Chronic pain, brain anatomy, signalling in the NS Flashcards
Which lobe is the precentral gyrus part of?
Frontal
What lobe is the postcentral gyrus part off?
Parietal
Where is Broca’s area?
On the inferior frontal gyrus
Which hemisphere is Broca’s more commonly found in?
The left
Which gyri is the auditory complex found on?
Superior temporal gyri
What is the function of Broca’s area?
Motor aspect of speech - speech associated gestures
What does damage to Broca’s area do?
Expressive aphasia- non-fluent and slow speech
Where is wernicke’s area found?
Within the auditory association cortex
What is the function of Wernicke’s?
Sensory language areas, lexical processing
What can damage to Wernicke’s area cause?
Receptive aphasia - extremely poor comprehension
What are the most anterior and posterior parts of the corpus callosum called?
Genu (anterior)
Splenium (posterior)
What is the rostrum of the corpus callosum?
The part that projects inferiorly and posteriorly from the Genu
Where is CSF made?
Choroid plexus within the ventricular system of the brain
How much CSF is produced per day, and what happens to it when it’s been used?
500ml produced per day 140ml circulates through the subarachnoid space
Reabsorbed into the venous drainage system
What is the function of CSF?
Affords mechanical and immunological protection to the brain and spinal cord
How does CSF pass from the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle?
Interventricular foramen
How does CSF pass from the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle?
Through the aqueduct of midbrain
Which structures make up the lentiform nucleus?
Putamen
Globus palidus
What are the three borders of the lentiform nucleus?
Claustrum
Anterior limb
Posterior limb
Which motor axons pass by the Genu of the lentiform nucleus?
Corticobulbar axons
Which axons pass by the posterior boundary of the lentiform nucleus?
Corticospinal axons
What are the three main pairs of arteries given off by the circle of Willis?
Anterior cerebral arteries
Middle cerebral arteries
Posterior cerebral arteries
Roughly what areas of the brain does the anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries supply?
Anterior - frontal and parietal
Middle - temporal
Posterior - occipital
Which eight, fused bones make up the cranial cavity?
Frontal
Occipital
Sphenoid
Ethmoid
2 x parietal
2 x temporal
What are the red flags of lower back pain?
Previous history of malignancy
Younger than 16, older than 50 with new pain
Weight loss
Prolonged steroid use
Recent serious illness
Recent significant infection
List some mechanical causes of lower back pain below.
Trauma
Muscular and ligament pain
Pustular back pain
Facet joint syndrome = ostearthritis
Lumbar disk prolapse
Lumbar spondylosis
Describe the anatomy of an intervertebral disk.
Soft gelatinous centre called nucleus pulposus, encircled by a strong, ring-like collar of fibrocartilage called the annulus fibrosis.
What is the main function of an intervertebral disk?
Shock absorption
What happens in an intervertebral disk prolapse?
Nucleus pulposus is squeezed out of place and herniated through the annulus fibrosis
Name some reasons an IV disk would become damaged?
Trauma
Effects of ageing
Degenerative disorders of the spine
Briefly describe pathology involved once an IV disk herniation has occurred?
Posterior protrusion of the nucleus pulposus towards the intervertebral foramen and its contained spinal root. Annulus fibrosis becomes thin and poorly supported by posterior or anterior ligaments at this point
Which regions of the spine are most commonly involved in disk herniations?
Cervical and lumbar
Where are the signs and symptoms of a disk herniations seen?
Localised to the area of the body innervated by the affected spinal nerve roots- includes motor and sensory
If the nerve roots L4, L5, S1, S2 and S3 are damaged, what condition arises?
Sciatica
Describe where the pain is felt in sciatica?
Spreads down the back of the leg and over the sole of the foot
What are the most common sensory effects from spinal root compression?
Paraesthesia and numbness
What are the most common motor effects from spinal root compression?
Knee and ankle reflexes may be absent or diminished
What are the symptoms of severe spinal disease?
