Neuroscience Study on Motor Cortex Function

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Questions and Answers

What is the relationship between the number of spikes and the position of the joystick?

The number of spikes increases as the joystick moves towards position 1. (correct)

The number of spikes remain constant regardless of the joystick position.

The number of spikes are unrelated to the position of the joystick.

The number of spikes decreases as the joystick moves towards position 1.

Based on the study's findings, what can be concluded about the function of the neuron in the motor cortex?

The neuron is responsible for controlling the speed of all arm movements.

The neuron is responsible for the initiation of all arm movements.

The neuron is specifically tuned to fire during movements away from the monkey's body. (correct)

The neuron is responsible for controlling the direction of all arm movements.

What was the purpose of training the monkey to move the joystick in different directions?

To test how the neuron's firing patterns changed with repetitive movements.

To observe how the neuron's firing patterns change as the monkey learned to perform the task. (correct)

To identify the exact role of the neuron in controlling the monkey's arm movement.

To observe how the neuron responds to different levels of effort in the movement.

What does each vertical line in Figure 2.10B represent?

A single action potential, also known as a spike. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How did the neuron respond when the monkey moved its arm towards position 6?

The neuron initially produced several spikes and then fell silent. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the likely role of the neurons in the motor cortex, based on the study's findings?

The neurons are responsible for planning and coordinating arm movements. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main concept demonstrated by this study?

Neurons in the motor cortex are highly specialized and tuned to fire during specific movements. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What role does the basal ganglia play during the movement to grasp the cup?

It continuously monitors and adjusts the movement. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is primarily responsible for planning the movement to reach for the cup?

Frontal cortex (A) Signup and view all the answers

What happens if the handle of the cup is hotter than expected?

The hand may reflexively withdraw. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How do sensory signals travel back to the brain after grasping the cup?

Through sensory fibers in the spinal cord. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain is directly responsible for directing the motor commands to lift the cup?

Motor cortex (M1) (A) Signup and view all the answers

What condition allowed Orlando Serrell to gain exceptional memory abilities following his injury?

Acquired Savant Syndrome (C) Signup and view all the answers

What significant question does the phenomenon of acquired savant syndrome raise about human brain capacity?

Whether individuals can voluntarily access hidden memory abilities. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of memory and learning does the chapter primarily focus on?

The potentialto erase unwanted memories. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In what way did Orlando Serrell's experience differ from that of Clive Wearing?

Orlando gained superior memory abilities after a brain injury. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is inferred about the capacity of human brains regarding memory from the concepts in the chapter?

Human brains may have untapped memory storing capabilities. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of neurophysiology?

The activity and function of neurons (C) Signup and view all the answers

How do microelectrodes differ from EEG electrodes?

Microelectrodes can directly penetrate brain tissue. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which technique is commonly used to measure the firing patterns of individual neurons?

Single-cell recording (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the findings from single-cell recordings in motor cortex studies?

Neurons exhibit strong firing in response to specific movements. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What happens during single-cell recording experiments with animals?

Animals are unaware of the implanted microelectrodes. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why would researchers choose to use slices of brain for experiments?

To observe how neurons interact under controlled conditions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What significant evidence has been provided by single-cell recordings?

Neural firing relates to specific behaviors. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential disadvantage of neuroimaging techniques compared to single-cell recordings?

They cannot pinpoint the firing of individual neurons. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Neuroscience of Learning and Memory

Neuroscience overwhelmingly views the brain as the seat of learning and memory
Historically, some believed the brain's role was mostly to cool blood.
The study of how the brain functions and determines what is remembered is the neuroscience of learning and memory.
New technologies are improving the understanding of the brain's structure and function.
Human brains have a much greater memory capacity than typically displayed.
Some humans have hidden memory capacities, and animals may too
Scientists aim to understand how to improve a person's encoding and recollection of specific facts and to erase memories.

Structural Plasticity in Nervous Systems

Brain structure can be influenced by experience.
Early research focused on observable behavior but modern tools allow researchers to study the functioning of the brain and the mechanisms of learning and memory.
Brain structure is complex, and many areas must interact.
The brain consists of two main parts, the central nervous system (CNS), and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
The CNS comprises the brain and spinal cord, and it is the main processing centre.
The PNS consists of motor and sensory neurons that link the CNS to the rest of the body.
Sensory organs provide input to the CNS, and the CNS controls motor actions.

How Experience Changes Brain Structure

Early theories of associationism believed memory relied on forming links between events.
Classical conditioning describes how repeated stimulation leads to a learned response.
William James proposed that memories involved physical changes in brain structures.
Research shows changes in the brains of rats when raised in enriched environments (greater connectivity of neurons).
Similar structural changes occur in humans (e.g., London taxi drivers and hippocampal volume).
These changes, called structural plasticity, are related to memory.

How Remembering Changes Brain Activity

People with superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) have different brain activity patterns associated with remembering past events compared to controls.
Activities in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and areas at the junction of the frontal and parietal lobes are enhanced during memory retrieval and tasks for remembering specific days in HSAM.

Finding and Manipulating Memories

Memories are stored in physical properties of neurons.
There are differing theories about the exact location of specific memories.
The theory of equipotentiality suggests many areas of the brain are involved in memory.
Scientists can observe changes in brain activity by damaging or removing brain parts (lesions) in animals and humans.

Functional Properties of Learning and Memory

What determines how brain regions contribute to learning and memory processes is the kinds of signals each region receives and the kinds of outputs it produces.
Reflexes occur through well-established pathways and don't always involve the brain.
Most types of learning depend on changing the strength of synaptic connections between neurons and are considered to be due to synaptic plasticity.

Recording from Neurons

Memory function is influenced by the frequency of neuron firing as well as the neurons involved.
Recording neural activity (directly) through single-cell recordings allows for precise observation of changes in neural firing patterns related to learning and memory.
Observing large populations of neurons through EEG provides insights into memory-related changes.

Biochemical Control of Brain States

Drugs alter brain states, sometimes positively affecting the production, transmission, or inactivation of neurotransmitters.
Drugs that affect learning and memory usually do so by influencing neurotransmitters or their systems.
Drugs can influence how neurons communicate with each other.
Drugs also can increase or decrease the rate of neurotransmitter release or reuptake.
Some drugs mimic the actions of naturally occurring neurotransmitters (e.g., opioids).

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Description

Explore the intricate relationships between neuron spikes and joystick movement based on recent neuroscience studies. This quiz delves into the role of the motor cortex and basal ganglia during motor tasks, specifically in grasping movements. Test your understanding of the key concepts and findings from the research.