Functional Neuro Anatomy (CNS cont.)

Question 1

What type of arrangement does the cerebellum have?

Answer 1

An ipsilateral arrangment.

This means, the left cerebellar hemisphere works in conjunction with the left side of the body and the right cerebellar hemisphere works with the right side of the body

Question 2

What type of arrangement is in the forebrain cerebral hemisphere?

Answer 2

A contralateral arrangment.

left brain works right body, right brain works left body

Question 3

What does the cerebellum do?

Answer 3

co-ordinates movement and maintains our balance.

Question 4

What are pyramids?

Answer 4

They are efferent white matter tracts that originate in the primary motor cortex and move to the dorsal area of the medulla where they help make up the brain stem. They control motor function.

Question 5

How do pyramids travel through the body and what happens to them as they move?

Answer 5

Originate in the primary motor cortex.

Travel down through the hindbrain meeting the medulla, then on the ventral surface of the medulla they go through a process of decussation (or crossing over) this could be part of the reason why our cerebral cortex is contralateral.

Question 6

What do the pyramids have to do with contralateral arrangement?

Answer 6

Due to decussation at the base of the medulla, this could be why contralateral arrangement is achieved.

Question 7

What are the two subdivisions of the midbrain?

Answer 7

1. Midbrain-tegmentum

2. Midbrain-Tectum (meaning roof)

Question 8

What are some important functions of the midbrain region?

Answer 8

The two sets of colliculi.

The inferior-colliculi and the superior-colliculi

Question 9

Where are the colliculi located and what are they responsible for?

Answer 9

A pair of small bumps on the midbrain tectum sitting above the pons.

The top pair is superior colliculi

The bottom pair is inferior colliculi

Involved in processing of visual and auditory information.

Question 10

What is the superior colliculi responsible for?

Answer 10

Relays visual information and critical for capturing visual attention.

Question 11

What is the inferior colliculi responsible for?

Answer 11

Relays and captures auditory information.

Question 12

What are in the diencephalon structures of the forebrain?

Answer 12

The thalamus and the hypothalamus.

Question 13

Where and what is the thalamus?

Answer 13

two avocado looking structures on top of the brain stem, below the corpus collosum.

A relay station, where sensory information such as visual, touch, auditory is processed, filtered, organised and passed to their respective hemispheres.

Question 14

Where and what is the hypothalamus?

Answer 14

The hypo (beneath) thalamus sits…below the thalamus.

It’s involved in processing our basic biological drives. such as (the F’s)

• Fighting
• Fleeing
• Feeding
• Fucking (mating)

The hypothalamus also helps regulate our fight or flight response due to its connection with the pituitary gland.

Question 15

What are the main groups of connected structures of the telencephalon, what role do they play and how do they work?

Answer 15

The basal ganglia
The limbic system

Together, they play a role in movement.

They work well when the brain has a healthy supply of dopamine.

Question 16

What is the basal ganglia?

Answer 16

Structures crucial for planning and producing movement.

Question 17

What is the limbic system?

Answer 17

A connected network of structures that play a role in learning, memory and the expression of emotion.

Question 18

What are the two structures of the limbic system?

Answer 18

The hippocampus

The amygdala

Question 19

What is the hippocampus associated with and what is its orientation?

Answer 19

It is a bilateral structure associated with memory, particularly consolidating our memory into long term structures.

Question 20

What is the amygdala, where is it?

Answer 20

It is a bilateral structure in front of the hippocampus.

Responsible for processing emotional information, particularly fear responses.

Question 21

What is the cerebral cortex and what do we need to remember as it develops?

Answer 21

It’s the very outer layer of the brain with a thickness of 2-6mm.

As it develops it folds in on itself so it can fit within the skull.

Question 22

What are the names of the cerebral cortex’s bumps and grooves?

Answer 22

A bump or a bulge on the cortex surface is a gyrus or gyri (plural)

A groove or a fold in the cerebral cortex is called a sulcus or sulci (plural)

Question 23

Deep sulcus?

Answer 23

A fissure.

Question 24

How do sulci and fissures help us?

Answer 24

Useful for orientation.

They help break up the lobes of the cerebral cortex.

Question 25

The four lobes of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 25

1. Frontal (anterior)
2. Temporal (dorsal)
3. Parietal (posterior)
4. Occipital (posterior, bellow the parietal)

Note: The cerebral cortex is massive and covers a lot of surface area.

Question 26

Function and location of frontal lobes?

Answer 26

In front of the central sulcus.

concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement, emotions, problem-solving and higher-cognitive functions.

Question 27

Function and location of temporal lobes?

Answer 27

Mostly dorsal region of the brain, also on the left and right hemispheres.

Involved with memory, perception and recognition of auditory stimuli.

Question 28

Function and location of parietal lobes?

Answer 28

Located behind the central sulcus.

Involved with the perception of touch related body sensory stimuli such as pressure, temperature and pain.

Question 29

Function and location of the occipital lobes?

Answer 29

located at the posterior of the brain

Includes primary visual cortex concerned with many aspects of vision.

Question 30

What are cortical association areas?

Answer 30

They collect information from primary sensory areas of the cortex. Circuits of neurons then analyse this information received.

Question 31

What are cortical association regions?

Answer 31

They are involved in the integration of information from multiple brain regions. This integration can add complexity to sensory perceptions or facilitate higher cognitive processes.

Question 32

Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located and what does it do?

Answer 32

On the gyrus (bulge) located posterior (behind) to the central sulcus. In the parietal lobe.

The processing of sensory information

On the PSC there are somato-topical regions that correspond to parts of the body, where body parts are directly mapped to this region. It corresponds to how much fine sensory touch discrimination we have in each part of the body.

Question 33

Where is the primary motor cortex located and what is its function?

Answer 33

A strip of cortex located anterior to the central sulcus.

Control of movement in parts of the body.

Controls voluntary muscles in the body, working to initiate movement. There is larger portion of the cortex dedicated to somatic function requiring fine movement such as the lips and the hands.

Question 34

What are Olives?

Answer 34

The superior olivary nuclei might play a role in localising sound.

The inferior olivary nuclei project to the cerebellum, however their function is still unclear.

Question 35

What is the reticular formation and its function?

Answer 35

It is a brain stem structure in the hind brain that runs through the pons into the uppermost part of the hind brain, as well as the base of the medulla.

It is important for certain aspects of consciousness as well as arousal or alertness.