CNS Physiology Flashcards
spinal cord image
-you can see the individual vertebrae that extend down to L1 and L2 with nerve endings at the bottom
-covered by the meninges and the dura mater has CSF
where do afferent neurons project through?
dorsal horn of the spinal cord
where does the dorsal root ganglian sit?
-a foramen a distance from the spinal cord (intervertebral space)
-cell bodies project through dorsal horn and synapse with interneurons then exit through the ventral roots
what do the ventral nerve roots consist of?
motor neurons
where would you sample from if you want just the motor nerves?
-ventral nerve roots
-usually get torn away when you cut the spinal cord —> need a specific technique to get sample
where would you sample from if you want just the the sensory nerves?
-dorsal nerve roots
-also require a specific technique since you have to go ventrally to keep the ventral motor neurons intact
gyri
outpatchings of the brain
sulci
invaginations of the brain
different views of the brain for pathology
- coronal- patient is facing you
- sagittal- lateral view
- axial- think patient is feet forward so the patient’s right side is on the left side of the picture
what does the CSF do?
-cushions the brain and spinal cord
-supplies nutrients to the brain
-removes waste
-associated with arterial and venous blood supply —> constant turnover between the blood and CSF
how much CSF does the body produce?
-150 mls
-taking 50 mls can help with pressure of CSF and may transiently relieve patients
-drawing 20 mls can be used for diagnostics of MS or lyme since you cannot remove a piece of the spinal cord
-fluid is replaced within an hour
lumbar puncture
-method of sampling CSF
-helps with diagnostics
-emerging role with biomarkers in the CSF
gray matter
regions where the neurons sit
white matter
-axons of the neurons
-tracts are important pathologically
Ex. B12 deficiency selectively involves dorsal and cerebrocentral tracts —> patients will experience symptoms related to abnormalities of white matter tracts
spinal cord
-not just a straight tube
-cervical and lumbar regions, which are enlarged
cervical region
enlarged since this region innervates arms
lumbar region
consists of many motor neurons and is also enlarged since it goes to legs
thoracic region
less pronouncement since it is connected to the ribs and ribcage
cauda cana
-bottom portion of the spinal cord that looks like a horse’s tail
-nerve roots that exit through intervertebral parameter
spinal reflex
-afferent responses through dorsal root ganglion through dorsal horn that either synapse directly onto the motor neuron or the interneuron
-synapse activates muscle and inhibits through interneuron of hamstring so it can relax while the knee extends
-agonist/antagonist muscles are activated/inhibited
major pathways from CNS to PNS
- motor pathways
- sensory pathways
motor pathways
-in the homunculus you can see there are large representations of hands and legs, which is a graphical representation of amount of cortex innervating relevant regions
-hand with large representation along with face and tongue —> allows for fine motor movements
-axons travel through cerebral peduncle —> cross at pyramids —> descend down the corticospinal tract and synapse on motor neurons
sensory pathways
- dorsal column system
- spinothalamic tract
cell types of CNS
neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and endothelial cells
cell types of PNS
schwann cells and muscles
anatomy of a neuron
-dendrites- branches that receive inputs from other cells
-cell body (soma)- contains the cell nucleus
-axon- conducts electrical impulses along the neuron cell
-myelin sheath- insulates the axon to help protect the cell and speed up transmission of electrical signals
-axon terminal- transmits signals
neuronal diversity
-unipolar
-bipolar
-pseudounipolar
-multipolar
Ex. Purkinie cell- anatomically laid out in cerebellum and shows how you have dendritic trees with axons that go deeper into the cerebellum
dendrites
-receive inputs
-consist of several branches that have buds where synapses are formed
-receptors sit on dendrites