Download WGU D574 NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OA ACTUAL EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+ and more Exams Reasoning in PDF only on Docsity!
WGU D574 NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OA ACTUALWGU D574 NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OA ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITHEXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+ANSWERS GRADED A+
- Which part of a cell appears as the surface of the cell and controls which substances flow into the cell?. Answer: Membrane - Mind-brain problem. Answer: Question of how/why certain types of brain activity are conscious. - Monism. Answer: Idea that the universe consists of one type of being; different ways of describing the same thing. - What is the structure that has a surface lined with synaptic receptors to receive messages from other neurons?. Answer: Dendrite - Dualism. Answer: Idea that mind and body are different kinds of substance that exist independently. - What is the structure that contains ribosomes, which link together amino acids?. Answer: Soma - Perception. Answer: Occurs in the brain; for example, something touching the hand sends a message to the brain. - What is the structure that has interruptions known as nodes of Ranvier that help propagate electrical signals?. Answer: Myelin sheath - Which part of a neuron represents the point at which the axon releases
chemicals that cross to another cell?. Answer: Presynaptic terminal
- Which cells of the nervous system produce myelin sheaths for insulating certain vertebrate axons in the peripheral nervous system?. Answer: Schwann cells - Physiological explanation. Answer: Relates behavior to activity of brain/organs, such as chemical reactions that enable hormones to influence the brain. - Ontogenetic explanation. Answer: Describes how behavior develops, examining differences between males and females at different ages. - Which glial cells remove toxic materials in areas of brain damage?. Answer: Microglia - Which system controls movements and organ activity for all nerves outside the brain and spinal cord?. Answer: Peripheral nervous system - What is the system that conveys messages between the central nervous system and peripheral muscles or sense organs?. Answer: Somatic nervous system - Which system only controls the digestive system?. Answer: Enteric nervous system - Evolutionary explanation. Answer: Explains structure/behavior based on evolutionary history, examining behavioral similarities among related species. - Which term is used to describe the nervous system that consists of chains of ganglia to the left and right of the spinal cord's central regions as part of the autonomic nervous system?. Answer: Sympathetic nervous system - Functional explanation.
Answer: Very sensitive at one end to particular stimuli.
- A researcher needs to monitor brain activity to distinguish among various stages of sleep and wakefulness. Which method is appropriate in this situation?. Answer: Electroencephalograph - Soma/Cell body. Answer: Contains nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria, and is covered with synapse receptors. - A doctor wants to use X-rays to make photographs of a patient's brain so that any abnormalities can be identified. Which method should be used?. Answer: Computerized axial tomography - Intrinsic neuron. Answer: Axons and dendrites are confinterm-18ed within a structure. - A researcher wants to trace a wave of brain activity from its source to other areas. Which method should be used?. Answer: Magnetoencephalograph - Glia. Answer: Type of cell that doesn't conduct impulses over long distances. - Which method provides detailed information about the location of brain activity?. Answer: Functional magnetic resonance imaging - What is the pupil?. Answer: The opening in the center of the iris where light first enters the eye - What is the cornea?. Answer: The nonadjustable part of the eye that focuses light - Which objects in the process of human sight are abundant in the periphery of the retina?. Answer: Rods
- Astrocytes. Answer: Star-shaped glial cells that synchronize the activity of axons by wrap around dendrites - Tripartite synapse. Answer: Tip of axon releases chemicals causing nearby astrocytes to release their own chemicals, modulating the message to the next neuron. - Microglia. Answer: Part of the immune system that removes viruses and fungi from the brain. - Oligodendrocytes. Answer: Cells in the brain and CNS that alter/build myelin sheaths. - What is a characteristic of foveal vision?. Answer: It distinguishes among bright lights. - What is responsible for creating the eye movements necessary for attending to a stimulus?. Answer: Superior colliculus - Schwann cells. Answer: Cells in the periphery of the body that build myelin sheaths. - Radial glia. Answer: Guide the migration of neurons, axons, and dendrites during embryonic development. - Axons. Answer: Long, slender projections of neurons that transmit electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body. - What are dendrites?. Answer: Branching fibers from a neuron. - Which type of cell is in the primary visual cortex and has the smallest receptive field?. Answer: Simple cell
- Afferent axon. Answer: Brings info into structure (A= admit). - Efferent axon. Answer: Carries info away (E=exit). - Blood-brain barrier. Answer: Protects the brain by keeping out most viruses & bacteria and harmful chemicals while allowing certain substances like oxygen and glucose to pass. - What is the component of the nervous system that sends a message to a motor neuron in the spinal cord to cause a contraction?. Answer: Muscle spindle - What is the brain area that monitors body positions relative to external objects?. Answer: Posterior parietal cortex - Which structure causes clumsiness, slurred speech, and inaccurate eye movements when damaged?. Answer: Cerebellum - Glucose. Answer: Main chemical necessary for the brain's nutrition. - Which condition results from the gradual loss of dopamine-releasing axons?. Answer: Parkinson's disease - Thiamine. Answer: Necessary for metabolizing glucose; deficiency leads to death of neurons & Korsakoff's syndrome (memory impairments). - Sodium-potassium pump. Answer: Uses active transport to pump 3 sodium out and 2 potassium in of cell.
