NEUROPSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT

                             

 

Read the first page of Lesson 4 and the last page that tells you helpful hints.

All answers can be found in Lesson 4! Textbook not a good resource for this assignment.

WATCH ALL REQUIRED VIDEO LECTURES!

Be sure to type in your name above to avoid point loss.

Name your file to reflect the contents, and include last name: NeuroSmith

In answering these questions, always give the most specific possible answer.

Pay close attention to what I am asking for in the question.

Do not delete anything off this assignment, including directions.

Always include the questions followed by the answers. DO NOT JUST TURN IN THE ANSWERS!

Each lettered answer is worth between ½ and 1 pt depending on the difficulty level.

Assignments must be word processed.

 

CASE 1: Basra showed up for her first psychology exam feeling very anxious. She noticed as the exam was placed in front of her that her heart started pounding, she started sweating more and her mouth went dry. Basra remembered from lecture that the autonomic nervous systems division of the peripheral nervous system caused these changes in arousal levels. As Basra tried to think through the process involved in a fear response, she also noticed her chest feeling tight and her muscles tensing. She remembered that the part of the brain that regulates the flight or fight response is the

(A) __________________, which is located right next to the master gland called the (B) _________________. She could not remember the name of the bodily system that is made up of glands that secrete hormones like adrenalin which make the arousal happen. Just then, she looked at the next question on the exam, which said, "The (C) ______________ system is the system made up of glands which secrete hormones." Basra's test anxiety started to lessen as she realized that she remembered the material she would need to do well on the exam. As she remembered that the (D) __________________ nervous system had been causing her arousal symptoms, her (E) _________________ nervous system kicked in and brought her back down to an internal state of balance called (F) _____________________.  

 

CASE 2: Michelle has never told anyone her most secret fear. She is terrified that she is falling apart because of the strange things that happen to her. Sometimes she has terrible sexual desires that she can just barely restrain. Sometimes she goes from restaurant to restaurant and eats 4-8 meals a day. Sometimes she goes to the water fountain (bubbler, if you are from Wisconsin) and drinks water for 15 minutes straight. Sometimes she feels tremendous love for her boyfriend and then, without warning, hates his guts. Sometimes she is happy and then suddenly becomes angry. There is likely a tumor growing in Michelle's brain causing these strange behaviors.

A. Where is the tumor growing in Michelle's brain?

B. Name three behavior regulated by that part of the brain?

 

CASE 3: From the time that she was a little girl, Tanesia had epileptic seizures. However, when she was young, the seizures occurred infrequently, because they were controlled by medications. As she grew older, the seizures became worse and the drugs no longer worked. By the time she was 21, she was having 5 to 6 major seizures a day. During a major seizure, she would fall to the floor, become unconscious, and her arms and legs would move in violent spastic motions. Many times her limbs were sprained and bruised. After the seizure, she would have no memory of what happened, and she usually felt very drowsy. Because the seizures were so frequent and so bad and drugs did not work, she chose to have a radical brain surgery, called a split-brain operation. After the operation, Tanesia's seizures were greatly reduced.

A. What part of Tanesia's brain did the neurosurgeon cut to produce a split brain?

B. Which hemisphere usually is responsible for verbal abilities?

C. Which hemisphere usually is responsible for non-verbal abilities?

CASE 4: The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury sometimes do not appear until days or weeks after the injury happens. For example, actress Natasha Richardson goes for a ski lesson and falls. She gets up, declines medical care and goes back to her hotel. Later, she becomes ill and goes to the hospital. Without realizing it, she had an epidural hematoma (bleeding that occurs between the tough outer membrane that encases the brain and the skull). She slipped into a coma because the pressure from the blood accumulating pushed down on the brain stem and damaged the part of the brain responsible for putting a person into sleep and taking a person out of sleep called the (A)___________________." She died two days later from the brain injury. Had she gone to the hospital right away, doctors could have used a computer to digitally construct an image of her brain based upon the measurement of the absorption of X-rays, which is called a (B) ________________________. This would have allowed them to see the bleeding in her skull and resulted in timely treatment, which likely would have saved her life.

CASE 5: The famous American actor, Michael J. Fox, eventually came out publicly to let people know he had an early form of Parkinson's disease. He had hidden it from the public as long as he could, but eventually the shaking of his body was too intense to mask. People who were unfamiliar with Parkinson's soon learned that doctors understand very little about the disease. Although the cause of the disease process is unknown, doctors know that the disease attacks the neurons in the area of the brain that makes motor movements smooth called the (A) ________________________. Due to the fact that this area of the brain contains neurons that work mainly by using the neurotransmitter (B) ____________________, the most common treatment of this incurable disease has been a medication that increases the amount of that neurotransmitter.   

