Question

1. saras grandfather has developed alzheimers disease. what can you tell her about probable changes in his brain chemistry?
2. youre taking a short cut through a backyard to get to your car and encounter two unrestrained dobermans who begin pursuit. you run faster than you have ever run before, and dive into your car just in the nick of time. it takes 10 minutes for your pulse and breathing to slow down to normal. what part of the nervous system slows heart rate and breathing down to normal afterwards?
3. amy was having a really bad week. on monday her vision got blurrier and blurrier until she could no longer see at all. on tuesday she found she couldnt hear. on wednesday her sense of taste went. on thursday she lost her sense of touch. her cat scan revealed a single brain tumor was probably producing all of these deficits. what single part of the brain in involved in all of these sensory processes?
4. pete was struck by lightening when he insisted on finishing his 18 holes of golf despite the lightening packed thunderstorm. he was looking down; lining up a long putt shot and the bolt of lightening struck the rear of his head, frying his occipital lobes. what aspect of behavior is likely to be impaired if pete survives?
5. dana is taking prozac to help control her depression. prozac works by increasing the availability of what neurotransmitter?
6. margie suffered damage to part of the surface of her brain after being struck by a golf club let loose by an irate golfer. as a result margie has lost some sensory awareness of her left leg. where is margies brain damage (be specific).
7. after falling through the ice on a local pond johnny was trapped under the icy water for 10 minutes before the rescuers got him out. they were able to resuscitate his pulse and breathing but he did not regain consciousness for days. disturbance of what specific part of johnnys brain might have resulted in an inability of the brain to regulate normal alertness?
8. jeanette suffers from focal epilepsy (seizures localized in just one part of the brain). her seizures are triggering extreme emotions- most often extreme fear followed by a rage response. what part of the brain is being affected?
9. after martins car accident he had difficulty understanding what others were saying to him. he could speak but what he said made little sense. where is martins brain damage?

now create your own scenario!!!

Explanation:

1. Alzheimer's disease is associated with widespread changes in brain chemistry, including reduced levels of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine.
2. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for calming the body down after a fight - or - flight response, slowing heart rate and breathing.
3. The thalamus is a relay center for sensory information and could be involved if multiple senses are affected by a single tumor.
4. The occipital lobes are responsible for vision. Damage to them would likely impair visual function.
5. Prozac works by increasing the availability of serotonin in the synaptic cleft.
6. The somatosensory cortex in the right parietal lobe is responsible for sensory awareness of the left side of the body.
7. The reticular activating system in the brainstem is involved in regulating alertness and consciousness.
8. The amygdala is involved in emotions such as fear and rage and can be affected in focal epilepsy cases.
9. Wernicke's area in the left temporal lobe is associated with language comprehension. Damage to it can lead to difficulty understanding speech and producing coherent speech.

Answer:

1. Widespread changes in neurotransmitters (e.g., reduced acetylcholine).
2. Parasympathetic nervous system.
3. Thalamus.
4. Vision (due to occipital lobe damage).
5. Serotonin.
6. Right parietal lobe (somatosensory cortex).
7. Reticular activating system.
8. Amygdala.
9. Wernicke's area (left temporal lobe).