your mouth don’t distinguish between chemical properties.
C. Painful stimuli can trigger thermal receptors.
D. Taste and touch sensations are completely isolated from one another.

18) Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a/an MRI method that provides information about .

A. functional; how neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic cleft
B. functional; the blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response
C. structural; connectivity between brain areas
D. structural; the branching structure of neuronal dendrites

19) Schizophrenia is characterized by which of the following brain abnormalities?

A. Increased size of ventricles
B. Reduced hippocampal volume
C. White matter disruptions
D. All of the above

20) Why might the dopamine (DA) hypothesis not provide a comprehensive explanation for schizophrenia?

A. Changes in DA levels have not been shown to disturb memory function.
B. The hypothesis cannot explain the strong developmental origins of the disease.
C. Some drugs increase DA levels but reduce schizophrenia-like symptoms.
D. DA antagonists only relieve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

21) More recent theories about schizophrenia point to a disturbance in _, one of the _ common neurotransmitters released in the CNS.

A. endorphins; least
B. norepinephrine; most
C. CO; least
D. glutamate; most

22) Information about painful stimulation projects to the brain via neurons that are myelinated, in diameter, and __.

A. Thickly; large; fast
B. Thickly; small in; fast
C. Thinly; small in; relatively slow
D. Thickly; large; relatively slow

23) Touch receptors enervating the skin on the ______ have especially small receptive fields.

A. Face
B. Calf
C. Neck
D. Back

25) In response to a typical, acute environmental stressor, cortisol levels ______.

A. involve activation of the SAM axis
B. rise, fall below baseline levels, then return
C. rise and stay elevated
D. rise then return to baseline levels after a short period

26) The ________ is the region of the thalamus that responds to and relays somatosensory information to the cerebral cortex.

A. Nucleus accumbens
B. Ventral posterior lateral nucleus
C. Ventral striatum
D. Suprachiasmatic nucleus

Indicate the letter of the lobe that corresponds to the location of each sensory or motor cortical area.

27) Location of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1).

28) Location of the primary auditory cortex (A1).

29) Location of the primary motor cortex (M1).

30) Location of the primary visual cortex (V1).

Select the best answer for the following questions.

31) ______ in the cerebral cortex continues well into a human being’s third decade.

A. Growth in thickness
B. Net increases in synaptic density
C. Myelination
D. Large-scale generation of new neurons

32) The _______ of your smartphone is analogous to the pressure receptors in your skin.

A. accelerometer
B. cellular radio
C. touch screen
D. GPS transmitter

33) Recent large-scale meta-analyses have _________ .

A. Reinforced the association between serotonin dysfunction and depression.
B. Called into question similarities between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
C. Reinforced the link between dopamine dysfunction and bipolar disorder.
D. Called into question the relationship between serotonin and depression.

34) Milner and Olds discovered that electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle connecting the VTA and the nucleus accumbens caused experimental animals to __________.

A. change their behavior in order to seek out ever more frequent stimulation
B. hippocampus; amygdala
C. temporal cortex; striatum
D. hypothalamus; pituitary

35) Serotonin/Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) act on presynaptic and cause extracellular levels of these to be increased.

A. metabotropic receptors; hormones
B. ion pumps; amino acids
C. transporters; monoamines D. Ionotropic receptors; indolamines

36) Even in adult humans, cells adjacent to the cerebral ventricles retain the ability to _______. .

A. abolish BOLD responses
B. generate new neurons and glia
C. release hormones and neurotransmitters into the pituitary gland
D. force potassium ions to switch their electrical charge

37) Deep brain stimulation is one promising therapy for _ and _.

A. Major depressive disorder; Parkinson’s Disease
B. Schizophrenia; panic disorder
C. Bipolar disorder; drug addiction
D. Insomnia; ADHD

38) Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be effective in treating ________.

A. Alcohol Use Disorder
B. Parkinson’s Disease
C. Epilepsy
D. Major depressive disorder

39) An acute stressor is one that ________.

A. lasts only a short period of time
B. is especially intense and long-lived
C. rarely triggers the HPA axis
D. overstimulates cortisol receptors in the spinal cord.

40) Lesions of the ________ block fear conditioning in experimental animals.

A. hippocampus
B. cerebral cortex
C. amygdala
D. striatum

Section B. Bonus Questions

41) Which of these is NOT true about individuals with schizophrenia?

A. The genetic disposition for getting the disorder is just under 50% for monozygotic twins.
B. The majority have a mild form that resolves.
C. They show decreased cortical thickness in adolescence.
D. They can exhibit delusional thoughts, hallucinations, mood issues, and behavioral abnormalities.

