Brainstem-Gilland Flashcards
What does the brainstem consist of?
midbrain, pons, and medulla
The midbrain tectum is comprised of what?
- quadrigemminal bodies AKA superior and inferior colliculi
- the tectum forms the ROOF of the the MIDBRAIN
Where is the basal portion of the pons located?
ventral side
- basilar part of pons is the ventral part of the pons
- the dorsal part is known as the pontine tegmentum
The tegmentum is located in what areas of the brainstem?
it is located beneath the ventricles
midbrain and pons
-extends from the substantia nigra to the cerebral aqueduct
-forms the floor of the midbrain (mesencephalon)
The tegmentum (core) of the brainstem includes the cranial nerve nuclei, ascending sensory pathways, reticular formation, and periaqueductal gray matter and is involved in a variety of functions.
Anterior/Superior medullary velum
a thin, transparent lamina of white matter, which stretches between the superior cerebellar peduncles
It forms, together with the superior cerebellar peduncle, the ROOF of the upper part of the FOURTH VENTRICLE
Cerebellar peduncle
cerebellar peduncle is a nerve tract that permits communication between the cerebellum and the other parts of the central nervous system
superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles
Superior cerebellar peduncle is a paired structure of white matter that connects the cerebellum to the mid-brain.
Middle cerebellar peduncles connect the cerebellum to the pons and are composed entirely of centripetal fibers.
Inferior cerebellar peduncle is a thick rope-like strand that occupies the upper part of the posterior district of the medulla oblongata; bring sensory information about the actual position of body parts such as limbs and joints.
peduncles form the lateral border of the fourth ventricle, and form a distinctive diamond
Rhomboid fossa
a rhombus-shaped depression that is the ANTERIOR part of the fourth ventricle (So rhomboid fossa located on the dorsal side of the brainstem)
anterior wall, formed by the back of the pons and the medulla oblongata, constitutes the floor of the fourth ventricle.
It is covered by a thin layer of grey matter continuous with that of the spinal cord; superficial to this is a thin lamina of neuroglia which constitutes the ependyma of the ventricle and supports a layer of ciliated epithelium.
-projection of the nuclei of cranial nerves in the rhomboid fossa
Brainstem with 4th ventricle
exposed by severing cerebellar peduncles and cutting choroid roof away at the margins of the rhomboid fossa
- 4th ventricle has a diamond shape and is located in the upper portion of the medulla
- extends from the cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius) to the obex and is filled with CSF
Cuneate (lateral) and Gracile (medial) tubercle, nuclei, and fasciculus
-tubercle is a swelling on the dorsal surface of the medulla caused by presence of nuclei
-fasciculus= bundle of nerve fibers
-ascending tracts: fasciculus gracilis
fasciculus cuneatus
The cuneate fasciculus carries information from vertebral level T6 and above, and the gracile fasciculus carries information from vertebral levels T7 and below. The two ascending tracts meet at the T6 level; pathway by which the sensory modalities of proprioception, vibration, discriminative touch and stereognosis are transmitted from the peripheral receptors of the upper/lower limb and trunk to the primary somatosensory cortex.
cuneate nucleus: cuneocerebellar tract (part of inferior cerebellar peduncle) originates here trigeminal tubercle trigeminal spinal tract (pain and temp) Chief Sensory Nucleus (touch) Nucleus of Solitary Tract (taste)
The trigeminal nerve originate from nuclei located where?
midbrain and medulla regions of your brainstem
The trigeminal nerve has both sensory and motor components. What do each branch into?
sensory root branches into ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions
motor root branches into the mandibular division
The midbrain of the brainstem consists of what cranial nerve efferent nuclei?
Edinger-Westphal nucleus (parasympathetic of III)
Oculomotor nucleus (somatomotor nucleus)
Trochlear nucleus (somatomotor nucleus)
The pons of the brainstem consists of what cranial nerve efferent nuclei?
Trigeminal motor nucleus (upper pons)
Abducens nucleus (lower pons-somatomotor)
Facial motor nucleus (lower pons-branchiomotor)
Superior and Inferior Salivatory nuclei (parasympathetic VII and IX respectively)
The medulla of the brainstem consists of what cranial nerve efferent nuclei?
