, CHAPTER LIST
Chapter 1: Neuroanatomy (Paul Johns & Gemma Northam)
Chapter 2: Neurophysiology (Pedro F. Viana & Nandini Mullatti)
Chapter 3: Neuropharmacology and Neurochemistry (David Cunningham
Owens & Katie Marwick)
Chapter 4: Structural and Functional Neuroimaging in Psychiatry (Sukhi
Sherghill & Raka Maitra)
Chapter 5: Neuropsychology (Martin van den Broek)
Chapter 6: Neurodevelopment (Norman A. Poole)
Chapter 7: Neurogenetics (David Curtis)
Chapter 8: Neurophilosophy: Neuroscience, Non-reductionism and Psychiatry
(Norman A. Poole & Derek B. Bolton)
Chapter 9: Neuroimmunology (Adam Al-Diwani, Toby Pillinger, Alasdair Coles
& Belinda Lennox)
Chapter 10: Neuroendocrinology (Andrea Nani & Andrea E. Cavanna)
Chapter 11: Neuroscience of Sleep (Valentina Gnoni, Danielle Wasserman, Hugh
Selsick & Ivana Rosenzweig)
Chapter 12: Basic Human Behaviours: Eating and Addiction (Samantha
Scholtz)
,Chapter 1: Neuroanatomy
Paul Johns & Gemma Northam
Focus: Functional neuroanatomy relevant to psychiatry—cortical–subcortical
networks, limbic circuitry, basal ganglia, thalamus, and brainstem—with
emphasis on distributed systems rather than isolated regions.
Q1.
A patient with a traumatic brain injury exhibits impulsivity, socially
inappropriate behavior, and poor judgment despite intact memory and
language. Damage is most likely localized to which region?
A. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
B. Orbitofrontal cortex
C. Primary motor cortex
D. Posterior parietal cortex
Answer: B
Rationale:
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) integrates emotional and reward-related
information to guide socially appropriate behavior. Lesions result in
disinhibition, impulsivity, and poor social judgment, classic in frontal lobe
syndromes. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (A) is more associated with
executive planning and working memory deficits rather than social
disinhibition.
Key words: Orbitofrontal cortex, disinhibition, frontal lobe syndrome, social
behavior
Q2.
Which limbic structure is most directly involved in assigning emotional salience
to sensory stimuli and is hyperresponsive in anxiety disorders?
,A. Hippocampus
B. Amygdala
C. Hypothalamus
D. Anterior cingulate cortex
Answer: B
Rationale:
The amygdala rapidly evaluates threat and emotional significance of stimuli.
Hyperactivity is consistently observed in anxiety disorders, PTSD, and
phobias. The hippocampus is more involved in contextual memory, while the
anterior cingulate cortex modulates emotional regulation rather than primary
threat detection.
Key words: Amygdala, emotional salience, fear conditioning, anxiety disorders
Q3.
A patient with schizophrenia demonstrates impaired working memory and
cognitive flexibility. Dysfunction in which cortical–subcortical circuit best
explains these deficits?
A. Limbic–hypothalamic circuit
B. Cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loop involving dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
C. Cerebello-thalamic motor loop
D. Visual association pathway
Answer: B
Rationale:
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) participates in a cortico-striato-
thalamo-cortical loop essential for executive function and working memory.
Dysregulation of this circuit is a core neurobiological feature of schizophrenia.
Key words: DLPFC, CSTC loops, working memory, schizophrenia
Q4.
Which structure acts as the principal sensory relay to the cortex and plays a
key role in regulating consciousness and arousal?
,A. Hypothalamus
B. Thalamus
C. Basal forebrain
D. Reticular formation
Answer: B
Rationale:
The thalamus serves as a gateway for nearly all sensory information (except
olfaction) and is central to cortical activation and consciousness. Thalamic
dysfunction is implicated in psychosis and disorders of awareness.
Key words: Thalamus, sensory relay, consciousness, arousal
Q5.
Damage to the hippocampus would most prominently impair which psychiatric
function?
A. Emotional reactivity
B. Procedural learning
C. Formation of new declarative memories
D. Motor initiation
Answer: C
Rationale:
The hippocampus is essential for encoding new declarative ( (episodic)
memories. Bilateral damage leads to anterograde amnesia, seen in conditions
such as hypoxic injury or advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Key words: Hippocampus, declarative memory, anterograde amnesia
Q6.
