Semester 2 Neuro, Quiz 9 – Diencephalon

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  • 1/10 Questions

    The thalamus is involved in the sensory relay of many modalities to the cortex. Which sensory modality does not utilize the thalamus in any significant manner?

    • Pain
    • Olfaction
    • Light Touch
    • Proprioception
    • Vibratory Sense
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About This Quiz

Semester 2 Neuro, quiz 9 focuses on the Diencephalon, assessing knowledge on thalamic nuclei, hypothalamic functions, and their clinical implications. It tests understanding of neurological pathways and disorders, essential for medical students and professionals.

Semester 2 Neuro, Quiz 9 Diencephalon - Quiz

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  • 2. 

    Which thalamic nucleus would be primarily responsible for processing input associated with activation of pacinian corpuscles in your left hand?

    • Left dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus

    • Left pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus

    • Left ventroposteromedial (VPM) nucleus of the thalamus

    • Right lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus

    • Right ventroposterolateral (VPL) nucleus of the thalamus

    • Right ventral anterior nucleus of the thalamus

    Correct Answer
    A. Right ventroposterolateral (VPL) nucleus of the thalamus
    Explanation
    The VPL nucleus of the thalamus is primarily responsible for processing input associated with activation of pacinian corpuscles in the left hand. The VPL nucleus receives sensory information from the body and sends it to the primary somatosensory cortex for further processing. Since the question specifically asks about the left hand, it is important to choose the nucleus on the opposite side of the body, which is the right VPL nucleus.

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  • 3. 

    Your patient had a stroke affecting the thalamus. After an MRI, the neurologist advised you that the "limbic" thalamus had been affected. Which of the following thalamic nuclei has both afferent and efferent limbic connections?

    • Anterior nucleus

    • Pulvinar

    • Ventral posterolateral nucleus

    • Ventral lateral nucleus

    • Medial geniculate nucleus

    Correct Answer
    A. Anterior nucleus
    Explanation
    The anterior nucleus of the thalamus has both afferent and efferent limbic connections. This means that it receives input from limbic structures such as the hippocampus and amygdala, and also sends output to other limbic areas. This is important because the limbic system is involved in emotions, memory, and behavior, so damage to the limbic thalamus can lead to changes in these functions.

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  • 4. 

    As a research scientist you are doing axonal tracing studies in the thalamus. You decide to inject an anterograde tracer into the VL (ventral lateral) and VA (ventral anterior) nuclei of the thalamus. What is the major output of these nuclei?

    • Primary somatosensory cortex (3,1,2)

    • Primary motor cortex (4)

    • Primary visual cortex (17)

    • Cingulate gyrus and other limbic regions

    • Primary auditory cortex (41,42)

    Correct Answer
    A. Primary motor cortex (4)
    Explanation
    The major output of the VL and VA nuclei of the thalamus is the primary motor cortex (4). This means that these nuclei send information to the primary motor cortex, which is responsible for initiating voluntary movements. By injecting an anterograde tracer into these nuclei, the researcher will be able to trace the pathways and connections between the thalamus and the primary motor cortex, providing valuable information about the neural circuitry involved in motor control.

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  • 5. 

    Which of the following grouping of nuclei of the hypothalamus all regulate feeding behaviors?

    • Dorsomedial nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventromedial nucleus

    • Dorsomedial nucleus, lateral nucleus, anterior nucleus

    • Arcuate nucleus! lateral nucleus, paraventricular nucleus

    • Arcuate nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, posterior nucleus

    • Ventromedial nucleus, posterior nucleus, paraventricular nucleus

    Correct Answer
    A. Dorsomedial nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventromedial nucleus
    Explanation
    The correct answer is Dorsomedial nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventromedial nucleus. These three nuclei of the hypothalamus are known to play a role in regulating feeding behaviors. The dorsomedial nucleus is involved in stimulating appetite and food intake, while the lateral nucleus is involved in suppressing appetite and promoting satiety. The ventromedial nucleus is also involved in regulating food intake and is known to be important in the control of meal size and body weight. Therefore, these three nuclei together are involved in the regulation of feeding behaviors.

