Neurobiology

20/06/2023

Question 1 (theory)

you get a bunch of terms (20). These are the ones I remember:

1. VPM
2. basilar membrane
3. myopia
4. vestibular nucleus
5. medullary reticular nucleus/medullary reticulospinal tract (idk which one of the 2)
6. lumbar cord
7. superior colliculus
8. acetylcholine
9. rubrospinal tract
10. Meissner's corpuscle
11. mechanoreceptor
12. C axon
13. muscle spindle
14. parvocellular layers

We also received 9 day-to-day activities:

1. maintaining the static posture of your leg
2. singing
3. driving
4. picking up a child
5. walking
6. reading the time on a digital clock
7. eye movement
8. washing your hands with warm water
9. stomach pain

Then you had to fill the numbers of the terms in with the correct day-to-day activities. Some numbers could belong to several activities, some to none. The ones that did not belong anywhere, had to be explained in 2-3 sentences with a drawing.

Question 2

6 (!) figures about 2 papers, with lots of subpanels per figure. We mostly had to explain what the experimental set-up was and what the conclusions of the figures were.

(ridiculous exam, honestly)

21/06/2022

Exam by Sara Gilissen

Question 1 (about the theory, 10 pts)

Oliver (9 y) is brought to the emergency room with a carbon monoxide poisoning; Claire (70y) is also brought in after a car accident that happened when she crossed the street without looking; Rose (14 y) just had her tonsils removed due to recurrent infections. All three patients were diagnosed with a significant hearing loss.

A. What are the causes of the hearing loss in those three patients? Start with drawing the main pathway that is involved. (the context wasn't so clear for everyone, so Sara gave some extra information: carbon monoxide poisoning leads to a lack of oxygen in the brain, the hearing loss in Claire was the reason that the accident happened, and 'tonsils' = amandelen (NL))

B. Could there be unilateral deafness in one or more of the patients? If yes, why and who?

C. What are the physiological causes of the hearing loss in the three patients?

D. What experiment would you use to find out what / where the cause of the hearing loss is exactly?

E. What is hair cell depolarization and how can this further lead to an action potential?

Question 2 (about autism - theme of this year (mental illness), 10 pts)

You get a bunch of figures from a paper we haven't seen before and you have to describe and discuss these results. Then, in the end, explain in maximum 3 sentences what conclusions you derive from these results. She also asks to explain a certain technique that was seen (from the papers or follow-up experiments or guest lecture) and also give an alternative for a certain other technique.

16/06/2021

Note: New exam questions this year, since most of the lectures were given by Sara Gilissen.

1. A patient is complaining of severe headaches and fatigue, and a numb sensation in its right leg. In the hospital, they notice a tumor in his brain, causing high intracranial pressure.
   1. Where exactly is his brain tumor located (be as specific as possible)
   2. What causes increased intracranial pressure, and what can be done about it? What are the consequences if left untreated?
   3. What other causes than a brain tumor could cause this loss of sensation? Give three examples and draw the affected pathways.
   4. If the patient would not have a tumor but a severe leg problem, and the leg would be amputated, what would happen in his brain? What brain regions would be affected?

1. Several images of a spatial navigation paper (without legends or extra information)
   1. All images and results needs to be explained and discussed
   2. Give the three most important findings of this paper (which you're supposed to derive from the images)

07/06/2021

Exam made by assistant: Sara Gilissen

Question 1 (about the theory chapters)

Chloe has the habit of getting up during the night to go to the bathroom. She doesn't turn on the light and uses light coming from stars and streetlamps to navigate. However, lately her night vision has been declining and one night she falls of the stairs. She ended up in the emergency room and was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma and a fractured spine, leading to damage in two different parts in the central nervous system. The symptoms she experiences are involuntary muscle spasms in the upper arm and a lack of feeling and motion in the legs.