Which basal ganglia structure is most directly implicated in the
pathophysiology of psychomotor slowing and apathy?
A. Caudate nucleus
B. Putamen
,C. Globus pallidus
D. Subthalamic nucleus
Answer: A
Rationale:
The caudate nucleus is strongly connected to prefrontal cortical areas involved
in motivation and cognition. Dysfunction contributes to apathy, psychomotor
slowing, and executive dysfunction, commonly seen in depression and
schizophrenia.
Key words: Caudate nucleus, apathy, psychomotor slowing, motivation
Q7.
A lesion affecting the ventral striatum would most likely disrupt which
psychiatric domain?
A. Fine motor coordination
B. Reward processing and motivation
C. Language comprehension
D. Visuospatial integration
Answer: B
Rationale:
The ventral striatum (including nucleus accumbens) is central to reward,
reinforcement, and motivation, heavily modulated by dopamine. Dysfunction
underlies addiction, anhedonia, and motivational deficits.
Key words: Ventral striatum, reward circuitry, dopamine, addiction
Q8.
Which brainstem structure is most closely involved in serotonergic modulation
of mood?
A. Locus coeruleus
B. Raphe nuclei
C. Substantia nigra
D. Ventral tegmental area
, Answer: B
Rationale:
The raphe nuclei are the primary source of serotonergic projections
throughout the brain, critically influencing mood, anxiety, and impulse
control. This underpins the mechanism of SSRIs.
Key words: Raphe nuclei, serotonin, mood regulation
Q9.
The anterior cingulate cortex is best described as playing a role in:
A. Primary sensory processing
B. Emotional regulation and error monitoring
C. Motor execution
D. Visual perception
Answer: B
Rationale:
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) integrates emotional, cognitive, and
motivational information, supporting error detection, conflict monitoring,
and emotional regulation. Dysfunction is implicated in depression and OCD.
Key words: Anterior cingulate cortex, emotional regulation, error monitoring
Q10.
Which neuroanatomical principle best explains why focal lesions can produce
widespread psychiatric symptoms?
A. Strict localizationism
B. Hemispheric dominance
C. Distributed functional networks
D. Redundant sensory mapping
Answer: C
Rationale:
Psychiatric functions arise from distributed networks, not isolated regions.
Chapter 1: Neuroanatomy (Paul Johns & Gemma Northam)
Chapter 2: Neurophysiology (Pedro F. Viana & Nandini Mullatti)
Chapter 3: Neuropharmacology and Neurochemistry (David Cunningham
Owens & Katie Marwick)
Chapter 4: Structural and Functional Neuroimaging in Psychiatry (Sukhi
Sherghill & Raka Maitra)
Chapter 5: Neuropsychology (Martin van den Broek)
Chapter 6: Neurodevelopment (Norman A. Poole)
Chapter 7: Neurogenetics (David Curtis)
Chapter 8: Neurophilosophy: Neuroscience, Non-reductionism and Psychiatry
(Norman A. Poole & Derek B. Bolton)
Chapter 9: Neuroimmunology (Adam Al-Diwani, Toby Pillinger, Alasdair Coles
& Belinda Lennox)
Chapter 10: Neuroendocrinology (Andrea Nani & Andrea E. Cavanna)
Chapter 11: Neuroscience of Sleep (Valentina Gnoni, Danielle Wasserman, Hugh
Selsick & Ivana Rosenzweig)
Chapter 12: Basic Human Behaviours: Eating and Addiction (Samantha
Scholtz)
,Chapter 1: Neuroanatomy
Paul Johns & Gemma Northam
Focus: Functional neuroanatomy relevant to psychiatry—cortical–subcortical
networks, limbic circuitry, basal ganglia, thalamus, and brainstem—with
emphasis on distributed systems rather than isolated regions.
Q1.
A patient with a traumatic brain injury exhibits impulsivity, socially
inappropriate behavior, and poor judgment despite intact memory and
language. Damage is most likely localized to which region?
A. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
B. Orbitofrontal cortex
C. Primary motor cortex
D. Posterior parietal cortex
Answer: B
Rationale:
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) integrates emotional and reward-related
information to guide socially appropriate behavior. Lesions result in
disinhibition, impulsivity, and poor social judgment, classic in frontal lobe
syndromes. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (A) is more associated with
executive planning and working memory deficits rather than social
disinhibition.
Key words: Orbitofrontal cortex, disinhibition, frontal lobe syndrome, social
behavior
Q2.
