Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum Flashcards
List four functions of the basal ganglia
Coordination of movements
Association/coupling of movements e.g. facial expressions with emotions
Sequences movements (puts them in order)
Suppresses unwanted movements
List some structures of the basal ganglia
Striatum (caudate, putamen, globus pallidus external) Subthalamic nucleus Claustrum Substantia nigra Ventral pallidum Nucleus accumbens Nucleus basalis of Meynert
Where does the Nucleus basalis of Meynert connect to and what is its importance?
It has cholinergic projections to the cortex
Important in memory
What makes up the lentiform nucleus?
Putamen
External globus pallidus
List two diseases of the basal ganglia circuitry
Parkinsons
Huntingtons
What are the four cardinal symptoms of Parkinsons?
I went to A Park and Hopped in the Breeze
and then I saw s’one with Parkinsons disease
Akinesia
Pill-rolling tremor
Hypomimic face
Bradykinesia
What are the symptoms of Huntington’s disease?
Chorea (jerky movements of proximal limbs, then distal limbs) Speech impairment Dysphagia Unsteady gait Personality changes Cognitive decline (dementia, low mood)
What is the pathophysiology of Huntington’s disease?
GABAergic neuron degeneration in the striatum, caudate then putamen
What is the order of GABAergic neuron degeneration in Huntington’s disease?
Striatum
Caudate
Putamen
SCP
Describe the genetic basis of Huntington’s disease and on which chromosome this occurs
Autosomal recessive triplet repeat (more than 35 CAG repeats on chromosome 4)
What are the three areas of the cerebellum?
Spinocerebellum
Cerebrocerebellum
Vestibulocerebellum
What is the function of the spinocerebellum?
Speech coordination
Limb movement coordination; adjustment of muscle tone
What is the function of the cerebrocerebellum?
Coordinates skilled movement
Attention and cognition
Language processing
Emotional control
What is the function of the vestibulocerebellum?
Regulates gait and posture
Coordinates head and eye movements
What are the three layers of the cerebellum?
Molecular layer
Piriform layer
Granular layer
Which two things project to the cerebellum?
Inferior olive of medulla projects to piriform layer
Mossy fibres project to granular layer
What projects to the piriform layer?
Inferior olive of medulla via climbing fibres
What projects to the granular layer?
Mossy fibres
What is the output from the cerebellum and where does this project to?
Deep nuclei/white matter in cerebellum
Which fibres come from the granule layer?
Parallel fibres
What are the symptoms of vestibulocerebellar syndrome and what do these resemble?
Gait ataxia
Tendency to fall, even when sitting and eyes open
Resembles vestibular disease symptoms
What often causes vestibulocerebellar syndrome?
Tumour
What is ataxia?
Impaired movement coordination and accuracy
What kind of gait is associated with ataxia?
Disturbed posture or gait;
Wide, staggering, drunken gait
