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Module 8 - Limbic System Verified and
Updated Questions and Answers (100%
Correct Answers)
The limbic system is made up of nuclei and pathways that are involved in
Answer: learning, memory and emotion
Areas in the brain involved in the limbic system
Answer: These areas include the olfactory tracts & cortex, hippocampus, amygdala,
hypothalamic nuclei (e.g., mammillary bodies), thalamic nuclei (e.g., anterior
nucleus) and the prefrontal cortex
Papez circuit, which is particularly important for
Answer: learning and memory
Four basic categories of the limbic system
Answer: • Olfaction
• Homeostatic functions (autonomic and neuroendocrine)
• Learning & Memory
• Emotions & Drives
In the temporal lobe, the olfactory cortex is located in the
Answer: anterior portion of the parahippocampal gyrus (pyriform cortex), and
includes a bulge of tissue known as the uncus.
The uncus is of clinical significance because:
Answer: • Seizures can originate in this area ("uncinate fits") and manifest as
hallucinations of disagreeable odors.
• Lesions in the hemispheres of the brain (e.g., a stroke or tumor) can result in
edema, which can subsequently cause herniation of the uncus into the upper
brainstem and cranial nerves with serious consequences ("uncal herniation").
A main "effector organ" of the limbic system is the
Answer: hypothalamus
, Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
Memories are categorized into
Answer: explicit (or declarative) and implicit (or non-declarative) memories.
Explicit memory refers to the
Answer: conscious recollection of facts (semantic memory) and experiences
(episodic memory; e.g., remembering a trip to the beach or scenes from childhood)
and is established by limbic system structures.
Implicit memory refers to the
Answer: subconscious learning of skills, habits or behaviors (e.g., how to ride a
bike), and occurs through circuits of the extrapyramidal motor system and
cerebellum.
The main structure in the limbic system that is important for establishing explicit
memory is the
Answer: hippocampus, and its connections (e.g., Papez circuit).
The hippocampus, located in the
Answer: medial part of the temporal lobe, is an old part of the cortex - paleocortex -
consisting of three layers, and its name is derived from the fact that the
hippocampus takes the shape of a seahorse.
The hippocampus functions to
Answer: form and consolidate longterm from short-term memories
Dysfunction of or damage to the hippocampus (unilaterally or bilaterally) can have a
profound impact on
Answer: memory. In some cases, most of the information that was in longterm
memory at the time the lesion occurred is retained, but no new information can be
added. It seems that the problem lies in the consolidation process of placing new
shortterm memories into long-term storage.
New information can only be retained for, at most,
Answer: one or two minutes before it is lost; this is referred to as anterograde
amnesia (retrograde amnesia refers to the loss of previously formed long-term
memories).
A far more common cause of memory loss is Alzheimer's disease, in which the
Answer: hippocampus is a major target. In this degenerative disease, patients retain
memory from their past (until later on in the disease) but lose short-term memory,
and will repeat questions and conversations.
Module 8 - Limbic System Verified and
Updated Questions and Answers (100%
Correct Answers)
The limbic system is made up of nuclei and pathways that are involved in
Answer: learning, memory and emotion
Areas in the brain involved in the limbic system
Answer: These areas include the olfactory tracts & cortex, hippocampus, amygdala,
hypothalamic nuclei (e.g., mammillary bodies), thalamic nuclei (e.g., anterior
nucleus) and the prefrontal cortex
Papez circuit, which is particularly important for
Answer: learning and memory
Four basic categories of the limbic system
Answer: • Olfaction
• Homeostatic functions (autonomic and neuroendocrine)
• Learning & Memory
• Emotions & Drives
In the temporal lobe, the olfactory cortex is located in the
Answer: anterior portion of the parahippocampal gyrus (pyriform cortex), and
includes a bulge of tissue known as the uncus.
The uncus is of clinical significance because:
Answer: • Seizures can originate in this area ("uncinate fits") and manifest as
hallucinations of disagreeable odors.
• Lesions in the hemispheres of the brain (e.g., a stroke or tumor) can result in
edema, which can subsequently cause herniation of the uncus into the upper
brainstem and cranial nerves with serious consequences ("uncal herniation").
A main "effector organ" of the limbic system is the
Answer: hypothalamus
, Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
Memories are categorized into
Answer: explicit (or declarative) and implicit (or non-declarative) memories.
Explicit memory refers to the
Answer: conscious recollection of facts (semantic memory) and experiences
(episodic memory; e.g., remembering a trip to the beach or scenes from childhood)
and is established by limbic system structures.
Implicit memory refers to the
Answer: subconscious learning of skills, habits or behaviors (e.g., how to ride a
bike), and occurs through circuits of the extrapyramidal motor system and
cerebellum.
The main structure in the limbic system that is important for establishing explicit
memory is the
Answer: hippocampus, and its connections (e.g., Papez circuit).
The hippocampus, located in the
Answer: medial part of the temporal lobe, is an old part of the cortex - paleocortex -
consisting of three layers, and its name is derived from the fact that the
hippocampus takes the shape of a seahorse.
The hippocampus functions to
Answer: form and consolidate longterm from short-term memories
Dysfunction of or damage to the hippocampus (unilaterally or bilaterally) can have a
profound impact on
Answer: memory. In some cases, most of the information that was in longterm
memory at the time the lesion occurred is retained, but no new information can be
added. It seems that the problem lies in the consolidation process of placing new
shortterm memories into long-term storage.
New information can only be retained for, at most,
Answer: one or two minutes before it is lost; this is referred to as anterograde
amnesia (retrograde amnesia refers to the loss of previously formed long-term
memories).
A far more common cause of memory loss is Alzheimer's disease, in which the
Answer: hippocampus is a major target. In this degenerative disease, patients retain
memory from their past (until later on in the disease) but lose short-term memory,
and will repeat questions and conversations.
