Brain Functions Flashcards
What are the lobes of the brain?
Frontal
Parietal
Occipital
Temporal
What is the function of the frontal lobe?
Voluntary movement of opposite side of the body
Frontal lobe of dominant hemisphere controls speech (Broca’s area) & writing
(if right handed, then left hemisphere is dominant etc.)
Intellectual functioning, thought processes, reasoning & memory
Eg. Problem solving, motor function, judgement, impulse control, language
What is the function of the parietal lobe?
Somatosensory Dominant lobe (usually left) perception & interpretation of sensory info, language and maths
Non dominant (usually right) visuospatial formation
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
Understanding visual images and meaning of written words
Contains primary visual & visual association cortex
What is the function of the temporal lobe?
Understanding the spoken word (wernicke’s - understanding), sounds as well as memory amd emotion
What does the temporal lobe contain?
Primary auditary cortex
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Wernicke’s area
What is underlying the cortex?
White matter
Where are grey matter structues found?
Deep in the white matter and surrounded ventricles
Is grey/white matter on the outside/inside?
Grey matter - outside
White matter - inside
What do grey matter structures include?
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Basal ganglia
What are the 3 cranial meninges?
Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater
What are the coverings of the brain from skin to white matter?
Skin Bone (skull) Dura mater Arachnoid mater Trabeculae and subarachnoid space Pia mater Cerebral cortex (grey matter) White matter
What does the thalamus do?
Relay centre direction inputs to cortical areas
What does the hypothalamus do?
Links endocrine system to brain & involved in homeostasis
What does the basal ganglia consist of?
Functions?
Caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus
Motor control, cognition and non motor behavior
Caudate + putamen =
Globus + putamen =
Striatum
Lentiform nucleus
What does the cerebellum do?
Co ordinate movement and balance
Voluntary movement, balance, equilibrium, and muscle tone
What does the cerebellum lie over?
Dorsal surface of the brain stem
The cerebellum is attached to the brain stem by?
3 peduncles
What are the 3 peduncles and what part of the brain stem are they attached to?
Superior - midbrain
Middle - pons
Inferior- medulla
Cerebellum injuries result in slow and uncoordinated movement such as?
Loss of motor control, asynergia
Movement tremors, intention tremor
Weak muscle, hypotonia
Abnormal eye movements, nystagmus
What are the functions of the brain stem?
Special sense, sensory and motor for head and neck (cranial nerves), autonomic regulation, regulates consciousness, pathway between brain and spinal cord
What are the main components of the basal ganglia?
Dorsal striatum - caudate nucleus and putamen
Ventral striatum - nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle
Globus pallidus - internal and external segment
Ventral pallidum
Substantia nigra
Subthalamic nucleus
What is the hippocampus important for?
Episodic memory
Construction of mental images
Short term memory
Spatial memory and navigation