42) The projection from the _to the _is a major pathway in the brain’s ‘reward’ system.

A. Ventral tegmental area (VTA); nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum
B. Substantia nigra; striatum
C. Ventral tegmental area (VTA); amygdala
D. Hypothalamus; adrenal medulla.

--- title: "Exam 03" format: html --- ## A. Main (40 points) Answer the following questions. ### 1) One counterintuitive feature of human brain development in childhood and adolescence is that there is considerable loss of both _______ and _______. A. White matter; CSF **B. neurons; synapses** C. BOLD responses; glutamate-releasing neurons D. Metabolic efficiency; EEG amplitudes ### 2) Brain imaging evidence suggests that emotions activate a distributed network of brain areas, not specific locations in the brain. **A. True** B. False. ### 3) Plutchik’s biological approach to emotion focuses on an emotion’s and______. A. subjective feelings; facial expressions **B. arousal; valence (positive/negative)** C. intensity; subjective feelings D. influence on reproduction; link to defense behavior ### 4) The serotonin (or monoamine) hypothesis of depression suggests that **A. lowered levels are a major cause of the disorder** B. increased levels are a major cause of the disorder C. lower ACh levels exacerbate the disorder’s positive symptoms D. higher DA levels are linked to the disorder’s positive symptoms ### 5) Within an animal group, e.g., mammals, large species tend to have _______ brains. **A. larger** B. smaller C. less metabolically active D. more quickly developing ### 6) Brain circuits that control some behaviors and physiological responses associated with different emotions appear similar in humans and non-human animals. **A. True** B. False. ### 7) All of the following are common treatments for bipolar disorder EXCEPT: A. Lithium B. Anticonvulsants C. Antipsychotics **D. Dopamine agonists** ### 8) The neurotransmitter __________ is released by motor neurons onto muscle fibers in the PNS: A. Glutamate B. Dopamine **C. Acetylcholine** D. Melatonin ### 9) There are two main locations in the ventral midbrain where neurons that release dopamine can be found, the ______ and the ________. A. Pons; Cerebellum B. Thalamus; Hypothalamus C. Superior Colliculus; Inferior Colliculus **D. Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA); Substantia Nigra** ### 10) Which of the following are not examples of questions that interoceptive sensory systems provide information about? **A. Where is that tiger moving and how fast?** B. Am I hot or cold? C. Am I hungry or thirsty? D. Am I tired or full of energy? ### 11) Which of the following events must occur for neurotransmitter to be released from an axon’s presynaptic terminal? A. Voltage-gated K+ channels must open to permit K+ to enter the cell. **B. Voltage-gated Ca++ channels must open to permit Ca++ to enter the cell.** C. Neurotransmitters must diffuse through the cytoplasm to the presynaptic membrane. D. None of the above. ### 12) In comparison to other animal groups that have similar body sizes, the human brain is __________. **A. larger** B. smaller C. the same size D. less dense For the next three (3) questions match the correct label to the letters in the figure below. :::: {.columns} ::: {.column width=50%} ### 13) Third Ventricle ### 14) Lateral Ventricle ### 15) Fourth Ventricle ::: ::: {.column width=50%} ![](../include/img/exam-03-fig-01.jpg) ::: :::: ### 16) Receptors in the skin provide information about all of the following object properties EXCEPT: A. Texture B. Temperature **C. Color** D. Shape ### 17) Room-temperature foods with capsaicin “taste” spicy and “feel” hot because ________. **A. Receptors in your mouth respond both to chemical cues and increases in temperature.** B. Receptors in your mouth don’t distinguish between chemical properties. C. Painful stimuli can trigger thermal receptors. D. Taste and touch sensations are completely isolated from one another. ### 18) Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a/an ________ MRI method that provides information about ________. A. functional; how neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic cleft B. functional; the blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response **C. structural; connectivity between brain areas** D. structural; the branching structure of neuronal dendrites ### 19) Schizophrenia is characterized by which of the following brain abnormalities? A. Increased size of ventricles B. Reduced hippocampal volume C. White matter disruptions **D. All of the above** ### 20) Why might the dopamine (DA) hypothesis not provide a comprehensive explanation for schizophrenia? A. Changes in DA levels have not been shown to disturb memory function. B. The hypothesis cannot explain the strong developmental origins of the disease. **C. Some drugs increase DA levels but reduce schizophrenia-like symptoms.