Which limbic structure is most directly involved in assigning emotional salience
to sensory stimuli and is hyperresponsive in anxiety disorders?
,A. Hippocampus
B. Amygdala
C. Hypothalamus
D. Anterior cingulate cortex
Answer: B
Rationale:
The amygdala rapidly evaluates threat and emotional significance of stimuli.
Hyperactivity is consistently observed in anxiety disorders, PTSD, and
phobias. The hippocampus is more involved in contextual memory, while the
anterior cingulate cortex modulates emotional regulation rather than primary
threat detection.
Key words: Amygdala, emotional salience, fear conditioning, anxiety disorders
Q3.
A patient with schizophrenia demonstrates impaired working memory and
cognitive flexibility. Dysfunction in which cortical–subcortical circuit best
explains these deficits?
A. Limbic–hypothalamic circuit
B. Cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loop involving dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
C. Cerebello-thalamic motor loop
D. Visual association pathway
Answer: B
Rationale:
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) participates in a cortico-striato-
thalamo-cortical loop essential for executive function and working memory.
Dysregulation of this circuit is a core neurobiological feature of schizophrenia.
Key words: DLPFC, CSTC loops, working memory, schizophrenia
Q4.
Which structure acts as the principal sensory relay to the cortex and plays a
key role in regulating consciousness and arousal?
,A. Hypothalamus
B. Thalamus
C. Basal forebrain
D. Reticular formation
Answer: B
Rationale:
The thalamus serves as a gateway for nearly all sensory information (except
olfaction) and is central to cortical activation and consciousness. Thalamic
dysfunction is implicated in psychosis and disorders of awareness.
Key words: Thalamus, sensory relay, consciousness, arousal
Q5.
Damage to the hippocampus would most prominently impair which psychiatric
function?
A. Emotional reactivity
B. Procedural learning
C. Formation of new declarative memories
D. Motor initiation
Answer: C
Rationale:
The hippocampus is essential for encoding new declarative ( (episodic)
memories. Bilateral damage leads to anterograde amnesia, seen in conditions
such as hypoxic injury or advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Key words: Hippocampus, declarative memory, anterograde amnesia
Q6.
Which basal ganglia structure is most directly implicated in the
pathophysiology of psychomotor slowing and apathy?
A. Caudate nucleus
B. Putamen
,C. Globus pallidus
D. Subthalamic nucleus
Answer: A
Rationale:
The caudate nucleus is strongly connected to prefrontal cortical areas involved
in motivation and cognition. Dysfunction contributes to apathy, psychomotor
slowing, and executive dysfunction, commonly seen in depression and
schizophrenia.
Key words: Caudate nucleus, apathy, psychomotor slowing, motivation
Q7.
A lesion affecting the ventral striatum would most likely disrupt which
psychiatric domain?
A. Fine motor coordination
B. Reward processing and motivation
C. Language comprehension
D. Visuospatial integration
Answer: B
Rationale:
The ventral striatum (including nucleus accumbens) is central to reward,
reinforcement, and motivation, heavily modulated by dopamine. Dysfunction
underlies addiction, anhedonia, and motivational deficits.
Key words: Ventral striatum, reward circuitry, dopamine, addiction
Q8.
Which brainstem structure is most closely involved in serotonergic modulation
of mood?
A. Locus coeruleus
B. Raphe nuclei
C. Substantia nigra
D. Ventral tegmental area
, Answer: B
Rationale:
The raphe nuclei are the primary source of serotonergic projections
throughout the brain, critically influencing mood, anxiety, and impulse
control. This underpins the mechanism of SSRIs.
Key words: Raphe nuclei, serotonin, mood regulation
Q9.
The anterior cingulate cortex is best described as playing a role in:
A. Primary sensory processing
B. Emotional regulation and error monitoring
C. Motor execution
D. Visual perception
Answer: B
Rationale:
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) integrates emotional, cognitive, and
motivational information, supporting error detection, conflict monitoring,
and emotional regulation. Dysfunction is implicated in depression and OCD.
Key words: Anterior cingulate cortex, emotional regulation, error monitoring
Q10.
Which neuroanatomical principle best explains why focal lesions can produce
widespread psychiatric symptoms?
A. Strict localizationism
B. Hemispheric dominance
C. Distributed functional networks
D. Redundant sensory mapping
Answer: C
Rationale:
Psychiatric functions arise from distributed networks, not isolated regions.