A. Where is the problem of Chloe located (the one that caused her to fall): sensory system - thalamus - brain (circle one of the options)? Explain what is going wrong. (Problem with rod-functioning)

B. What is a subdural hematoma? Also make a drawing.

C. Where are the fractures in the spinal cord that are causing Chloe's symptoms and explain.

Question 2 (about spatial navigation)

You get a bunch of figures from a paper we haven't seen before and you have to describe and discuss these results. Then, in the end, explain in maximum 3 sentences what conclusion you derive from these results. Also explain the different spatial navigation cell types and their firing pattern, and the term: theta. (question was easier than expected and the figures were easy to interpret).

23/08/2019 Afternoon

How do you locate an object in space? What are the senses, pathways and structures involved?

24/06/2019 Afternoon

What causes Tourette's syndrome and the pathways and mechanisms involved?

24/06/2019 Morning

Where and what pathways in vision. Could there be a similar tract in the auditory system, give arguments

Article

- explain a word she chooses

- give a summary of the article, 5 points, max 2 sentences each

- why did you choose it and what did you learn from it

05/06/2019

You are skiing and you have to avoid someone... How do you do this successfully?

Article

- explain a word she chooses

- give a summary of the article, 5 points, max 2 sentences each

- why did you choose it and what did you learn from it

05/06/2019

If the cortex of the cerebellum is damaged, fine movements of the limbs are impaired. Explain, why, and how SMA is involved. Explain somatotopy of cerebellum.

June 6, 2018

What are the 'where' and 'what' pathways of the visual system? Is there a similar division in the auditory system? Give arguments for and against.

Article:

1. Explain a word she chooses.
2. Why did you choose this paper and what did you learn from it?
3. Give the major findings of the paper in 5 points, max 2 lines each.

She also asked to explain some parts of the figures during the oral part.

1 September 2017

Discuss horizontal localization of sound. How do 360 ° 'images' form sound? Give a few solutions.

Article: explain word - give motivation and what you have learned from the article - in 5 points (each max. 2 lines) note the highlights of your article

June 9, 2017

What are the 'where' and 'what' pathway of the visual system? Is there a similar division in the auditory system?

For the paper: 1) she chooses a word that you have to explain. 2) Why did you choose this paper and what did you learn from this? 3) Briefly summarize the 5 most important findings from this paper using max 2 lines.

June 20, 2016

You walk and you have to avoid a stone, how do you do this successfully?

June 17, 2016 VM

Drawing of the cerebellum (the same as in the link as below). Which structures do you recognize? What is their function? Also discuss the details (drawing of hands, feet and lips on the cerebellum) and speculate about what these could mean. Make figures yourself and draw and then discuss pathways.

June 13, 2016 VM

Een patient meld zich aan en na de eerste onderzoeken blijkt hij blind te zijn in het linker hemiveld. Wat kan hier de oorzaak van zijn. Wat zou er mis kunnen zijn en hoe ga je dit testen? Gebruik tekeningen en schema's om de neurobiologische werking aan te tonen.

6 juni 2016 NM

Tekening van het cerebellum (dezelfde als in de link als hier beneden). Welke structuren herken je? Wat is hun functie? Ook de details bespreken (tekening van handen, voeten en lippen op het cerebellum) en speculeren over wat deze zouden kunnen betekenen. Zelf figuren maken en pathways tekenen en dan bespreken.

6 juni 2016 VM

Bij visuele verwerking is er sprake van een "waar" en een "wat" pathway. Leg uit. Zou er sprake kunnen zijn van deze pathways bij auditieve verwerking? Geef argumenten voor en tegen.

3 juni 2016

Je loopt op een paadje en je moet een steen ontwijken. Hoe doe je dit succesvol?

