Welcome to the Brain Game!

Rules Form groups of four For each question, raise your hand if your group knows the answer. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. Report the number of points and names of your group members at the end of the game.

Antoine has had a recent onset of depression Antoine has had a recent onset of depression. His doctors determine that his depression is due to a lack of what neurotransmitter?

Answer: Serotonin

Daniel suffers from focal epilepsy (seizures localized in just 1 part of the brain). His seizures trigger extreme emotions - most often extreme fear followed by rage. What general part of the brain is likely affected?

Answer The amygdala - it’s known for its influence on anger, fear, and anxiety.

Carlos, a soccer goalie, was having the game of a lifetime Carlos, a soccer goalie, was having the game of a lifetime. Toward the end of the game, he dove to stop a blazing corner shot. The ball struck him in the face and sent his head slamming back into the hard edge of the goal post. Carlos slowly sat up and wondered why he was seeing stars. What area (lobe) of his brain was jolted?

Answer Occipital lobe - Hitting the back of his head stimulated the occipital lobe and this produced visual sensations such as seeing stars.

Fred suffers a stroke that damages the motor cortex on the right side of his brain. He has difficulty moving which side of his body?

Answer The left side.

During an operation for the removal of a brain tumor, Dr During an operation for the removal of a brain tumor, Dr. Brantley stimulated Kim’s brain with an electrode. Kim reported hearing loud sirens. In what brain area (lobe) did Dr. Brantley place the electrode?

Answer The temporal lobe.

Dr. Williams was working in the ER, when a young gunshot victim arrives. She begins frantically working to save his life, but quickly gives up after locating the bullet wound. The patient’s blood pressure and heart rate dropped to essentially zero and he stopped breathing within seconds. Where most likely is the bullet?

Answer The brainstem. It takes care of life-sustaining reflexes such as breathing and heart rate and blood pressure.

Jessica was not obviously injured in a recent auto accident, but received a hard blow to her head. Since that day she has noticed a dramatic decrease in her sex drive & she hardly eats at all. What part of her brain might have been affected by the accident?

Answer Hypothalamus. A tiny structure that is is critical for basic behaviors and drives like hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior.

Rachel is in the Ten Hoor parking deck at 2 AM when she sees a large person in a hockey mask slowly walking toward her. She hauls butt out of there. Which nervous system was activated here?

Answer The sympathetic nervous system, a division of the autonomic nervous system, arouses our “fight or flight” responses (increases heart rate, breathing, releases hormones and increases blood sugar, etc..) and allows us to go into action when necessary.

Claire was having a really bad week. On Mon Claire was having a really bad week. On Mon., she was studying when her vision got blurrier & blurrier until she could no longer see. On Tues., she was practicing the violin when she realized she couldn’t hear. On Wed. she was eating in the cafe when she realized she couldn’t taste her food at all. On Thu. she realized she couldn’t feel anything touching her skin. Her CAT scan revealed that a single brain tumor was probably producing all of these deficits. What one part of Claire’s brain was likely causing this inability to see, hear, taste, and feel (use all sensations)?

Answer The thalamus - sensory information could not be relayed to her brain. Thus, Terri lost her ability to taste, see, hear, and touch. The thalamus receives sensory info & then relays this info to other areas of brain.

Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox have Parkinson’s disease Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox have Parkinson’s disease. It often leads to uncontrollable tremors among other things. Ali’s and Fox’s disease may be linked to what neurotransmitter?

Answer A shortage of dopamine

Grandpa McDowell has begun to lose his spatial abilities - he gets lost in his familiar neighborhood, he can’t put dishes or clean laundry away because he no longer knows where things go in his home of 40 years. The doctors say he also could not arrange blocks to form a design. What hemisphere of the brain controls these tasks?

Answer The right hemisphere - (The parietal lobe is particularly important in spatial processing). He may have difficulty processing music, recognizing faces, working jigsaw puzzles, etc…)

Alicia had a normal attention span and was a good sleeper Alicia had a normal attention span and was a good sleeper. She often napped in the library and even in class. When playing football this fall, however, she received an exceptionally hard blow to the back of her head and neck. Now she suffers insomnia regularly and can’t seem to focus her attention for very long. What part of her brain may have been damaged?

Answer The reticular formation, in the brainstem, is responsible for controlling sleep, arousal, and attention.

Today is Sara’s birthday and she and her buddies celebrated a bit too much. When the police stopped her car, Sara’s speech was slurred, she couldn’t walk a straight line or stand on one foot. The impaired functioning of what part of her brain is most responsible for these difficulties?

Answer Cerebellum, located in the brainstem, has control over coordinated voluntary movement, balance, and posture. One reason the police use dexterity tests, is that the cerebellum is one of the first brain areas affected by alcohol.

It’s raining out, so Zane and Kate take a short cut to get to Kate’s car. Unfortunately two unrestrained, hungry Dobermans catch sight of them and begin pursuit. Zane and Kate run faster than they ever have before and dive into the car just in the nick of time. It took 10 minutes for their pulse and breathing to return to normal. What part of the nervous system helped their bodies return to a normal state afterwards?

Answer The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. It reduces arousal by slowing heart & breathing rate, restricting pupils, relaxing muscles, and decreasing body temp.

Jordan suffered a case of encephalitis (a brain infection) while in college. The infection took its toll on certain parts of his brain. Although he can still recall events that happened before the infection, he can’t do things like summarize yesterday’s news report or recall his birthday party that took place a few weeks after his illness. What part of the brain did the encephalitis likely damage?

Answer Hippocampus (part of the limbic system). The hippocampus seems essential to our ability to form and store new memories in their more permanent, long-term form.

Katherine had a rare and severe form of epilepsy that could not be controlled by medication. Surgery stopped the seizures and she can now operate both sides of her body separately. Indicate the likely location of the surgery.

Answer Corpus Callosum Katherine is now a split-brain patient.

Following a recent accident, Sarah Catherine’s personality changed dramatically. Once outgoing and lively, she is now reserved and rather shy around others. What brain area was most likely damaged in the accident?

Answer Frontal lobes or prefrontal cortex