nervoy

Question 1

What is Autonomic nervous System?

Answer 1

The sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions work together to support homeostasis

Question 2

What does the central nervous system does ? which is the spinal cord

Answer 2

• Connects most of PNS with brain
• Grey matter in centre , white matter outside
• Sensory neurons enter at the rear
• Motor neurons exit via the front
• Can produce reflex responses
• 1300-1400g in adults
• 2% of body weight
• 20 % of energy use
• 86 billion neurons
• 51 trillion synapses
• Has gray matter outside and white matter inside

Question 3

Explain MRI

Answer 3

• Spinning protons have tiny mangetic fields
• Apply strong magnetic field and they align
• Beam radio waves to perturb them
• Turn off radio waves and they relax back
• … releasing radio waves
• Time course dpends on the environment

Question 4

What is DTI

Answer 4

• Graded magnetic fields probe diffusion of water
• Axons are like straws , so DTI identifies white matter tracts

Question 5

What is microelectrode recording

Answer 5

• Electrode array records activity while the patient performs tasks
• Can record single cell activity
• Limited opportunities for implementation

Question 6

What is electroencephalography ?

Answer 6

• Detect voltages via net of electrodes on scalp
• (Reflects graded postsynaptic potentials, not action potentials)
• High temporal precision
• Spatial origin of the signals is unclear
• Can detect regular oscillations (“brain waves”)…
• …and event-related potentials (ERPs)

Question 7

What is magnetoencephalography

Answer 7

• Detect changes in magnetic field caused by electrical activity
• High temporal resolution
• Better spatial resolution than EEG because…?
• Detect changes in magnetic field caused by electrical activity
• High temporal resolution
• Better spatial resolution than EEG because there is less distortion by skull and skin

Question 8

Explain Functional MRI

Answer 8

• Detect changes in blood flow to areas using oxygen
• Poorer temporal resolution than EEG/MEG because changes in blood flow take time
• Better spatial resolution than EEG/MEG
• Can probe subcortical structures
• E.g., Dr Petrini and colleagues investigating effects of audio-visual synchrony on drummers and novices

Question 9

Explain function near infrared Spectroscopy

Answer 9

• Detect changes in blood flow by measuring absorption of IR light
• Poor temporal resolution
• Worse spatial resolution than fMRI
• (Relatively) cheap and easy
• Person can move!

Question 10

What is positron emission Tomography

Answer 10

• Inject radiolabelled glucose or neurotransmitter
• Radioactive decay => gamma radiation
• Allows 3D reconstruction of energy or NT activity