Cerebral Cortex revision and pathology Flashcards
What are the key cortical lobes?
Frontal lobe
Temporal lobe
Parietal Lobe
Occipital lobe
Insula
What is the key anatomy of the visual centre?
Visual cortices are located in the occipital lobe around the calcarine sulcus which seperates the superior and inferior portions.
The dorsal visual association pathway - goes into the parietal lobe - spatial awareness aka movement and positional information
The ventral visual association pathway goes into the temporal love - object recognitions particularly in complex visual scenes.
What is the primary somatosensory cortex (S1)?
Post central gyrus
Topographic map of the body
General sensation from outside world - touch, pain, itch, temp and proprioception
What is the function of the primary motor cortex (M1)?
Precentral gyrus
Topographic map
Motor commands originate - corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts.
What is the significant of the premotor cortices?
Found in BA6
Control the intenetion of motor activity
Supplementary motor area - internally generated movements - programs complex sequences and aids coordination
Premotor - concerned with responses to external changes - coordination and planning
What is the frontal eye field?
BA8
An important premotor cortices
In the prefrontal cortex
Directs eye movement/gaze - choosing where to look
What is Brocas area?
BA44 BA45
Predominantly in the left hemisphere.
Associated with language and speech production - choose what to say.
Located in the inferior frontal gyrus
What are the key olfactory regions in the brain?
The olfactory bulb, tract, tubercle, pyriform cortex, amygdala and entorhinal cortex
Very evocative in terms of emotion and can influence decision making
Primary olfactory cortex = inferior region of the temporal lobe
What is the limbic lobe?
A functional lobe found on the medial surface of the brain - spans the cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, uncus.
Also the amygdala, ventral striatum and ventral pallidum.
Plays a role in emotional regulation, addiction and motivation.
What brain regions tend to be affected in major depressive disorder?
White matter pathways
Subcallosal cingulate (part of the limbic system) deep brain stimulation treatment - aims to decrease activity in the SCC and increase in surrounding areas experimental for treatment of MDD
What are the typical clinical manifestations of supranuclear palsy?
Unsteady gait - esp, going downstairs - worse by vertical gaze palsy
Loss of vertical eye movements
Significant swallowing and speech difficult
Modified hyperextended posture
What are the typical radiological signs of Progressive Supranuclear palsy?
- Hot cross bun sign - shows selective degeneration of transverse pontocerebellar tracts and median pontine raphe nuclei
- Hyperintensity in the lateral border of the putamen -
What brain region tends to be affected in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy?
White matter tracts along the dentatorubrothalamic white matter tract.
From the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum, through the superior cerebellar peduncles to the midbrain and then the thalamus.
Potential mild involvement of the frontal lobs.
What disease does this affected brain region collate with?
Progressive supranuclear palsy
What pathology does this affected brain region collate to?
Corticobasal syndrome
A subgroup of frontotemporal dementia
What pathology does this affected brain region collate to?
FTD-ALS
Frontotemporal dementia - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.