CASE 6: Kingsley had trouble with his vision last year. He couldn't move his left eye in one direction. After many tests, some very painful, his neurologist was able to come up with a possible diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Over the summer months, Kingsley became wobbly on his feet. His loss of balance because so bad that he ended up in a wheel chair for two months. The neurologist ordered a test using a machine containing a large magnet called a (A) ____________, which could take a very detailed picture of Kingsley's brain. The results showed very small patches of white area in his

(B) ________________, the area in the brain responsible for balance and fine motor control. Kingsley's neurologist explained that the white areas were actually showing that neurons in his brain were missing the fatty, white substance on the axon of his neurons called (C) ___________________. The diagnosis on multiple sclerosis was confirmed. 

 

Case 7: Dan has had a lot of issues lately. He has trouble managing his emotions. Dan was kicked out of his dormitory last week, because he became so angry with his roommate that he punched him in the mouth. He does not think through what he says before he says it.  Last week he told his friend "I only hang out with you because no one else will hang out with me." At McDonald's, he throws his ketchup covered French fries at his friend because he thinks it will be funny.  Dan makes poor decisions.  He parties too hard on Sunday night to make it to class on Monday and doesn't plan well to make sure his assignments are completed on time.  Dan's lab partner in biology notices his problems and takes him to Disability Access Services. Dan is referred to a neurologist who completes a battery of tests on him. As it turns out, Dan was hit in the head with a baseball at a game a month ago and had a small bleed in his brain that damaged the part of the brain that controls all of these abilities called the (A)____________________.

 

CASE 8: Sleepy is a gang member who is hiding out after killing a rival gang member. When the other gang finally tracks him down at a local McDonald's, he is shot in the head while trying to get out through the back. The bullet hits him in the side of his head toward the top back of the brain. The paramedics arrive and rush him to the hospital where he survives brain surgery. The next day when he wakes up, Sleepy becomes afraid that a rival gang member may still try to kill him. He tries to get out of bed and finds that he cannot feel where his right foot and leg are and cannot move his right foot and leg.

A. What specific part of the brain is damaged causing Sleepy not to feel his foot and leg?

B. What lobe and hemisphere is that damaged part found in?

C. What specific part of the brain is damaged causing Sleepy not to be able to move his foot and leg?

D. What lobe and hemisphere is that damaged part found in?

 

CASE 3: During his psychology class, Alai suddenly fell to the floor, became unconscious and started shaking violently. When he awoke, he was confused and could not remember what happened. Paramedics rushed Alai to the hospital where the doctors gave him a medication to stop his seizures. Alai was referred to an epileptologist to assess his seizures. He was put in a hospital, taken off all his medication and electrodes were glued to his scalp to measure his brain waves in a procedure called an (A) ______________.  The doctors determined that the seizures started in the right (B) ____________ lobe, which is primarily responsible for processing hearing. Brain surgery to remove the area causing the seizures is the most effective way to eliminate the problem, so Alai agreed to the procedure. However, he found that after the surgery he had trouble in college. He would study and study, but not be able to remember the material he studied. The doctors explained that the part of the brain that moves memories into long term storage, called the (C) ______________, is right under the removed lobe and sometimes must be removed to completely eliminate the seizures.

 

 

CASE 10: You and your grandmother, who is 83 years old, were talking about how you are doing in school; when she suddenly stops talking and can no longer respond to your questions in a coherent manner. You take her to the hospital, where doctors tell you she has had a stroke. The doctor explains that a stroke means that one of her arteries became blocked. As a result, part of the brain was damaged due to lack of blood and consequently, oxygen. The stroke affected Granny's ability to speak. The good news is that she will be able to understand most of what is spoken to her. The bas new is that she will not be able to speak in a fluent manner. Instead, her speech patter will be broken. Before the stroke Granny could say, "I need to go to the grocery store and buy several cans or chicken soup and see if the lettuce is fresh." After the stroke, Granny can only say, "Go store, buy soup, see lettuce."

A. Which specific part of Granny's brain was damaged by the stroke?

B. In which lobe and hemisphere of the brain is this area located?

 

CASE 11: Here's a real horror story. There is a tiny bug that lives under beds and comes out at night when a person is asleep. The bug crawls into the person's ear and keeps on going until it reaches that brain. Very quietly, so as not to wake the person, the bug begins to eat away its favorite part of the person's brain. The next morning, the person gets up and realizes he can see things clearly, but cannot recognize what he sees. He mistakes his toothbrush for a razor and starts brushing his face. 

A. Which specific part of the person's brain was eaten away and interfered with his ability to perceive objects by looking at them?

