Neuroscience: Neurons and Their Functions
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Questions and Answers

What type of amnesia did H.M. experience after his surgery?

  • Only anterograde amnesia
  • Both retrograde and anterograde amnesia (correct)
  • Only retrograde amnesia
  • No amnesia at all

Which of the following abilities was preserved in H.M. after his surgery?

  • Ability to interact only with familiar faces
  • Ability to form new episodic memories
  • Ability to learn new motor skills (correct)
  • Ability to remember all past events

What typically characterizes the loss of memories in retrograde amnesia?

  • Loss of memories for only procedural skills
  • Loss of older memories only
  • More recent memories are lost while older ones are often spared (correct)
  • Complete loss of all memories regardless of time

What is the purpose of structural neuroimaging techniques like MRI?

<p>To obtain a snapshot of the anatomical structure of the brain (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which regions of the brain were primarily affected by H.M.'s surgery?

<p>Bilateral medial temporal lobes, including the hippocampus and amygdala (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does structural neuroimaging primarily measure?

<p>Volume of brain areas (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the function of neurons?

<p>Their function is determined by their connections with other neurons. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between recognition and recall in memory testing?

<p>Recognition requires external cues while recall does not. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is functional neuroimaging different from structural neuroimaging?

<p>Functional neuroimaging assesses brain activity in real-time, while structural is based on anatomical structures. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What correlation was found in Maguire's study on London taxi drivers?

<p>Increased posterior hippocampal volume is correlated with the length of time as a taxi driver. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of dendrites in a neuron?

<p>To collect signals from other neurons (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the neuron is responsible for sending signals to other neurons?

<p>Axon (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is required to trigger an action potential in a neuron?

<p>A certain threshold of excitatory input (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the myelin sheath in neuronal communication?

<p>To facilitate action potential transmission (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes synaptic transmission?

<p>It involves the release of chemical neurotransmitters (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the flow of information in a neural network typically progress?

<p>Input to integration to output (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does functional specialization in brain organization refer to?

<p>The extent to which different parts of the brain are dedicated to specific functions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The patient H.M. is often cited in neuroscience for which reason?

<p>To provide insights into memory systems and brain function (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a neuron's receptive field?

<p>To determine which physical stimuli activate it (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does long-term potentiation (LTP) primarily strengthen synaptic connections?

<p>Through repeated stimulation of a presynaptic neuron (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does long-term depression (LTD) have on synaptic transmission?

<p>It makes synaptic transmission less effective (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a process involved in Hebbian learning?

<p>Strengthening connections between neurons that fire together (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do cell assemblies play in memory?

<p>They allow for pattern completion in memory retrieval (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of specificity in long-term potentiation?

<p>It is specific to the presynaptic neurons that induce firing (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1)?

<p>They respond to line segments (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when familiar features are not combined correctly in memory?

<p>The uncanny valley (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines a distributed representation in relation to visual objects?

<p>It consists of increasingly complex features as information processes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do neurons in area V4 behave differently from those in area V1?

<p>They respond to complex shapes (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Longitudinal neuroimaging

A technique that uses repeated scans to track changes in brain structure over time.

Posterior hippocampus

A brain region involved in spatial memory and navigation.

Functional neuroimaging

A technique that measures brain activity in real-time by detecting changes in blood flow.

Recognition memory

The ability to identify something as familiar, indicating past experience with it.

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Recall memory

The ability to retrieve information from memory, often triggered by a cue.

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Henry Molaison (H.M.)

A patient who underwent surgery to remove parts of his medial temporal lobes, resulting in severe amnesia.

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Anterograde Amnesia

The inability to form new memories after a brain injury or disruption.

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Retrograde Amnesia

The inability to recall memories for events before a brain injury or disruption.

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Medial Temporal Lobes

Brain regions involved in memory formation, including the hippocampus and amygdala.

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Structural Neuroimaging

Techniques used to visualize and analyze the anatomical structure of the brain.

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Neuron

A specialized cell in the nervous system responsible for processing and transmitting information. It acts as the basic building block for mental representations.

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Dendrite

A branch-like structure on a neuron that receives signals (input) from other neurons.

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Action Potential

An electrical signal that travels down the axon of a neuron. It's an all-or-none response, meaning it either occurs fully or not at all.

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Synapse

The tiny gap between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron, where chemical neurotransmitters allow signals to be passed across.

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Neural Network

A connected group of neurons that work together to process information. They function by passing signals between neurons, creating a flow of information.

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Functional Specialization

The concept that different parts of the brain are dedicated to specific functions, contributing to the overall activity of the brain.

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Dissociation

A separation of functions, often observed in brain damage, where one function is impaired while others remain intact, suggesting the existence of multiple memory systems.

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Patient H.M.

A famous patient who had a significant portion of his hippocampus removed, resulting in profound memory impairments while other cognitive functions remained intact.

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Uncanny Valley

A phenomenon where a nearly realistic representation of a human or animal, such as a robot or CGI character, evokes feelings of unease or revulsion. This occurs when familiar features are not combined in the right way, resulting in a mismatch between expectation and reality.

