Cortical Organisation & Function Flashcards
-> Organisation of the nervous system: Compare and contrast the structure of the central, peripheral and autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic) nervous systems -> Nervous system disorders: Summarise the pathology and pathophysiology of central and peripheral nervous system disorders.
How is the cerebral cortex organised superficially?
- Highly folded surface with gyri (pumps) and sulci (folds)
How are the microscopic layers of the cerebral cortex organised?
- Organised into layers and columns
What are the total number of cytoarchitecture classifications (Brodmann classification)?
- 52
Which cytoarchitecture regions are associated with the primary somatosensory cortex?
- 1, 2 & 3
Which cytoarchitecture region is associated with the primary motor cortex?
- 4
What are the four cerebral lobes?
- Occipital lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Temporal lobe
- Frontal lobe
What are the main signs of cerebellar dysfunction (5)?
- Ataxia
- Dysmetria
- Intention tremor
- Dysdiadochokinesia
- Scanning speech
What is dysmetria?
- Inappropriate force and distance for target directed movements
What is intention tremor?
- Increasingly oscillatory trajectory of a limb in a target-directed movement
What is dysdiadochokinesia?
- Inability to perform rapidly alternating movements (rapidly pronating and supinating hands and forearms)
What is the function of the frontal lobe (4)?
- Regulating and initiating motor function (Primary motor cortex)
- Language (Broca’s area)
- Cognitive (executive, including planning and problem solving)
- Attention and memory
What is the function of the parietal lobe (3)?
-
Processing somatic sensations (primary somatosensory cortex)
- Touch, pain, temperature, proprioception, fine touch and vibration
- Sensory aspects of language
- Spatial orientation and self-perception
What is the function of the temporal lobe (4)?
- Processes auditory information (primary auditory cortex)
- Comprehension and understanding of speech (Wernicke’s area)
- Emotions
- Memory
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
- Processes visual information (Primary visual cortex & visual association area)
What four structures are connected within the limbic system?
- Amygdala
- Hippocampus
- Mamillary body
- Cingulate gyrus
Where is the insular cortex?
- Resides deep within the lateral fissure
What five functions are concerned with the insular cortex?
- Visceral sensations
- Autonomic control
- Interocepetion (the sense of the internal state of the body)
- Auditory processing
- Visual-vestibular integration (Input from balance organs)
What are the grey matter structures?
- Neuronal cell bodies & glial cells
What are the white matter structures?
- Myelinated neuronal axons arranged in tracts (resides deep)
What is the function of the association fibres?
- Connect areas within the same hemisphere
What is the function of the commissural fibres?
- Connect homologous structure in left and right hemisphere
What is the function of the projection fibers?
- Connect cortex within lower brain structure (Thalamus, brainstem and spinal cord)
What are the 2 types of association fibres?
- Short fibres / U-fibres (Green)
- Long fibres (Orange / Pink / Purple / Blue)
What are the 4 long association fibres?
- Superior longitudinal fasciculus (Pink)
- Arcuate fasciculus (Purple)
- Inferior longitudinal fasciculus (Blue)
- Uncinate fasciculus (Orange)
What does the superior longitudinal fasciculus connect?
- (Pink) Frontal lobe & Occipital lobe
What does the arcuate fasciculus connect?
- (Purple) Frontal lobe & Temporal lobe
What does the inferior longitudinal fasciculus connect?
- (Blue) Temporal lobe & Occipital lobes
What does the uncinate fasciculus connect?
- (Orange) Anterior frontal lobe & Temporal lobe
What are the two commissural fibres?
- Corpus callosum
- Anterior commissure
What are the afferent projection fibres?
- Fibres that project towards the cortex
What are the efferent projection fibres?
- Fibres that project away from the cortex
Where do the projection fibres (corona radiata) radiate?
- Radiate out from the cortex and then come together in the brain stem
Where does the corona radiata converge through?
- The internal capsule
Where is the internal capsule?
- Resides between the thalamus and basal ganglia