Module 11 REVIEW

• 11-1 How do neuroscientists study the brain’s connections to behavior and mind?

• Case studies and lesioning first revealed the general effects of brain damage.
• Modern electrical, chemical, or magnetic stimulation has also revealed aspects of information processing in the brain.
• CT and MRI scans show anatomy. EEG, MEG, PET, and fMRI (functional MRI) recordings reveal brain function.

• 11-2 What structures make up the brainstem, and what are the functions of the brainstem, thalamus, reticular formation, and cerebellum?

• The brainstem, the oldest part of the brain, is responsible for automatic survival functions. Its components are the medulla (which controls heartbeat and breathing), the pons (which helps coordinate movements), and the reticular formation (which filters incoming stimuli, relays information to other brain areas, and affects arousal).
• The thalamus, sitting above the brainstem, acts as the brain’s sensory control center. The cerebellum, attached to the rear of the brainstem, coordinates muscle movement and balance and also helps process sensory information.

• 11-3 What are the limbic system’s structures and functions?

• The limbic system is linked to emotions, memory, and drives.
• Its neural centers include the amygdala (involved in responses of aggression and fear); the hypothalamus (involved in various bodily maintenance functions, pleasurable rewards, and the control of the endocrine system); and the hippocampus (which processes conscious memories).
• The hypothalamus controls the pituitary (the “master gland”) by stimulating it to trigger the release of hormones.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Damage to which of the following puts a person’s life in the most danger because it may cause breathing to stop?
   1. Amygdala
   2. Thalamus
   3. Medulla
   4. Hippocampus
   5. Hypothalamus
2. A gymnast falls and hits her head on the floor. She attempts to continue practicing but has trouble maintaining balance. What part of her brain has probably been affected?
   1. Reticular formation
   2. Cerebellum
   3. Amygdala
   4. Thalamus
   5. Medulla
3. Which of the following scanning techniques measures glucose consumption as an indicator of brain activity?
   1. CT
   2. MRI
   3. fMRI
   4. PET
   5. EEG
4. Which of the following is sometimes referred to as the brain’s sensory switchboard, because it directs incoming sensory messages (with the exception of smell) to their proper places in the brain?
   1. Hypothalamus
   2. Pituitary
   3. Cerebellum
   4. Limbic system
   5. Thalamus
5. Which of the following brain areas is responsible for regulating hunger and thirst?
   1. Reticular activating system
   2. Amygdala
   3. Hypothalamus
   4. Hippocampus
   5. Brainstem
6. Stimulation of the amygdala is most likely to have which of the following effects?
   1. Happiness
   2. Aggression
   3. Hunger
   4. Loss of balance
   5. Dreaming
7. Damage to which of following brain structures would affect the processing of new explicit memories?
   1. Cerebral cortex
   2. Medulla
   3. Corpus callosum
   4. Hippocampus
   5. Hypothalamus

Practice FRQs

1. Thomas fell and hit his head, so his parents brought him to the emergency room. Explain how the following scans would give doctors different information about the type of injury Thomas may have.
   • CT scan
   • MRI
   • fMRI

Answer

1 point: The CT scan would reveal brain damage to structures that would be visible on an X-ray. Page 99

1 point: The MRI would provide a much more detailed picture of the brain than a CT scan. Page 99

1 point: The fMRI would enable the doctors to determine if the functioning of parts of the brain had been damaged, by looking at blood flow to certain regions. Page 100

2. Identify the role of each of the following in playing a song on the piano.
   • Hippocampus
   • Cerebellum
   • Reticular formation
   • Temporal lobe

(4 points)