CC Flashcards
How many layers does the neocortex have?
6
95% of cortex
How many layers does the paleocortex have?
3
uncus, olfaction
How many layers does the archicortex have?
3
most of hippocampus
How many apical dendrites does a pyramidal cell have?
one per cell, extends to top of cortex
How many basal dendrites does a pyramidal cell have?
many per cell, extend horizontally in cell layer
What are the most prevalent type of cells in the cortex? are they excitatory or inhibitory?
pyramidal cells are principle projection neurons
excitatory
What are dendritic spines?
on pyramidal cells, preferential site of excitatory synapses, highly regulated
may be in solved in autism, fragile X syndrome
Are non-pyramidal cells excitatory or inhibitory?
mostly inhibitory
What are the different types of non pyramidal cells?
spiny stellate cells
smooth stellate cells
bipolar cells
Describe spiny stellate cells
have spiny dendrites
general excitatory synapses w/ pyramidal cells
receive afferent info from thalamus and other areas
Describe smooth stellate cells
non spiny dendrites
inhibitory (GABA synapse w/ pyramidal)
receive recurrent collaterals from pyramidal cells (sense weakly active pyramidal cell columns and shut them down)
Describe bipolar cells
located mainly in outer layer and contain peptides that are co-released w GABA
What are the six cell layers of the cortex, from outer most to innermost?
I: Molecular II: Outer Granular III: Outer pyramidal IV: Inner granular V: inner pyramidal VI: fusiform
What is in the molecular layer?
mostly acellular
has ends of pyramidal dendrites
Whats in the outer granular layer?
small pyramidal and stellate cells
Whats in the outer pyramidal layer?
medium sized pyramidal and stellate cells
What layer of the cortex receives thalamocortical axons (relay nuclei)?
inner granular layer
What layer of the cortex makes up the cortical spinal tract?
inner pyramidal layer
Whats in the fusiform layer?
modified pyramidal cells projecting to thalamus
What layer is the line of gennari found in?
inner granular layer
What are the afferents to the cortex? (5)
- association fibers: from small and medial sized pyramidal cells in other parts of IPSI cortex
- commissural fibers: from medium sized pyramidal cells through corpus callosum or anterior commissure (R talks to L cortex)
- Thalamocortical fibers: from relay or association nuclei
- non-specific thalamocortical fibers: from intralaminar nuclei
- cholinergic and aminergic: from basal forebrain, hypothalamus, brainstem (MB raphe, locus ceruleus)
What are the efferents from the cortex?
- short association (to neighboring areas)
- long association (from lobe to lobe)
- commisural fibers
- primary sensory/motor to basal ganglia
- from all areas of cortex to thalamus
- corticopontine
- corticospinal
- corticobulbar
T/F: all efferents are pyramidal cell axons and all are excitatory
tru
What would you expect to find in an agranular part of the cortex, and where would you find it?
- lots of pyramidal cells, long axons
- found in motor areas of cortex
What would you expect to find in a granular part of the cortex, and where would you find it?
- fewer pyramidal cells because sensory areas project to nearby areas of cortex
- found in sensory areas
Does the neocortex show regional specification?
Yes (brodmann’s areas: based on cell density)
but it is highly variable, structure not that tightly correlated with function
What are the main types of cortical regions? (4)
- Primary motor areas: give rise to cortical spinal tract
- primary sensory areas: receive info from thalamic sensory relay nuclei
- association areas: higher order sensory
- limbic areas: memory and stuff
How are sensory areas of the cortex arranged?
somatotopically
map is distorted so that highly sensitive areas have disproportionately large areas (think the giant lips thing)
What is the general function of the primary somatosensory cortex and where is it located?
initial processing of tactile and proprioceptive information
parietal lobe