Anatomy
The protein complex for anterograde and retrograde movement in the neurons are called what respectively?
Anterograde as kinesins and retrograde as dynein
what is the name of the first neurosurgeon to successfully separate the brain of conjoined Twins
Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon assisted by Donlin. Patrick and Benjamin Binder (born 2 February 1987) were conjoined twins, joined at the head, born in Germany in February 1987, and separated at Johns Hopkins Children's Center on 6 September 1987. They were the first twins to be successfully separated
This common medical imaging technique uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the brain's structure, but it doesn't show brain activity in real-time. What is its acronym?
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
This chronic disorder is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures, which are sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. What is the name of this condition?
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder in which groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes send the wrong signals and cause seizures.
Which superhero character was a neurosurgeon before becoming a master of the mystic arts in the Marvel Universe?
DR. Strange
Dr. Stephen Strange was a neurosurgeo
Which structure connects the two hemispheres of the brain, allowing them to communicate with each other?
Corpus callosum- is a vital structure in the brain that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres, facilitating communication between them.
In the early 1900s, this Spanish scientist discovered that the brain is made up of individual cells called neurons, which contradicted the previously held belief that the brain was a continuous network. What is his name?
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
What is the name of the technology that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to record the brain's spontaneous electrical activity? It is often used to diagnose epilepsy and study sleep stages.
EEG (Electroencephalography)
This progressive neurodegenerative disease is the most common cause of dementia and is histologically defined by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. What is it?
Alzheimer's Disease
The movie Inside Out personifies five core emotions as characters living inside the mind of a young girl named Riley. Which two emotions, from the following list, are not among the five main characters: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, Disgust, Surprise, or Love?
Surprise and Love
This major brain structure, named for its seahorse-like shape, is critical for forming new long-term memories. Damage to it can result in an inability to create new memories. What is it?
Hippocampus- is a crucial brain structure involved in memory formation, learning, and emotional processing, resembling a seahorse in shape
In the mid-20th century, Canadian neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield famously created maps of the brain's motor and sensory cortices. What did he use to create these "maps," by applying a mild electrical current to the exposed brains of awake patients?
Electrical Stimulation- Wilder Graves Penfield was a pioneering neurosurgeon known for his significant contributions to electrical stimulation in the brain. He developed the Montreal Procedure, which involved stimulating the brain's surface while patients were conscious, allowing for real-time mapping of brain functions.
This advanced version of MRI measures changes in blood flow to map brain function in real-time, showing which areas become active during a task like reading or moving your hand. What is its acronym?
fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
Often referred to as a "mini-stroke," this temporary event is caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain, with symptoms that typically last less than 24 hours. What is its medical name?
TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack)
In the 2011 film Limitless, what is the name of the pill that the main character takes to unlock the full potential of his brain, granting him superhuman intelligence and recall?
NZT-48
What is the name of the intricate, highly-convoluted outer layer of the brain, composed of gray matter, that is responsible for higher-order functions like thought, language, and consciousness?
The Cerebral Cortex (or Neocortex)- Neocortex, a specialized part of the cerebral cortex, is responsible for higher-order brain functions like language, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Phineas Gage's infamous 1848 accident, where an iron rod was driven through his skull and frontal lobe, is one of the most famous case studies in neuroscience. What profound change did this accident cause, which taught us about the function of the frontal lobes?
A drastic change in his personality and behavior (while his basic cognitive functions remained, he became fitful, irreverent, and profane). This revealed the frontal lobe's role in personality, judgment, and social conduct.
Optogenetics is a revolutionary technique that allows scientists to control neurons with light. What two key components must be genetically engineered into neurons to make them responsive: a light-sensitive protein and a what?
A light-sensitive protein (like channelrhodopsin) and a VIRUS (used as a vector to deliver the gene for the protein into the neurons).
(Acceptable alternative: The gene for the light-sensitive protein)
This autoimmune disorder affects the protective covering of nerves (myelin) in the central nervous system, disrupting communication between the brain and the body. Its name literally means "multiple scars." What is it?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
The medical condition "anterograde amnesia," the inability to form new memories after a brain injury, is central to the plot of which 2000 film, where the protagonist uses notes and tattoos to track clues for his investigation?
Memento
The Blood-Brain Barrier is a protective system of cellular structures that tightly regulates what can pass from the bloodstream into the brain tissue. What is the name of the specific type of cell, a glial cell, whose "end-feet" are the primary structural component of this barrier?
Astrocytes-Astrocytes help form the physical structure of the brain
In a famous and ethically controversial series of experiments in the 1950s, psychologist Roger Sperry and his colleagues studied "split-brain" patients. What specific structure was surgically severed in these patients to treat their epilepsy?
The Corpus Callosum- This structure connects the two hemispheres of the brain and was severed to study the independent functions of each hemisphere in patients with epilepsy.
CLARITY is a groundbreaking neurotechnology that renders biological tissue, like an entire mouse brain, completely transparent. What is the key chemical process that creates this transparency by removing the opaque lipids (fats) from the brain while leaving the neurons and other structures intact?
A hydrogel-tissue hybridization process called ELECTROPHORESIS (Specifically, a process where a hydrogel monomer is infused into the brain and then polymerized, forming a mesh that supports the proteins and nucleic acids, allowing lipids to be safely electrophoretically washed away.
A rare, fatal autosomal dominant inherited disorder causes a progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It is caused by a specific genetic mutation on chromosome 4 involving a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion. What is this disorder?
Huntington's Disease
In the Star Trek universe, a brutal and painful neurological medical procedure is used to erase the long-term memories of a criminal as punishment. Known for its distinctive, sharp sound effect, what is this procedure called?
The Mind Probe or Memory Wipe.
Clarification: While a "mind probe" is used, the specific punishment you're likely thinking of is often referred to by others as a "neural purge" or the effect is achieved with a "neural neutralizer," though its canonical name is not perfectly defined. The most accurate answer for the punitive memory-erasure procedure is the "memory wiper" or the process depicted in the episode "Dagger of the Mind."