B. Can you describe what would occur if the bug had eaten the hearing association area instead?

 

CASE 12: Although Ibsituu is usually smiley and happy, some very weird things have happened to her this week that caused her to be a little concerned. On Monday, she was sitting in her art class watching a video when she suddenly could not see and discovered that she was completely blind. On Tuesday, she was practicing her violin when she realized she couldn't hear anything and was totally deaf. On Wednesday, now blind and deaf, she was in the cafeteria eating a pizza when she realized that she could no longer taste anything and lost all sense of taste. By Thursday, Ibsituu was getting a little concerned about how her life was going and what could happen next. She pinched herself to make sure that she was all right, but discovered that she could not feel a thing. In just four days, she had lost her ability to see, hear, taste, and touch. She remembered having some really bad weeks, but nothing like this one. (Hint: Not the somatosensory cortex)

A. What part of Ibsituu's brain was being destroyed by a tumor?

 

CASE 13: Julio, who is in a coma, is kept alive by a life support system that includes a respirator to control his breathing and another machine to supply food and fluids. Julio's brain wave pattern is flat, which means that he is brain dead or that his forebrain is not functioning. The doctors tell Julio's mother that Julio is in a vegetative coma from which he is most unlikely ever to come out. Being in a vegetative coma means that Julio can make no responses that we associate with being human - speaking, thinking, and responding to questions. On the advice of his doctors, Julio's mother decides that it would be best if the respirator were disconnected and Julio be allowed to die without pain. The doctors disconnect Julio's respirator and the room was very quiet for several minutes. Then Julio gasped for air and began to breathe on his own. The doctors explain that in a few cases such as Julio's when the respirator is turned off, a small part of the brain can keep a person alive, but the rest of the brain is dead. 

A. Which part of Julio's brain is keeping him alive?

 

CASE 14: Concussions, a type of traumatic brain injury, generally occur when the head either spins rapidly or accelerates quickly and then stops — like when a player tackles another player on the field. The National Football League and Congress have both held hearings on the head injuries, which can cause memory loss, confusion, nausea, blurred vision and long-term neurological effects, including symptoms of dementia, headaches and concentration problems.

A) What part of the brain would be damaged if the football player's symptoms were primarily problems with memory?

B) If after repeated blows to the head a football player has difficulty with making good judgments and decisions, and the personality changes, which part of the brain has been damaged?  

 

CASE 15: It was Friday the 13th, and Janet was being especially careful as she walked down a busy downtown street. While she was stepping out on the street to avoid a construction ladder, leaping over a huge crack in the pavement and shielding her eyes from a big black stray cat, a city bus hit her. When she awoke, people did not seem to understand her when she spoke. The doctor played back a recording of her speaking and it sounded like a bunch of words just thrown together, not what she thought she said. She thought she said, "I feel sick to my stomach." However, the recording was, "Can the shoe laugh table." Janet never seemed to finish sentence or make any sense, but she talked in a very fluent manner.

A. Which specific part of Janet's brain was damaged?

B. In which lobe and hemisphere is this part located?

 

Case 16: Pao has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Classes are a challenge because he has trouble sitting still for the 50 minutes. He interrupts the teacher and blurts out answers before others get a chance. He forgets to study, makes careless mistakes, and even sometimes loses his assignments. The worst part is that Pao has difficulty paying attention because he is easily distracted and misses most of the lecture information.  

A. What part of Pao's brain is supposed to help him pay attention and not be distracted?

B. What part of Pao's brain is supposed to help him keep from acting impulsively?

 

CASE 17: Although Esther is usually smiley and happy, some very weird things have happened to her this week that caused her to be a little concerned. On Monday, she was sitting in her art class watching a video when she suddenly could not focus on seeing and hearing at the same time. When she focused on what she was seeing, she could not focus on what she was hearing. She at first thought it was the movie, but the same thing happened when she listened to her classmates on the way out of class. On Tuesday, she was practicing her violin when she realized she couldn't coordinate her feeling of how she held her bow with where she tried to place it on the violin. On Wednesday, she went to Urgent Care. She thought she was losing her mind. Although her senses were working, they were not working together to allow her to experience her perceptions as a unified whole. By Thursday, the doctor was able to determine that emergency surgery was needed to remove an aneurysm from Esther's brain.

A. In what area in her brain was her aneurysm?

B. What lobe contains that area?

 

 

Case 18: It was Saturday night, and Devon had too many beers. He was standing on the second floor balcony, loudly boasting that he was going to swan dive into the swimming pool. Everybody told him not to dive because he was too drunk and the pool was too shallow. Devon wouldn't listen because he wanted to show off to the new coed. Shouting, "Look at me!" he jumped off the balcony and dove into the pool. He struck his head on the bottom and broke his neck. Although he survived the accident, Devon cannot move any part of his body or feel any sensations from his shoulders down. However, all his other sensory and motor functions are completely normal.

(Be very clear, use the terms afferent and efferent when needed, and indicate direction of neural transmission.)

I GIVE YOU THIS ANSWER IN THE VIDEO LECTURE ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM!

 

A. Why doesn't Devon have any sensations below his shoulders? (Hint: It is always best to start your description where the sense of touch starts in your body, in the skin.)

 

 

 

B. Why can't Devon move his muscles below his shoulders? (Hint: it is always best to start where movement signals start, in the primary motor cortex in the frontal lobes.)