Introduction To The CNS And Functional Localisation Of The Cerebrum Flashcards

1
Q

Why is white matter white

A

The presence of myelin

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2
Q

Describe the spinal cord

A

Rostrally continuous with brainstem
Extends from foramen magnum to L1-L2
Vertebral foramen
Ends at conus medullaris
Cauda equine
Surrounded by dura
Cervical and lumbosacral enlargements

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3
Q

Ascending ….. tracts

A

Sensory

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4
Q

Descending …… tracts

A

Motor

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5
Q

Differing amounts of gray matter correspond to……

A

Axons innervating lower and upper limbs

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6
Q

What are the 5 main divisions of the adult human brain

A

Forebrain - Telenchephalon and Diencephalon
Midbrain - Mesencephalon
Hindbrain - Metencephalon and Myencephalon

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7
Q

Components of the forebrain

A

Telencephalon -> cortex, limbic system, basal nuclei
Diencephalon-> thalamus, hypothalamus, subthalamus

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8
Q

What are the components of the mid brain

A

Tectum
Tegmentum

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9
Q

What are the components of the hindbrain

A

Metencephalon -> pons, cerebellum
Myelencephalon -> medulla

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10
Q

Describe the cerebrum

A

Divided into 2 cerebral hemispheres consist of the cerebral cortex, limbic system and basal nucleus

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11
Q

What are the 4 lobes of the cerebrum

A

Parietal, frontal, occipital, temporal

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12
Q

Describe the frontal lobe

A

Largest lobe
Location of the precentral gyrus where the primary motor areas are housed
Essential not only for regulating voluntary motor behaviour but also initiating it
Expressive or motor aspects of language also processed on the lateral surface in Broca’s motor speech area

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13
Q

What is Broca’s area

A

Located in inferior frontal gyrus
Generation of language
Lesion leads to Broca’s aphasia

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14
Q

What is Broca’s aphasia

A

Difficulty generating written or spoken language
Little difficulty with language comprehension

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15
Q

Describe the prefrontal area

A

Towards frontal pole of frontal lobe
Electrical stimulation does not elicit movement
Extensive connections with other lobes via fasciculi
Monitors behaviours and controls higher processs eg judgement
PF association areas which are concerned with emotion, motivation, personality
On the medial aspect of cingulate gyrus, important for modulating emotional aspects of behaviour

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16
Q

Why were prefrontal lobotomy’s carried out

A

Surgical intervention to separate prefrontal cortex from the rest of frontal lobe and thalamus for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders
Icepick inserted through orbit
Symptoms often improved but patients left with severe mental deficits

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17
Q

Describe the parietal lobe

A

Important in regulating somatosensory functions
• Location of the postcentral gyrus where the primary somatosensory area is housed
• Involved in the initial cortical processing & perception of pain, temperature and proprioception
• Houses Wernickes’ area responsible for the receptive or sensory aspects of language
• Also concerned with spatial orientation and perception

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18
Q

What is Wernicke’s area

A

Located in superior temporal gyrus
Comprehension of language - lesion leads to Wernicke’s aphasia

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19
Q

What is wernicke’s aphasia

A

Lesion in wernickes area in superior temporal gyrus
Difficulty understanding written or spoken language
Person can generate speech but the language is meaningless - unconnected words

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20
Q

Describe the occipital lobe

A

Primarily involved in the processing of visual information
• Visual association areas surround and cover the lateral surface of this lobe
• Separated from the parietal lobe by the parieto-occipital sulcus
• Separated from the temporal lobe by the calcarine sulcus

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21
Q

Describe the temporal lobe

A

• Important for processing auditory information
• Superior temporal gyrus is an area where our ability to hear and interpret what we hear is processed
• The lateral surface functions for the perception of language.
• Anterior medial areas important in complex aspects of learning memory and emotion

22
Q

What does the left brain control

A

Reading, writing
Decision making
Speech and language

23
Q

What ones the right cerebral hemisphere relate to

A

Senses (touch, smell, sight, taste, feel)
Recognition (faces, voice inflections)

24
Q

Where can you see grey matter

A

Outer layer (cortex)
Inner clusters (basal nucleus, thalamus)

25
Q

Where would you see white matter

A

Tracts connecting cortex to nuclei

26
Q

what connects cerebral hemispheres

A

Corpus callosum

27
Q

What are white fibres

A

Relay information to and from specific areas
Referred to as association fibres

28
Q

Short association fibres

A

Connect areas in adjacent gyri, across one or two sulci

29
Q

Long association fibres

A

AKA fasciculi
Connect areas further apart ie cross more than 2 sulci

30
Q

Commissural fibres

A

Cross the midline to connect areas of the cortex in one hemisphere with the same areas in the opposite hemisphere, connecting similar functional areas to enable co-ordination of activity between the two hemispheres

