Auditory and Vestibular Pathways Flashcards
CN VIII ENTERS THE BRAIN AS 2 ROOTS AT THE JUNCTION OF THE _______ and _________.
PONS & MEDULLA
Vestibular schwannoma: internal acoustic meatus gets much larger because the growing tumor gets larger. True or False
True
Where are the special organs of hearing and balance found?
In the petrous part of the temporal bone
*•They are embedded in dense petrous temporal bone
There are three ganglia associated with vestibulocochlear nerve
•Inferior and superior vestibular ganglia w/ bipolar neurons
•Spiral ganglion – related to cochlea and functions of hearing.
•These axons from the vestibular nerve, superior and inferior ganglion have projections to 2 major structures.
The bipolar cells from the 2 vestibular ganglion project to the:
1)Cerebellum
- flocculonodular lobe
- vermis
2)4 Vestibular nuclei
- lateral
- medial
- superior
- inferior (descending)
Label
What are the vestibular outputs?
1.Extraocular motor nuclei via MLF
2. Cerebellum (reciprocal connections)
3. Ventral posterior nucleus of thalamus
5.Reticular formation
6.Spinal Cord
*Outputs of vestibular nuclei are carrying info that are important for balance/posture and gaze (coordinated eye movements, keep eyes fixed on particular object as you move your head).
Major outputs from vestibular nuclei to extraocular motor nuclei. The pathway by which these fibers reach abducens and oculomotor is _______________.
medial longitudinal fasciculus
Descending vestibular outputs go through spinal cord, which is important for ___________,__________ and __________.
balance, muscle tone, and posture.
All four vestibular nuclei are found beneath the floor of the ____________ in the medulla and pons, lateral to the sulcus limitans.
fourth ventricle
•2 major vestibular nuclei involved in coordinating the eye movements are ________ and ________ vestibular nuclei.
medial and superior
The medial and superior vestibular nuclei reach the extraocular motor nuclei via the __________
MLF
Explain the vestibulo-ocular reflex
- A reflex, where activation of the vestibular system causes eye movement.
- Functions to stabilize images on the retinas during head movement by producing eye movements in the direction opposite to head movement, thus preserving the image on the center of the visual field.
- The VOR is ultimately driven by signals from the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear.
The superior vestibular nuclei goes through the _________ nerve.
Oculomotor
What are the four basic steps to the VOR?
- Endolymph flow stimulates hair cells
- Increases nerve firing rate
- Stimulates vestibular nuclei (in brainstem)
- Both eyes look in the same direction
The second order axons from the medial vestibular nuclei will project contralaterally to the ___________nucleus.
abducens
- These axons will make synaptic connections with 2 different types of cells in abducens nucleus. The first one is the motor neuron, which will contract lateral rectus. Receiving mixed in with motor neurons of abducens nucleus are these interneurons that cross over the midline and go to oculomotor nuclei. They will drive the motor neurons that control medial rectus muscle. So if these interneurons become active they cause motor neurons of medial rectus to contract so you get parallel contraction of medial/lateral rectus.
How does the VOR work?
- Move your head in space
- Move head left to right causing change in endolymphatic flow in semicircular canals, stimulating hair cells. Those hair cells become excited, this increases the neuronal firing of the first order neurons in the vestibular ganglion.
- These axons target is the medial vestibular nucleus. The neurons of the medial vestibular nucleus become increased. They send signals to motoneurons controlling lateral recuts and sending excitatory signals to internuclear interneurons that go to oculomotor nucleus
Stimulation of the semicircular canals cause imbalance. There are there ways in which you can stimulate the semicircular canals. What are they?
- Move head way to do this is by moving head
- By squirting warm water into one ear, warm water increases endolymph flow in semicircular canal, this increases the neuronal activity in ganglion cell and vestibular nuclei. This causes slow drifting of the eye in the opposite direction and horizontal gaze. Eyes will slowly drift in opposite direction as far as you possibly can (lateral excursion), then you bring the eyes back to central position (via the cortex)
- Increase imbalance by causing a lesion. Lesions on one side suddenly there is an imbalance because the intact side will have tonic activity, the lesion side cells will have no activity. It is lower than it should be, the eyes will drift to the side with decreased activity. Stimulate vestibular nuclei producing eye movement in opposite direction or cause lesion of vestibular nuclei (producing imbalance of vestibular nuclei on the left and right hand side)
- Give warm water in right ear: increase activity on right ear, eyes drift to the left (afterwards, the cortex will move eyes back to center)
- Give cold water in left ear: decrease activity of left vestibular nuclei so eyes drifting to the left. (Afterwards, cortex will move eyes in opposite direction.
What is the normal result of the caloric test?
Nystagmus
If the caloric test is performed and no nystagmus results, what does this mean?
Deep coma
If the caloric test is performed and nystagmus results, what does this mean?
The brainstem is still in tact and recovery is possible
If the caloric test is performed and the eyes move and stay to one side, what does this mean?
The cortex is impaired
*The cortex is responsible for bringing the eyes back to center after nystagmus
INTERNUCLEAR OPHTHALMOPLEGIA
- A disorder of conjugate lateral gaze in which the affected eye shows impairment of adduction.
- When an attempt is made to gaze contralaterally (relative to the affected eye), the affected eye adducts minimally, if at all. The contralateral eye abducts, however with nystagmus.
- Additionally, the divergence of the eyes leads to horizontal diplopia.
NOTE: Convergence is normally in tact
What is the cause of internuclear ophthalmoplegia?
Injury or dysfunction in the medial longitudinal fasciculus