Intro to CNS Flashcards
Roles of the Brain stem?
Regulation of vital body functions: cardiovascular, respiratory, digestion.
Role in balance & posture.
Maintenance of cortical arousal (including sleep).
Source of most cranial nerves including the special senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste.
What does the Brain stem consist of?
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla Oblongata
The Brain stem is a source of what major monoamine cell bodies:
Noradrenaline — Locus coeruleus
5-HT (Serotonin) — Raphe nuclei
Dopamine — Substantia nigra/ Ventral tegmentum
Roles of the Midbrain?
Relay centre for visual, auditory, and motor system information.
It regulates autonomic functions, those that the body carries out without conscious thought, such as digestion, heart rate, and breathing rate.
Roles of the Pons?
Regulation of breathing.
Involved in the transmission of signals to and from other structures in the brain, such as the cerebrum or the cerebellum.
Involved in sensations such as hearing, taste, and balance.
Also involved in the regulation of deep sleep.
Roles of the Medulla Oblongata?
Regulation of heart rate and blood pressure.
Responsible for many reflexes in the body, or involuntarily controls, such as vomiting, sneezing, and coughing.
Major functions of the Cerebellum:
Important role in maintaining balance.
Regulates and maintains muscle tone.
Coordinates voluntary movement.
What does the Diencephalon consist of?
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Role of Thalamus?
The thalamus functions as a relay station/hub for all sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex
Preliminary processing of sensory data (including vision and sound).
Role of Hypothalamus?
Regulates release of hormones from the pituitary gland.
It controls the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
It coordinates communication between nervous system and endocrine systems.
It controls body temperature (measured by blood flowing through it).
It regulates hunger/thirst and feelings of satiety.
It assists with the internal circadian clock by
regulating biological activity
Functions of the Basal Ganglia?
Operation of motor programmes.
Regulation of muscle tone.
Implicated in control of mood.
Coordinates voluntary movement.
What 2 pathways does the Basal Ganglia use?
Direct - Involved in making a movement.
Indirect - Involved in preventing an unwanted movement.
Functions of the Limbic system?
Control of “Primitive emotions”: fear, anger, pleasure, reward (Amygdala functions).
Control of “Complex emotions”: social awareness, madness, mood, Memory formation (Memory=hippocampus).
Executive functions: Planning, organisation, attention.
What is the Corpus Callosum?
Connection Centre for the two brain halves.
Allows the two hemispheres to communicate and coordinate their activities.
What protects CNS from injury?
CNS enclosed in hard, bony structures (skull).
CNS surrounded by 3 strong, protective membranes (meninges).
Brain “floats” in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid).
Blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts access from circulation.
