Chapter 12: The Central Nervous System

NREM sleep normally exhibits four distinct stages, which appear to alternate.

Petit mal seizures found in children generally go away with age.

Specific motor and sensory functions are localized in specific areas called domains, whereas memory and language have overlapping domains.

A flat EEG is a good indication of deep sleep.

The corpora quadrigemina superior colliculi are visual reflex centers, whereas the inferior colliculi are auditory reflex centers.

Cell bodies of the somatic motor neurons of the spinal nerves are located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord.

Meningitis is the most accurate term for inflammation of neurons.

The adult spinal cord ends between L1 and L2.

Cerebrospinal fluid circulates within the ventricles of the brain and in the subarachnoid space outside the brain.

The terms fainting and syncope describe the same thing.

The RAS is comprised of specific pathways primarily in the limbic system.

Nondeclarative memories preserve the circumstances in which they are learned.

The first obvious sign that the nervous system is forming in the embryo is the thickening of the surface ectoderm to form the neural plate.

The left cerebral hemisphere is usually dominant.

The limbic system acts as our emotional, or affective, brain.

The canal connecting the third and fourth ventricles and running through the midbrain is the foramen of Monro.

Commissural fibers form the corpus striatum.

A disturbance of posture, muscle tremors at rest, and uncontrolled muscle contraction are all symptoms of damage to the basal nuclei.

Projection fibers in the brain mainly connect the right and left hemispheres.

Most of the ascending and descending pathways to and from the brain cross over from one side of the body to the other.

The primary visual cortex contains a map of visual space.

One functional center found within the medulla oblongata is a respiratory center involved in the control of the rate and depth of breathing.

Sorting of sensory information and relaying it to the appropriate cerebral sensory area occurs in the hypothalamus.

Embryonic damage to the mesencephalon could result in improper formation of the midbrain.

The anteriolateral pathways ________. A) are evolutionarily newer than the specific pathways B) receive inputs from a single type of sensory receptor C) are involved in the emotional aspects of perception D) are also called the lemniscal system

The suprachiasmatic nucleus is found in the ________. A) pons B) thalamus C) hypothalamus D) medulla

Nuclei of cranial nerves V, VI, and VII are found in the ________. A) midbrain B) medulla C) pons D) cerebrum

The arbor vitae refers to ________. A) cerebellar gray matter B) cerebellar white matter C) the pleatlike convolutions of the cerebellum D) flocculonodular nodes

The brain stem consists of the ________. A) cerebrum, pons, midbrain, and medulla B) midbrain, medulla, and pons C) pons, medulla, cerebellum, and midbrain D) midbrain only

The primary auditory cortex is located in the ________. A) prefrontal lobe B) frontal lobe C) temporal lobe D) parietal lobe

Spinocerebellar tracts ________. A) terminate in the spinal cord B) carry proprioceptive inputs to the cerebellum C) give rise to conscious experience of perception D) are found in the dorsal columns of the spinal cord

What cells line the ventricles of the brain? A) ependymal cells B) neurons C) epithelial cells D) astrocytes

The subarachnoid space lies between what two layers of meninges? A) arachnoid and epidura B) arachnoid and pia C) arachnoid and dura D) dura and epidura

The vital centers for the control of heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure are located in the ________. A) pons B) medulla C) midbrain D) cerebrum

Cell bodies of the sensory neurons of the spinal nerves are located in ________. A) the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord B) the ventral root ganglia of the spinal cord C) the thalamus D) sympathetic ganglia

Which fissure separates the cerebral hemispheres? A) central fissure B) longitudinal fissure C) parieto-occipital fissure D) lateral fissure

Which of the following best describes the cerebrum? A) motor command center B) visceral command center C) executive suite D) decussation center

A shallow groove on the surface of the cortex is called a ________. A) sulcus B) fissure C) gyrus D) furrow

Which of the following generalizations does not describe the cerebral cortex? A) The cerebral cortex contains three kinds of functional areas. B) Each hemisphere is chiefly concerned with sensory and motor functions of the contralateral side of the body. C) The hemispheres are exactly equal in function. D) No functional area of the cortex works alone.

