Biological psyc quiz 8

What characteristic of L-dopa makes it an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease?

L-dopa can cross the blood-brain barrier.

What will cause a muscle to relax?

absence of acetylcholine

The posterior parietal cortex:

keeps track of the position of the body relative to the world

A saccade is initiated by impulses from the

cerebellum.

Paths from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord are called the:

corticospinal tracts.

Speaking, piano playing, athletic skills, and other rapid movements would be most impaired by damage to which structure?

Cerebellum

The finger-to-nose test is a common way of testing for possible damage to what structure?

Cerebellum

Most of the axons of the pyramidal tract go to which side of the body?

Contralateral

A man who has suffered from damage to the cerebellar cortex is given the finger-to-nose test. He is most likely to have trouble with which part of the task?

Controlling the initial, rapid movement

What is one of the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

Difficulty initiating movements

If a new species were found with legs composed almost completely of fast-twitch muscles, what could we infer about its behavior?

It could chase prey only over short distances

What is the relationship of genetics to Huntington's disease?

It is caused by a dominant gene on chromosome 4

Which of the following is NOT common in people with Parkinson's disease?

Outbursts of emotions

Which of the following would most likely happen with damage to the prefrontal cortex?

Poorly planned movements

In Parkinson's disease, which pathway in the brain degenerates?

Substantia nigra to caudate nucleus and putamen

Which of the following is TRUE of Huntington's disease?

The earlier the onset, the more rapid the deterioration.

What is the stimulus for the rooting reflex?

Touching the cheek near the mouth

Which of the following is an example of a ballistic movement?

a reflexive knee jerk

Axons release ____ at junctions with skeletal muscles.

acetylcholine

The Babinski reflex clinically occurs in a(n):

adult with damage to the cerebral cortex

Lateral tract axons are responsible for movements in the:

arms, hands, and toes

Children with ____ were found to have less activity in the brain areas believed to contain mirror neuron

autism

With experience, the motor skills required to drive a car become more automatic over time mostly because of changes in the:

basal ganglia.

Studies on conscious decisions regarding voluntary movements suggest that:

brain activity for the movement begins before we are conscious of our decision.

MPTP and some chemicals in herbicides:

can damage cells of the substantia nigra

In contrast to people with posterior parietal damage, people with damage to certain parts of the occipital cortex outside the primary visual cortex:

cannot accurately describe what they see but can reach out to grasp it.

The heart is to ____ as movement of the body is to ____.

cardiac muscles; striated muscles

Which basal ganglia structure(s) is/are important for receiving input from sensory areas of the thalamus and the cerebral cortex?

caudate nucleus and putamen

The cerebellum appears to be critical for:

certain aspects of attention

Activity of a muscle spindle is to ____ as activity of the Golgi tendon organ is to ____.

contraction; inhibition of contraction

Cigarette smoking and coffee drinking ____ the risk of Parkinson's disease, and marijuana ____ the risk.

decrease, increases

The eye muscles can be moved with greater precision than the biceps muscles because the:

eye muscles have a lower ratio of muscle fibers to axons

Purkinje cells are

flat cells in sequential planes.

At the elbow, the ____ brings the hand toward the shoulder.

flexor muscle

The immediate cause of Parkinson's disease is the:

gradual, progressive death of neurons in the substantia nigra.

The greater the number of Purkinje cells activated, the

greater the collective duration of the response

People with posterior parietal damage:

have trouble converting vision into action.

Patients with damage to the cerebellum are impaired at ____ movements, but relatively normal in making ____ movements

imagining, continuous

A Golgi tendon organ responds to:

increases in muscle tension

Watching another person shoot a basketball is most likely to activate ____ neurons in the brain of the person who is watching.

mirror

Which of the following are two kinds of proprioceptors?

muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs

The part of the cortex that responds mostly to the sensory signals that lead to a movement is the:

prefrontal cortex

The role of the Golgi tendon organs is to

prevent extreme muscle contractions.

Infants have several reflexes, such as the ____ and the ____, that are not seen in adults.

rooting reflex; Babinski reflex

Compared to the average weekend jogger, a world class marathon runner probably has a higher percentage of which kind of fibers in his legs?

slow-twitch

A muscle spindle responds to the

stretch of the muscle

Cells in the prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and ____ prepare for a movement, sending messages to the primary motor cortex.

supplementary motor cortex

Damage to the ____ impairs the ability to organize smooth sequences of activities.

supplementary motor cortex

Although Parkinson's disease is usually limited to old people, it has occurred in a small number of young people that

used a designer drug.

A neuromuscular junction is a synapse

where a motor neuron axon meets a muscle fiber.