** D. DA antagonists only relieve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. ### 21) More recent theories about schizophrenia point to a disturbance in _______, one of the _______ common neurotransmitters released in the CNS. A. endorphins; least B. norepinephrine; most C. CO; least **D. glutamate; most** ### 22) Information about painful stimulation projects to the brain via neurons that are ______ myelinated, ______ in diameter, and ______. A. Thickly; large; fast B. Thickly; small in; fast **C. Thinly; small in; relatively slow** D. Thickly; large; relatively slow ### 23) Touch receptors enervating the skin on the ______ have especially small receptive fields. **A. Face** B. Calf C. Neck D. Back ### 24) Perceptual sensitivity (detecting sensations of small magnitude) is NOT related to which of the following? A. Receptor density **B. Speed of propagation** C. The psychophysical just-noticeable difference (JND). D. Size of the cortical area. ### 25) In response to a typical, acute environmental stressor, cortisol levels ______. A. involve activation of the SAM axis B. rise, fall below baseline levels, then return C. rise and stay elevated **D. rise then return to baseline levels after a short period** ### 26) The ________ is the region of the thalamus that responds to and relays somatosensory information to the cerebral cortex. A. Nucleus accumbens **B. Ventral posterior lateral nucleus** C. Ventral striatum D. Suprachiasmatic nucleus :::: {.columns} ::: {.column width=50%} Indicate the letter of the lobe that corresponds to the location of each sensory or motor cortical area. ### 27) Location of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). ### 28) Location of the primary auditory cortex (A1). ### 29) Location of the primary motor cortex (M1). ### 30) Location of the primary visual cortex (V1). ::: ::: {.column width=50%} ![](../include/img/exam-03-fig-02.jpg) ::: :::: Select the best answer for the following questions. ### 31) ______ in the cerebral cortex continues well into a human being’s third decade. A. Growth in thickness B. Net increases in synaptic density **C. Myelination** D. Large-scale generation of new neurons ### 32) The _______ of your smartphone is analogous to the pressure receptors in your skin. A. accelerometer B. cellular radio **C. touch screen** D. GPS transmitter ### 33) Recent large-scale meta-analyses have _________ . A. Reinforced the association between serotonin dysfunction and depression. B. Called into question similarities between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. C. Reinforced the link between dopamine dysfunction and bipolar disorder. **D. Called into question the relationship between serotonin and depression**. ### 34) Milner and Olds discovered that electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle connecting the VTA and the nucleus accumbens caused experimental animals to __________. **A. change their behavior in order to seek out ever more frequent stimulation** B. hippocampus; amygdala C. temporal cortex; striatum D. hypothalamus; pituitary ### 35) Serotonin/Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) act on presynaptic __________ and cause extracellular levels of these __________ to be increased. A. metabotropic receptors; hormones B. ion pumps; amino acids **C. transporters; monoamines** D. Ionotropic receptors; indolamines ### 36) Even in adult humans, cells adjacent to the cerebral ventricles retain the ability to _______. . A. abolish BOLD responses **B. generate new neurons and glia** C. release hormones and neurotransmitters into the pituitary gland D. force potassium ions to switch their electrical charge ### 37) Deep brain stimulation is one promising therapy for _______ and _______. **A. Major depressive disorder; Parkinson’s Disease** B. Schizophrenia; panic disorder C. Bipolar disorder; drug addiction D. Insomnia; ADHD ### 38) Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be effective in treating ________. A. Alcohol Use Disorder B. Parkinson’s Disease C. Epilepsy **D. Major depressive disorder** ### 39) An acute stressor is one that ________. **A. lasts only a short period of time** B. is especially intense and long-lived C. rarely triggers the HPA axis D. overstimulates cortisol receptors in the spinal cord. ### 40) Lesions of the ________ block fear conditioning in experimental animals. A. hippocampus B. cerebral cortex **C. amygdala** D. striatum ## Section B. Bonus Questions ### 41) Which of these is NOT true about individuals with schizophrenia? A. The genetic disposition for getting the disorder is just under 50% for monozygotic twins. **B. The majority have a mild form that resolves.** C. They show decreased cortical thickness in adolescence. D. They can exhibit delusional thoughts, hallucinations, mood issues, and behavioral abnormalities. ### 42) The projection from the _______to the _______is a major pathway in the brain’s ‘reward’ system. **A. Ventral tegmental area (VTA); nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum** B. Substantia nigra; striatum C. Ventral tegmental area (VTA); amygdala D. Hypothalamus; adrenal medulla.