Download Theme 4: Rhythmical movements (6 p)

Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Independent course HT09
 credit
Seat no.
Theme 1: Membrane and action potentials (6 p)
a) Explain how an action potential is generated. (2p)
b) What is the difference between the ion channels involved in action potential generation and
those mediating the rest potential? (2p)
c) What is "saltatory propagation" of action potentials (myelinated axons)? (2p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 2: Synaptic transmission (6 p)
a) Monoamine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, noradrenalin and serotonin have been
associated to various neuropsychiatric diseases. For example, it has been shown that depression can
be treated with drugs that increase the levels of serotonin or noradrenaline in the synaptic cleft.
Describe two possible ways in which these drugs can produce these effects. (3p)
b) The binding of dopamine to a subtype of metabotropic receptor, called D1 dopamine receptor,
results in increased synthesis of cAMP. Describe the steps leading to this effect. (1p)
c) Calcium is an important second messenger, which interacts with and regulates several proteins
involved in signal transduction. Describe how activation of a metabotropic receptor results in
increased intracellular calcium concentration (2p).
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 3: Neurodevelopment (6 p)
a) The nervous system is initially established by a process referred to as “neural induction”. Define
and describe neural induction and mention at least one of the factors involved and required for
proper neural induction in vertebrates. (3p)
b) After the neural induction and neural tube closure, the neural tube starts to be subdivided along
both the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axis. Describe the principles behind dorsal-ventral
subdivision, and the special feature of the factors underlying the regionalization. Name at least one
factor that is required for this latter event. (3p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 4: Rhythmical movements (6 p)
a) Describe the general characteristics of rhythmical movements (1p).
b) Describe the common features in the organization of rhythmical movements:
(i) Give the definition of a CPG (1p).
(ii) Give examples of the location of different CPGs in the CNS (1p).
c) Describe the role of sensory information in the control of different rhythmical movements (3p).
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 5: Control of eye movements – Finding the chanterelle mushroom (6 p)
We all perform several different types of eye movements during our daily life.
a) Below we will deal with one specific type of eye movement – the saccade. Describe briefly two
other types of eye movements. (2p)
b) What is the main functional role of all of our eye movements? (1p)
c) You are walking along in the forest during a nice autumn day, looking for chanterelle mushrooms.
After some time you suddenly spot a chanterelle in the periphery of your visual field, by the side of
your walking path. Describe in a concise way the sequence of events in your CNS that allows you
to quickly direct you gaze towards the mushroom, mentioning the different regions involved and
explaining how the visual input of the chanterelle is translated to a fast, saccadic eye movement
towards the correct location. (3p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 6: Pain (6p)
a) If you suddenly hurt your toes, you will probably first experience a rapid, sharp pain from your
toes, and a couple of seconds later a more dull, aching pain. Describe the anatomical and
physiological basis for this “double” pain sensation. (3p)
b) Describe how the signals induced by a painful stimulus on your right foot reach the posterior
insular cortex (which neurons/pathways, where are synapses/crossings; you do not need to include
an anatomical description of the peripheral nerves involved). (3p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 7: Visual system (6p)
a) Give the definition of the receptive field of a neuron. (2p)
b) Describe the receptive fields of the different types of neurons of the visual system (photoreceptors,
retinal bipolar cells, retinal ganglion cells, neurons of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN),
neurons of the primary visual cortex, neurons of the extrastriate areas). (2p)
c) Compare the sizes of the receptive fields of these cells. Explain why they are different. (2p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 8: Sleep (6p)
a) Briefly describe the two different types of sleep, and how they differ with regard to the EEG. Also
specify how the brain EEG activity is altered during different sleep stages. (3p)
b) Describe a typical adult human 8 hour sleep session by drawing a hypnogram. Explain how the
hypnogram differs between an infant, an adult and an old person. (3p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 9: Association cortex (6 p)
The association cortex includes most of the cerebral surface and is divided into the frontal, parietal
and temporal lobes. The functions of these areas were first understood by the careful analysis of
patients with lesions to specific cortical areas. In modern neuroscience functional magnetic resonance
imaging is used to probe the functions of the association cortex.
a) Describe the cognitive deficits produced by damage to the frontal, parietal, and temporal
association cortices, respectively (one for each lobe). (3p)
b) What is the difference between unimodal association cortex and multimodal association cortex?
(1p)
c) What is the physiological basis of the signal recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging
(in brief)? (2p)
Final Exam Neuroscience – Independent course 091105
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Neuroscience part 1
Final Exam 09-11-05
Seat no.
Independent course HT09
 credit
Theme 10: Learning and memory (6 p)
a) Explain why humans retain long-term memory when the hippocampus is damaged. (2p)
b) What is the role of NMDA receptors in the associative form of LTP? (2p)
c) What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning? Do these forms of learning
engage explicit or implicit memory? (2p)
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