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Receptive Field

The specific range of stimuli that activates a single neuron. For example, a neuron in the visual cortex might respond only to lines oriented at 45 degrees.

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Distributed Representations

A concept where information about a visual object is spread across different brain areas. Each area processes more complex features as you progress through the visual system.

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Hebbian Learning

The idea that neurons that fire together, wire together. Connections between neurons that are frequently activated together become stronger.

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Cell Assembly

A group of neurons that work together as a functional unit. Activating one neuron in the assembly can trigger activity in the whole group.

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Pattern Completion

The ability to recall a complete memory from a single cue or partial information. This is possible because of cell assemblies and Hebbian learning.

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Synaptic Plasticity

The ability of synapses to change their strength over time in response to activity. This is the basis for learning and memory.

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Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

A process where repeated stimulation of a synapse makes it stronger, leading to a more effective transmission of signals.

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Specificity (LTP)

The effect of LTP is specific to the neurons that caused the postsynaptic neuron to fire. Other, inactive neurons are not affected.

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Associativity (LTP)

If weaker inputs occur simultaneously with strong inputs that cause the postsynaptic neuron to fire, these weaker inputs can also experience LTP.

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Study Notes

Neuroscience

  • Neurons: Specialized cells in the nervous system for information processing, forming the basis of mental representations. Information is passed electrically and chemically. Function depends on connectivity patterns.
  • Dendrites: Collect signals from other neurons.
  • Cell body: Integrates signals.
  • Axon: Sends signals to other neurons.
  • Myelin sheath: Speeds signal transmission.
  • Axon terminals: Synaptic information.
  • Synapse: Point where signals pass between neurons. Input signals are gathered at dendritic connections. Inputs can be excitatory or inhibitory.
  • Action potential: An electrical signal triggered by enough excitatory input. It's an "all-or-none" (binary) response. Synaptic transmission (using neurotransmitters) transmits the signal to other neurons' dendrites.
  • Neural networks: Networks of interconnected neurons represent information processing.
  • Excitatory Input: Received from one presynaptic neuron, not enough to trigger an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron.
  • Lots of Excitatory Input: Received from many presynaptic neurons, triggers an action potential. The signal is passed on.
  • Neural Network Representation: A network diagram depicts networks by using a circle for each neuron.
  • Brain Organization: Mapping brain organization helps theories of learning and memory.
  • Functional Specialization: Different parts of the brain have dedicated functions.
  • Dissociations in Brain Function: Evidence for multiple memory systems that operate simultaneously.
  • Patient H.M.: Had surgery to reduce epilepsy. Suffered retrograde and anterograde amnesia. Had impairments in declarative memory (words, drawings, etc.)
  • Structural Neuroimaging: Snapshot of brain's anatomical structure. Methods include MRI and DTI. MRI uses cross-sectional or longitudinal comparisons to study brain structure changes.
  • Functional Neuroimaging: Records real-time brain activity changes (e.g., blood flow).

Neuroscience Part 2

  • Testing Memory:

  • Recognition: Identifying previously experienced events.

  • Recall: Retrieving details about an experience given a cue.

  • Visual Memory: New faces involve linking low-level visual features.

  • Facial Features: A combination of features creates a novel representation in memory.

  • Familiar Features: Recognition occurs when familiar features are combined correctly.

  • Uncanny Valley: Recognition problems occur when familiar features are miscombined.

  • Receptive Fields: The stimulus range that activates single neurons. Visual cortex neurons respond to specific line orientations.

  • Distributed Representations: Visual processing involves increasing complex features as the visual system processes information.

  • V1: Responds to line segments.

  • V4: Responds to complex shapes.

Hebbian Learning and Pattern Completion

  • Donald Hebb: Theory of associative learning and memory, The Organization of Behavior.
  • Mental Representations: Constructed through synaptic plasticity in neural networks.
  • Hebbian Learning: Learning through strengthening connections between neurons that fire together.
  • Cell Assembly: Group of interconnected neurons operating as a functional unit, allowing pattern completion.
  • Synaptic Plasticity: Modification of synaptic transmission strength.
  • Long-term Potentiation (LTP): Synaptic transmission becomes more effective due to recent activity. Requires repeated stimulation.
  • Long-term Depression (LTD): Synaptic transmission weakens due to recent activity or lack of stimulation.
  • Specificity: LTP effect specific to presynaptic neurons.
  • Associativity: LTP also occurs with simultaneous, weaker activity.
  • Long-Term Depression: Synaptic transmission weaker due to recent activity mismatches.

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L&M Lecture 2-3_ Neuroscience PDF

Description

Explore the fundamental concepts of neurons, their structure, and how they communicate within the nervous system. This quiz covers dendrites, axons, synapses, and action potentials, offering insights into the electrical and chemical processes of neuronal networks. Test your understanding of excitatory and inhibitory signals and their roles in information processing.

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