Pain worse at rest
Thoracic pain
Fever
General malaise
Urinary retention
What signs and symptoms of cauda equina compression occur in severe spinal disease?
Bilateral leg pain
Back pain
Urinary retention
Perinatal sensory loss
Erectile dysfunction
Reduced anal tone
What are the layers of protection for the spinal cord?
Vertebrae
Vertebral ligaments
Fat and connective tissue in epidural space
Meninges
CSF
At what point do the spinal nerves stop being covered in meninges?
Once they exit the spinal column through the intervertebral foramen
What is the epineurium?
The outer covering of spinal and cranial nerves - continuous with dura mater
Which meningeal layer contain blood vessels? (At least in the spine :/)
Pia mater and dura mater
Describe the connective tissues of the dura mater.
Thick, strong, dense and irregular
Where does the spinal cord arise and terminate in adults and babies?
-Arises in the medulla oblongata
Terminates:
- superior border of 2nd lumbar vertebrae in adults
- L3,4 in newborns
What is the superior enlargement of the spinal cord, and where does it span?
It’s a cervical enlargement, that nerves to and from the upper limb arise from
Spans from C4 to T1
What is the inferior enlargement of the spinal cord, and where does it span?
It’s a lumbar enlargement, that nerves to and from the lower limb arise from
Spans from T11 to S2
What is the conical structure at the end of the spinal cord called?
Conus medullaris (between L1, 2)
What is the filum terminale?
Extension of pia mater that extends from conus medullaris to the arachnoid and dura mater at the coccyx- anchors spinal cord to coccyx
What is contained in a dorsal root ganglion?
Cell bodies of sensory neurons
What is in the white matter of the spinal cord?
Bundles of myelinated axons of neurons
What are the anterior median fissure and posterior median sulcus of the spinal cord?
Anterior median fissure - wide groove on ventral side
Posterior median sulcus - narrow furrow on dorsal side
What is contained in the grey matter of the spinal cord?
Dendrites and cell bodies of neurons, unmyelinated axons and neuroglia
What are denticulate ligaments?
Triangular shaped membranous extensions of the pia mater than suspend the spinal cord in the middle of the rural sheath
What is found in the centre of the grey commissure?
Central canal - contains CSF
What is there grey commissure?
Crossbar between the two lateral sides of the grey matter
What are nuclei?
Clusters of neuronal cell bodies arranged in functional groups in the grey matter
What parts of the spinal cord are the intermediate grey horns found in, and what do they contain?
Thoracic and upper lumbar Contain autonomic motor nuclei - regulate activity of cardiac muscle, smooth muscle and glands
What is the difference between a nerve and a track?
Nerves are bundles of axons in PNS Tracts are bundles of axons in the CNS
What are the two spinothalamic pathways?
Neospinothalamic tract - fast pain Palaeospinothalamic tract - slow pain
Outline the common course of primary afferent of the spinothalamic pathway
Peripheral receptor, body in the dorsal root ganglion, synapses in the lamina I+II of the dorsal horn, glutamergic
Outline the common course of secondary afferent of the spinothalamic pathway
Body in the lamina I+ II of dorsal horn Cross over to the lateral funiculus Travel through medulla In midbrain give fibres to periaqueductal grey matter and to reticular formation, to hypothalamus In thalamus synapse
When are nociceptors activated?
When the pain reaches a noxious threshold
Describe pain sensitization in relation to nerve fibres?
Continued stimulation decreases the threshold at which nociceptors respond
What type of pain do the C-fibres send to the brain?
The poorly localised, diffuse ‘second’ pain (slow and burning)- polymodal; respond to mechanical, thermal and chemical stimuli
Name the three neurotransmitters used by nociceptive fibres.
Glutamate Substance P Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)
Outline the common course of tertiary afferent of the spinothalamic pathway
Body in thalamus
Signals to the cerebral cortex
Describe the course of the descending inhibitory tracts
Originate in periaqueoductal grey matter and locus ceoruleus
Synapse in medulla and move down through the inhibitory dorsal columns to the synapse of primary and secondary afferents