- Which condition is associated with gradual brain damage in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex?. Answer: Huntington's disease - Which cognitive process is likely impaired in a child with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) who has trouble tying their shoelaces?. Answer: Motor planning - Resting potential. Answer: Difference in electrical change between outside & inside of neuron, maintained by a polarized membrane. - Action potential. Answer: A neural impulse that occurs when the membrane reaches a threshold, resulting in depolarization. - All-or-none law. Answer: States that amplitude & velocity of action potential are independent of the stimulus that initiated it. - After a stroke, a patient is undergoing physical therapy to regain the ability to walk. The therapist uses a technique that involves repeated practice of specific walking movements. What does this form of therapy primarily rely on in terms of the brain's capacity?. Answer: Neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections - What is a characteristic of classical conditioning?. Answer: Involves pairing stimuli to induce a response - Which condition gradually progresses to depression, confusion, apathy, delusions, sleeplessness, and a loss of appetite?. Answer: Alzheimer's disease - Hyperpolarization. Answer: Increased polarization across the membrane. - What is associated with atrophy in the temporal cortex?.
intestines to the brain.
- What is the part of the brain is associated with language comprehension?. Answer: Wernicke's area - Inflammatory chemicals. Answer: Produced by bacteria under stressful conditions, affecting mood & motivation. - Which description is associated with dyslexia?. Answer: It occurs in all languages. - Active transport. Answer: Protein mediated process that expends energy to move substances like glucose and amino acids into the brain. - Which statement accurately describes the role of exercise in cognitive function?. Answer: Regular physical exercise can enhance cognitive function by promoting neurogenesis and improving blood flow to the brain. - What is one of the ways in which tricyclics work?. Answer: Blocking reuptake of dopamine - What is one of the ways in which an agonist drug acts?. Answer: It mimics the effects of a neurotransmitter. - What is the type of drug that prolongs the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens?. Answer: Amphetamine - Ketones. Answer: Alternative energy source for the brain. - Lactate. Answer: Another alternative energy source for the brain. - Which statement describes a result of substance addictions?. Answer: Dopamine release declines over time.
- Action Potential. Answer: Defined as transmission of action potential down axon - Which factor is associated with an increased risk for bipolar disorder?. Answer: Childhood maltreatment - Which effect on the brain is connected to schizophrenia?. Answer: Less gray matter in the hippocampus - Refractory Period. Answer: Important to stop membrane from being permanently depolarized - A young adult is brought to a clinic by their family due to hearing voices that others do not hear and expressing beliefs that seem disconnected from reality. Which disorder is most likely being exhibited, and what is a common treatment?. Answer: Schizophrenia - antipsychotic medication - Absolute Refractory Period. Answer: Membrane cannot produce action potential - Relative Refractory Period. Answer: Needs stronger stim to produce - Which hormone has been shown to play a significant role in the body's response to stress and is often found at elevated levels in individuals with chronic stress and depression?. Answer: Cortisol - Myelin Sheath. Answer: Myelin sheaths increase speed of action potential - Node of Ranvier. Answer: NA+ comes in @ node of Ranvier (increases velocity of action potential) - What is the connection between the immune system and mental health?. Answer: Chronic inflammation and immune system dysregulation have been
Answer: The NT molecules may be taken back into the presynaptic neuron for recycling
- Ionotropic Receptors. Answer: Distinguish between ionotropic and metabotropic receptors and explain how each of them works. - Metabotropic Receptors. Answer: Distinguish between ionotropic and metabotropic receptors and explain how each of them works. - Inotropic. Answer: Synaptic effect that depends on opening of gate in membrane. - Metabotropic. Answer: Sequence of metabolic reactions that produce slow, long-lasting effect. - Hallucinogenic. Answer: Attach to serotonin receptors and enhance connection in areas of brain that don't normally communicate. - Opiate. Answer: Attaches to endorphin receptors. - Stimulant. Answer: Inhibit transporters for dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, decreasing reuptake. - Cannabinoids. Answer: Cause negative feedback from post neuron/cell, releasing chem to pre neuron to stop NT release. - Dorsal. Answer: Toward the back, away from the ventral (stomach) side. - Ventral. Answer: Toward the stomach, away from the dorsal (back) side.
