Major Brain Structures Flashcards
List the lobes of the cerebral cortex
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Occipital lobe
- Temporal lobe
Frontal lobe
Impulse control, cognitive flexibility, risk/reward processing, judgment, language, memory, motor function, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization and spontaneity, attention
Parietal lobe
Integrating sensory information and manipulation of objects
Occipital lobe
Processing of local orientation, spatial-frequency and colour properties
Temporal lobe
Speech/language functions (predominantly in left hemisphere), audition, episodic memory, visual processing, object recognition, face recognition
List 5 specific regions of the cerebral cortex
- Pyriform cortex
- Prefrontal cortex
- Entorhinal cortex
- Cingulate cortex (cingulate gyrus)
- Motor cortex
Pyriform cortex
Critical role in olfaction. Analogous to association cortex of other senses. Links olfactory components with other brain functions.
Prefrontal cortex
Critical role in regulation of cognitive processes such as working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control
Entorhinal cortex
Involved with the medial temporal lobe memory system; has many reciprocal connections with cortical and subcortical regions.
Cingulate cortex (cingulate gyrus)
Involved in the generation of emotional responses. In the past, this was a common target area for lobotomy in psychiatric patients.
Motor cortex
Divided into primary motor cortex, premotor cortex and the supplementary motor area. These areas work together to plan and execute movements.
Commissures (function + list 4 major ones)
Allow for communication between left and right hemispheres
- Corpus callosum
- Hippocampal commissure
- Posterior commissure
- Anterior commissure
Corpus callosum
The main bridge for communication between hemispheres
Hippocampal commissure
A small portion of each fornix crosses here
Posterior commissure
Made up of fibres originating mainly from thalamic nuclei
Anterior commissure
Part of the olfactory tract crosses here
Ventricles (function + list 3 major ones)
Interconnected fluid-filled cavities that produce cerebrospinal fluid, which then act to cushion and protect the brain and spinal cord.
- Lateral ventricles
- Third ventricle
- Fourth ventricle
Lateral ventricles
Found in forebrain; neurons are produced here during development and in adulthood
Third ventricle
Found in midbrain
Fourth ventricle
Found in hindbrain
List the telencephalon (cerebrum) structures
- All of the cerebral cortex is part of the cerebrum
- Olfactory bulb
- Hippocampus/Hippocampal formation
- Basal ganglia
- Amygdala
Olfactory bulb
Important component of olfactory system; analogous to primary cortex of the other senses; extracts different components of odours and then passes this information on to the pyriform cortex.
Hippocampus/Hippocampal formation (general function)
A memory centre in the brain; responsible for spatial memory and navigation, and some types of non-spatial memory such as contextual memory and episodic memory. Damage to this structure produces both retrograde and anterograde amnesia.
What are the subregions of the hippocampus?
- Dentate gyrus
- Cornu ammonis
- Subiculum
* Each region may play a different role in memory processing, and their unique functions are an area of active research in neuroscience
Dentate gyrus
Subregion of the hippocampus; primarily made up of granule cells (excitatory) and basket cells (inhibitory). One of the few regions that adult neurogenesis (birth of new neurons) occurs. Neurogenesis in this region has been suggested to play a role in depression.
Cornu ammonis
Subregion of the hippocampus; primarily pyramidal cells
Subiculum
Subregion of the hippocampus; mostly pyramidal cells
Basal ganglia (general function)
A set of nuclei crucial for voluntary motor functions, behavioural routines (including procedural learning and addiction), and plays a role in cognition and emotion.
List 4 specific structures of the basal ganglia
- Caudate nucleus
- Putamen
- Nucleus accumbens
- Globus pallidus
Caudate nucleus
Structure of the basal ganglia; together with the putamen, forms the dorsal striatum. This region is important for voluntary movement.
Putamen
Structure of the basal ganglia; receives input from sensory and motor areas and projects to globus pallidus. Important for some types of reinforcement and motor learning.