An electrode placed over the temporal region of an exploring rat records rhythmic oscillations of 4 to 7 Hz that increase markedly during exploratory sniffing and walking. This rhythm originates primarily from which structure?
- A Hippocampus ✓
- B Primary motor cortex
- C Cerebellar vermis
- D Reticular nucleus of thalamus
Correct answer: A. Hippocampus
Explanation
The theta rhythm (4 to 7 Hz) is generated by the hippocampus and is prominent during alertness, exploration, and REM sleep. It reflects coordinated hippocampal activity important for spatial navigation and memory encoding. The thalamic reticular nucleus generates sleep spindles at 12 to 14 Hz, and the neocortex generates alpha and beta rhythms, none of which fall in the theta band.
Reference: Principles of Neural Science, 6th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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