4. Blood Supply To The Brain

Question 1

What is the anterior circulation fed by and what does it supply?

Answer 1

Fed by internal carotid arteries

Supplies most of cerebral hemispheres

Question 2

What is the posterior circulation fed by and what does it supply?

Answer 2

Fed by vertebral arteries

Supplies the brainstem, cerebellum, some of the temporal lobe and the occipital lobe

Question 3

What does the middle cerebral artery arise from?

Answer 3

Direct continuation of the internal carotid artery

Question 4

What do the cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery supply?

Answer 4

Lateral aspect of cerebral hemisphere, including lateral parts of the frontal and parietal lobes as well as the superior temporal lobe

Question 5

What do the deep branches (lenticulostriate arteries) of the middle cerebral artery supply?

Answer 5

Deep grey matter structures including the lentiform nucleus and caudate as well as the internal capsule

Question 6

Where does the anterior cerebral artery arise from?

Answer 6

Branch of the internal carotid artery

Question 7

What forms the anterior communicating artery?

Answer 7

Left and right anterior cerebral arteries anastomoses in the midline

Question 8

Which artery supplies the corpus callosum?

Answer 8

Anterior cerebral artery

Question 9

What do cortical branches of the anterior cerebral artery supple?

Answer 9

Medial aspect of the frontal and parietal lobes

Question 10

What forms the anterior circulation?

Answer 10

Middle cerebral artery

Anterior cerebral artery

Question 11

What forms the posterior circulation?

Answer 11

Basilar artery
Vertebral arteries
And their branches

Question 12

What are the major branches of the basilar artery?

Answer 12

Posterior cerebral artery
Superior cerebellar atherosclerosis
Pontine arteries
Anterior inferior cerebellar artery

Question 13

What does the terminal bifurcation of the basilar artery give rise to?

Answer 13

Posterior cerebral artery

Question 14

What does the posterior cerebral artery supply?

Answer 14

Occipital lobe
Inferior temporal lobe
Thalamus
Midbrain en passant 
Posterior communicating arteries branch from these to connect with the anterior circulation

Question 15

What does the superior cerebellar artery supply?

Answer 15

Superior aspect of the cerebellum and midbrain en passant

Question 16

What do the pontine arteries supply?

Answer 16

Pons

Question 17

What does the anterior inferior cerebellar artery supply?

Answer 17

Antero-inferior aspect of the cerebellum and lateral pons en passant

Question 18

What are the 2 important branches to the brain that arise form the vertebral arteries?

Answer 18

Anterior spinal arteries converge in midline to supply anterior 2/3 of the spinal cord
Posterior inferior cerebellar arteries supply the postero-inferior aspect of the cerebellum en passant