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Neuro Exam I > Intro: Functions of the CNS > Flashcards

Intro: Functions of the CNS Flashcards

1
Q

motor cortex

  • location
  • role
  • disruption will lead to?
A
  • location: front lobe
    • precentral gyrus - frontal lobe gyri bordering of central sulcus
    • caudal half of frotnal lobe
  • role: center for voluntary movement
  • disruption leads to:
    • rigid paralysis
    • spasticity
    • hyperreflexia
    • hypertonia
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2
Q

describe each defect resulting from damage to the motor cortex

A

(in precentral gyrus)

  • rigid paralysis - muscle cannot be moved
  • spasticity - uncoordinated muscle contractions
  • hyperreflexia - prolonged high amplitude rnx
  • hypertonia - muscle stuck in rigid, contracted state
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3
Q

frontal eye field

  • location
  • role
  • disruption will lead to?
A
  • location: frontal lobe (BA8)
  • role: conjugate gaze - coordination of the contractile state of the extraoccular muscles within & between the orbit
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4
Q

somatosensory cortex

  • location
  • role
  • disruption will lead to?
A
  • location: parietal lobe - esp postcentral gyrus: parietal gyri bordering the central sulcus
  • role: processing of general sensations
  • disruption leads to:
    • paresthesia - abnormal or diminished sensations (“ex - pins & needles”)
    • anesthesia (numbness - loss of sensation
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5
Q

prefrontal cortex

  • location
  • role
  • disruption leads to?
A
  • location: frontal lobe - all of frontal lobe rostral to motor cortex
  • role: congition and affective behavior
  • disruption leads to
    • ​depression
    • manic behavior
    • bipolar disorder
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6
Q

special sensory cortex

  • location
  • role
  • disruption leads to?
A
  • location: can be anywhere throughout cortex, and is divided into two cnters
    • primary sensory cortex: modality is processed
    • accessory sensory cortex: where meaning is placed to modality, and memory of this modality is then retained
  • role: processing & retaining memories associated with the special senses
    • audition
    • vision
    • olfaction
    • gustation
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7
Q

parietal integration center

  • location
  • role
  • disruption will lead to?
A
  • location: along intraparietal sulcus, in caudal, superior half of parietal lobe
  • role: integration of somatosensory (general), visual and auditory sensations
  • damage leads to: ataxia - loss of directed motor control
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8
Q

what is hemineglect?

what causes hemineglect?

A
  • when patient loses awareness of “one half of the world” - ex, someone doesn’t shave half their face, only draws half of the clock
  • due to cortical disruption, m/c in hte
    • caudal frontal lobe
    • rostral ) parietal lobe
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9
Q

language

  • is mediated mainly by what centers?
  • in what locations?
  • if disrupted, leads to what clinical presentations (s)?
A
  • language largely mediated by three regions of cortical gray matter:
    • broca’s area: recognizes incomoing communications (auditory or written) - just above sylvian (lateral) fissure
    • wernicke’s area: motor production of speech
    • arcuate fasciculus: links broca’s and wenicke’s area
  • disruption: aphasia - inability to communicate
    • ​wernicke’s aphasia: pt cant process language, gets very frustated with others
    • brocas aphasia: pt cant produce a response, gets very frustrated with self
    • arcuate fasciculitis damage: decouples two centers, pt articulate words that are unrelated to incoming communication “hi how are you” “its raining outside”
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10
Q

what is ideomotor apraxia?

what is it due to?

A
  • the loss of learned motor skills - inability to make hand gestures, use tools
  • due to disruption of the corpus collosum (white matter connecting hemispheres)
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11
Q

breifly describe the role the components of the internal capsule

A
  • genu: corticobulbar tract - cranial motor nerve control
  • posterior limb: corticospinal tract - voluntary motor impules
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12
Q

what two gyri border the central sulcus?

what major neural function does each perform?

A
  • precentral gyri - frontal: contains motor cortex - voluntary movement control
  • postcentral gyyri - parietal: contains somatosensory cortex - processing general sensations
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13
Q

briefy summarize the CNS functions / disruptions pertaining to cortical brain

A
  • motor cortex (precentral gyrus, frontal lobe) - motor control
  • prefrontal cortrex (frontal lobe rostral to motor cortex) - cognition & affective behavior: depression / manifa / bipolar
  • somatosensory cortex (postfcentral gyrus, parietal lobe) - general sensation processing: paresthesia/ anesthesia
  • frontal eye field - conjugate gaze
  • special sensory cortex - special sensation processing & retention
  • parietal integration (intraparietal sulcus) - coordination: ataxia
  • wernickes, brocas, arcuate fascilutis - processing & producing language
  • hemineglect - loss of half the world
  • corpus collosum - fine motor skills: ideomotor apraxis (gestures, tool use)
  • internal capsule (corticobular, corticospinal) - cranial nerve control, voluntary motor impulses
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14
Q

what comprises the diencephalon?

