NEUROBIOLOGY 5357 EXAM 1 (SUMMER 2026) | ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTION
What are the three major hypotheses of psychosis and their neurotransmitter networks? -
(ANSWER)Dopamine theory - hyperactive dopamine at D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway
Glutamate theory - NMDA receptor hypofunction
Serotonin theory - 5HT2A receptor hyperfunction in the cortex
(Stahl Ch 4, p. 79)
Briefly explain the dopamine hypothesis of the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. -
(ANSWER)The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia consists of:
There is too much dopamine activity in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which leads to positive
symptoms (such as hallucinations and delusions).
There is also too little dopamine activity in the mesocortical dopamine pathway, which leads to negative
symptoms (such as blunting of affect, poverty of speech, anhedonia, and so on).
What pathway is responsible for regulating dopamine in the hypothalamus and affects the release of
prolactin?
a Mesolimbic pathway
b Substantia nigra
c Mesocortical pathway
d Tuberoinfundibular pathway - (ANSWER)Tuberoinfundibular pathway
Drug-induced Parkinson's is caused by a decrease of dopamine in what pathway?
a Substantia nigra
b Mesolimbic pathway
c Mesocortical pathway
d Nigrostriatal pathway - (ANSWER)Nigrostriatal pathway
Brodmann's areas are differentiated by the:
a Predominant neurotransmitter
b Afferent connections
, NEUROBIOLOGY 5357 EXAM 1 (SUMMER 2026) | ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTION
c Cellular architecture
d Cortical morphology - (ANSWER)Cellular architecture
All of the following are true about the hippocampus except that it:
a Is disrupted by frontal lobotomy
b Is involved with memory
c Contains undifferentiated stem cells
d Is smaller in some psychiatric disorders - (ANSWER)Is disrupted by frontal lobotomy
Which of the following statements is true about the cerebellum:
Has been implicated with autism
Is similar to the motor cortex
Solely functions to support movement
Is relatively small in humans - (ANSWER)Has been implicated with autism
Cytokines are involved with all of the following except:
neural plasticity
turning off the inflammatory response
mental illness
identifying T. pallidum - (ANSWER)identifying T. pallidum
Which of the following is a possible explanation for schizophrenia:
focal dystonia
altered neurotrophins
excessive pruning - (ANSWER)excessive pruning
Possible explanations for the role of thyroid hormone in mood disorders include all of the following
except:
COMPLETE SOLUTION
What are the three major hypotheses of psychosis and their neurotransmitter networks? -
(ANSWER)Dopamine theory - hyperactive dopamine at D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway
Glutamate theory - NMDA receptor hypofunction
Serotonin theory - 5HT2A receptor hyperfunction in the cortex
(Stahl Ch 4, p. 79)
Briefly explain the dopamine hypothesis of the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. -
(ANSWER)The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia consists of:
There is too much dopamine activity in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which leads to positive
symptoms (such as hallucinations and delusions).
There is also too little dopamine activity in the mesocortical dopamine pathway, which leads to negative
symptoms (such as blunting of affect, poverty of speech, anhedonia, and so on).
What pathway is responsible for regulating dopamine in the hypothalamus and affects the release of
prolactin?
a Mesolimbic pathway
b Substantia nigra
c Mesocortical pathway
d Tuberoinfundibular pathway - (ANSWER)Tuberoinfundibular pathway
Drug-induced Parkinson's is caused by a decrease of dopamine in what pathway?
a Substantia nigra
b Mesolimbic pathway
c Mesocortical pathway
d Nigrostriatal pathway - (ANSWER)Nigrostriatal pathway
Brodmann's areas are differentiated by the:
a Predominant neurotransmitter
b Afferent connections
, NEUROBIOLOGY 5357 EXAM 1 (SUMMER 2026) | ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTION
c Cellular architecture
d Cortical morphology - (ANSWER)Cellular architecture
All of the following are true about the hippocampus except that it:
a Is disrupted by frontal lobotomy
b Is involved with memory
c Contains undifferentiated stem cells
d Is smaller in some psychiatric disorders - (ANSWER)Is disrupted by frontal lobotomy
Which of the following statements is true about the cerebellum:
Has been implicated with autism
Is similar to the motor cortex
Solely functions to support movement
Is relatively small in humans - (ANSWER)Has been implicated with autism
Cytokines are involved with all of the following except:
neural plasticity
turning off the inflammatory response
mental illness
identifying T. pallidum - (ANSWER)identifying T. pallidum
Which of the following is a possible explanation for schizophrenia:
focal dystonia
altered neurotrophins
excessive pruning - (ANSWER)excessive pruning
Possible explanations for the role of thyroid hormone in mood disorders include all of the following
except:
