In a worksite accident, a man is shot with the nail gun several times in the head. X-ray imaging shows penetration of the nails into structures of the brain. Miraculously, the man survives but experiences some issues remembering new information and changes to his affective state. Which of the following structures of the brain were likely damaged in the accident?
A) Parietal lobe
B) Occipital lobe
C) Limbic system
D) Insular cortex
Click for Explanation
While the MCAT won’t demand a detailed knowledge of the brain’s physiology, you will be expected to be familiar with the lobes of the brain and their main functions:
Frontal lobe—conscious thought
Parietal lobe—integrating sensory information from various senses, visuospatial processing
Occipital lobe—sense of sight
Temporal lobe—senses of smell and sound, processing of complex stimuli like faces
Limbic system—emotion, memory
Insular cortex—pain, some other senses
Here, the question asks about affective state (meaning emotion) and memory, making (C) the right answer.
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