Brain Atlas (Functions) Flashcards
inferior olivary nucleus (ION)
coordinates signals from the spinal cord to the cerebellum to regulate motor coordination and learning
flocculus
small lobe of cerebellum; aids in learning basic motor skills
superior parietal lobule
- Spatial orientation
- Receives a great deal of visual input
- Receives sensory input from one’s hand
- Also involved with other general functions of the parietal lobe
orbital gyri
important in emotion and inhibition
tends to get damaged in TBIs from the brain rubbing against the skull in this area
temporal pole
corresponds to Brodmann area 38
has strong connections with the amygdala and orbital prefrontal cortex
postcentral gyrus
site of the primary somatosensory cortex
supramarginal gyrus
portion of the parietal lobe
plays a role in phonological processing and emotional responses
choroid plexus
highly vascular portion of the pia mater
projects into the ventricles of the brain
secretes cerebrospinal fluid
superior frontal gyrus
thought to contribute to higher cognitive functions and particularly to working memory (WM)
NOTE: function is debated
superior temporal gyrus
plays a role in verbal and nonverbal communication
angular gyrus
precentral gyrus
a.k.a. primary motor cortex
involved in executing voluntary motor movements
inferior frontal gyrus
(shown is triangular part)
includes Broca’s area
involved in processing speech and language
inferior parietal lobule
(shown posteriorly)
composed of a supramarginal gyrus (rostrally) and an angular gyrus (caudally)
involved with sensorimotor integration, spatial attention and visuomotor and auditory processing1
middle temporal gyrus
connected with processes as different as contemplating distance, recognition of known faces, and accessing word meaning while reading1
occipital pole
contains the part of the primary visual cortex (Brodmann area 17) representing the macular (central) vision
subthalamus
(right image is subthalamic nucleus)
connects to the globus pallidus, a basal nucleus of the telencephalon
receives afferent connections from the substantia nigra and striatum
regulates skeletal muscle movements
largest division of the subthalamus is the subthalamic nucleus that is involved with integration of somatic motor function<a>1</a>
infundibulum
a.k.a. pituitary stalk
largely outside the blood brain barrier like the rest of the pituitary
allows for hormones synthesized in the hypothalamus to be sent to the posterior pituitary for release into the bloodstream
superior medullary velum
thin layer of tissue suspended between the superior cerebellar peduncles, forming the roof of the fourth ventricle (along with the inferior medullary velum)
stria medullaris of thalamus
fiber bundle containing efferent fibers directly connecting frontolimbic areas to the habenula
allows the forebrain to influence midbrain monoaminergic output1
cingulate gyrus
forms a major part of the limbic system which has functions in emotion and behavior
lingual gyrus
various visual functions
right lingual gyrus: perception and recognition of familiar landmarks/scenes; identification of faces; may also play a role in dreaming
bilateral lingual gyri: visual identification of facial expressions of emotions1
posterior commissure
transversely-oriented commissural white matter tract that connects the two cerebral hemispheres along the midline
thought to play a role in the visual system
subcallosal gyrus
portion of the limbic system behind the cingulate cortex
inhibits motor neuron activity (reciprocal function to that of cingulate cortex)
central canal
carries cerebrospinal fluid, which it receives from the ventricular system of the brain
helps to transport nutrients to the spinal cord
helps protect spinal cord by cushioning the impact of a force
optic chiasm
midline structure where the nasal (medial) fibers of the optic nerves decussate to continue posteriorly as the optic tracts
lies in the chiasmatic cistern
completely encircled by the circle of Willis
median exit foramen
a.k.a. foramen of Magendie, median aperture
links the fourth ventricle and the cisterna magna
one of the three sites that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can leave the fourth ventricle and enter the subarachnoid space
anterior commissure
transversely oriented commissural white matter tract that connects the two cerebral hemispheres along the midline
connects different parts of the limbic system on both sides
plays a role in the interhemispheric transfer of visual, auditory, and olfactory information between temporal lobes1
median eminance
functional link between the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary gland1
interpeduncular fossa
deep groove separating the cerebral peduncles
contents include oculomotor nerve and circle of Willis
quadrigeminal cistern
a.k.a. superior cistern, or cistern of the great cerebral vein
one of the CSF-filled subarachnoid cisterns.
