Neuroscience Methods Final Exam Review

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Questions and Answers

What is the most accurate estimate of the capacity of working memory?

Approximately 4 items (correct)

Approximately 7 items

Unlimited capacity

Approximately 10 items

Which type of map is specifically related to the prediction of eye movements based on the relative interest of scene regions?

Saliency Map (correct)

Priority Map

Spatial Map

Cognitive Map

What is a key characteristic of change blindness?

An automatic response to visual stimuli

The inability to detect a change when it occurs slowly

A distortion introduced by exogenous stimuli (correct)

Failing to notice salient stimuli

In which part of the brain is the striatum located, which plays a role in motor output gating?

Basal Ganglia Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon describes the inability to see a salient stimulus while focusing on another task?

Inattentional Blindness Signup and view all the answers

What does bradykinesia specifically refer to within the context of Parkinson's disease?

Inability to initiate movement quickly Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of mirror neurons?

To respond to observed or performed actions Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of performing split-brain surgery?

To reduce seizures in patients with severe epilepsy Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes structural brain deficits?

Physical changes in brain tissue detectable by imaging Signup and view all the answers

Which hemisphere of the brain is primarily associated with logical thinking and language production?

The left hemisphere Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant impact of orbitofrontal damage on social cognition?

Impaired Theory of Mind Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is primarily associated with executive functions such as cognitive flexibility and planning?

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is involved in emotion regulation and conflict monitoring during social interactions?

Anterior cingulate cortex Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive phenomenon illustrates the interference between automatic processes and less practiced tasks?

Stroop Effect Signup and view all the answers

Which brain structure is specifically mentioned as being involved in motor control and action inhibition?

Basal ganglia Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary advantage of ECoG compared to EEG?

ECoG offers significantly better spatial resolution Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the primary use of fMRI?

It measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygen levels. Signup and view all the answers

What limitation does EEG face due to the Inverse Problem?

It struggles to pinpoint the exact location of brain activity. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key characteristics of TMS?

It allows for the stimulation of specific brain areas non-invasively. Signup and view all the answers

Which imaging technique is primarily used for assessing brain structure rather than function?

Structural MRI Signup and view all the answers

In what way does DWI differ from standard structural MRI?

DWI measures white matter integrity rather than just anatomical structures. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term BOLD in fMRI stand for?

Blood oxygenation level dependent Signup and view all the answers

Which method is most sensitive to detecting currents occurring on the surface of the scalp?

MEG Signup and view all the answers

What is a notable drawback of CT scans compared to other imaging techniques?

It provides images that are less detailed than MRI scans. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of a gyrus in the cerebral cortex?

A bulge in cerebral cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which hypothesis suggests that a single neuron can recognize complex objects?

Grandmother cell hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

What role does the fusiform face area play in the brain?

Responsible for facial recognition Signup and view all the answers

Around what age does the cognitive ability to represent the beliefs of others develop?

4 years old Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is involved in reasoning about the intentions and beliefs of others?

Dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main distinction between the 'grandmother cell' hypothesis and ensemble coding hypothesis?

One suggests multiple neurons for recognition; the other suggests a single neuron. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'sparse coding' refer to in the context of neural representation?

Only a few neurons are activated for many objects. Signup and view all the answers

The RTPJ is involved in which aspect of social cognition?

Understanding false beliefs Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of dopamine in the context of reward processing?

To signal unexpected rewards Signup and view all the answers

In the context of fMRI observations during the Marshmallow Test, what was revealed about low delayers?

They had exaggerated recruitment in the ventral striatum Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'field of view' refer to in recording methods?

The total extent of observations Signup and view all the answers

How does the amygdala relate to implicit bias in individuals?

It triggers fast emotional responses to outgroup stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory retrieval is the hippocampus critically involved in?

Recent long-term memory retrieval Signup and view all the answers

Which area is associated with anomia and its language-related functions?

Inferior frontal gyrus Signup and view all the answers

Which component is considered the central part of the ventral striatum?

Nucleus accumbens Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon describes the vulnerability of newer memories as opposed to older ones?

Ribot's Law Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Neuro Final Exam - Cognitive Neuroscience Methods

Expect questions on the strengths and weaknesses of various cognitive neuroscience methods, including: EEG/ERP, ECOG, fMRI, TMS, VLSM, structural MRI, DTI/DWI, PET, MEG.
Assess factors of spatial resolution, timing resolution, causality, invasiveness, and sensitivity to neurotransmitters.

