Behavioral Neuroscience Exam 1
UPDATED Actual Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Whats the goal of behavioral neuroscience? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔understand human
behavior by performing physical measurements of brain function
When looking at measuring methods what does mobility of the method refer to? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔(only applies to functional measures)
~Is there a limitation on what or who can be looked at
-Telemetry: automated communications process by which measurements and other data are
collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for
monitoring.
What is the general measurement for time resolution? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔msec
Phrenology, that looked at bumps on the top if the skull and related them to function was
disproved but what about the theory was essentially right? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔localizing function
What would be a really fast way to disprove phrenology? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔cut
open the head and see if the bumps on the outside of the head are correlated to the shape of
the brain underneath
How do CAT/CT scans work? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔shoots x-rays through the brain
and then quantifies them
"the brain never forgets" refers to what about CAT scans? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔your
brain is exposed to a little bit of radiation each time but the damages will build up
What do CAT scan show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure, not function (but some
functional information can be garnered from lesions and malformations)
,How is the spatial and temporal resolution of CAT scans? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔spatial: good (<1mm)
temporal: N/A
Does MRI or CT scans have better spatial resolution? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔MRI
scanes
NMR used to be called what? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔NMR: nuclear magnetic
resonance
is a scary name for the public
What does MRI show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure not function
What is the spatial and temporal resolution of MRI? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔spatial-
excellent (10s of micrometer)
temporal- N/A
What is the story of Bill oldendorf and the "brainless doctor" - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔the brainless doctor had an obstruction in his cerebral aqueduct and the inter cranial
pressure was building up slowly. The ventricles were compressing his brain into a few
centimeters of the cortex. When he took an MRI of himself it looked as though he had no
brain
What does an fMRI measure? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔allows function to be measured
by MRI
~measures oxygenated blood to see what parts of the brain are activated and therefore active
when preforming certain tasks
What can fMRI not tell us - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Whether the lighting up of
oxygenated blood in the fMRI is about excitation or inhibition
What is the spatial and temporal resolution of fMRI and mobility? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔spatial: excellent (same as MRI)
temporal: lousy (sec to min)
,immobile
What is the new ultra-low field MRI - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔may measure neuronal
current, but is immobile
How does a PET scan work? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔(positron emission tomography)
doctor injects radioactively tagged glucose that accumulates in cells that are active, it emits
positions that hit an electron and release a gamma ray. The gamma rays are detected and the
position of the activated cell can be located
PET scans are getting outdated by MRI but what are they mainly used for today? -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔locating metabolically active tumors
What do PET scans show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
What can pet scans not tell us - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔whether its excitation or
inhibition
How is the spatial and temporal resolution of PET scans and mobility? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔spatial: good (~3mm)
temporal: bad (minutes)
immobile
EEG + evoked potentials show what? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
~can be an imaging technique with proper computer modeling
How is the temporal and spatial resolution of EEG and mobility? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔temporal: excellent <1ms
spatial: fair-poor (~1 cm) based on the fact that the skull is a poor electrical conductor and is
very non consistent
mobile~
, What is EEG? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔potentials are conducted out of the cell and EEG
measures these electrical potentials as brain waves
How does MEG work? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔magnetocephalography
~takes magnetic signals form current flowing from cells and the cryogenic cells amplify the
electric signal
~Skull doesn't distort magnetic field
What does MEG show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
Is MEG ambiguous about excitation or inhibition? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔no
How is the spatial and temporal resolution of MEG, hows its mobility? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔temporal: excellent (<1 ms)
spatial: excellent (~1mm)
immobile
What is the room temperature atomic magnetrode? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔asme as
MEG but mobile
~very sensitive and can measure magnetic field at room temperature
~could be used to localize the source of seizures in the brain
How does ECOG (electrocorticography) function? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔puts ray of
electrode on, surgeon lightens up anesthesia so person can answer questions and they can see
which part is stimulated
~selective brain stimulation
What do ECoG show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
IS ECoG ambitious about excitation or inhibition? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔no
UPDATED Actual Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Whats the goal of behavioral neuroscience? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔understand human
behavior by performing physical measurements of brain function
When looking at measuring methods what does mobility of the method refer to? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔(only applies to functional measures)
~Is there a limitation on what or who can be looked at
-Telemetry: automated communications process by which measurements and other data are
collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for
monitoring.