Dorsal vagal motor nucleus (parasympathetic of X)
Nucleus Ambiguus (branchiomotor; IX, X, XI)
IX: stylopharyngeus muscle
X: palatal muscles
XI: laryngeal muscles
Hypoglossal nucleus (somatomotor)
The superior and inferior salivatory nuclei are located in what region of the brainstem?
located in the pontine tegmentum in the brainstem which is the dorsal part of the pons, just above its junction with the medulla
What are the parasympathetic cranial nerve efferent nuclei of the brainstem?
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus (III)
- Superior salivatory nucleus (VII)
- Inferior salivatory nucleus (IX)
- dorsal vagal motor nucleus (X)
What are the branchiomotor cranial nerve efferent nuclei of the brainstem?
-trigeminal motor nucleus:
muscles of mastication, the tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini, mylohyoid, and anterior belly of the digastric
-Facial motor nucleus:
muscles of facial expression and the stapedius
-Nucleus Ambiguus:
IX: stylopharyngeus muscle
X: palatal muscles
XI: laryngeal muscles
all going to branchial arch muscles
What are the somatomotor cranial nerve Efferent nuclei of the brainstem?
- Oculomotor nucleus
- Trochlear nucleus
- Abducens nucleus
- Hypoglossal nucleus
all right near to the midline of brainstem, right under the ventricles, and right on top of medial longitudinal fasciculus axonal tract
Which cranial nerve Afferent nuclei of the brainstems consists of proprioceptive neurons projecting OUT of V2 and V3? What region of the brainstem is it located?
Trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus which is located in the midbrain and pons
Which cranial nerve Afferent nuclei of the brainstems consists of GSA, mainly fine TOUCH from V? What region of the brainstem is it located?
Trigeminal main sensory nucleus (chief sensory nucleus) which is located in the pons
-receives information about discriminative sensation and light touch of the face as well as conscious proprioception of the jaw via first order neurons of CN V
Which cranial nerve Afferent nuclei of the brainstems consists of GSA from V, VII, IX, and X? What region of the brainstem is it located?
Trigeminal spinal nucleus which is located in the pons and medulla
-receives information about deep/crude touch, PAIN, and TEMPERATURE from the ipsilateral face
Which cranial nerve Afferent nuclei of the brainstems consists of visceral fibers from VII, IX, and X? What region of the brainstem is it located?
Nucleus of tractus solitarius which is located in the medulla
- fibers conveying TASTE sensation project to the Nucleus of Solitary Tract
- Taste information from the facial nerve via the Chorda tympani (anterior 2/3 of the tongue), glossopharyngeal nerve (posterior 1/3) and vagus nerve (small area on the epiglottis)
Dorsal cochlear nucleus
Ventricular nucleus
Dorsal cochlear nucleus:
- there is also a ventral cochlear nucleus
- along with the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), it forms the cochlear nucleus (CN), where all auditory nerve fibers from the cochlea form their first synapses
Ventricular nucleus:
-vestibular nerve transmits sensory information transmitted by vestibular hair cells located in the two otolith organs (the utricle and the saccule) and the three semicircular canals via the vestibular ganglion
Reticular formation
fills in the spaces in between of the nuclei and axonal tracts
- a diffuse network of nerve pathways in the brainstem connecting the spinal cord, cerebrum, and cerebellum, and mediating the overall level of consciousness.
- don’t see much in cross-section
- involved with many functions including the sleep arousal (reticular activating) mechanism, the control of movement and the regulation of visceral activity.
Describe the open vs closed medulla oblongata.
- Open medulla is the upper portion of the medulla oblongata: consists the choroid plexus of the 4th ventricle
- Closed medulla is the lower portion of the medulla
What axonal tracts connect the cerebellum to the brainstem?
cerebellar peduncles: superior, middle, and inferior
Axonal tracts coming FROM the pons TO the cerebellum
middle cerebellar peduncle (INTO cerebellum)
Axonal tracts: output of the cerebellum going to the thalamus
superior cerebellar peduncle (OUT of cerebellum) through the midbrain
Axonal tracts going from spinal cord and brainstem to cerebellum AND leaving cerebellum and going to spinal cord and brainstem
inferior cerebellar peduncle (both OUT and IN of cerebellum)
Cerebral peduncle
- located outside of the midbrain; hide the midbrain from lateral view
- fiber bundle connecting the hemispheres down to brainstem and spinal cord
- The cerebral peduncles are involved in numerous functions including somatosensory perception, motor and autonomic control.