- Anterior. Answer: Toward the front end. - Posterior. Answer: Toward the rear end. - Superior. Answer: Above another part. - Inferior. Answer: Below another part. - Lateral. Answer: Toward the side, away from the midline. - Medial. Answer: Toward the midline, away from the side. - Proximal. Answer: Located close (approximate) to the point of origin or attachment. - Distal. Answer: Located more distant from the point of origin or attachment. - Ipsilateral. Answer: On the same side of the body (e.g., two parts on the left or two on the right). - Contralateral. Answer: On the opposite side of the body (one on the left and one on the right). - Coronal plane (or frontal plane). Answer: A plane that shows brain structures as seen from the front. - Sagittal plane. Answer: A plane that shows brain structures as seen from the side. - Horizontal plane (or transverse plane). Answer: A plane that shows brain structures as seen from above.
- Forebrain. Answer: Receives sensory info, controls muscles (contralateral side) through spinal axons & cranial nerve nuclei - Cerebral cortex. Answer: Outer part of the brain - Amygdala. Answer: Evaluating emotional info (fear mainly) - Thalamus. Answer: Main input to cortex (sensory info) - Hypothalamus. Answer: Control of eating, drinking, temp, reproduction - conveys to pituitary gland - Basal Ganglia. Answer: Includes caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus - involved in movement, motivational/emotional behavior, learning of skills/habits - Nucleus basalis. Answer: Input from hypothalamus & basal ganglia, sends axons that release acetylcholine to cerebral cortex, involved in arousal, wakefulness, attention - Hippocampus. Answer: Memory (individual events), where you are & where going - Laminae. Answer: Layers of cell bodies that are parallel to surface of cerebral cortex & separated from each other by layers of fibers - Lamina IV. Answer: Receives sensory input - Lamina V. Answer: Involved with motor output - Columns of cortex.
Answer: Cells of cortex organized into columns of cells perpendicular to laminae
- Occipital lobe. Answer: Posterior end of cortex, primary visual cortex - Parietal lobe. Answer: Primary somatosensory cortex (receives sensation from touch/muscle-stretch/joint receptors) - Temporal Lobe. Answer: Processes auditory info, left side for speech - Temporoparietal junction. Answer: Area where parietal lobe & temporal lobe meet - Frontal lobe. Answer: Includes primary motor cortex and prefrontal cortex - Prefrontal cortex. Answer: Involved in working memory, cognitive control, emotion - Binding problem. Answer: Question of how various brain areas produce a perception of a single object, requires identifying location of an object & perceiving all aspects of stimulus as being simultaneous - Effects of brain damage. Answer: Study victims with different brain damage, lesion (controlled damage in lab animals), ablation (remove brain area), gene knockout (affects wherever gene active), transcranial magnetic stimulation (intense application temporarily inactivates brain area) - Optogenetics. Answer: Stimulates neuron with light, very invasive & expensive, relies on protein that produces electrical current in response to light - EEG. Answer: Records electrical activity of brain, good for wakefulness & stages
Answer: Rear surface of the eye lined with visual receptors.
- Bipolar cells. Answer: Cells that transmit visual information from the retina to ganglion cells. - Ganglion cells. Answer: Cells that send visual information to the brain via their axons through the optic nerve. - Blind spot. Answer: Area at the back of the retina with no receptors where the optic nerve exits. - Path of light through the eye. Answer: Light passes from receptors to bipolar and horizontal cells, then to amacrine and ganglion cells, and then to the optic nerve. - Rods. Answer: Receptors that detect brightness of light. - Cones. Answer: Receptors that useful in bright light & perceive color - Trichromatic theory. Answer: Theory that perceives color through relative rates of response by three types of cones. - Opponent-processing theory. Answer: Theory that perceives color in terms of opposites. - Color constancy. Answer: Ability to recognize colors despite changes in lighting. - Retinex theory. Answer: Theory that the cortex compares information from various parts of the retina to determine brightness and color. - Optic nerve.
Answer: Axons of ganglion cells that carry visual information from the retina to the brain.
- Optic chiasm. Answer: Point where optic nerves from both eyes meet before going to the brain. - Lateral geniculate nucleus. Answer: Part of the thalamus that receives most visual information from the optic nerve - Primary visual cortex (V1). Answer: Area in the occipital cortex responsible for processing visual information. - Lateral inhibition (LI). Answer: Reduced activity in a neuron due to activity in neighboring neurons. - Receptive field (RF). Answer: Area in visual space which light excites or inhibits a cell. - Parvocellular cells. Answer: Ganglion cells with small bodies and small receptive fields that connect to cones in the fovea. - Magnocellular cells. Answer: Ganglion cells with large bodies and large receptive fields that detect movement and patterns. - Koniocellular cells. Answer: Ganglion cells with small bodies that occur throughout the retina. - Sensitive period. Answer: Time in development when experiences have a strong and lasting influence on vision. - Stereoscopic depth perception. Answer: Ability to perceive depth by detecting retinal disparity between
