Forebrain (Cerebrum) Flashcards

1
Q

What 2 portions does the forebrain consist of? Where is each derived from?

A
  • Outer brain (cerebral hemispheres)
    • Derived from telencephalon
  • Inner brain
    • Derived from diencephalon
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2
Q

Together, what are the outer and inner brain responsible for?

A

higher level processing e.g. memory, numerical abilities, cognition, learning

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3
Q

Describe the telecephalon swellings during development of the nervous system

A
  • Two swellings either side of midline
    • Connected via lamina terminalis
  • Two swellings go on to become the 2 cerebral hemispheres
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4
Q

What is the lamina terminalis? What does it go on to become?

A
  • Goes on to become the corpus callosum and anterior commissure
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5
Q

What is the anterior commissure?

A

A white matter tract (a bundle of axons) connecting the two temporal lobes of the cerebral hemispheres across the midline

i.e. these are commissural fibres –> connect 2 hemispheres

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6
Q

Describe the development of the diencephalon. What does it give rise to?

A
  • Diencephalon appears as a swelling of the lateral aspect of the central canal
    • The lumen of the central canal is diminished as two pairs of swellings appear – the thalamus, dorsally, and the hypothalamus, ventrally.
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7
Q

As the lumen of the diencephalon starts to narrow down, what will it become?

A

Becomes the 3rd ventricle

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8
Q

What structure marks the boundary between the thalamus and hypothalamus?

A
  • The hypothalamic sulcus (sulcus of Monro)
    • This is a groove in the lateral wall of the 3rd ventricle
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9
Q

How is the C-shape of the telecephalon/cerebrum adopted?

A

Grows massively compared to other vesicles and starts to fold over the developing diencephalon –> adopting C-shape

As a consequence, many internal structures are similarly c-shaped

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10
Q

Structure of ventricular system

A
  • C shape of lateral ventricle
  • 3rd ventricle in middle of diencephalon
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11
Q

Coronal sections of the brain

A
  1. Anteriorly:
    1. Only lateral ventricles can be seen, one in each cerebral hemisphere
    2. Corpus callosum can be seen, connecting two hemispheres
  2. Middle:
    1. Corpus callosum
    2. Thalamus can be seen
    3. 3rd ventricle between the two thalami can be seen
    4. Cut through brainstem so can see part of cerebral aqueduct
  3. Posterior:
    1. Parietal lobes have been sectioned
    2. No corpus callosum
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12
Q

Sagittal sections of brain

A
  1. Very lateral
  2. Near middle:
    1. Lateral ventricle can be seen, following the c-shape of the cerebral hemispheres
    2. Cerebellum can be seen
  3. Midsagittal section
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13
Q

Horizontal sections of brain

A
  • Very superiorly
    • Lateral ventricles can be seen
  • Middle, through corpus callosum
    • Not at level of 3rd ventricle yet
  • Inferiorly:
    • Midbrain (mickey mouse shape)
    • Occipital and temporal lobes
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14
Q

What part(s) of the ventricles are the arrows pointing at?

A

Coronal section: can see pons

  • Body of 3rd ventricle
  • Inferior horn of lateral ventricle (projecting into temporal lobe)

Horizontal section:

  • Anterior horn of lateral ventricle (projecting into frontal lobe)
  • Posterior horn of lateral ventricle (projecting into occipital lobe)

Sagittal section:

  • Body of lateral ventricle
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15
Q

How many divisions comprises the diencephalon? What does the diencephalon (inner brain) sit on top of?

A
  • 4 divisions
  • Sits on top of the brainstem, connecting it to the cerebral hemispheres.
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16
Q

What are the 4 divisions of the diencephalon?

A
  • Thalamus
    • Made up of several nuclei –> grey matter
    • Function: Acts as relay station between parts of the CNS
  • Hypothalamus
    • ​Below the thalamus (hypo- means below)
    • Several nuclei –> grey matter
    • Function: Autonomic and neuroendocrine functions
      • Helps control release of specific hormones
  • Subthalamus
    • Functionally part of the basal nuclei (basal ganglia)
    • Involved in motor control (not visible in midsagittal view)
  • Epithalamus
    • Includes the pineal gland which secretes melatonin
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17
Q

What are the thalami? How are they connected?

