Cortical organisation and function Flashcards

1
Q

where is the cerebral cortex?

A

covers entire surface of the brain

contains grey matter

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2
Q

what do fissures separate?

A

hemispheres and lobes

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3
Q

what are Brodmann maps

A

52 regions based cytoarchitecture (cell size, spacing, packing density and layers)

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4
Q

how are Brodmann maps useful?

A

areas relate to function e.g primary somatosensory (1,2,3), primary motor (4)

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5
Q

what are the different cerebral cortex lobes

A

Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital

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6
Q

what are the functions of the Frontal lobe iM CALM

A
initiating Motor function
Cognitive executive function
Attention
Language
Memory
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7
Q

what are the functions of the parietal lobe?

A

sensation - touch/pain
sensory aspects of language
spatial orientation and self-perception

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8
Q

what are the functions of the occipital lobe?

A

processing visual information

gives meaning to images

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9
Q

what are the functions of the temporal lobe

A

processing auditory information
emotions
memories

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10
Q

what is contained in the limbic lobe?

A

amygdala, hippocampus, mamillary body, cingulate gyrus

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11
Q

what are the functions of the limbic lobe? MEMs and LeaRning

A
MEMs and LeaRning
memory
emotion
motivation
learning 
reward
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12
Q

where is the insular lobe?

A

lies deep into lateral fissure

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13
Q

what is grey matter?

A

neuronal cell bodies and glial cells

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14
Q

what is white matter?

A

myelinated neuronal axons

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15
Q

what are the types of white matter tracts?

A

association fibres, commissural fibres, projection fibres

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16
Q

what are association fibres?

A

connect areas in same hemisphere

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17
Q

what are commissural fibres?

A

connect homologous structures in left and right hemispheres

e.g corpus callosum, anterior commissure

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18
Q

what are projection fibres

A

connect cortex to lower brain structures

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19
Q

what association fibres connect the frontal and occipital lobe?

A

superior longitudinal fasciculus

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20
Q

what association fibres connnect the frontal and temporal lobes, specifically Brocas and Wernickes area?

A

arcuate fasciculus

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21
Q

what association fibres connect the temporal and occipital lobes?

A

Inferior longitudinal fasciculus

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22
Q

what association fibres connect the frontal and temporal lobes?

A

Uncinate fasciculus

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23
Q

where do commissural fibres pass through

A

corpus callosum

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24
Q

where do projection fibres converge?

A

through the internal capsule (between the thalamus and basal ganglia)

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25
Q

how predictable is function from primary cortices?

A

easily predictable with left-right symmetry

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26
Q

how predictable is function of secondary/association cortices?

A

less predictable

left-right symmetry is weak or absent

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27
Q

what are the motor areas of the frontal lobe?

A

primary
supplementary
premotor

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28
Q

what does the primary motor area of the frontal lobe control?

A

fine, discrete voluntary movements

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29
Q

what does the supplementary motor area of the frontal lobe control?

A

planning complex movements, internally cued

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30
Q

what does the premotor area of the frontal lobe control?

A

planning movements, externally cued

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31
Q

what area of the frontal lobe controls fine, discrete voluntary movements?

A

primary motor area

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32
Q

what area of the frontal lobe plans complex, internally cued movements?

A

supplementary motor area

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33
Q

what area of the frontal lobe plans movements that are externally cued?

A

premotor area

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34
Q

what areas are contained in the parietal lobe?

A

primary somatosensory area

somatosensory association area

35
Q

what is controlled by the primary somatosensory area?

A

processes somatic sensations arising from receptors in the body

36
Q

what is controlled by the somatosensory association area of the parietal lobe?

A

interpret the significance of sensory information

awareness of self and personal space

37
Q

what is controlled by the primary visual area of the occipital lobe?

A

processes visual stimuli

38
Q

what is controlled by the visual association area of the occipital lobe?

A

gives meaning and interpretation of visual input

39
Q

what is controlled by the primary auditory area of the temporal lobe?

A

processes auditory stimuli

40
Q

what is controlled by the auditory association area of the temporal lobe?

A

gives meaning and interpretation of auditory input

41
Q

what is the prefrontal cortex responsible for? APPSD

A
attention
planning
personality expression
social behaviour
decision making
42
Q

what is the brocas area responsible for?

A

motor aspect of speech, production of language

43
Q

where is the Brocas area?

A

left frontal lobe, just above sylvian fissure

44
Q

what is Wernicke’s area responsible for?

A

understanding and comprehension of language

45
Q

where is Wernicke’s area found?

A

left temporal lobe, superiorly and caudally

46
Q

what is the result of a frontal lobe lesion?

A

changes in personality, inappropriate behaviour

47
Q

what is the result of a parietal lobe lesion?

A

contralateral neglect
lack of awareness of self on opposite side
lack of awareness of opposite side of extrapersonal space

48
Q

what is the result of a temporal lesion?

A

agnosia (inability to recognise)

possible anterograde amnesia

49
Q

what is Brocas aphasia?

