Brainstem

Question 1

Another name for midbrain?

Answer 1

mesencephalon

Question 2

What makes up the hindbrain?

Answer 2

Pons

Medulla oblongata

Question 3

The brainstem is divided into regions by?

Answer 3

Anteriorly and posteriorly

Question 4

What are the anterior/ventral parts of the brainstem?

Answer 4

Cerebral peduncles of the midbrain
Basal pons
Pyramids and olives of the medulla

Question 5

Where is the tegmentum?

Answer 5

Posterior portion of the medulla and pons

Middle portion of the midbrain

Question 6

What does the basal pons do?

Answer 6

it acts as an important connection between the cerebrum and cerebellum.

Question 7

What do the pyramids of the medulla do?

Answer 7

White matter structures that contain motor fibers of the corticospinal tracts.

Question 8

What do the olives of the medulla do?

Answer 8

They contain the olivary nuclei.

Question 9

What do the cerebral peduncles do?

Answer 9

are the two stalks that attach the cerebrum to the brainstem

Question 10

What is the tectum?

Answer 10

Only found in the midbrain

• Is posterior and dorsal part of the midbrain sitting behind the cerebral aqueduct.
• Contains major nuclei

Question 11

What are the two major nuclei that the tectum contain?

Answer 11

Superior colliculus

Inferior colliculus

Question 12

What are three things the brainstem contains?

Answer 12

Ascending sensory tracts
descending motor tracts
Cranial nerve nuclei

Question 13

What does the nuclei of the brainstem modulate?

Answer 13

Heart rate and blood pressure
Breathing
Arousal
Pain control

Question 14

Which ascending sensory tracts run bilaterally in the medulla and caudal pons.?

Answer 14

Spinothalamic tract
Posterior spinocerebellar tract
Cuneocerebellar tract

-Only in the medulla

Question 15

What is the medial lemniscus?

Answer 15

Second order neuron somas in nuclei in caudal medulla

-Axons cross in anteromedial caudal medulla (posterior to the pyramids) and ascend in the contralateral medial lemniscus

Question 16

Descending motor tracts - the Neurons of which two spinal cord tracts travel together in the corticospinal tract in the ventral brainstem.

Answer 16

Anterior corticospinal tract

Lateral corticospinal tract

Question 17

In the midbrain the corticospinal tract goes through the?

Answer 17

Cerebral peduncle
-Most ventral part of the midbrain
Travels with corticobrainstem and corticopontine fibers

Question 18

In the pons the corticospinal tract travels medially in the?

Answer 18

basal pons

Question 19

The corticobrainstem tract used to be called?

Answer 19

the corticobulbar tract

Question 20

What is the corticobrainstem tract?

Answer 20

UMN

Innervates LMNs in cranial nerves rather than spinal nerves except neurons to extraocular muscles

Question 21

Where does the corticobrainstem tractd originate?

Answer 21

in the primary motor cortex on the paracentral gyrus of the frontal lobe

Via the cerebral peduncles travels with the corticospinal tracts

Question 22

The corticobrainstem tracts do have a single point of decussation like the LCST but instead?

Answer 22

descussate at the level of the cranial nerve nuclei they are innervating.

Question 23

The corticobrainstem tracts decussate at the following location?

Answer 23

Mid pons - CN V Trigeminal
Caudal pons - CN VII Facial
Rostral medulla - CN IX Glossopharyngeal, CN XII Hypoglossal
Upper cervical spinal cord - CN XI Accessory

Question 24

The corticobrainstem tracts UMN innervate?

Answer 24

LMNs bilaterally except muscles of facial expression lower face

-Very dominate contralateral control of LMN in CN XII Hypoglossal

Question 25

T/F

Damage to one corticobrainstem tract produces no functional paralysis/paresis for most muscles after the acute phase?

Answer 25

T