A
  • epithalamus
  • thalamus
  • hypothalamus
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15
Q

describe the role of the thalamus in CNS function

A

is organized into well defined functional nuclei, all of which have recipricol connections with virtually every part of the cerebral cortex

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16
Q

describe the role of the basal ganglia in CNS function.

what can basal ganglia disruption lead to?

A
  • regulates the influence of the thalamus over the motor cortex (precentral gyrus & caudal frontal lobe_)_ - recall the thalamus has recipricol connection with every portion of the cerebral cortex
  • disruption leads to:
    • hyperkinesia: excessive motor stimulation, ex. huntington’s chorea [disinhibition]
    • bradykinesia: reduced motor stimlulation, ex. parkinson’s [inhibition]
17
Q

which thalamic nuclei are involved in motor activity?

A
  • ventral anterior
  • ventral lateral
18
Q

for each of the following thalamic nuclei, list the 1. cortical region it projects to and 2. signal transmitted

  • anterior
  • dorsomedial
  • dorsolateral
  • ventral anterior
  • ventral lateral
  • ventral posterolateral
  • ventral posteromedial
  • medial geniculate
  • lateral geniculate
  • intralaminar
19
Q

describe the role of the hypothalamus in CNS function.

disruption of the hypothalamus can lead to?

A
  • serves as a regulatory center for visceral drives
  • disruption can lead to
    • hyperphagia
    • hyperthemia
    • apathy
20
Q

mamillary bodies:

  • location
  • role in CNS function
  • damage can lead to?
A
  • location: inferior / ventral border of hypothalamus
  • role: memory formation
    • begin the papez circuit:
      • mamillary bodies anterior nucleus of the thalamus
      • through the thalamic-cortical recipricol connection, the anterior nucleus is linked to the cingulate gyrus (portion of cortex paralleling the corpus collosum)
      • from here, the fornix carries the signal to the hippocampus (cerebral cortex extending from uncus & forming floor of temporal lobe)
      • from hippocampus back to mammary body
  • disruption: amnesia (impaired memory formation)
21
Q

what disease can damage the mammillary bodies? what can this lead to?

A
  • chronic alcoholism
  • can lead to amnesia: impaired memory formation
22
Q

corpora quadrigemina

  • location
  • role in CNS function
  • disruption can lead to?
A
  • location: on tectum, dorsal midbrain
  • colliculi integrate visual & auditory stimuli - “eyes above ears”
    • inferior colliculi
      • role: integrates visual stimuli - ex: motor reflexes to visual stimuli
      • disruption: degrades saccadic responses, disrupts reflexes
    • superior colliculi:
      • role: integrates auditory stimuli - turn around when someone yells
      • disruption: loss of hearing from contralateral ear
23
Q

tegmentum

  • location
  • role in CNS function
  • disruption can lead to?
A
  • location: ventral midbrain
    • red nucleus:
      • role: relay / porcessing system for motor system
      • disruption: rubral tremor (rare)
    • substantia nigra
      • role: dopamine producing center
      • disruption: bradykinesia / parkinsons (like basal ganlgia)
24
Q

inferior olivary nucleus

  • location
  • role in CNS function
  • disruption leads to?
A
  • location: on ventral surface of medulla oblongata, lateral to pyramids
  • role: motor learning
  • disruption: n/a
25
Q

which portion of the medulla serves as a relay center for the cerebellum?

A

inferior olive bodies (via inferior cerebellar peduncle)

26
Q

the corticobulbar system

  • carries axons from?
  • synapses where?
  • affected by damage to..?
A
  • carries axons from the motor cortex (precentral gyrus, caudal frontal lobe)
  • passes the genu of internal capsule - damage to genu affects cortibobulbar tract
  • synapses on cranial nerves from the brainstem
27
Q

nucleus ambiguous

  • location
  • role
  • disruption can lead to?
A
  • location: medulla
  • role: motor control of speech + swallowing (controls pharynx & larynx)
  • disruption leads to: a very specific stroke characterized by:
    • DYSARTHRIA
      DYSPHAGIA
    • DIZZINESS
28
Q

describe the presentation of a brainstem stroke.

what leads to a brainstem sroke?

A
  • commonly d/t clot in posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), which is in the medulla and nearby the nucleus ambiguous, other nuclei, & inferior cerebellar peduncle
  • presentation: dysarthria + dysphagia + dizzness
    • if involving inferior cerebellar peduncle: ataxia
29
Q

reticular formation

  • location
  • role
  • disruption leads to?
A
  • location: brainstem
  • role: ascending reticular activating system
  • disruption: coma / death
30
Q

the cerebellum receives signals from what three main centers in the brainstem?

A
  • red nucleus -> sup cerebellar peduncle
  • pontine nuclei -> mid cerebellar peduncle
  • inferior olive bodies -> inf cerebellar peduncle
31
Q

the cerebellum is divided into what functional circuits?

what is the role of each?

A
  • cerebrocerebellar: motor planning
  • spinocerebellar: motor execution
  • vestibulocerebellar: balance
32
Q

pathologies within the cerebellar circuits lead to…?

Neuro Exam I (15 decks)

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