COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE FINAL PAPER
2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS STUDY GUIDE
◉ What is the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)?
Answer: A selective barrier that prevents certain substances from
entering the brain from the bloodstream.
◉ What is the role of L-Dopa in pharmacological manipulations?
Answer: It acts as a dopamine receptor agonist that can cross the
BBB and convert into dopamine.
◉ What is the effect of dopamine on decision-making?
Answer: Dopamine influences reward-driven learning and decision-
making processes.
◉ What is optogenetics?
Answer: A method that uses light to control neurons that have been
genetically modified to express light-sensitive ion channels.
◉ What is the significance of genetic manipulations in neuroscience?
,Answer: They help in understanding gene-behavior associations and
the impact of genetic disorders on cognitive functions.
◉ What is the relationship between PTSD and brain size?
Answer: Research suggests that smaller hippocampus size may be a
risk factor for developing PTSD.
◉ What is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)?
Answer: A surgical procedure that involves implanting a
microelectrode in the brain to treat conditions like Parkinson's
disease.
◉ What is the purpose of using control groups in pharmacological
studies?
Answer: To compare the effects of drugs on patients with a healthy
population and understand specific drug impacts.
◉ What is a major drawback of drug studies in neuroscience?
Answer: Lack of specificity regarding which brain sites are affected
by the drugs administered.
◉ What does the term 'plasticity' refer to in the context of brain
injuries?
Answer: The brain's ability to reorganize and adapt after damage.
, ◉ What is the purpose of genetic mapping in neuroscience?
Answer: To identify the relationships between genetic variations
and cognitive functions or behaviors.
◉ What is the significance of the study by Gu et al. (2012)?
Answer: It demonstrated the necessity of the anterior insular cortex
for empathetic pain perception.
◉ What does the term 'indirect inference' mean in lesion studies?
Answer: Inferring the function of a damaged brain region based on
observed behavioral impairments.
◉ What is the main conclusion from studies on dopamine's role in
decision-making?
Answer: Dopamine has a selective effect on reward-driven learning.
◉ What are the implications of compensatory processes in brain
lesions?
Answer: They can alter the function of connected neural regions,
complicating the interpretation of lesion effects.
◉ What is the role of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC)
in DBS?
2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS STUDY GUIDE
◉ What is the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)?
Answer: A selective barrier that prevents certain substances from
entering the brain from the bloodstream.
◉ What is the role of L-Dopa in pharmacological manipulations?
Answer: It acts as a dopamine receptor agonist that can cross the
BBB and convert into dopamine.
◉ What is the effect of dopamine on decision-making?
Answer: Dopamine influences reward-driven learning and decision-
making processes.
◉ What is optogenetics?
Answer: A method that uses light to control neurons that have been
genetically modified to express light-sensitive ion channels.
◉ What is the significance of genetic manipulations in neuroscience?
,Answer: They help in understanding gene-behavior associations and
the impact of genetic disorders on cognitive functions.
◉ What is the relationship between PTSD and brain size?
Answer: Research suggests that smaller hippocampus size may be a
risk factor for developing PTSD.
◉ What is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)?
Answer: A surgical procedure that involves implanting a
microelectrode in the brain to treat conditions like Parkinson's
disease.
◉ What is the purpose of using control groups in pharmacological
studies?
Answer: To compare the effects of drugs on patients with a healthy
population and understand specific drug impacts.
◉ What is a major drawback of drug studies in neuroscience?
Answer: Lack of specificity regarding which brain sites are affected
by the drugs administered.
◉ What does the term 'plasticity' refer to in the context of brain
injuries?
Answer: The brain's ability to reorganize and adapt after damage.
, ◉ What is the purpose of genetic mapping in neuroscience?
Answer: To identify the relationships between genetic variations
and cognitive functions or behaviors.
◉ What is the significance of the study by Gu et al. (2012)?
Answer: It demonstrated the necessity of the anterior insular cortex
for empathetic pain perception.
◉ What does the term 'indirect inference' mean in lesion studies?
Answer: Inferring the function of a damaged brain region based on
observed behavioral impairments.
◉ What is the main conclusion from studies on dopamine's role in
decision-making?
Answer: Dopamine has a selective effect on reward-driven learning.
◉ What are the implications of compensatory processes in brain
lesions?
Answer: They can alter the function of connected neural regions,
complicating the interpretation of lesion effects.
◉ What is the role of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC)
in DBS?