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  • 6. 

    A 47-year old female is referred to a local clinic because of polyuria linked to excessive thirst/drinking. She denies any family history of diabetes. A CT (computed tomography) scan reveals an infarcted area in a region of the diencephalon. You suspect a lesion in which structure?

    • Posterior nucleus of hypothalamus

    • Anterior nucleus of thalamus

    • Ventro-postero lateral nucleus of thalamus

    • Habenular nucleus of epithalamus

    • Arcuate nucleus of thalamus

    • Paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus

    Correct Answer
    A. Paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus
    Explanation
    The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus is responsible for regulating thirst and water balance in the body. Damage to this area can lead to excessive thirst and drinking, as seen in the patient's symptoms of polyuria and excessive thirst. The infarcted area in the diencephalon, as revealed by the CT scan, suggests a lesion in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus as the likely cause of the patient's symptoms.

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  • 7. 

    As a principal investigator with a team of scientists, you are determined to create a method by which individuals could elect to surgically alter their hypothalamus to control their weight. Which hypothalamic nucleus would cause starvation if it was lesioned or destroyed?

    • Paraventricular nucleus

    • Mammillary body

    • Ventromedial nucleus

    • Lateral nucleus

    • Posterior nucleus

    Correct Answer
    A. Lateral nucleus
    Explanation
    Lesioning or destroying the lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus would cause starvation. The lateral nucleus is responsible for regulating hunger and feeding behavior. When this nucleus is damaged, it can disrupt the normal signals that control appetite and lead to a loss of appetite or reduced food intake, ultimately resulting in starvation.

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  • 8. 

    Your grandmother always drinks her coffee while it is still steaming hot. The temperature perception that she feels on her tongue is relayed directly to the thalamus by which of the following neurons?

    • Main (principal/chief) sensory nucleus of V (trigeminal)

    • Nucleus cuneatus

    • Spinal nucleus of V (trigeminal)

    • Trigeminal ganglion

    • VPM (Ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus)

    Correct Answer
    A. Spinal nucleus of V (trigeminal)
    Explanation
    The spinal nucleus of V (trigeminal) is responsible for relaying temperature perception from the tongue to the thalamus. This nucleus is a sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for transmitting sensory information from the face to the brain. Since the tongue is part of the face, the trigeminal nerve is involved in relaying the temperature perception to the thalamus.

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  • 9. 

    Your friend in your advanced genetics class is always falling asleep during lecture. At first you thought that she just wasn't sleeping at night or that the lecture had to be extremely boring for her. However! you then notice that she sometimes she falls asleep during group activities as well. Which hypothalamic nucleus may be related to her problem?

    • Dorsomedial nucleus

    • Paraventricular nucleus

    • Anterior nucleus

    • Arcuate nucleus

    • Ventromedial nucleus

    Correct Answer
    A. Dorsomedial nucleus
    Explanation
    The dorsomedial nucleus may be related to her problem because it is involved in regulating sleep and wakefulness. Dysfunction in this nucleus can lead to excessive sleepiness and difficulty staying awake, which could explain why she falls asleep during lectures and group activities.

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  • 10. 

    Which of the following regions of the hypothalamus contains nuclei important for learning and memory circuits?

    • Preoptic Area

    • Posterior Area

    • Tuberal Region

    • Anterior Area

    • Lateral Area

    Correct Answer
    A. Posterior Area
    Explanation
    The correct answer is the Posterior Area. The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes, including learning and memory. The Posterior Area of the hypothalamus contains nuclei that are important for the formation and consolidation of memory circuits. These nuclei work together with other brain regions to facilitate the encoding and retrieval of information, thereby contributing to the learning and memory processes.

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  • Current Version
  • Mar 21, 2023
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • Jan 24, 2012
    Quiz Created by
    BLACKMD
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