Limbic system

Question 1

What is the limbic system, where in the brain is it found?

Answer 1

Group of cortical + subcortical nuclei

found on the medial aspect of the frontal, parietal + temporal lobes

Question 2

Which artery supplies the limbic cortex, frontal + parietal lobes?

Answer 2

Anterior cerebral

Question 3

Which artery supplies the limbic cortex + temporal lobe?

Answer 3

Posterior cerebral

Question 4

Which parts of the brain make up the limbic cortex in the frontal + parietal lobes?

Answer 4

Orbito-frontal cortex

Cingulate cortex

Question 5

What does the limbic system do?

Answer 5

• mediates sense of reward
• mediates sense fo unhappiness or misery
• involved in memory and learning
• also involved in emotion

Question 6

What is a cingulotomy?

Answer 6

Procedure of cutting into the anterior cingulate gyrus to disprupt fibres passing rostrocaudally (reduce the emotional stress of pain)

**ACC is activated during experiences of pain/feeling os misery or depression

Question 7

What is the role of the orbitofrontal cortex?

Answer 7

Associated with behaviour when a threat is anticipated - causes actions to avoid pain

Question 8

What is the function of the posterior cingulate cortex?

Answer 8

gives an emotional significance to memories

Question 9

What is the function of the parahippocampal gyrus? Where is the parahippocampal gyrus found?

Answer 9

acquisition of new memories

found medially and inferiorly in temporal lobe

Question 10

What is Papez’s circuit?

Answer 10

How information travels

ACC –> parahippocampal gyrus –> hippocampus –> mamillary body (hypothalamus) –> ant thalamus –> ACC

Question 11

Wha is anterograde amnesia?

Answer 11

Inability to convert new experiences into long term memories
often arises as a result of hippocampal damage

Question 12

What is Kluver-Bucy syndrome?

Answer 12

found that removal of the tips of the temporal lobes in rhesus monkeys resulted in a loss of fear –> due to bilateral removal of the amygdala

Question 13

Where is the amygdala found? What is its function?

Answer 13

Embedded in the entorhinal (olfactory) cortex - anterior medial temporal lobe

Continuously analyses sensory input to the brain
sends commands to the hypothalamus –> RF –> reticulospinal tract = activation of SNS

Question 14

What is the result of damage to the amygdala?

Answer 14

reduced ability to recognise emotions in others

Question 15

Where are the septal nuclei found?

Answer 15

lie at the base of the septum pellucidum + merge into the basal nucleus (of Meynert)

Question 16

What is the nucleus accumbens? What is its function?

Answer 16

Anatomically part of the basal ganglia
Functionally part of the limbic system
- part of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway

Initiates and terminates behaviours that activate reward pathways