If the posterior portion of the neural tube failed to develop properly the ________. A) spinal cord may be affected B) cranial nerves would not form C) hindbrain would not be present D) telencephalon would cease development

The central sulcus separates which lobes? A) frontal from parietal B) parietal from occipital C) temporal from parietal D) frontal from temporal

Neural tracts that convey life-saving information to the brain concerning burning pain would be ________. A) anterior spinothalamic B) reticulospinal C) lateral spinothalamic D) posterior spinothalamic

Which of these would you not find in the cerebral cortex? A) cell bodies B) dendrites C) unmyelinated axons D) fiber tracts

The hypothalamus ________. A) is the thermostat of the body because it regulates temperature B) is an important auditory and visual relay center C) has the Pulvinar body as part of its structure D) mediates sensations

The white matter of the spinal cord contains ________. A) myelinated nerve fibers only B) unmyelinated nerve fibers only C) myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers D) soma that have both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers

Which of the following is not a role of the basal nuclei? A) regulating attention and cognition B) controlling starting and stopping movements C) inhibiting unnecessary or antagonistic movements D) initiating protective reflex actions

An individual accidentally transected the spinal cord between T1 and L1. This would result in ________. A) paraplegia B) hemiplegia C) quadriplegia D) spinal shock only

Spastic paralysis suggests involvement of the ________. A) upper motor neurons B) lower motor neurons C) spinal nerve roots D) neuromotor junction

Ridges of tissue on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres are called ________. A) gyri B) sulci C) fissures D) ganglia

The frontal lobe is separated from the temporal lobe by the ________. A) longitudinal fissure B) lateral sulcus C) central sulcus D) cranial fossa

Which of the following statements is a false or incorrect statement? A) Damage to the primary motor cortex results only in the loss of voluntary muscle control. B) Damage to the premotor cortex results in loss of motor skills programmed in that area but movement is still possible. C) Damage to the visual association area results in blindness. D) Damage to the primary auditory cortex results in the inability to interpret pitch, loudness, and location.

Two terms for the massive motor tracts serving voluntary movement are ________. A) pyramidal and corticospinal B) extrapyramidal and rubrospinal C) segmental and nigrostriatal D) supplementary and cerebellar-pontine

An individual who could trace a picture of a bicycle with his or her finger but could not recognize it as a bicycle is most likely to have sustained damage to the ________. A) calcarine cortex B) primary visual area C) visual association area D) lateral geniculate body

Broca's area ________. A) corresponds to Brodmann's area 8 B) is usually found in the right hemisphere C) serves the recognition of complex objects D) is considered a motor speech area

Which part of the cerebral cortex is involved in intellect, cognition, recall, and personality? A) prefrontal cortex B) posterior association area C) limbic association area D) combined primary somatosensory cortex and somatosensory association cortex

The blood-brain barrier is effective against ________. A) metabolic waste such as urea B) nutrients such as glucose C) alcohol D) anesthetics

Which of the following is not part of the basal nuclei? A) putamen B) lentiform nucleus C) globus pallidus D) substantia nigra

All of the following are structures of the limbic system except the ________. A) hippocampus B) cingulate gyrus C) amygdaloid nucleus D) caudate nucleus

Which of the following is not a midbrain structure? A) third ventricle B) cerebral peduncles C) corpora quadrigemina D) red nucleus

The process of linking new facts with old facts already stored in the memory bank is called ________. A) consolidation B) automatic memory C) long-term memory D) rehearsal

Which category of memory is involved when playing the piano? A) declarative B) procedural C) motor D) emotional

The brain area that regulates activities that control the state of wakefulness or alertness of the cerebral cortex is the ________. A) thalamus B) reticular formation C) pyramids D) limbic system

Which of the following would you not find in normal cerebrospinal fluid? A) glucose B) red blood cells C) potassium D) protein

REM sleep is associated with ________. A) decreased vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure B) decreased activity of the brain, especially the cerebral cortex C) temporary skeletal muscle inhibition except for the extrinsic eye muscles D) decreased oxygen use, especially in the cerebral cortex

Which of the following is not a function of the CSF? A) reduction of brain weight B) protection from blows C) nourishment of the brain D) initiation of some nerve impulses

