CNS Review

Question 1

Middle Cerebral Artery (Function and Dysfunction)

Answer 1

Function: lateral cerebral cortex, internal capsule, basal ganglia
Dysfunction: CL homonymous hemianopia, CL hemisensory loss and hemiparesis, hemineglect OR aphasia

Question 2

Anterior Cerebral Artery (Function and Dysfunction)

Answer 2

Function: medial frontal and parietal cerebral cortex, internal capsule, basal ganglia, hypothalamus
Dysfunction: behavioral abnormalities, CL LL sensory loss and paresis

Question 3

Posterior Cerebral Artery (Function and Dysfunction)

Answer 3

Function: Occipital and Inferior temporal cerebral cortex, thalamus, midbrain
Dysfunction: CL homonymous hemianopia, CL hemisensory loss and hemiparesis, possible aphasia

Question 4

General Organization of CN Nuclei

Answer 4

1. Sensory are lateral, motor are medial

2. Rostral-caudal organization reflects R-C distribution of head and neck structures

Question 5

When a hemiparesis lesion affects the tongue and face on the same side, where (generally) is the lesion?

Answer 5

Above CN XII (tongue) and VII (face)

Question 6

Where is the lesion if a cranial nerve is affected on the opposite side to a hemiparesis? (example: tongue deviates to left, but hemiparesis on the right)

Answer 6

at the level of the nucleus of that nerve

Question 7

Dorsal Column Medial Lemniscal and Trigeminothalamic Tracts (Function and Dysfuction)

Answer 7

Ascending Tract
Function: discriminative touch and conscious proprioception
Dysfunction: loss of discriminative touch and conscious proprioception bilateral or ipsilaterally at the level of AND caudal to the lesion

Question 8

Anterolateral and Spinal Trigeminal Tracts (Function, Dysfunction)

Answer 8

Ascending Tract
Function: pain and temperature
Dysfunction: bilateral or contralateral loss of pain and temp (caudal to the lesion) OR bilateral loss of pain and temp at the level of the lesion

Question 9

Spinocerebellar Tracts (Function, Dysfunction)

Answer 9

Ascending Tract
Function: unconscious proprioception
Dysfunction: Dysmetria, Hypotonia

Question 10

Visceral Sensory (Function, Dysfunction)

Answer 10

Ascending Tract
Function: pain and pysiologic processes
Dysfunction: no clinical disorders

Question 11

What are the 3 Medial Descending Pathways of the Brainstem, and what is the resulting dysfunction? are they bilateral pathways or do they cross?

Answer 11

Vestibulospinal, tectospinal, reticulospinal
Dysfunction: decreased muscle tone, postural control, attention, and automatic movements
Bilateral Pathways

Question 12

Vestibulospinal Pathway (function)

Answer 12

1. influences muscle tone

2. produces reflexive postural adjustments of the body and head

Question 13

Tectospinal Pathway (function

Answer 13

coordinates eye and head movements to stimuli in space

Question 14

Reticulospinal pathway (function)

Answer 14

postural adjustments and automatic movements

Question 15

What is the Lateral Descending Pathway of the brainstem? Is it crossed or bilateral?

Answer 15

Rubrospinal tract: crossed

Question 16

What are the 3 Descending Cortical Pathways? Are they Crossed or Bilateral?

Answer 16

They’re Crossed:

1. Corticospinal
2. Corticobulbar
3. Visceral Motor

Question 17

Corticospinal- Ventral and Lateral Pathways (Function and Dysfunction)

Answer 17

Function:
1. Ventral - control axial musculature
2. Lateral- control hand and finger movements
Dysfunction:
1. loss of fractionation (lateral corticospinal)
2. paresis in body (axial in ventral lesion, extremities in lateral)

Question 18

Corticobulbar Pathway(Function and Dysfunction)

Answer 18

Function: controls muscles of the face
Dysfunction: loss of fractionation and paresis in face

Question 19

Visceral Motor Pathway

Answer 19

Function: control of visceral functions; adaptive responses to stimuli
Dysfunction: Autonomic Deficits

Question 20

Language is predominantly produced by which cerebral hemisphere?

Answer 20

Left (affective aspects from the right)

Question 21

What does Upper Motor Neuron lesion produce?

Answer 21

1. weakness
2. hypertonicity
3. hyperreflexia
4. positive Babinski’s sign

Question 22

What does Lower Motor Neuron lesion produce?

Answer 22

1. weakness
2. atrophy
3. hypotonicity
4. hyporeflexia

Question 23

What is the Telencephalon composed of?

Answer 23

Cerebrum: cerebral cortex, subcortical white matter, basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdaloid

Question 24

What is the Diencephalon composed of? what are the right and left halves separated by?

Answer 24

dorsal and ventral thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus

separated by 3rd ventricle