Blood supply to the brain

Question 1

What two sources does the brain receive blood from?

Answer 1

Anterior circulation - internal carotid. This supplies most of the cerebral hemispheres.

Posterior circulation - vertebral arteries. Supplies brainstem, cerebellum, and some of temporal and occipital lobe.

Question 2

What does the middle cerebral artery supply?

Answer 2

MCA is a direct continuation of the internal carotid artery.

Cortical branches emerge from the lateral tissue to supply the lateral aspect of the cerebral hemisphere (cortex and underlying white matter), including lateral arts of the frontal and parietal lobes as well as the superior temporal lobe.

Deep branches supply deep grey matter structures including the lentiform nucleus and caudate well as the internal capsule.

Question 3

What does the anterior cerebral artery supply?

Answer 3

A branch of the internal carotid artery.

The left and right anterior cerebral arteries anastomose in the midline via the anterior communicating artery.

The vessels loop over the corpus callous and send branches to the adjacent cortex.

Cortical branches supply the medial aspect of the frontal and parietal lobes (not occipital)

There are also branches to the corpus callosum itself

Question 4

What does the terminal bifurcation of the basilar artery give rise to?

Answer 4

Posterior cerebral artery.

Question 5

What is the basilar artery?

Answer 5

A midline artery formed from the confluence of the vertebral arteries. It has a number of major branches.

Question 6

What does the posterior cerebral artery supply?

Answer 6

Occipital love, inferior temporal lobe and thalamus.
Midbrain en passant

Posterior communicating arteries brach from these to connect with the anterior circulation.

Question 7

What does the superior cerebellar artery supply?

Answer 7

superior cerebellum and midbrain en passant

Question 8

What do the pontine arteries supply?

Answer 8

Pons (including descending corticospinal fibres)

Question 9

What does the anterior inferior cerebellar artery supply?

Answer 9

The antero-inferior aspect of the cerebellum and lateral pons en passant.

Question 10

What are the important branches that come off the vertebral arteries?

Answer 10

Anterior spinal arteries converge in the midline to supply the anterior 2/3 of the spinal cord.

Posterior inferior cerebellar arteries supply the postero-inferior aspect of the cerebellum en passant.