Anatomy of brain circulation and stroke

Question 1

what are the main arteries that deliver blood to the brain?

Answer 1

internal carotid x2; vertebral x2

Question 2

what arteries make up the circle of willis?

Answer 2

internal carotid; middle cerebral; basilar

Question 3

what areas of the brain are supplied by the anterior cerebral artery?

Answer 3

midline portions of the frontal lobes; superior medial parietal lobes; the eyes (look up pic)

Question 4

what areas of the brain are supplied by the middle cerebral artery?

Answer 4

lateral cerebral cortex; anterior temporal lobes; the insular cortices

Question 5

what areas of the brain are supplied by the posterior cerebral artery?

Answer 5

occipital lobe

Question 6

what areas of the brain are supplied by the vertebrobasilar arteries?

Answer 6

upper spinal cord; brainstem; cerebellum; midbrain; posterior brain

Question 7

what are watershed areas?

Answer 7

areas that are supplied by the terminal ends of arteries and so maybe perfused by both the anterior and middle cerebral arteries - often the first sites of blockages

Question 8

what is the venous supply of the brain

Answer 8

venous sinus drainage - veins drain into the venous sinuses

Question 9

components of the limbic system (6)

Answer 9

thalamus; cingulate gyrus; amygdala; hippocampus; parahippocampal gyrus; fornix

Question 10

what lobe is Broca’s area in?

Answer 10

frontal

Question 11

what lobe is Wernicke’s area in?

Answer 11

temporal

Question 12

what is the internal capsule

Answer 12

a two-way tract for the transmission of information to and from the cerebral cortex; homunculus laid out somato-topographically; involved in the coordination of voluntary motor functions; contains the fibres of the corticospinal tract

Question 13

cerebral vs cerebellar stroke presentation

Answer 13

contralaterally vs ipsilaterally

Question 14

middle cerebral artery stroke symptoms

Answer 14

hemiparesis (arms worse than leg); facial weakness; sensory loss; dysphasia; dysarthria; hemianopia

Question 15

anterior cerebral artery stroke symptoms

Answer 15

hemiparesis (leg worse than arm); incontinence; apathy; disinhibition; mutism

Question 16

posterior cerebral artery stroke symptoms

Answer 16

hemianopia; amnesia; sensory loss (thalamic); thalamic pain

Question 17

vertebrobasilar artery stroke symptoms

Answer 17

hemiparesis; hemisensory loss; vertigo/vomiting; diplopia; facial weakness/numbness; dysphagia; cerebellar ataxia; respiratory failure; come/death

Question 18

lacunar stroke symptoms

Answer 18

pure motor; pure sensory; sensorimotor; ataxic hemiparesis

Question 19

what is amaurosis fugax?

Answer 19

the temporary loss of vision due to an occlusion of the retinal artery; it can be a sign of an imminent stroke