Basic Anatomy

Question 1

What does it mean to say that the brain is organized from phylogenetically ?

Answer 1

Progress from less to more complex cellular organization.

Deeper/Older levels: basic life sustaining functions

Superficial/Newer levels: more complex cognitive functions.

Neocortex or cerebral cortex is most involved in cognitive functions

Question 2

Cytoarchitectonics

Answer 2

Different areas of the brain have different configuration and density of cells
.
Allows for unique computational properties.

Suggests functional organization.

Question 3

Brodmann’s areas

Answer 3

Identified 52 unique regions.

Numbered them according to order in which they were characterized.

Brodmann’s areas are often associated with specific functions.

There is also some correspondence between Brodmann areas and larger scale anatomy.

Question 4

3 ways of thinking about the structure of the brain

Answer 4

Anatomy: Hemisphere, Lobes, Gyri, Sulci, Nucleus, etc

Cytoarchitectonics: Brodmann’s area

Function: Motor cortex, visual cortex, frontal eye fields, fusiform face area, etc

Question 5

Information flow in the human brain

Answer 5

Information from the world is received via specific sensory systems.

Processing progresses in a hierarchical manner.

Analyze simple aspects of stimulus first

Progress to higher level aspects

Use information for planning and preparation of action

Produce behavior to interact with the world.

Question 6

Primary Motor Cortex (M1)

Answer 6

Signal to muscles

Question 7

Supplementary Motor Cortex (SMA)

Answer 7

Internally planned and generated movements.

Question 8

Premotor Cortex (PMC)

Answer 8

Externally cued movements.

Question 9

Posterior Parietal Cortex (PPC)

Answer 9

Sensory guided movements. Attention

Question 10

Somatosensory input pathway

Answer 10

Peripheral Reception -> Thalamus -> Ventral Posterior Nucleus -> S1 -> S2

Question 11

Visual Input pathway

Answer 11

Retina -> thalamus.-> Lateral geniculate nucleus -> Primary visual cortex

Question 12

Lateral geniculate nucleus

Answer 12

Thalamic relay for vision.

Question 13

Where is the primary visual cortex (V1)? What Brodmann area?

Answer 13

Is in the occipital lobe in the calcarine fissure.

Corresponds to Brodmann’s area 17.

Question 14

Auditory Input

Answer 14

Auditory Cortex.

Dorsal surface of lateral sulcus in BA 41- 42.

Tonotopically organized – different locations respond based on sound frequency.

Question 15

Association cortices

Answer 15

Nonsensory or motor areas

Receive input from sensory or motor areas

Integrate information from multiple senses

Involved in planning, storage of information