General Organization of the Central Nervous System Lobes

Question 1

What are the dimensions of the Frontal Lobe?

Answer 1

Front pole (anterior tip) to the Central Sulcus.
From the top of the Longitudinal Fissure to the Lateral Sulcus and Cingulate Sulcus (medially).
and the Medial posterior border is from the apex of Central sulcus to Cingulate sulcus.

Question 2

What is the role of the precentral gyrus and where does it lie?

Answer 2

Involved in motor control.

Is on the anterior side of central sulcus.

Question 3

Define Primary Motor Cortex (function and location)

Answer 3

Sits anterior to central sulcus on the precentral gyrus. Origination of descending motor pathways for initiation of movements.

Question 4

Define Premotor areas

Answer 4

Premotor areas decide what movements need to take place and communicate that with the primary motor cortex.
It sits just anterior to primary motor cortex on the precentral gyrus and just anterior to the gyrus itself.

Question 5

What and where is Broca’s area?

Answer 5

Region on the left frontal lobe on inferior frontal gyrus to middle frontal gyrus.
Production of written and spoken language.

Question 6

Describe the prefrontal cortex.
Location.
Gyri
Functions

Answer 6

The frontal cortex anterior to precentral gyrus.
Consists of 3 gyri.
Superior frontal gyrus
Middle frontal gyrus.
Inferior frontal gyrus.
Functions include personality, insight, and foresight. (aka executive function)

Question 7

What is a summary of the 4 total functions of the frontal cortex?

Answer 7

Voluntary motor control of skeletal muscles.
Personality (executive function)
Higher intellectural processes (concentration, planning, and decision making)
Verbal communication.

Question 8

What is another name for Precentral Gyrus and Postcentral Gyrus?

Answer 8

Somatomotor Cortex.

Somatosensory Cortex.

Question 9

What are the borders of the Parietal Lobe?

Answer 9

Anterior: Central Sulcus to imaginary line from Parietooccipital Sulcus to Preocipital Notch.

Lateral: Lateral Sulcus and imaginary line to occipital lobe.

Medial: Subparietal Sulcus and Calcarine Sulcus, Frontal lobe and Parietoocipital Sulcus

Question 10

Describe the Postcentral Gyrus
Location
Function
What is special about the right side?

Answer 10

Parietal lobe behind the Central Sulcus.
Function–detection of somatesthetic sensation –cutaneous, muscle, tendon, and joint sensory receptors.
The right side is largely responsible for spatial perception.

Question 11

Define Proprioceptive stance

Define Kinesthetic sense

Answer 11

Proprioceptive stance is felt and created tension in muscle structure. It lets the person know where they are in space.

Kinesthetic sense is knowledge of what direction a person is moving.

Question 12

What are the 1st primary function of the Parietal Lobe

Answer 12

Primary somatosensory cortex (first tactile and proprioceptive processing).

Question 13

What is the primary function of the inferior parietal lobe?

What 2 gyri do this?

Answer 13

Left side is involved with comprehension of language (along with the temporal lobe).
Right side is spatial processing.

Composed of the Supramarginal gyrus and Angular gyrus. (Warnicke’s area)

Question 14

What is the function of the Parietal Cortex not included in Warnicke’s area nor the postcentral gyrus?

Answer 14

Spatial orientation and perception (largely a right hemisphere function)

Question 15

The Humuncullus is a map of the pre and post central gyri.

Beginning medially on the Superior frontal gyrus, what motor targets lie in this area?

Answer 15

Foot and toes
Lower leg
Upper leg
Pelvis (tip top of brain)
Trunk
Upper arm
Lower arm

Question 16

The Humuncullus is a map of the pre and post central gyri.

Beginning medially, what motor targets lie on the middle frontal gyrus?

Answer 16

Thumbs, fingers, and hand.

Question 17

The humuncullus is a map of the pre and post central gyri. Beginning medially, what motor targets lie on the inferior frontal gyrus?

Answer 17

Facial expression
Salivation, Vocalization, Mastication.
Swallowing

Question 18

What are the 3 functions of the temporal lobe?

Answer 18

Auditory processing
Semantics of speech and vision(shared with occipital lobe)
Memory via the hippocampus

Question 19

What 2 auditory centers are in the temporal lobe?

Answer 19

Primary auditory cortex

Receive sensory fibers from the cochlea of the ear.

Question 20

What are the borders of the temporal lobe?

Answer 20

Superior: Lateral sulcus and the imaginary Parietal border.
Posterior: Line from the parietooccipital sulcus to the preoccipital notch.
Medial: From the preoccipital notch to the splenium of the corpus callosum.

Question 21

What is special about the hippocampus and the temporal lobe?

Answer 21

The hippocampus is structurally par of the temporal lobe, but functionally part of the limbic lobe.