What is the general measurement for time resolution? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔msec
Phrenology, that looked at bumps on the top if the skull and related them to function was
disproved but what about the theory was essentially right? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔localizing function
What would be a really fast way to disprove phrenology? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔cut
open the head and see if the bumps on the outside of the head are correlated to the shape of
the brain underneath
How do CAT/CT scans work? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔shoots x-rays through the brain
and then quantifies them
"the brain never forgets" refers to what about CAT scans? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔your
brain is exposed to a little bit of radiation each time but the damages will build up
What do CAT scan show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure, not function (but some
functional information can be garnered from lesions and malformations)
,How is the spatial and temporal resolution of CAT scans? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔spatial: good (<1mm)
temporal: N/A
Does MRI or CT scans have better spatial resolution? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔MRI
scanes
NMR used to be called what? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔NMR: nuclear magnetic
resonance
is a scary name for the public
What does MRI show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure not function
What is the spatial and temporal resolution of MRI? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔spatial-
excellent (10s of micrometer)
temporal- N/A
What is the story of Bill oldendorf and the "brainless doctor" - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔the brainless doctor had an obstruction in his cerebral aqueduct and the inter cranial
pressure was building up slowly. The ventricles were compressing his brain into a few
centimeters of the cortex. When he took an MRI of himself it looked as though he had no
brain
What does an fMRI measure? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔allows function to be measured
by MRI
~measures oxygenated blood to see what parts of the brain are activated and therefore active
when preforming certain tasks
What can fMRI not tell us - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Whether the lighting up of
oxygenated blood in the fMRI is about excitation or inhibition
What is the spatial and temporal resolution of fMRI and mobility? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔spatial: excellent (same as MRI)
temporal: lousy (sec to min)
,immobile
What is the new ultra-low field MRI - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔may measure neuronal
current, but is immobile
How does a PET scan work? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔(positron emission tomography)
doctor injects radioactively tagged glucose that accumulates in cells that are active, it emits
positions that hit an electron and release a gamma ray. The gamma rays are detected and the
position of the activated cell can be located
PET scans are getting outdated by MRI but what are they mainly used for today? -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔locating metabolically active tumors
What do PET scans show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
What can pet scans not tell us - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔whether its excitation or
inhibition
How is the spatial and temporal resolution of PET scans and mobility? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔spatial: good (~3mm)
temporal: bad (minutes)
immobile
EEG + evoked potentials show what? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
~can be an imaging technique with proper computer modeling
How is the temporal and spatial resolution of EEG and mobility? - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔temporal: excellent <1ms
spatial: fair-poor (~1 cm) based on the fact that the skull is a poor electrical conductor and is
very non consistent
mobile~
, What is EEG? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔potentials are conducted out of the cell and EEG
measures these electrical potentials as brain waves
How does MEG work? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔magnetocephalography
~takes magnetic signals form current flowing from cells and the cryogenic cells amplify the
electric signal
~Skull doesn't distort magnetic field
What does MEG show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
Is MEG ambiguous about excitation or inhibition? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔no
How is the spatial and temporal resolution of MEG, hows its mobility? - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔temporal: excellent (<1 ms)
spatial: excellent (~1mm)
immobile
What is the room temperature atomic magnetrode? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔asme as
MEG but mobile
~very sensitive and can measure magnetic field at room temperature
~could be used to localize the source of seizures in the brain
How does ECOG (electrocorticography) function? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔puts ray of
electrode on, surgeon lightens up anesthesia so person can answer questions and they can see
which part is stimulated
~selective brain stimulation
What do ECoG show? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔structure and function
IS ECoG ambitious about excitation or inhibition? - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔no
