M.A. Clinical Psychology Program
1. (a) How is an action potential produced (include a hand-drawn diagram if necessary); and (b) what effect does an action potential have at (i) the synapse and (ii) the axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron.
2. What is the process approach to neuropsychological assessment? What demographic factors result in low neuropsychological test scores aside from structural brain injury? How is it possible for a neuropsychological assessment to cause an individual to be misdiagnosed with brain injury.
3. How is visual information encoded by the brain? Describe the various brain structures involved in the pathway that carries visual information from the cells of the retina through to secondary visual cortex. What type of brain damage causes: (a) blindness; (b) visual field cuts; (c) visual agnosia; and (d) unilateral visual neglect. How do (b) and (d) affect behavior differently.
4. (a) What is the difference in symptoms between Broca’s Aphasia, Wernicke’s Aphasia, Conduction Aphasia, Transcortical Sensory Aphasia, and Anomic Aphasia; and (b) what parts of the brain are damaged in each of these conditions?
5. Postconcussion symptoms illustrate the lack of association between the apparent severity of brain injury and the level of functional impairment. What are postconcussional symptoms and what causes them to persist?
6. What are executive functions and what brain structures are involved in their mediation?
7. What is the function of anterior cingulate cortex?
8. (a) What causes Alzheimer’s disease; (b) what part of the brain does it affect; (c) what are the symptoms; (d) how does this disorder progress; and (e) what is the treatment?