PS145

Studyquestions
Dr.S.H.Chandler#6
1. Whatdoesitmeantoloadcompensate.Whyisloadcompensationduringmastication
important?Ifyouweretofoolishlytrytocrushajawbreaker,youtypicallydontcrack
yourlowerjawteethontheupperjaw,why?
2. WhatistheroleofgammaMNsintheCNS?Whatisthedifferenceinhowthebrain
presetsgammamotoneuronsfortheagonistandantagonistmusclespriortoavoluntary
movement?Whyisthisimportant?Howdoesthebrainencodeforjawjointangle?
3. Whenthedoctortakesareflexhammerandbrisklytapsyourpatellartendon,youtypical
extendtheleg?Why?Supposeyouwereverytensewhenshedidthat,howmightthe
responsediffer?
4. WithoutlookingatyournotesDrawasteadystateFrequencyIplotobtainedfrom
pulsecurrentstimuliforaspinalandjawextensormotoneuron.Whymighttheydiffer?
HowwouldyoudetermineifapersistentNacurrentisactivejustpriortospike
threshold?
5. WhymightweusetherampstimulusmethodtogenerateaFIplot?Withoutlookingat
yournotes,ifyougavearampstimulusandmadeasubsequentFIplotthatwaslinear
inbothdirectionswithsamethreshold,whatwouldyoureasonablyconcludeaboutits
dischargepatterninresponsetoaseriesofSuprathresholdsteppulses?Supposethatyou
observenohysteresisandfoundthatthecurvewaslinearbutthedownrampfrequency
thresholdwaslowerthantheuprampfrequency.Whatdoyouhypothesizeaboutthe
underlyingcurrents?Anydifferentfromthefirstscenario?
6. WhatareMesVneuronssounique?Whatmightbethefunctionalconsequenceforthis?
CompareandcontrastthemtoIaafferentcellsinDRG.
7. Howwouldyoushowusingonlyelectricalstimulationthatthereisastretchreflexin
jawcloserMNs?Howwouldyoutestforoneinjawopeners?Explainspecificallythe
methodsaswell.
8. Proposea1)physiological,and2)anatomicalexperimenttodemonstrateelectrical
couplingbetweenneuronsAandB.Whyistherecordedvoltageresponsesomuch
smallerinthenonstimulatedneuron?Doesthistypeofcommunicationoccurinthe
trigeminalsystemandwhymightthisbeimportant?
9. Somescientistsbelievethatelectricalcouplingbetweenneuronsisimportantfor
productionofrhythmicalactivityinaCPGcircuit.Whatevidenceisthereforthisidea?
Bespecific.
10. WhatisthepurposeofreciprocalinhibitionmediatedbyIaafferentsforlimb
movements?Howdoesthisdifferduringjawmovement?Ifthereisadifference,why
andbespecific?

11. Outlinetheanatomicalpathwaysfromintraoralreceptortotheregionofthesensory
cortexforperceptionoftouchofthelips.
12. (review)WhatistheroleforlowthresholdIAcurrentwithrespecttoa)spikefrequency
controlandb)frequencyofburstingduringlocomotion?
Haveaniceweekend!