Central Nervous System

Question 1

What is the largest division of the human brain?

Answer 1

Telencephalon

Question 2

What structures make up the telencephalon?

Answer 2

Cerebrum
Hippocampus
Basal ganglia
Amygdala

Question 3

What structure connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 3

Corpus callosum

Question 4

What fissure separates the two cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 4

Medial longitudinal fissure

Question 5

What structures does the Sylvian fissure separate?

Answer 5

Separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes

Question 6

What sulcus separates the frontal and parietal lobes laterally?

Answer 6

Central sulcus

Question 7

What sulcus separates the parietal and occipital lobes?

Answer 7

Parieto-occipital sulcus

Question 8

What sulcus separates the occipital lobe into superior and inferior halves?

Answer 8

Calcarine sulcus

Question 9

What hemisphere houses Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas?

Answer 9

Left hemisphere

Question 10

List 8 functions of the frontal lobe.

Answer 10

Voluntary movement 
Intellect/Orientation 
Broca’s area 
Personality 
Judgement
Temper
Self Awareness 
Executive function

Question 11

What is the function of Broca’s area?

Answer 11

Speech

Concentration

Question 12

What are 7 impairments associated with damage to the frontal lobe?

Answer 12

Contralateral weakness
Preservation, inattention 
Personality changes
Impaired concentration, apathy
Broca’s aphasia (expressive deficits)
Delayed or poor initiation 
Emotional lability

Question 13

List 5 functions of the parietal lobe.

Answer 13

Sensation (touch, kinesthesia, vibration, temperature)
Receives info from other parts of the brain regarding the 5 senses and memory
Provides meaning for objects
Interprets language and words
Spatial and visual perception

Question 14

List 5 impairments associated with damage to the parietal lobe.

Answer 14

Dominant hemisphere: Agraphia, alexia, agnosia
Non-dominant hemisphere: dressing apraxia, constructional apraxia, anosognosia
Contralateral sensory deficits
Impaired language comprehension
Impaired taste

Question 15

List 3 functions of the temporal lobe.

Answer 15

Primary auditory processing and olfaction
Wernicke’s area
Interpretation of other people’s emotions and reactions

Question 16

What is the function of Wernicke’s area? What lobe of the brain is is located in?

Answer 16

Functions: ability to understand and produce meaningful speech, verbal and general memory, assists with understanding language

Located in the temporal lobe

Question 17

List 5 impairments associated with damage to the temporal lobe.

Answer 17

Learning deficits 
Wernicke’s aphasia (receptive deficits) 
Antisocial aggressive behaviors 
Difficulty with facial recognition, memory, memory loss
Inability to categorize objects

Question 18

List 3 functions of the occipital lobe.

Answer 18

Main processing center for visual information (colors, light, shapes)
Judgement of distance
Seeing in three dimensions

Question 19

List 5 impairments associated damage to the occipital lobe.

Answer 19

Homonymous hemianopsia
Impaired extra-ocular muscle movement and visual deficits
Impaired color recognition
Reading and writing impairment
Cortical blindness with bilateral lobe involvement

Question 20

What lobe is the hippocampus located in? What is the function of the hippocampus?

Answer 20

Located in the temporal lobe

Function: forming and storing new memories (declarative memory)

Question 21

List 5 structures that make up the basal ganglia.

Answer 21

Caudate 
Putamen 
Globes pallidus
Substantia nigra
Subthalamic nuclei

Question 22

List 5 functions that the basal ganglia regulate.

Answer 22

Voluntary movement 
Regulation of autonomic movement 
Posture
Muscle tone
Control of motor responses

Question 23

Where is the amygdala located? What is its function?

Answer 23

Located in the temporal lobe

Function: emotional and social processing

Question 24

What is the function of the thalamus? What condition can arise as a result of damage to the thalamus?

Answer 24

Function: Relays and processes sensory and motor information from the cerebral cortex to the other parts of the brain

Thalamic Pain Syndrome = spontaneous pain on the Contralateral side of the body to the thalamic lesion

Question 25

List 3 functions of the hypothalamus.

Answer 25

Receives and integrates information from the ANS
Regulates hormones
Controls hunger, thirst, sexual behavior and sleeping

Question 26

What is the function of the subthalamus?

Answer 26

Regulates movements produced by skeletal muscles

Question 27

What structure is located in the epithalamus? What is its function?

Answer 27

Pineal gland

Secretes melatonin and regulates circadian rhythm

Question 28

List 4 functions of the cerebellum.

Answer 28

Coordination and balance
Fine tuning of movement
Maintain posture
Controls ability to perform rapid alternating movements

Question 29

List 6 impairments associated with lesions to the cerebellum.

Answer 29

Ataxia 
Nystagmus 
Tremor
Hypermetria
Poor coordination 
Balance deficits

Question 30

List the 2 functions of the pons.

Answer 30

Regulate respiration rate

Orientation of the head in relation to auditory and visual stimuli

Question 31

What cranial nerves originate at the pons?

Answer 31

V-VIII

Question 32

List 3 functions of the medulla oblongata.

Answer 32

Regulation of respiratory and heart rate
Reflex centers for vomiting, coughing and sneezing
Control of arousal and sleep

Question 33

What cranial nerves originate from the medulla oblongata?

Answer 33

IX-XII