31
Q

What is the biggest collection of commissural fibres

A

Corpus callosum

32
Q

What is split-brain syndrome

A

Lesions in corpus callosum as a result of traumatic injury or surgical intervention (corpus callostomy)
Little effects on day to day life - deficits only revealed through testing
Loss of inter hemispheric transfer of information eg loss of coordination between right and left hands
Neuroplasticity

33
Q

Projection fibres

A

Travel to or from the cortex to or from the thalamus or descend through the basal nuclei, brainstem or spinal cord
Converge as the internal capsule
Name of tracts follow pattern of where they begin and where they finish

34
Q

What are the 3 types of cortical areas including examples

A

Motor areas - primary motor cortex
Sensory areas - primary somatosensory cortex
Association areas - approx 75% of the total surface area of the cerebral cortex

35
Q

What are the 3 motor areas

A

Primary motor area
Supplementary motor area
Premotor area

36
Q

Primary motor area

A

Precentral gyrus, somatotopy organised

37
Q

Supplementary motor area

A

Motor maps for posture, efferent to anterior and lateral corticospinal tracts

38
Q

Premotor area

A

Motor maos for movement of larger muscle groups, processes anticipates and plans voluntary movements

39
Q

2 sensory areas

A

Primary somatosensory cortex
Somatosensory association area

40
Q

Primary somatosensory cortex

A

Post central gyrus
Receives Afferent from dorsal columns, anterolateral and trigeminal pathways
Somatotopic organisation
Size of cortical representation correlated to tactile sensation of that part of the body
Histological organisation for the different types of peripheral receptors

41
Q

Somatosensory association area

A

Critical for the interpretation of significance of sensory information
Lesions result in tactile agnostic - inability to interpret the significance of proprioceptive and tactile information
Astereognosis - inability to recognise an object placed in the hand

42
Q

What are brodmann’s areas

A

52 areas defined by difference in neuronal cellular architecture
Correlation with cortical function

43
Q

Where are deep structures of the cerebrum

A

Located under the cortical areas
Contains cell bodies and white matter tracts that connect various pats of the brain to one another
Gray matter brucellosis which of the basal nuclei and limbic system contribute

44
Q

Basal nuclei

A

Group of interconnecting nuclei within the forebrain, Diencephalon and midbrain
Critical role in the initiation and control of voluntary movement
Include caudate & lenticular nuclei (putamen & globus pallidus), subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra

45
Q

Limbic system

A

Interconnected and interacting structures that play a significant role in drive related and emotional behaviours
Play a role in memory and learning. The deep forebrain structures of the limbic system which are located in the temporal lobe include the amygdala and the hippocampus

46
Q

Describe Diencephalon

A

Consists of several sets of paired structures on either side of the 3rd ventricle
• Largest structure the thalamus also includes the hypothalamus, posterior pituitary gland and pineal gland
• The thalamus – sensory switchboard
• The hypothalamus – controls homeostatic, autonomic and endocrine functions
• Pineal body – produces melatonin and maintains circadian rhythm
• Habenular nucleus – regulates CNS neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Has a role in the behaviour of addiction and motivation

47
Q

What are the midbrain and hind brain

A

Components of the brainstem
Conduit for the ascending and descending tracts
Houses the cranial nerve nuclei
Areas regulate aspects of cardiovascular and respiratory function, cortical activity and consciousness

48
Q

Describe the midbrain

A

Pair of cerebral peduncles
Provides important linkages between components of the motor system, particularly the cerebellum, basal nuclei and cerebral hemispheres
Contains substantia nigra, superior and inferior follicular and the red nucleus

49
Q

What is the hind brain composed of

A

Pons and medulla oblong at a

50
Q

What is the pons

A

Carries info from the poutine nuclei to the cerebellum
Involved in respiration taste and sleep and contains the substantia nigra, sup and inf colliculi and red nucleus

51
Q

Describe the medulla oblongata

A

Merges with the spinal cord
Corticospinal fibres descend in pyramids on its anterior surface
Houses the Oliver y nuclear complex
Sensory tract fasciculus gracious and cunaeatus on posterior aspect

52
Q

Hindbrain cerebellum description

A

Outgrowth of the pons
Outer surface is covered by the cerebellar cortex
• Has two hemispheres and a central area known as the vermis
• Contains a far greater number of neurons than any other subdivision of the brain although very few neuronal types
• Connected to the brainstem by the cerebellar peduncles and it receives somatosensory information from the spinal cord, motor information from the cerebral cortex and input about balance from the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear
• Is important for maintain posture and for coordinating head and eye movements and is also involved in fine tuning the movements of muscle and in learning motor skills
• Recent imaging studies have revealed that it is also involved in language and other cognitive functions