Lecture 1 Flashcards
Cerebrum
Largest part of the brain Evolutionary youngest part Performs high cognitive function
Cerebellum
Located under the cerebrum Coordinates muscle movement Maintains posture and balance
Brain stem
Connects to spinal cord Autonomic functions
Corpus callosum
Strong white matter tract Connects both hemispheres
Left hemisphere
Speech and comprehension Writing and calculation
Right hemisphere
Spatial abilites, musical skills Not “creativity” in general
Cortex
Surface of the cerebrum Contains abt 16b neurons Neurons are mainly situated on the outside (Gray matter), organized in 6 layers Beneath the coetex: axons of cortical neurons and oligodendrocytes (white matter)
Brain hemispheres
Gyrencephalic structure in higher mammals (gyri and suici) Lissencephalic in rodents
Frontal lobe functions
Planning, problem solving Concentration, self-awareness Body movement (precentral gyrus) Personality, behaviour Broca’s area: speaking and writing Personality n judgement
What area is often associated w strokes?
Cerebral artery thus why stroke victims have problems swallong and develop infections
CASE STUDY: Phineas Gage
Rod propelled thru frontal left side -> suffered from head n brain injuries Result: damage to prefrontal cortex n left eye No motor n sensory impairment, normal perception Personality change
What could explain Phineas Gage’s motor and sensory impairment was unimpaired?
The precentral gyrus, which is associated w controling movement, was spared
Parietal lobe functions
Wernicke’s area: understanding language Postcentral gyrus: sensory function Signal interpretation from vision and hearing Spatial and visual perception
Occipital lobe functions
Vision (colour, light, movement)
Temporal lobe functions
Memory and hearing Sequencing and organization Wernicke’s area: understanding language
Aphasia
Disturbance of language
Broca aphasia
Difficulties moving tongue n facial muscles Speech production impaired Patient can read n understands language Patient can’t speak or write
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Wernicke’s aphasia
Patient can speak but sentences are wordy n don’t make sense Difficulties understanding speech
Basal ganglia
Caudate, putamen n globus pallidus Works w cerebellum, motor coordination
Thalamus
Relay station for signals from/to cortex Pain sensation, attention, alertness
Hypothalamus
Controls autonomic functions Thirst, hunger, sleep, sexual response Controls hormone secretion from pituitarry Circadian rhythms
Limbic system n memory
Forms “double ring” around basal gnaglia Composed of phylogenetic old parts of the cortex n subcortical structures Contains cingulate gyri, hypotahamlus, amygdala, hippocampus, olfactory bulb Emotions n memory
CASE STUDY 2: Kluver-Bucy syndrome
Bilateral lesions of the amygdala, damage to the limbic system After temporal lobectomy (epilepsy surgery) -> Herpes simplex encephalitis Early-stage AD, CO poisoning remake later
Short term memory formation
Frontal cortex Stores up to 7 items for a minute Examples: reading
Long-term memory
Processed in hippocampus n temporal lobe Unlimited content n capacity
Skill memory
Processed in cerebellum Cerebellum relays information to basal ganglia Stores learnt, autonomic memories
CSF function
Protection: fluid buffer Homeostasis: distribution of factors Buoyancy: effective brain mass reduction Metabolic waste clearance
CSF production n flow
Produced in choroid plexus (lateral ventricles, fourth vesicle) Unidirectional flow until 4th ventricle Multidirectional flow in subarachnoid space Resorption in arachnoid villi
**CASE STUDY 3: ** hydrocephalus
Misbalance: CSF production vs resorption
CASE STUDY 4: neurogenic areas in adult human CNS
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Brain stem
Control of autonomic functions: heart rate, BP, body temp, sleep cycles, sneezing Main parts: midbrain, pons n medulla oblongata Cranial nerves: relay to other parts of the body, primarily head n neck Special senses (vision, hearing, taste, smell)
Meninges Dura matter
Closely covers CNS 2 layers (periosteal, meningeal) Layers form sinuses (veins) Falx (b/w hemispheres) Tentorium (b/w cerebrum n cerebellum)
Meninges Arachnoid matter
Thin, spider-web like membrane Elastic tissue
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Meninges Pia mater
Directly on brain surface Blood vessels penetrating the brain
