Brainstem

Question 1

All cranial nerves come out of the brainstem except for which ones?

Answer 1

CN I and II (olfactory and optic)

Question 2

Which is the only cranial nerve located on the dorsal surface of the brainstem?

Answer 2

CN IV (trochlear)

Question 3

Where does the spinal accessory nerve originate?

Answer 3

in the spinal cord

Question 4

Is the interpeduncular fossa seen ventrally or dorsally on the brainstem?

Answer 4

ventrally

Question 5

Are the olives (of the medulla) lateral or medial to the pyramids?

Answer 5

lateral

Question 6

The caudal pons is attached to the _______ by the ______.

Answer 6

cerebellum; middle cerebellar peduncle

Question 7

Which structure is affected in MS, and what does this structure do?

Answer 7

MLF; carries information about the direction the eyes should move (based on vestibular information about head movement)

Question 8

What are the deep cerebellar nuclei and at what level of the brainstem can they be seen at?

Answer 8

• fastigal, globose, emboliform, and dentate (medial to lateral: fat guys eat donuts)
• appear at the level of the caudal pons

Question 9

At which level of the spinal cord does the 4th ventricle begin closing?

Answer 9

rostral pons (4th ventricle starts turning into the cerebral aqueduct)

Question 10

At which level is a large basal pons seen?

Answer 10

rostral pons

Question 11

Where does the SCP decussate?

Answer 11

caudal midbrain (decussate on their way to red nucleus)

Question 12

Which neurotransmitter does the locus ceruleus contain?

Answer 12

noradrenaline (NE)

Question 13

What replaces the basal pons in the caudal midbrain?

Answer 13

cerebral peduncles (how we know we’ve reached the midbrain)

Question 14

Which neurotransmitter does the substantia nigra contain?

Answer 14

dopamine (implicated in Parkinson’s)

Question 15

What is an important point to remember about the locus ceruleus?

Answer 15

it has extensive CNS projections

Question 16

In which part of the substantia nigra do the dopaminergic neurons live?

Answer 16

compact part (farther from cerebral peduncle)

Question 17

Neurons of the _______ and ______ contain dopamine.

Answer 17

substantia nigra; ventral tegmental area (VTA)

Question 18

A lesion of the VTA causes _______; a lesion of the substantia nigra causes ________

Answer 18

some form of mental illness; Parkinson’s disease

Question 19

Neurons of the raphe neurons contain what?

Answer 19

serotonin (“feel good” NT)

Question 20

What are 2 key nuclei in the basal forebrain that contain ACh?

Answer 20

basal nucleus (of Meynert) and septal nuclei

Question 21

Destruction of cholinergic pathways may lead to which disease?

Answer 21

Alzheimer’s

Question 22

Neurons of which parts of the brain contain acetylcholine?

Answer 22

rostral brainstem and basal forebrain

Question 23

What are the important arteries of the brainstem?

Answer 23

SCA, AICA, PICA

Question 24

If you destroy the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery, you can also wipe out part of which structure?

Answer 24

medulla

Question 25

What is lateral medullary syndrome of Wallenberg?

Answer 25

a neurological disorder causing a range of symptoms due to ischemia in the lateral part of the medulla; ischemia is a result of blockage of PICA

Question 26

Where does the decussation of the pyramidal tract occur, and which fibers is this tract transmitting?

Answer 26

• decussation at caudal medulla

- CST fibers (and corticobulbar fibers)

Question 27

The CST travels through what in the pons?

Answer 27

pontine gray nuclei

Question 28

In reference to the “golfball on a tee” analogy, what is the golfball, what is the tee, and at what part of the brainstem does this duet appear?

Answer 28

inferior colliculus is the golfball, lateral lemniscus is the tee, and these structures are found in the midbrain