Cortical Functions and Thalamocortical Relationships Flashcards
Name Brodmann’s areas 44 and 45 and their function:
Broca’s area, motor control of speech
Which modality is processed in Brodmann’s areas 17,18,19?
Vision
What is the general function of the insular cortex?
Visceral control
Name the thalamic nucleus that receives input from the amygdala and communicates with the prefrontal cortex?
Mediodorsal Nucleus
Which thalamic nucleus receives input from the hypothalamus or hippocampus and communicates with the cingulate gyrus?
Anterior Nucleus
What type of neurons make up the reticular nucleus of thalamus?
Inhibitory GABAergic neurons
Where does the reticular nucleus of thalamus send projections to?
Other thalamic nuclei
What is the importance of the reticular nucleus?
It allows the thalamus to act as a sensory filter by inhibiting thalamic nuclei.
What do you call a large synaptic terminal in thalamus that ascends from sensory inputs and does not innervate the reticular nucleus of thalamus that carries sensory information from the periphery or from the neocortex?
Driver
What do you call a small synaptic terminal in thalamus that descends from cortex and innervates the reticular nucleus of thalamus that carries information from the neocortex?
Modulator
Can fibers sent to thalamus from cortex be drivers? Explain:
Yes, if the projection is sent to higher order nuclei of thalamus the synaptic terminal may be a driver.
What thalamic nuclei receive input from the Basal Ganglia and cerebellum and communicates with the Motor Cortex?
Ventral Anterior and Ventral Lateral
What thalamic nuclei receive somesthetic information from the joints and skin and communicate with somatosensory cortex?
Ventroposteriolateral, Ventroposteriomedial
What thalamic nucleus receives input from the Auditory system and communicates with auditory cortex?
Medial Geniculate Nucleus
What thalamic nucleus receives input from the visual system and communicates with the visual cortex?
lateral geniculate nucleus
Fibers travelling from the thalamus to the cortex pass through which fiber bundles on the way?
Internal Capsule, Corona Radiata
Describe the axons which carry sensory information from the periphery to first order thalamic nuclei:
They have large beaded varicosities and round large synaptic terminals. They also have an increased number of synaptic vesicles.
True or False: The Reticular nucleus of Thalamus projects to the cortex.
False, the R.N. only projects to thalamic nuclei.
Which thalamic nucleus receives information from the parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes and communicates with the POT association cortex?
Pulvinar Nucleus
Which thalamic nucleus receives inputs from the somatosensory cortex and communicates with the motor cortex?
Posterior