septal nuclei
consist of a subset of four nuclei involved in regulation of emotional responsiveness (e.g., rage behavior)1
interventricular foramen
a.k.a. foramen of Monro
part of the ventricular system; connection between the third ventricle and the lateral ventricle
allow for the flow of CSF between lateral ventricles and third ventricle
midbrain tegmentum
runs through the pons and medulla oblongata
in the adult brain, it contains all the brainstem nuclei
contains serotonin- and dopamine-producing neurons2
septum pellucidum
thin transparent membrane located in the brain between the body and anterior horns of the lateral ventricles
forms an important link in the limbic system and serves as an important relay station1
midbrain tectum
a.k.a. quadrigeminal plate, tectal plate
constituted by the superior and inferior colliculi
responsible for auditory and visual reflexes1
mammillary nuclei
form part of the limbic system
primarily associated with recollective memory1
cuneus
wedge-shaped region on the medial surface of the occipital lobe
corresponds to Brodmann area 17
receives visual information from the contralateral superior retina representing the inferior visual field
lamina terminalis
forms the anterior wall of the third ventricle and anterior boundary of the hypothalamus
has an essential role in the regulation of Na+ excretion as lesion of this brain region strongly reduces excretion of a Na+ load1
fornix
main efferent system of the hippocampus and an important part of the limbic system
one of the commissural fibers connecting the cerebral hemispheres
involved in memory and recall1
cerebral aqueduct
structure within the brainstem that connects the third and fourth ventricles
filled with CSF
vagus nerve
afferent fibers bringing information of the inner organs (e.g., gut, liver, heart, and lungs) to the brain
vestibulocochlear nerve
innervation to the cochlea for hearing
innervation to the vestibule for acceleration and balance senses
medial occipitotemporal gyrus
formed by parahippocampal gyrus (temporal) and lingual gyrus (occipital)
pyramid
a.k.a. pyrammidal desuccation
contain the motor fibers that pass from the brain to the medulla oblongata and spinal cord
where motor fibers cross to opposite side of body
gyrus rectus
may be involved in higher cognitive function (e.g. personality)1
middle cerebellar peduncles
paired structures connecting the cerebellum to the pons
purely afferent
trigeminal nerve
primary role is relaying sensory information from the face and head
also provides motor control to the muscles of mastication
anterior perforated substance
area in the basal forebrain
plays an important role in the blood supply of deep grey matter structures of the brain
cerebral peduncles
anterior part of the midbrain that connects the remainder of the brainstem to the thalami.
paired, separated by the interpeduncular cistern
contain the large white matter tracts that run to and from the cerebrum
internal capsule
(shown is anterior limb)
concentration of white matter projection fibers that form the corona radiata
high concentration of both motor and sensory projection fibers
claustrum
vertical curved sheet of subcortical grey matter
hypothesized to play a central role in the generation of consciousness<a>1</a>, which would explain why it has white matter projections from all areas of the cortex
putamen
paired structure and one of the nuclei that make up the basal ganglia
together with the caudate nucleus, it may be referred to as the corpus striatum
regulates movements and influence various types of learning
employs dopamine to perform its functions
plays a role in degenerative neurological disorders, such as Parkinson disease
parahippocampal gyrus
surrounds the hippocampus
plays an important role in both spatial memory and navigation1.)
globus pallidus
one of the nuclei that make up the basal ganglia; forms the lentiform nucleus with the putamen
main function is to control conscious and proprioceptive movements1
the globus pallidus externus (the intrinsic nucleus) acts as a relay for information
the globus pallidus internus (the output nucleus) primarily sends information to the thalamus
uncus
innermost part of parahippocampal gyrus
constitutes a large part of the primary olfactory area1
common origin of temporal lobe seizures; seizures starting in the uncus may be preceded by olfactory or gustatory hallucinations
caudate nucleus
involved in maintaining body and limb posture
involved in controlling approach-attachment behaviors1
basal nucleus
(a.k.a. basal nucleus of Meynert)
formed by a group of cells that lies in the substantia innominata
rich in acetylcholine
its degeneration has been correlated to Alzheimer disease
insula
(a.k.a. insular cortex)
serves as the primary gustatory cortex
has important connections to language and visual-vestibular integration<a>1</a>
has important autonomic function, particularly sympathetic tone from the right insula; damage to this area has been associated with cardiac arrhythmias<a>1</a>
transverse temporal gyrus
(a.k.a. Heschl’s gyrus)
part of the temporal lobe
contains the primary auditory cortex (Brodmann area 41)
vena and stria terminalis
vena terminalis: long vein passing forward in the groove between the thalamus and caudate nucleus
stria terminalis: band of fibers running along the lateral margin of the ventricular surface of the thalamus; serves as a major output pathway of the amygdala
substantia niagra
one of the brainstem nuclei and part of the extrapyramidal system
serves as an important relay station in the motor system
mammillothalamic tract
arises from cells in the mammillary body and by fibers that are directly continued from the fornix
carries signals from the mammillary bodies via the anterior thalamus to support spatial memory<a>2</a>,<a>3</a>
inferior cerebellar peduncles
paired structures containing important white matter fiber tracts which connect the cerebellum to the medulla
mainly concerned with integrating proprioceptive sensory input with motor vestibular functions such as balance and posture maintenance
inferior colliculi
involved in auditory processing
receive input from various brainstem nuclei and project to the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, which relays auditory information to the primary auditory cortex
superior colliculi
involved in preliminary visual processing and control of eye movements
superior cerebellar peduncles
paired white matter fiber tracts that connect the cerebellum with the midbrain
contains vital afferent and efferent fibers
habenula
receives input from the brain via the stria medullaris
outputs to many midbrain areas involved in releasing neuromodulators, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin
it has many functions, including pain processing, reproductive behavior, nutrition, sleep-wake cycles, stress responses, and learning
