The human brain and imagingEdexcel International A Level Biology: Mind map

Exam questions on The human brain and imaging

1. After a car accident a patient has jerky, uncoordinated limb movements and cannot keep her balance, although her speech and understanding are normal. Paramedics also monitor her breathing and heart rate because her brain may have been injured.
   Suggest why damage to this part of the brain causes uncoordinated movement but leaves speech and understanding unaffected.2 marks
2. A patient with damage to the pituitary gland produces very large volumes of dilute urine, and a neurologist is investigating how the brain and pituitary control the water content of the body.
   Suggest why damage to the pituitary gland causes the production of large volumes of dilute urine.2 marks
3. A hospital has CT, MRI, fMRI and PET scanners. One patient arrives with a suspected skull fracture and bleeding after a fall. Separately, a research team wants to find which regions of the cerebral hemispheres are most active while volunteers solve a puzzle, and needs to scan each volunteer several times.
   Choose the most suitable scan for the patient and for the research team, giving one reason for the patient's choice and two reasons for the research team's choice.3 marks