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

Measures brain waves via scalp recordings.
Records event-related potentials (ERPs), which are positive or negative voltage peaks occurring after a stimulus.
Non-invasive.
Better temporal resolution than spatial resolution.
Useful for precisely measuring when brain activity occurs but struggles to pinpoint precise location.
Neurotransmitters can affect EEG readings.
The inverse problem is a limitation; it's difficult to determine the exact locations and distributions of electrical sources in the brain based on electrode recordings.

ECOG (Electrocorticogram)

Intracranial EEG – electrodes implanted directly on the brain surface,
Invasive.
Better spatial resolution than EEG.
Used to record brain waves.

fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Non-invasive.
Measures brain activity based on changes in blood oxygen level-dependent(BOLD) signal, as brain activity uses oxygen which changes the magnetic state of blood.
Modest temporal resolution.
Useful for robust signals.
Neurotransmitters can indirectly affect BOLD signal through their interaction with neurons and resulting blood flow changes.

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

Non-invasive.
Using a focal magnetic pulse to induce a current that flows through the tissue.
Relatively moderate spatial resolution.
Higher temporal precision.

VLSM (Voxel-Based Lesion-Symptom Mapping)

Combines structural brain images with neuropsychological tests to diagnose neurological damage.
Helps determine how brain damage affects cognitive and behavioral tasks.

Structural MRI

Non-invasive.
Provides static images of anatomy.
Can detect certain metals in the body.

DWI (Diffusion Weighted Imaging), DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging)

Part of a structural MRI
Measures water diffusion.
Can assess tissue integrity.
Used to detect cellular swelling etc.

CT (Computed Tomography)

X-ray based
Computes 3D images from 2D images.
Inexpensive.
Non-invasive.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography)

Injects a radioactive agent.
Measures metabolic activity in the brain.
Non-invasive.

MEG (Magnetoencephalography)

Measures magnetic fields produced by electrical currents in the brain.
More sensitive to scalp currents than EEG.
Better spatial resolution than EEG.
Non-invasive.

Long-Term Memory

Declarative Memory (explicit): consists of Episodic and Semantic memory.
Episodic - memories of personal events
Semantic - facts and general knowledge

Non-Declarative Memory (implicit):

Procedural memories

Working Memory

System that temporarily holds and manipulates information.
Prefrontal cortex plays a central role

Patient H.M.

Surgery resulted in severe anterograde amnesia (inability to form new declarative memories)

Memory Systems

Discuss the different memory systems:
Short-term memory
Sensory memory
Working memory
Long-term memory

Deep Brain Stimulation

Invasive
Electrodes placed in cortex.
Treatment for Parkinson's and Huntington's disease

Brain Structures (supporting memories).

Hippocampus-first person memory encoding, storage, and retrieval
PFC-working memory and executive function
Basal Ganglia-procedural memory
Medial Temporal Lobe-long term memory

Cognitive neuroscience methods (strengths and weaknesses).

Comparison of various methods.
How neuroimaging methods measure and asses neural processing

Representation and Transformation of information in the brain

Top down approach
Marr's 3 levels: Computation, Representation, and Hardware

Metabolic/Functional Brain Deficits

How brain activity and energy use can be impacted
Neurotransmitter imbalances and disorders (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's) affect the proper functioning of the brain.
Use of brain imaging(e.g., fMRI, PET scan, EEG) to study brain function and metabolic activities

Saliency and Priority Map

Theoretical constructs used to predict eye movements of attention
Bottom-up map of scene regions of relative interest.

Split Brain Surgery

Corpus callosum cut to inhibit excess firing
Used to treat severe epilepsy

Language Network

Broca's area (non-fluent aphasia)
Wernicke's area (fluent aphasia)
Arcuate fasciculus
Different brain areas and functions associated with language processing

Face Processing

Fusiform face area (FFA) – facial recognition
Inferior temporal lobe – ventral/lateral pathway
Theory of mind and social cognition involves representation of others' intentions, perspectives, beliefs.

Implicit Bias

Unconscious stereotyping and discriminatory behaviors
Measured and assessed using reaction-time tasks like the Implicit Association Test.
Correlation between activation in the amygdala and implicit bias
Implications on social cognition.

Mentalization

Process by which we represent information in the minds of others
Role of the superior temporal sulcus, angular gyrus, and intraparietal sulcus in this process.
How mindblindness affects this process.
How injuries to this area affect social behaviour.
Role of different parts of the brain in mentalization (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex, posterior superior temporal sulcus, amygdala).

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Description

Prepare for your final exam in Cognitive Neuroscience by exploring various methods such as EEG, ECOG, and fMRI. This quiz covers key strengths and weaknesses, focusing on spatial resolution, timing resolution, and other critical factors. Test your knowledge on how these techniques influence our understanding of brain function.