Injury to the hypothalamus may result in all of the following except ________. A) pathologic sleep B) loss of body temperature control C) production of excessive quantities of urine D) loss of proprioception

Which association regarding the function and location of the cerebrum is most accurate? A) sensory-anterior B) motor-medial C) sensory-medial D) motor-anterior

Brain wave amplitude ________. A) reflects the number of neurons firing synchronously B) is an average of about 1 V C) results from subtraction of delta waves from theta waves D) is the measure of activity of specific individual neurons

Important nuclei of the indirect (multineural) system that receive impulses from the equilibrium apparatus of the inner ear and help to maintain balance by varying muscle tone of postural muscles are the ________. A) red nuclei B) vestibular nuclei C) reticular nuclei D) superior colliculi

Which of the following structures is probably not directly involved in memory? A) hippocampus B) medulla C) amygdala D) prefrontal cortex

The area of the cortex that is responsible for sensations of the full bladder and the feeling that your lungs will burst when you hold your breath too long is the ________. A) olfactory cortex B) gusatory cortex C) vestibular cortex D) visceral sensory area

Which statement about coma is true? A) Coma is defined as total unresponsiveness to stimuli for a long period of time. B) During coma, brain oxygen consumption resembles that of a waking state. C) Coma is neurologically identical to syncope. D) Coma is rarely caused by damage to brain stem structures.

Tremor at rest, shuffling gait, stooped posture, and expressionless face are characteristics of ________. A) Huntington's disease B) Parkinson's disease C) cerebellar disease D) spinal cord disease

Which of the following is the mildest consequence of traumatic brain injury? A) contusion B) concussion C) hemorrhage D) swelling

Declarative memory ________. A) is the ability to learn specific information B) is best remembered in the doing C) is hard to unlearn when learned once D) usually involves motor skills

Which of the following is (are) involved with motor activity (either initiation or coordination)? A) postcentral gyrus B) gustatory cortex C) red nuclei D) Wernicke's area

Which statement is not true? A) Sleep requirements decline from infancy to early adulthood, level off, then decline again in old age. B) Half of infant sleep is composed of REM sleep. C) Ten-year-olds are in REM sleep about 1.5-2 hours per night. D) Stage 4 sleep increases in old age.

Which statement about epilepsy is most accurate? A) During seizures, sensory messages are processed normally but responses are blocked. B) Absence seizures typically begin in adolescence and is often severely disabling. C) Epilepsy is often genetically induced but also frequently caused by head trauma, stroke, infection, and tumor. D) The aura in tonic-clonic seizures typically occurs as the patient regains consciousness.

White matter (myelinated fibers) is found in all of the following locations except the ________. A) corpus callosum B) cerebral cortex C) corticospinal tracts D) outer portion of the spinal cord

Second-order neurons of both the specific and nonspecific ascending pathways terminate in the ________. A) spinal cord B) medulla C) thalamus D) somatosensory cortex

Loss of ability to perform skilled motor activities such as piano playing, with no paralysis or weakness in specific muscles, might suggest damage to the ________. A) spinal cord B) premotor cortex C) primary motor cortex D) rubrospinal tracts

Which brain waves are not normal for awake adults but are common for children? A) Alpha B) Beta C) Delta D) Theta

The fourth ventricle is continuous with the ________ of the spinal cord.

The large commissure that connects the right and left sides of the brain is called the ________.

The ________ is a conduction pathway between higher and lower brain centers and houses nuclei for cranial nerves V-VII.

The infundibulum connects the hypothalamus to the ________.

The structures that are valvelike and protrude externally through the dura mater to absorb cerebrospinal fluid into venous blood are the ________.

Sensory neurons enter the spinal cord via the ________ horn.

________ memory requires practice, and is remembered by doing.

The ________ includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus.

The two longitudinal ridges on the medulla oblongata where many descending fibers cross over are called the ________.

The largest nuclear mass in the midbrain is the ________.

In stage 3 sleep, ________ and ________ waves appear.

The ________ is the main switch station for memory; if the right and left areas are damaged, the past is lost.

________ rhythm is a 24-hour cycle of sleep and wakefulness.

________ is a temporary cessation of breathing during sleep found most commonly in the elderly.

The ________ is a protective mechanism that helps maintain a stable environment for the brain.