A

expressive aphasia - poor production of speech, comprehension intact

50
Q

what is Wernicke’s aphasia?

A

receptive aphasia - poor comprehension of language

51
Q

what would a lesion to the primary visual cortex of the occipital lobe cause?

A

blindness in the corresponding part of the visual field

52
Q

what would a lesion to the visual association area of the occipital lobe cause?

A

deficits in interpretation of visual information e.g prosopagnosia

53
Q

what are the 4 main methods of assessing cortical function?

A

Positron emission tomography (PET)
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
electroencephalography (EEG)
magnetoencephalography (MEG)

54
Q

what is a PET scan?

A

demonstrates the blood flow directly to a brain region

55
Q

what is an fMRI scan?

A

basically a PET using radioactive isotopes of glucose

demonstrates amount of blood oxygen in brain regions

56
Q

what is an EEG?

A

measures electrical signals produced by the brain

57
Q

what is an MEG?

A

measures magnetic signals produced by the brsin

58
Q

what are visual evoked potentials?

A

type of encephalography

stimulates visual sensations

59
Q

what are somatosensory evoked potentials?

A

series of waves that reflect sequential activation of neural structures along the somatosensory pathways

60
Q

what is transcranial magnetic stimulation?

A

assesses functional integrity of neural circuits, using electromagnetic induction to stimulate neurones

61
Q

what is transcranial direct current stimulation

A

uses low direct current over the scalp to increase or decrease neuronal firing rates

62
Q

what is diffusion tensor imaging?

A

scan based on the diffusion of water molecules

63
Q

what is diffusion tensor imaging with tractography?

A

3D reconstruction of brain to assess neural tracts

64
Q

Mnemonic for insular lobe?

A
Insurance AVIVA
Auditory processing
Visual vestibular integration
Interoception
Visceral sensation
Autonomic control
65
Q

How to tell brocas and wernickes aphasia apart

A

Broca C D Expressive aphasia

Wernickes V U T S Receptive aphasia

66
Q

what is multiple sclerosis?

A

demyelination of neurones due to autoimmune attack of oligodendrocytes (CNS)
characterised by 2 different areas affected with episodic neurological dysfunction

67
Q

symptoms of MS?

A
fatigue
difficulty walking
blurred vision
bladder control issues
numbness/tingling
stiffness/spasms
balance/coord issues
cognitive issues
68
Q

what is the inflammation process of MS?

A

driven by perivascular and leptomeningeal (arachnoid and pia mater) immune cell infiltration (CD3 T cells, CD20 B cells)
inflammation - demyelination - axonal loss - neurodegeneration

69
Q

risk factors for MS

A
family history
female
other autoimmune
vit D deficiency as a child
epstein-barr virus 
smoking
70
Q

types of MS

A

relapsing-remitting
primary progressive
secondary progressive - may also have relapse/remiss and faster progression than primary
progressive-relapsing - progressive worsening and acute relapses with no remission

71
Q

MS early symptoms

A

ocular pain, blurred vision (optic neuritis)

72
Q

path of projection fibres?

A

corona radiata
to internal capsule
into descending white matter tracts (brainstem/spinal cord)

73
Q

types of association fibres

A

short fibres - U fibres - connect adjacent gyri within same hemisphere
long fibres - connect distal regions within same hemisphere

74
Q

what is an M-wave

A

fast twitch
motor activation - orthrodromic (towards muscle)

electrical stimulus - activates motor axons orthodromically - action potentials - muscle contraction

75
Q

what is an H-reflex

A

slow twitch - orthrodromic sensory activation

electrical stimulus - activates sensory axons orthodromically - action potentials to spinal cords - lower motor neurons - muscle contraction

76
Q

what is an F-wave

A

slowest muscle twitch
antidromic motor activation (goes backwards through spinal cord - opposite of normal motor M wave)

large electrical stimulus only - activates motor axons antidromically - action potentials to spinal cord - backfire to lower motor neurons - muscle contraction

77
Q

what do CNS demyelinations show on an EMG

A

slowed motor neuron latency in CNS so prolonged CMCT (central motor conduction time)

78
Q

calculation for peripheral motor conduction time (PMCT)

A

(M latency + F latency-1) /2

-1 is for turnaround time in spinal cord of F wave

79
Q

how do we measure motor evoked potential latency (total motor conduction time)

A

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

measured with an EMG to see how long it takes from activation of motor cortex to muscle contraction

80
Q

what is total motor conduction time (TMCT)

A

time taken from stimulation of primary motor cortex by TMS to the contraction of muscle (measured by EMG)

81
Q

what is peripheral motor conduction time measuring

A

time from spinal cord to muscle along motor axon

82
Q

how to calculate central motor conduction time

A

TMCT - PMCT

83
Q

how do we know if there is an issue of conduction of CNS neurons? (MS)

A

longer MEP - could be upper MN, lower MN, both (longer TMCT)

peripheral nerve stim - normal F wave (so normal PMCT) indicates no issue with lower MN

AKA total motor conduction time delayed with normal peripheral motor conduction time