Lesson 3.2.3.4.1

3.2.3.4.1 Cognitive neuroscience: brain structure and function relate to behaviour Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 7

20 questions

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Lesson 3.2.3.4.1, Cognitive neuroscience: brain structure and function relate to behaviour: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 7: Brain and neuropsychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is cognitive neuroscience?

    • The study of how neurons are made from chemical compounds in laboratory experiments in daily life
    • The study of how children learn to read and write in schools across different countries
    • The study of how the structure and function of the brain relate to behaviour and cognition
    • The study of how the nervous system develops in the womb from the first cell division

  2. What does a CT scan show?

    • The chemical activity of neurons, measured by detecting radioactive sugar taken up by active cells
    • A detailed structural image of the brain, built from X-ray measurements taken from many angles
    • The activity of the brain over time, measured by tracking blood flow through cerebral vessels
    • The electrical activity of the brain, measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

  3. What does a PET scan detect?

    • The sound waves reflected from the brain's surface, showing the thickness of the skull
    • The magnetic response of hydrogen atoms in the brain, showing fine cortical structure
    • A radioactive tracer injected into the body, showing which brain areas are more active
    • The X-ray absorption of bone and soft tissue, showing the shape of the skull

  4. What does fMRI measure?

    • The electrical currents on the scalp at one moment, which show each neuron firing
    • Changes in blood oxygen levels in the brain, which indicate which areas are more active during a task
    • The shape of the skull in three dimensions, which shows where bones have grown too large
    • The radioactive decay of a tracer in the bloodstream, which shows metabolic rate in cells

  5. Which scan is best for showing the detailed structure of the brain?

    • PET scan, which shows brain activity using a radioactive tracer injected into the bloodstream
    • CT scan, which provides a detailed image of structure using X-rays
    • EEG, which records electrical activity from the scalp but shows little detail of structure
    • fMRI, which shows brain activity using changes in blood oxygen during a set task

  6. A researcher wants to see which areas of the brain are active during a memory task. Which scan is most suitable?

    • CT, because it records the activity of each neuron in real time during the task
    • PET, because it measures the skull's thickness, which changes during memory tasks
    • fMRI, because it detects changes in blood oxygen that show which areas are active during the task
    • A skull X-ray, because it shows how much the brain grows during the memory task itself

  7. Why might a PET scan be less suitable than fMRI for repeated scanning of the same person?

    • PET takes longer than an X-ray, so the patient must be kept still for far longer each day
    • PET uses a radioactive tracer, so repeated exposure is a concern, whereas fMRI does not use radiation
    • PET cannot show any brain areas at all, so it cannot be repeated in the same person
    • PET only shows the skull, so it cannot be compared across sessions in the same person

  8. What does a CT scan use to produce its image?

    • Radio waves in a strong magnetic field, which align hydrogen atoms in the brain tissue
    • X-rays measured from many angles, combined by a computer to form cross-sectional images
    • Visible light shone through the skull, which is recorded on film
    • Sound waves sent into the skull, which bounce back from surfaces inside the brain in daily life

  9. Which scanning technique involves injecting a substance into the bloodstream?

    • fMRI, which uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to show brain structure
    • A skull X-ray, which uses a single exposure to show the bones of the head
    • CT, which uses a series of X-ray images taken around the head to show structure in daily life
    • PET, which uses a radioactive tracer injected into the blood to show brain activity

  10. Which benefit of fMRI is most important for studying cognition in healthy people?

    • It records the electrical activity of single neurons, which it does in every case in the laboratory
    • It is the only technique that shows brain structure, so no other scan is ever needed in research
    • It is cheap and portable, so it can be used on the street for quick diagnosis of brain conditions
    • It is non-invasive and does not use radiation, so it can study brain activity during tasks in healthy volunteers

  11. Which scanning method is best for showing structural damage to the brain from an injury?

    • PET, which shows the activity of the brain at rest and cannot reveal structural damage
    • fMRI, which shows only blood oxygen levels during a task and is not used for injuries
    • EEG, which records scalp electrical signals and cannot show anything about the skull's structure
    • CT, which gives a clear picture of structural changes such as bleeding or damage

  12. Why is it important that scans are compared with behaviour in cognitive neuroscience?

    • Scans alone are enough, because brain activity completely explains behaviour without further testing
    • Behaviour is measured only by scans, so comparing them is simply a way of checking the scanner
    • Behaviour is irrelevant to the brain, so comparing it with scans only confuses the results
    • Scans alone show activity or structure, but linking them to behaviour shows what those patterns mean

  13. What does a PET scan typically show that a CT scan does not?

    • The thickness of the skull bones, which PET measures more precisely than any other scan
    • The electrical signal in each neuron, which PET records directly without any tracer in daily life
    • Metabolic activity in the brain, such as which areas use more glucose or oxygen during a task
    • The position of the eyes within the skull, which PET shows in three dimensions in real time

  14. An fMRI study finds greater activity in the frontal lobe during a planning task. What is the most cautious interpretation?

    • The frontal lobe alone controls all planning, so no other part of the brain has any role
    • The frontal lobe has grown larger during the task, which the scan shows as a change in its shape
    • The frontal lobe is damaged, because active regions always show damage on fMRI scans
    • The frontal lobe may be involved in planning, though the activity could reflect several processes working together

  15. Which scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves rather than X-rays or tracers?

    • PET, which uses a radioactive tracer injected into the bloodstream and detected by sensors
    • CT, which uses X-rays measured from many angles and combined by computer software in daily life
    • fMRI, which detects changes in blood oxygen in response to magnetic fields and radio signals
    • A skull X-ray, which uses a single exposure to show the bone structure of the head

  16. A study compares patients with brain damage and healthy controls using CT scans. What is the main benefit of this design?

    • It links differences in brain structure with differences in behaviour between the two groups
    • It avoids any ethical approval, since CT scans are never subject to ethical rules
    • It measures the speed of blood flow in each patient's neck during a single session
    • It shows the patients' thoughts directly, without needing any tasks or questions

  17. Explain one limitation shared by CT and fMRI as methods in cognitive neuroscience.

    • They cannot be used on any living person, so they cannot inform findings about healthy adults
    • They show correlation between brain features and behaviour, so they cannot alone prove one area causes a behaviour
    • They show causation directly in every case, so no further testing of behaviour is ever needed
    • They always show exactly the same image for every person, so they cannot reveal individual differences

  18. What does an fMRI image typically show?

    • Coloured maps of brain areas whose blood oxygen changes during a task
    • A detailed photograph of the surface of the brain taken through the skull
    • A list of the chemicals released by neurons during sleep in the brain
    • A graph of the electrical waves produced by the heart during exercise

  19. What does 'cognitive' refer to in cognitive neuroscience?

    • The speed of blood flow through the vessels that supply the brain
    • The physical shape of the skull and the bones that protect the brain
    • The chemical makeup of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord
    • Mental processes such as thinking, memory and perception

  20. What does 'structure' mean in the phrase 'structure and function of the brain'?

    • The amount of blood that flows to the brain each minute during rest
    • The speed at which neurons send messages from one cell to the next
    • The physical anatomy of the brain, such as its lobes and their parts
    • The way the brain is used during a task, measured over the course of the day

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