22 juni 2015

Je rijdt met de fiets op een paadje en je moet een steen ontwijken. Hoe doe je dit succesvol? (ook zoveel mogelijk tekeningen/schema's geven)

19 juni 2015

Na enkele testen bemerk je dat een patient blind is aan zijn linker hemiveld. Geef de ziektebleeden aan wat dit kan liggen en geef ook extra testen om dit te bewijzen. Verduidelijk met tekeningen. (antwoord kort: lesie ACHTER optisch chiasma in de R optic tract, probleem in de RECHTER LGN, probleem in de V1, probleem met de dorsale en ventrale stromen (wat en waar pathways=> MT,MST,IT..) omdat de patient misschien wel functioneel ziet maar niet begrijpt wat hij ziet, probleem in de PPA=> Neglect syndroom. Hoe testen? probe in de hersenen is te invasief, beter fMRI doen + Neglect syndroom: tekeningetje laten maken)

6 juni 2015 (nm)

Zelfde als hieronder (23 juni 2014)

23 juni 2014 (nm)

Bij visuele verwerking is er sprake van een "waar" en een "wat" pathway. Leg uit. Zou er sprake kunnen zijn van deze pathways bij auditieve verwerking? Geef argumenten voor en tegen.

6 juni 2014 (nm)

De volgende tekening was gegeven (zie link) zonder enige uitleg. Ze vroeg welke structuren je herkende, of je enkele details kon verduidelijken, er een legende bijschrijven en je antwoord staven met tekeningen. (Het was blijkbaar het cerebellum en het mee redeneren was het belangrijkst, ook al kende je het antwoord totaal niet.)

http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v5/n3/fig_tab/nrn1347_F5.html

24 juni 2013 (vm)

Welke invloed denk je dat topsport kan hebben op de hersenen?

10 juni 2013 (vm)

--> zie 11 juni 2012

11 juni 2012 (nm)

Wat zou een oorzaak kunnen zijn van het ziektebeeld waar de patiënt snelle en ongewilde, maar gecoördineerde bewegingen maakt van de ledematen, hoofd en romp? Geef zoveel mogelijk tekeningen/schema's om uw antwoord te staven. Kan je een voorbeeld geven?

11 juni 2012 (vm)

Figuurke van in 1943 en een tweede van 1944 van een (bovenaanzicht? van een) cerebellum waarop een omgekeerd manneke staat en op het tweede datzelfde manneke, maar 'onderaan' links en rechts een embryo.

(de vraag die hieronder staat is wat ze ongeveer vroeg, maar niet helemaal correct)

Wat betekent deze figuur volgens u? Wa is de functionele achtergrond? Geef alle functie-anatomie links die hier iets mee te maken hebben en bespreek in detail. (het had te maken met proprioceptie (en geheugensporen)==> laatste slides met figuurkes uit hoofdstuk 24 of 25). Zijn er meerdere kopies/gelijkaardige lagen/...? Wat zijn de voordelen, wat zijn de nadelen?

24 juni VM

1. Je fietst in het bos en plots moet je een grote steen ontwijken. Bespreek waarom je dit met succes kan doen. Welke neuronale circuits zijn hierbij betrokken?

27 juni 2011 (vm)

1. Een fMRI werd toegepast op 3 patiënten na het toepassen van een visuele stimulus. De metingen werden gedaan in de contralaterale hemisfeer.
   • Patiënt 1: V1 actief, IT actief, PPA niet actief
   • Patiënt 2: V1 actief, IT actief, PPA actief
   • Patiënt 3: V1 niet actief, IT niet actief, PPA niet actief

Discuss possible syndromes. What do you know about the brain regions involved? Can you say something about the characteristics of the stimulus with this data? Did the stimulus take place on the left or right?

June 16, 2011

1. The thalamus is the switching station for sensory information on the way to the cortex. Correct or incorrect, discuss and support your answers with examples / diagrams.

June 24, 2009

1. Blindness: 1 visual hemifield and unilateral neglect syndrome. How can you determine what your patient has? Describe both phenomena?

And describe all involved brain pathways in detail.

June 13, 2008

1. Describe the effects of a unilateral injury in the visual cortex. Discuss whether the size of the lesion is important. Compare with a unilateral injury in the auditory system.
2. Article