Cerebral Cortex Flashcards
What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?
the qualities that distinguish humans from other animals
How does the cerebral cortex fit within the volume of the brain?
it has many folds i.e. gyri and sulci
What is the primary excitatory cell type of the cerebral cortex?
pyramidal neurons
What is the neurotransmitter of pyramidal neurons?
glutamate
Where do small and medium pyramidal cells project to?
areas of the ipsilateral cortex
Where do large and giant pyramidal cells project to?
ipsilateral and contralateral cortex subcortical areas, brainstem and spinal cord
What is the neurotransmitter for non-pyramidal neurons?
GABA
What does layer III of the cerebral cortex contain?
medium pyramidal cells whose axons project to the ipsilateral cortex
What is layer IV of the cerebral cortex?
the major input layer that receives input from the thalamus
What is layer V of the cerebral cortex?
the major output layer that contains medium, large and giant pyramidal cells
What does each vertical column contain?
about 200 neurons that form functional units
How many Brodmann areas are there?
52
What do short association fibres do?
connect adjacent gyri within one hemisphere
What do long association fibres do?
connect different cortical regions within one hemisphere e.g. arcuate fasciculus
What does the corpus callosum do?
connect homologous regions of the two hemispheres
What do projection fibres do?
connect the cerebral cortex with the subcortical brainstem and spinal cord regions
What are corticopetal fibres?
input fibres that run towards the cerebral cortex
What are corticofugal fibres?
output fibres that exit the cerebral cortex
When may aminergic axons be altered?
in psychiatric disorders
Where is the primary visual cortex (area 17)?
on both sides of the calcarine sulcus, on the medial aspect of the occipital lobe
Where does the primary visual cortex receive visual information from?
the contralateral visual field
What does stimulation of the primary visual cortex cause?
crude sensations of bright flashes of light