Brainstem Anatomy Flashcards
What are the pyramids in the medulla
The descending axons of the corticospinal tract
Where do the axons or the corticospinal tract originate
The sensorimotor strip= broadmans areas 4,3,1, and 2.
Describe the tract of the axons of the corticospinal tract once they leave the sensorimotor strip
They course down ipsilaterally through the posterior limb of the interior capsule, the middle 1//3 of the crus cerebri, the pons, and emerge on the ventral surface of the medulla as the pyramids
Where do the axons of the corticospinal tract cross in the brainstem
The pyramidal decussation, which is the caudal most medulla.
After they decussate in the medulla, where do the axons of the corticospinal tract take place in the spinal cord and wat are they then called
They will take up a lateral position in the spinal cord and will travel as the lateral corticospinal tract before exiting at appropriate levels onto LMNs in the lateral part of the anterior horn of the spinal cord grey matter
A patient with a unilateral lesion above the decusation of the pyramids will show what motor signs and symptoms on what side of the body
Contralateral
A patient with a unilaterally lesion caudal to the pyramids wil show signs and symptoms on what side of the body
Ipsilateral
What type of information do the spinothalamics relay
Information about pain and temperature
Describe the pathway of the spinothalamic pathway, specifically the lateral spinothalamic tract
1st order neurons are found in the DRG, axons enter the SC, ascend 1-2 segments, and synapse on lamin of reed 1,2, and 5. Axons of 2nd order neurons cross immediately and the up ventrolateralposition in the spinal cord and ascend as the lateral spinothalamic tract.
What will the anterolateral system be called int he rostral medulla
The spinal lemniscus
How will a patient present if they have a unilateral lesion of the sympathetic axons passing through the medulla on their way to the intermediolateral cell column (T1-L2)
Ipsilateral horners syndrome=miosis, ptosis, and anhydrosis
Which axons are heavily myelinated
Aa and Ab
What information do the dorsal columns carry
Fine touch, vibration, and conscious proprioception ipsilaterally
Describe the pathway of the dorsal columns
1st order neurons (DRG) will travel ipsilaterally in the SC as the fasiculus gracillis(medial) and cuneatus(lateral) and synapses int he nucleus gracilis/cuneatus in the medulla. These axons will then cross immediately (called the internal arcuate fibers) and then be known as the medial lemniscus projecting to S1
Where is the leg represented in the dorsal columns and the medullary dorsal column nuclei
Medially
After the second order neurons have entered the medial lemniscus, where is the leg represented
Ventrally/laterally in the pons
What does the dorsal motor nucleus control
Viscera of the thorax and abdomen
Nucleus ambiguous is the outflow of what cranial nerves
IX and X
What type of gaze center will be in the pons
Horizontal gaze center
Which cranial nerve can give you a false localizing sign
CN VI
What is the motor component of CN 5
Innervation of the muscles of mastication and a small portion of the acoustic reflex.
What are the sensory components of CN5
Pain, temperature, fine touch, vibration, conscious proprioception, and unconscious proprioception
Where is the spinal tract and the spinal nucleus of CN V and what is to function
Located in the medulla, and it is responsible for processing and conveying pain and temperature information front he head/face to higher order structures in the brain
Describe the course of the pathway for the spinal tract/nucleus of CN V
1st order lie in the trigeminal ganglion (A delta and C axons), central processes enter the brainstem at the pons and descend int he dosolateral area of the brainstem as the spinal trigeminal tract to synapse int he spinal trigeminal nucleus(corresponds to the dorsolateral fasiculus of lissaur). Central processes form the spinal trigeminal neuron (2nd order) decussate and ascend as the TTT and synapse int he medial division of the ventral posterior nucleus (VPM) in the thalamus.
What will the result of a lesion of the spinal tract of V result in
Loss of pain and temperature in the ipsilateral face
What will the result of a lesion of the TTT result in
Contralateral loss of pain and temperature because the TTT, by definition, is a crossed pathway.
What is the function of Clarke’s Nucleus and where would you expect to find it
Located in the spinal cord levels (C8-L2) receives proprioceptive info collateral s and sends axons to the inferior cerebellar peduncle to the cerebellum. 2d order neurons will make put he cuneocerebellar tract which relays proprioceptive info C8 and up