Inferior olivary nucleus
-close to the obex of the medulla
-inferior olivary nucleus plays an important role in the learning of new motor skills.
bulges out as it is made out of many nuclei
-precerebellar nucleus ????
Posterior to it: roots of CN IX, X, XI
Ventral to it: roots of Hypoglossal nerve
postcerebellar and precerebellar nuclei
The term postcerebellar and precerebellar nuclei refers to seven nuclei in the midbrain, pons, and medulla that constitute a functional part of the subcortical motor system of the cerebrospinal trunk. They include the red nucleus, ventral pontine gray, inferior olivary complex, lateral reticular nucleus, linear nucleus of the medulla, ventral paramedian reticular nucleus, and parasolitary nucleus. Functionally they are part of the subcortical motor system
4th ventricle begins and ends where?
begins from the trochlear nerve to the obex
-this area of margin contains the rhomboid fossa
What cranial nerves are found at the pontomedullary junction?
Cranial Nerve VI (abducens), VII (facial) and VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve)
What cranial nerves are located on the middle cerebellar peduncle?
Trigeminal nerve (CN V)
Trigeminal spinal tract
somatosensory nuclei mainly on the dorsal side of the medulla
Pyramids
descending fibers coming from the cortex
- physical manifestation of how cortex
- mediates voluntary motor control
-pyramid is a swelling formed by the corticospinal tract, which controls the speed and precision of skilled movements involving the distal muscles of the contralateral limbs, particularly those of the hands and fingers.
Where is the oculomotor cranial nerve located on the brainstem?
just below the inferior colliculus of the midbrain
Branchiomotor nuclei are always ________ to the somatomotor nuclei. Sensory nuclei are located more __________than all the other nuclei.
lateral
dorsally
How does the brainstem form embryologically?
neatly segmental structure
- embryonically midbrain and hindbrain neuroepithelium are divided up into a series neuroepithelial segments
- in the pons and medulla are called rhombomeres (rhomencephalon)
- you end up with a series of columns: somatic efferent and visceral efferent which make up the basal portion of the brainstem neuroepithelium; visceral afferent and somatic afferent column which make up the alar portion of the brainstem neuroepithelium
Reticular formation of the brainstem
everything in the brainstem that is not part of a motor nucleus, sensory nucleus, or precerebellar nucleus
- a garbage can to dump everything that is not in either one of nuclei
- not as densely packed as most of the motor and sensory nuclei
- the different parts of this system are not clearly anatomically defined so most of the parts are described in topographical terms
- a lot of the nuclei are modulatory meaning they are not in the direct processing train of information
- there are usually clustered near motor nuclei and receive lots of afferent information
The brainstem reticular formation is organized grossly in a series of neuronal cell columns running more or less continuously from what into the spinal cord? The columns are grouped as? How are the nuclei arranged in each column?
thalamus
The columns are grouped as:
- median (paramedian)
- medial (central)
- lateral
The nuclei are distributed rostro-caudally in a general segmental pattern with unique cellular and functional types located at particular axial levels of midbrain, pons, and medulla.
within the median reticular formation
this is the particularly in front there are modullary nucleli and most of them are the raphe nuclei which project extensively; include very long projections of serotonergic neurons; modulate motor, somatosensory, limbic, pain circuits;
serotonergic neurons
- part of the overall brainstem arousal system; includes cholinergic and dopaminergic reticular neurons that have strong influence on attention and sleep/wake cycles
- those located in the rostral raphe complex of mesencephalon and rostral pons project mainly to forebrain targets
- those located in caudal raphe complex of the caudal pons and medulla project to the brainstem and spinal cord;
raphe nuclei
- the ventral midline structure of the brain and spinal
- involved in analgesia and pain modulation
- Serotonergic neurons in nucleus raphe magnus are strongly involved in analgesia and pain modulation through direct projections to the spinal cord dorsal horn.
Nuclei of rostral raphe complex include
caudal linear, dorsal raphe and median raphe nuclei