General Flashcards
With regard to spinal cord and cerebrum - what is dorsal and what is ventral
Dorsal = posterior/superior Ventral = anterior/inferior
3 layers of meninges
Dura (outermost)
Arachnoid
Pia (inner most)
What is Pia
Innermost layer of the meninges
On the surface of the brain and cant be separated from the brain
Microscopic layer, present between blood vessel and neurons also
What is dura attached to
Outermost layer of meninges
Firmly adherent to inside of the skull
Where do meningeal vessels arise
External carotid artery
Where are meningeal vessels found
Extradural space, between bones of the skull and dura
Example of blood vessels in cerebrum
Meningeal vessels
Bridging veins (between dura and arachnoid aka subdural space)
Circle of Willis
Where is circle of Willis
subarachnoid space (between arachnoid and pia)
What is white matter
Myelinated axons
What is grey matter
Cell bodies
no myelin sheaths
True or False:
There are no blood vessels deep to the pia
True
The pia forms part of the blood brain barrier
What cells myelinate axons in the brain or CNS
Oligodendrocytes
What cells myelinate axons in the PNS
Schwann cells
What are afferents
axons taking information towards the CNS e.g. sensory fibres
What are efferents
axons taking information to another site from the CNS e.g. motor fibres
Functions of frontal lobe
Voluntary movement on opposite side of body
Brocas area - speech and writing (found in dominant hemisphere i.e. left if right-handed)
Intellectual functioning
Thought processes
Reasoning
Memory
Functions of parietal lobe
Receives and interprets sensations, including pain, touch, pressure, size and shape and body-part awareness
Proprioception
Functions of temporal lobe
Understanding spoken word (WERNICKES)
Understanding sounds
Memory
Emotion
Functions of occipital lobe
Understanding visual images and meaning of written words
Where is CSF produced
Ependymal cells in choroid plexuses of lateral ventricles (mainly)
Where does CSF travel (describe ventricles of brain)
From lateral ventricles
Travels to 3rd ventricle via the interventricular foramen
From 3rd ventricle
Travels to 4th ventricle via the Cerebral Aqueduct
How does the 4th ventricle communicate with/pass CSF into the subarachnoid space
Median Foramen of Magendie
Two lateral Foramens of Luschka
Where is CSF absorbed after passing through subarachnoid space
Arachnoid granulations (VILLI) e.g. in superior sagittal sinus
What is hydrocephalus
Abnormal accumulation of CSF in ventricular system
Often due to a blocked cerebral aqueduct
Which spinal roots make up the sympathetic trunk
T1-L2
Give examples of what sympathetic nervous system stimulates
- Increases heart rate
- Increases force of contractions in the heart
- Vasoconstriction
- BronchoDILATION
- Reduces gastric motility
- Sphincter contraction
- DECREASED gastric secretions
- Male ejaculation
Give examples of what parasympathetic nervous system stimulates
- Decreases heart rate
- Decrease force of contraction
- Vasodilation
- BronchoCONSTRICTION
- Increases gastric motility
- Sphincter relaxation
- INCREASED gastric secretions
- Male erection
What are the parasympathetic cranial nerves and where do they run via
Oculomotor nerve CN3 - to pupil
Facial nerve CN7 - to salivary glands
Glossopharyngeal nerve CN9 - for swallowing reflex
Vagus nerve CN10 - to thorax & abdomen
What are upper motor neurones and where do they generally originate
The descending pathways and neurones that originate in the motor cortex
Control the activity of the lower motor neurones
What are lower motor neurones and where are their cell bodies located
Alpha motor neurones that directly innervate skeletal muscle that have cell
bodies lying in the grey matter of the spinal cord and brainstem
What is spasticity
Increased muscle tone
When muscles do not develop increased tone UNTIL they are stretched a bit and after a brief increase in tone, the contraction subsides for a short time (Clasp-knife phenomenon)
Give an example of a disease in which you could see spasticity
Parkinsons
What is rigidity
Increased muscle contraction
Continous
Resistance to passive stretch is constant
How many vertebrae are there in one spine
7 cervical 12 thoracic 5 lumbar 5 sacral 4 coccyx 33 in total
How many pair of spinal nerves are there
8 cervical 12 thoracic 5 lumbar 5 sacral 1 coccyx
Where do cervical spinal nerve segments exit the spine
(around) 1 vertebra HIGHER than their corresponding
vertebra
EXCEPT C8 which exits below C7
Where do thoracic spinal nerve segments exit the spine
Around 1 (-2) vertebra BELOW their corresponding vertebra
Where do lumbar spinal nerve segments exit the spine
3-4 vertebra BELOW their corresponding vertebra
Where do sacral spinal nerve segments exit the spine
around 5 vertebra below
Define dermatome
Area of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve - sensory
Sensory innervation of the little finger
Ulnar nerve
C8
Sensory innervation of the index finger
Median nerve
C7
Sensory innervation of the thumb
C6
Sensory innervation of the clavicle
C4
Sensory innervation of the nipples
T4
Sensory innervation of the medial side of arm
T1
Sensory innervation of the umbilicus
T10
Sensory innervation of the knee
L4
Sensory innervation of the perianal area
S4
Sensory innervation of the anus
S5
Define myotome
Volume of muscle supplied by a single spinal nerve
Spinal roots of phrenic nerve
C3,4,5
Spinal roots of sensation of small muscles of hand
T1
Spinal roots of innervation of the penis
S2,3,4 (keeps the penis off the floor)
In what direction are all X-rays/MRIs/CT scans take
From perspective of foot to head
Examples of Motor tracts
Lateral corticospinal tract Rubrospinal tract Olivospinal tract Vestibulospinal tract Tectospinal tract Anterior corticospinal tract
Examples of Sensory tracts
Fasciculus gracilis (more medial than cuneatus) Fasciculus cuneatus Posterolateral tract Intersegmental tract Posterior spinocerebellar tract Lateral spinocerebellar tract Anterior spinocerebellar tract Spino-olivary tract Spinorectal tract Anterior spinothalamic tract
Examples of Ascending tracts
Dorsal/Medial lemniscal columns
Spinothalamic tract
Spinocerebellar tract
Which tracts are involved in Dorsal/Medial Lemniscal ascending columns
Fasciculus cuneatus
Fasciculus gracilis
What sensations are detetcted/carried by Dorsal/Medial Lemniscal ascending columns
Proprioception
Vibration
Fine touch