Neuro 1 Flashcards
What is the fax cerebri
A fold of euro matter separating the L/R hemispheres
What is the fold of dura mater found between the cerebellum and cerebrum?
Tentorium cerebelli
What is grey matter?
- Surface of cerebral cortex
- Cell Bodies
- Associated with processing and cognition
What is white matter
- Bulk of cerebrum (deeper than grey matter)
- Glial cells and myelinated axons
What separates the two hemispheres?
Longitudinal Fissure
Explain the concept of dominance
One hemisphere has greater control over some neurological functions than the other.
Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas only in dominant hemisphere
What is the dorsal brainstem
Tectum
What is the ventral brainstem?
Tegmentum
What does the pineal gland secrete?
Melatonin (circadian rhythm)
What is a fontanelle?
2 areas at either end of sagittal suture where other sutures meet
What supplies the medial surface of the brain?
Anterior Carotid Artery
What supplies the lateral surface of the brain?
Middle Carotid Artery
What supplies the posterior surface of the brain?
Posterior carotid artery
Where does the fall cerebra attach anteriorly?
Crista galli
Where does the superior sagittal sinus run?
In the attachment of the fall cerebri to cranial cavity roof
Where does the inferior sagittal sinus run?
Free border of fall cerebri
Where does the straight sinus run?
Attachment between falx cerebri and tentorium cerebelli
What sinuses form the convergence of sinuses?
Superior sagittal, Straight, Transverse
What on from the transverse sinus?
Sigmoid Sinus
What 3 layers is the blood brain barrier made up of?
Astrocyte foot processes
Basement membrane
Capillary epithelium
What is a Berry aneurysm?
A sac forming at a bifurcation of arteries
What is a stroke?
Where blood fails to reach a portion of the brain for long enough to cause damage
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
Headache Muscle weakness / paralysis Speech disturbances Sensory problems Memory loss Confusion FAST
What are the risk factors for a stroke?
High BP
Diabetes
High cholesterol
Family History
What is a TIA?
Transient Ischaemic Attack
Minutes/hour long mini stroke
Could be sign of actual stroke
What joins the body and transverse process of a vertebral bone?
Pedicle
What joins the spinous process and transverse process of a vertebral bone?
Lamina
How many of each vertebrae are there?
7 cervical 12 thoracic 5 lumbar 5 sacrum (fused) Coccyx
What are the differences between the vertebrae?
Cervical - three openings or foramina, the vertebral foramina and two transverse foramina; C1 no body; C2 has superior projection; C2 to C6 projection is a vertebrae known as the bifid spinous process.
Thoracic - larger, downwards pointing spinous processes, circular shaped vertebral foramina
Lumbar - largest, triangular vertebral foramina
What are the 2 main parts of the intervertebral discs?
Nucleus pulposus - hydrated gel with proteoglycan, collagen, cartilage cells.
Annulus fibrosus - surrounds nucleus, 10-12 concentric layers of collagen.
What is the conus medullaris?
Lower part of the spinal cord, tapered
Where does the spinal cord end?
L1/2
What is the film terminale?
A projection of Pia mater extending from the coonus medullairs to the coccyx
What is the caudal equina?
Bundle of spinal nerves L2-5 and S1-5
What do the dorsal and ventral horns of grey matter carry?
Dorsal - sensory (terminations)
Ventral - motor (cell bodies)
What do the dorsal lateral and ventral columns of the white matter carry?
Ascending and descending tracts
What are the anterior spinal arteries a branch of?
The vertebral arteries (circle of Willis)
What do the paired posterior spinal arteries arise from?
The posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (PICA) of circle of Willis
How many spinal nerves are there?
31 bilateral paired
Where are the cell bodies of motor neurone in the spinal cord?
Ventral horn
Where do the spinal nerves leave the intervertebral foramen?
C1-7: above each vertebra
C8: from foramen between C7 and T1
Subsequent arise from below respective vertebra
Why is the caudal equina formed?
Spinal cord gets shorter than vertebrae - gets increasingly superior to foramen
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
Initiation of movement Personality Higher intellect / conscious thought Social Conduct Mood Language
What is the temporal lobe responsible for?
Auditory processing
Memory
Language
Olfactory processing
What is the parietal lobe responsible for?
Sensory processing (most)
What is the occipital lobe responsible for?
Visual processing
What is the primary motor cortex?
Pre-central gyrus in frontal lobe.
Fibres extend down via internal capsule.
Contains Betz cells
What are Betz cells?
Giant pyramidal neurone cells found in fifth layer of grey matter in primary motor cortex
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex?
Post-central gyrus in parietal lobe
What is the motor and sensory homunculi?
A distorted representation of the human body, based on a neurological “map” of the areas and proportions of the human brain dedicated to processing motor functions, or sensory functions, for different parts of the body.
What is Broca’s area?
And how can you characterise damage to this area?
A region of the brain concerned with the production of speech, located in the cortex of the dominant frontal lobe.
Damage to this area is characterized by hesitant and fragmented speech with little grammatical structure.