Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum

Question 1

What is represented in the motor cortical regions?

Answer 1

the primary motor area where the neurons represent simple mapping of muscles and the motor associations areas where the neurons represent functionally relevant movements and temporal patterns for complex movements

Question 2

What are mirror neurons?

Answer 2

a neuron in the motor association area which activates when you see someone doing a movement and also activates when you do the same movement

Question 3

What are the inputs to the primary motor cortex?

Answer 3

motor association areas, primary somatosensory cortex (sensation), posterior parietal areas (visuospatial map)

Question 4

What are the inputs to the motor association cortex?

Answer 4

pre frontal (for planning) and posterior parietal areas (for visuospatial map)

Question 5

What is the outcome of the what (ventral) and where (dorsal) pathway to the motor association cortex?

Answer 5

the what pathway will result in grasping and the where pathway will result in reaching

Question 6

What are the functions of the basal ganglia?

Answer 6

allows selection of complex patterns of voluntary movements, evaluating the success of actions in achieving those goals, initiating movements

Question 7

What structures make up the basal ganglia?

Answer 7

caudate nucleus, putamen, globus palidus, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra

Question 8

What makes up the striatum?

Answer 8

caudate and putamen

Question 9

What makes up the lentiform nucleus?

Answer 9

putamen and globus palidus

Question 10

What shape is the caudate nucleus?

Answer 10

C shaped - so will often appear twice on a coronal section

Question 11

Which nucleus in the basal ganglia makes melanin?

Answer 11

substantia nigra

Question 12

Which part of the basal ganglia is in the midbrain?

Answer 12

substantia nigra

Question 13

Which structure is affected in parkinsons?

Answer 13

substantia nigra

Question 14

Which structures are affected in huntingtons?

Answer 14

caudate, putamen, globus pallidus

Question 15

What is the function of the cerebellum?

Answer 15

coordinating the timing and sequence of muscle actions and movements, the maintenance of muscle tone, motor learning, planning sequences of muscle activation for complex movements, getting things right, smooth movements

Question 16

What is the medial to lateral functional organisation of the cerebellum?

Answer 16

lateral does distal muscles

Question 17

Which side of the body is affected by a unilateral cerebellar lesion?

Answer 17

the ipsilateral side

Question 18

What is ataxia?

Answer 18

the inability to appropriately integrate and coordinate movement

Question 19

What are the symptoms of anterior lobe syndrome (cerebellum)?

Answer 19

ataxic gait and loss of inter-limb coordination (heel-shin test)

Question 20

What causes anterior lobe syndrome?

Answer 20

chronic ethanol toxicity

Question 21

What are the symptoms of posterior lobe syndrome (cerebellum)?

Answer 21

dysmetria (misdirected trajectory), disdiadochokinesia (pronate and supinate hands rapidly), speech abnormality

Question 22

What are the symptoms of flocculonodular lobe syndrome?

Answer 22

truncal ataxia

Question 23

What part of the basal ganglia is the input?

Answer 23

the striatum - the caudate and putamen

Question 24

Which part of the basal ganglia is the output?

Answer 24

the globus pallidus

Question 25

Which side of the body do basal ganglia circuits effect?

Answer 25

the contralateral side

Question 26

What are the two pathways in the basal ganglia and what are their effects?

Answer 26

the direct pathway which turns up movement and the indirect pathway which turns down movement

Question 27

What neurotransmitters are involved in the basal ganglia?

Answer 27

dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA an glutamate