Brain Structures Flashcards
Grey Matter
Cell bodies location
White Matter
Fibers
Basal Ganglia
Subcortical part of brain Voluntary motor control Procedural learning (behaviors or habits) Eye movement Cognitive/emotional functions
Basal Ganglia made up of
Putamen
Globus Pallidus
Caudate Nucleus
Thalamus
Striatum
Putamen + caudate
Corpus Striatum
Striatum
Globus pallidus
Internal Capusle
Myelinated fibers that separate thalamus from putamen and globes pallidus nuclei
Part of corticospinal/corticobulbar tract
Lenticular nuclei
Kinked band of myelinated fibers that separate caudate nucleus/thalamus from globes pallidus/putament
Caudate Nucleus
Bounded on one side by lateral ventricle
Divided into head, body, tail
Endorphins
Chemicals that produce positve emotional state
Dopamine
Released by neurons in putamen
In Parkinson’s
Putamen cause excessive inhibition of thalamus -> leads to tremors and trouble with voluntary movement
Amygdala
Processes memory and emotional reactions
Basal Ganglia Defects
Changes in muscle tone
Akinesia
Bradykinesia
Dyskinesia
Akinesia
Loss of normal motor function resulting in impaired muscle movement
Bradykinesia
Slow movement
Dyskinesia
Impaired ability to make voluntary movements
Characterized by spasmodic/repetitive motions or lack of coordination
Tremors
Resting tremor
Postural tremor when body is held in particular position
Athetosis
Slow, writhing movements of extremities (hands) and neck musculature
Chorea
Quick, repeated, involuntary movements of distal extremity muscles/face/tongue
Associated with lesion of corpus striatum
Huntington’s
Autosomal-dominant disorder
Onset between 35 and 45
Huntington’s Pathophys
Mutation of gene on chromosome 4
Function of Huntingtin gene not known
Huntington’s Pathology
Loss of neurons in caudate and putamen
Loss of GABA-ergic neurons in corpus striatum results in chorea
Cerebral cortex becomes atrophic
Parkinson’s
Onset between 50 and 65
Characterized by tremor, rigidity, akinesia/bradykinesia and balance problems
Parkinson’s Signs
Slow, monotonous speech
Diminutive writing
Loss of fascial expression
Parkinson’s Pathophys
Loss of pigmented (dopaminergic) neurons in substantia nigra
Lateral Ventricles
Within telencephalon
3rd Ventricle
Between 2 halves of diencephalon
4th Ventricle
Within brain stem
Has 3 opening to outside of brain
CSF Circulation
Produced by choroid plexus in ventricles -> lateral ventricles - 3rd ventricle -> cerebral aqueduct -> 4th ventricle -> central canal & subarachnoid space -> return at superior sagittal sinus via arachnoid granulations