A
  • Large bilateral egg-shaped masses of gray matter (collection of nuclei)
  • Connected at the interthalamic adhesion (massa intermedia)
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18
Q

What is wedged between the two thalami?

A

The 3rd ventricle

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19
Q

What is the function of the thalamus?

A
  • ‘Receptionist of the brain’
    • Receives info from many different parts of the CNS
    • Then relays that info to cerebral cortex
      • ​Relay nuclei send fibres to cerebral cortex, either to sharply defined area or more diffusely
    • Both sensory and motor processing
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20
Q

Where does the thalamus receive input from?

A
  • Somatosensory, auditory, visual, vestibular and other inputs
  • Reticular formation
  • Limbic system
  • Basal ganglia
  • Cerebellum
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21
Q

E.g. where does the thalamus then send visual information

A

To the occipital lobe –> the visual processing centre of the mammalian brain

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22
Q

What is the vestibular system?

A

The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that process the sensory information involved with controlling balance and eye movements.

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23
Q

E.g. Where does the thalamus send auditory info?

A

To the temporal lobe –> holds the primary auditory cortex.

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24
Q

The thalamus is the major source of sensory information to the primary sensory cortex for all of the senses except which sense?

A
  • Except olfaction (sense of smell)
    • Olfaction skips thalamus and goes straight into cortex
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25
Q

How is the thalamus involved in motor processing?

A

Connections with the basal nuclei (ganglia) and cerebellum

26
Q

Each thalamus is distinctly organised into different nuclear groups. What are these groups?

A
  • Anterior nuclear group
  • Medial nuclear group
  • Lateral nuclear group

Each group receives specific types of information and projects it to different parts of the brain.

27
Q

What nuclei does the lateral nuclear group of the thalamus consist of? What is the function of each nucleus?

A
  • Ventral Posterior Lateral (VPL)
    • Receives sensory information from the body (somatic sensory system) and projects to primary sensory cortex
  • Ventral Posterior Medial (VPM)
    • Receives sensory information from the head and face via the trigeminal nerve ​(somatic sensory system) and projects to primary sensory cortex
  • Lateral Geniculate (LG)
    • Receives visual information from the retina and sends it to the visual cortex for processing.
  • Medial Geniculate (MG)
    • Major auditory nucleus of the thalamus
28
Q

Horizontal view of thalamus

A
  • Can see anterior horns of lateral ventricle
  • Posterior horns of lateral ventricle
29
Q

Sagittal view of thalamus

A
  • Thalamus
  • C-shaped lateral ventricle
30
Q

Coronal view of thalamus

A
  • 2 thalami
  • Body of lateral ventricles
  • 3rd ventricle in middle of 2 thalami
  • Inferior horn of lateral ventricle (just about seen in temporal lobe)
31
Q

What is shown by the dotted line?

A

Hypothalamic sulcus

32
Q

Diagram of:

  • Anterior commissure
    • rostral part of hypothalamus
  • Lamina terminalis
    • rostral boundary of the hypothalamus
  • Optic chiasm
    • in front of hypothalamus
  • Pituitary stalk
    • connection between the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary
  • Mamillary bodies
    • Part of hypothalamus
A
33
Q

What does the hypothalamus control?

A
  • involved in different daily activities like eating or drinking
  • in the control of the body’s temperature and energy maintenance
  • in the process of memorising and in stress control
  • It also modulates the endocrine system through its connections with the pituitary gland
34
Q

What is the limbic lobe?

A

The limbic lobe is an arc-shaped region of cortex on the medial surface of each cerebral hemisphere, consisting of parts of the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes.

Part of the limbic system.

35
Q

What is the limbic system?

A

The part of the brain involved in our behavioural and emotional responses, especially when it comes to behaviours we need for survival: feeding, reproduction and caring for our young, and fight or flight responses

36
Q

How is CN I related to the cerebral cortex?

A

CN I develops and forms part of telencephalon

37
Q

Where do the receptors of CN I sit?

A

In the olfactory epithelium (nose)

38
Q

What is the ? being pointed to

A

Olfactory bulb and tract (extensions of telencephalon)

39
Q

This diagram exhibits how the olfactory nerve does not have to pass through the thalamus. Olfactory information bypasses the thalamus is directly sent to areas of the cortex that process smell.

A
40
Q

What is the corpus striatum? What is it involved in?

