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NRSC 2249 Cog Neuro > Lecture 2 - Spinal Cord & Brainstem > Flashcards

Lecture 2 - Spinal Cord & Brainstem Flashcards

1
Q

Myelination limits plasticity. Why is this important?

A

Molecules on the myelin make it harder for the synapse to change.

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2
Q

What is the role of astrocytes?

A

Act as blood/brain barrier because blood cannot come into contact with the brain – shuttle stuff from the blood to neurons

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3
Q

Rostral

A

Towards front of head

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4
Q

Caudal

A

Towards tail

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5
Q

Dorsal

A

Up (on the backside)

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6
Q

Ventral

A

Down (towards belly)

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7
Q

Horizontal or axial

A

Slice front of head to back (bagel)

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8
Q

Coronal

A

Slice from ear to ear (loaf of bread)

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9
Q

Sagittal

A

Slice from in-between eyes and nose (hot dog)

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10
Q

4 roles of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

A

Protection
Buoyancy
Nutrition
Waste removal

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11
Q

In spinal cord gray matter is where

A

In the inside (middle)

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12
Q

In spinal cord white matter is where

A

On the outside (white matter includes the axons)

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13
Q

In the spinal cord how can you orient ventral vs dorsal

A

Ventral gray matter wider than dorsal

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14
Q

In spinal cord where are secondary sensory neurons

A

Dorsal horn gray matter

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15
Q

In spinal cord where are the motor neurons

A

Ventral horn gray matter

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16
Q

Sensory input from the body _____ to the brain

A

Ascends

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17
Q

Motor output from the brain ___ to the body

A

Descends

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18
Q

Why is it clinically relevant that the spinal cord only goes halfway down our back?

A

CSF but no nerves once the spinal cord ends so it doctors can administer anesthesia or epidurals in this region

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19
Q

Sections of spinal cord from top to bottom

A

Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Coccygeal

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20
Q

Why might someone feel pain in their arm when they have a heart attack?

A

The same dermatome or part of the spinal cord innervates these regions

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21
Q

Biggest to smallest size of spinal cord sections

A

Cervical (ovular)
Thoracic (small oval)
Lumbar (circular)
Sacral (small circle)

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22
Q

Why is there more white matter at the cervical level?

A

All of the axons from all over the body are in the same place so there is a lot of white matter at the top

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23
Q

Why isn’t there much gray matter at the thoracic level?

A

Poor sensitive acuity in the back – not a lot to innervate

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24
Q

In the spinal cord the white matter are what

A

Axons

25
Q

Where you need more neural control what do you see more of?

A

Gray matter

26
Q

What’s in the brainstem?

A
  • Ascending and descending pathways to/from body and brain
  • Nuclei important for sleep, hear rate, breathing, neurotransmitter production
  • Cranial nerves
27
Q

3 parts of brainstem

A

Midbrain
Pons
Medulla

28
Q

Ventral brainstem

A

Pyramid bumps on medulla in the middle

29
Q

Dorsal brainstem

A

Superior colliculi
Inferior colliculi
Cerebellar peduncles
Gracile nucleus
Cuneate nucleus

30
Q

What marks that you are in the midbrain

A

Inferior colliculi

31
Q

Cuneate nucleus is towards what side of the gracile nucleus

A

Lateral (towards the outside)

32
Q

Dorsal columns ascending tract

A

Sends information about fine-grained touch and position sense (proprioception) from body to brain

33
Q

Dorsal columns primary neurons – where is cell body

A

In dorsal root ganglion

34
Q

Dorsal columns primary neurons – where do they synapse

A

Synapse in dorsal column nucleus (medulla)

35
Q

Dorsal columns primary neurons – synapse in gracile nucleus for information on which body region

A

Lower body

36
Q

Dorsal columns primary neurons – synapse in cuneate nucleus for information on which body region

A

Upper body

37
Q

Dorsal columns secondary neurons – axon crosses over and ascends as what

A

Medial lemniscus

38
Q

Dorsal columns secondary neurons – where is cell body

A

In gracile or cuneate nucleus

39
Q

Dorsal columns secondary neurons – where do they synapse

A

Crosses over to synapse in thalamus

40
Q

Dorsal columns tertiary neurons – cell body is where

A

Ventral posterior lateral nucleus of the thalamus

41
Q

Dorsal columns tertiary neurons – axon where

A

In internal capsule/corona radiata

42
Q

Dorsal columns tertiary neurons – synapse where

A

Primary somatosensory cortex

43
Q

Where is the dorsal column system in the spinal cord

A

Cervical

44
Q

In the upper medulla what switches

A

In images, the right side will carry info from left side of the body

45
Q

Where is the dorsal column system in the cortex?

A

Primary somatosensory cortex

46
Q

Dorsal column primary neurons – axon where

A

Posterior spinal cord

47
Q

Corticospinal tract descending tract

A

Sends info about conscious motor control from brain to body

48
Q

Corticospinal tract primary neurons – cell body where

A

In motor cortex

49
Q

Corticospinal tract primary neurons – synapse where

A

Ventral horn

50
Q

Corticospinal tract secondary neurons – cell body where

A

In spinal cord

51
Q

Corticospinal tract secondary neurons – synapse where

A

On muscle

52
Q

Where do primary neurons decussate (dorsal tract)

A

In the medulla

53
Q

Primary motor cortex is where in reference to the sensory cortex

A

Anterior (rostral) to sensory cortex

54
Q

Axon of primary neuron travels first where then where

A

Corona radiate
Internal capsule

55
Q

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the midbrain

A

Cerebral peduncles

56
Q

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the pons

A

Ventral part

57
Q

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the upper and lower medulla

A

Pyramids

58
Q

Axon of the primary neuron crosses where (corticospinal tract)

A

In the lowest medulla

59
Q

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the corticospinal tract

A

Lateral corticospinal tract

NRSC 2249 Cog Neuro (8 decks)

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