2 - Nervous System Organization Flashcards
Directional terms
rostral, caudal
dorsal, ventral
anterior, posterior
lateral, medial
3 axes
axial
sagittal
coronal
bilateral
ipsilateral
contralateral
proximal
distal
both sides
same side
opposite sides
near
far
efferent neurons
bring signals away from the brain (i.e. motor neurons)
afferent neurons
bring signal towards the brain (i.e. sensory neurons)
Meninges between skull & brain
Dura mater
Arachnoid membrane
Subarachnoid space w/ CSF
Pia mater
Somatic vs. Autonomic Nervous Systems
Somatic - voluntary
Autonomic - involuntary; regulates internal organs & glands; includes the Sympathetic & Parasympathetic systems
Sympathetic Nervous System
vs.
Parasympathetic Nervous System
- arouses the body for action
- “fight or flight”
vs. - calms the body down
- “rest & digest”
3 Principles of Neuropsychology
1) All human-defined capacities can be broken down into a sum of many basic behavioral functions
2) The more low level a function is, the more centrally located it is in the nervous system.
3) Every brain region plays a role in behavioral function, & damage to that region results in an impact to that role.
Glial cells
provide support, nutrition, & insulation to neurons
ependymal cells
glial cells that line the brain’s ventricle & make cerebral spinal fluid
astrocytes
glial cells that provide structural support & nutrition to neurons
microglial cells
glial cells that fight infection & remove debris
oligodendroglial cells
glial cells that insulate neurons in the CNS via myelin sheath
Schwann cells
glial cells that insulate sensory neurons in the PNS via myelin sheath
gray matter
vs.
white matter
& placement in brain vs. spinal cord
gray matter - layers of neuronal cell bodies
white matter - consists of axons extending from neuronal cell bodies
brain - gray matter, white matter, subcortical gray matter
spinal cord - white matter, gray matter
ventricles
- 4 prominent hollow regions in center of the brain
- 1st & 2nd are lateral ventricles that underlie the cerebral cortex
- 3rd & 4th extend into the brain stem & spinal cord
- CSF is produced by ependymal cells, then flows from lateral ventricles out through the 4th ventricle
cranial nerves
- 12 pairs of cranial nerves convey sensory motor signals to & from the brain
- can have afferent or efferent functions
fibers in the posterior spinal cord
afferent fibers enter the posterior spinal cord to bring information from the sensory receptors
fibers in the anterior spinal cord
efferent fibers exit the anterior spinal cord to bring information to the muscles (motor neurons)
Bell-Magendie Law
principle that posterior roots in the spinal cord are sensory & anterior roots are motor
3 main regions of brainstem
diencephalon
midbrain
hindbrain
hindbrain
reticular formation
pons
medulla - regulates vital functions
midbrain
tectum - receives sensory info from eyes & ears
tegmentum - related to motor function
diencephalon
hypothalamus - motivated behavior
epithalamus - secretes melatonin
thalamus - hub connecting many brain regions
basal ganglia contents & impairments
Contents: caudate nucleus, putamen, globulus pallidus
Impairments: Huntington’s Disease, Tourette’s, Parkinson’s (all cause involuntary motor movement)
limbic system role & contents
Role: self-regulatory behavior like emotion, memory, spatial behavior, & social behavior
Contents:
amygdala - emotion
hippocampus - memory & spatial navigation
forebrain contents
neocortex, basal ganglia, limbic system, olfactory bulb, lateral ventricles