A
  • Internal structures of grey matter (nuclei) of each cerebral hemisphere
  • Part of basal nuclei (basal ganglia)
  • Involved in motor control
41
Q

What is the corpus striatum (‘striped body’) made up of?

A
  • Globus pallidus
    • 2 parts: internus and externus
  • Putamen
    • Found just lateral to globus pallidus
  • Caudate nucleus
    • ‘a nucleus with a tail’
    • C-shaped with a tail
42
Q

What is the globus pallidus and putamen known collectively as?

A

The lentiform nucleus

43
Q

What gives the corpus striatum a ‘striated’ appearance?

A
  • Cellular bridges between the caudate nucleus and the putamen with bundles of white matter in between
44
Q

Describe the structure of the caudate nucleus

A
  • Head
  • Body
  • Tail
45
Q

How is the caudate nucleus related to the lateral ventricle?

A
  • Head and body of caudate nucleus form the lateral walls of the lateral ventricle
  • Tail of caudate nucleus forms roof of inferior horn of lateral ventricle
46
Q

Cross-sections of corpus striatum and lateral ventricle

A
47
Q

Label –> Corpus striatum

A
48
Q

What are the hemispheric limbic structures?

A
  • Hippocampus
  • Fornix
  • Amygdala

Hippocampus is connected to the fornix. The fornix is C-shaped and arches over the hippocampus.

49
Q

Describe the structure of the fornix

A
  • The fibres begin in the hippocampus on each side of the brain as fimbriae
    • Bring white matter fibres from the hippocampus
  • The separate left and right sides are each called the crus of the fornix (plural crura).
  • The bundles of fibres come together in the midline of the brain, forming the body of the fornix.
  • Columns of fornix delve into mamillary bodies of hypothalamus
50
Q

What is the fornix?

A
  • A white matter structure
  • Contains the main efferent fibres of the hippocampus
  • Follows a C-shape course over the thalamus to reach the hypothalamus
    • Some fibres reach the mammillary bodies
51
Q

how are the hippocampus and lateral ventricles related?

A

Hippocampus forms the floor of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricles

52
Q

There are 3 classes of fibres in the white matter of the hemispheres.

What are they?

A
  1. Association fibres
  2. Commissural fibres
  3. Projection fibres
53
Q

What are association fibres?

A
  • Interconnect areas within a hemisphere and adjacent gyri
    • E.g. short assocation fibres connecting the precentral and postcentral gyri
    • E.g. longer association fibres connecting the lobes of the brain
54
Q

What are the commissural fibres?

A
  • Interconnect areas between hemispheres
    • E.g. corpus callosum - ‘Great cerebral commissure’
    • E.g. anterior commissure aka ‘rostral commissure’
      • Forms anterior relationship with hypothalamus
    • E.g. commissure of fornix aka ‘hippocampal commisure’
      • Connect the 2 fornices
55
Q

The corpus callosum is c-shaped, therefore can be split into parts. What are the 4 parts?

A
  1. Rostrum
  2. Genu
  3. Body
  4. Splenium (most dorsal part)
56
Q

Corpus callosum - planes of section. Label

A

Coronal:

  • Body of corpus callosum
  • Can pick up 3rd ventricle and temporal lobes

Horizontal:

  • Through level of thalamus
  • Genu of corpus callosum
  • Splenium of corpus callosum
57
Q

Commissure of fornix diagram

A
58
Q

What are the projection fibres?

A
  • Interconnect the cerebrum with the rest of the CNS
  • E.g. corona radiata is continuous with the internal capsule
    • Contains both ascending and descending fibres
      • Fibres starting from cerebral cortex, funnel through internal capsule to reach lower areas of CNS and vice versa
59
Q

Along the course of the internal capsule, what does it connect to?

A
  • Passes between head of caudate and lentiform nuclei
  • Connects to crus cerebri, anterior part of pons and of the medulla pyramids
60
Q

What is the internal capsule of the brain?

A
  • The internal capsule is a white matter structure composed of bundles of myelinated fibres situated in the inferomedial part of each cerebral hemisphere of the brain.
  • It carries information past the basal ganglia, separating the caudate nucleus and the thalamus from the putamen and the globus pallidus.
61
Q

Describe the structure of the internal capsule

A
  • Anterior limb
    • Between the head of the caudate nucleus and lenticular nucleus
  • Genu
    • A bend
  • Posterior limb
    • Between thalamus and lenticular nucleus