Neuro Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards
What is the basal ganglia?
Collection of neuronal cell bodies buried in white matter.
What is the function of the limbic system?
Stores and retrieves processed information.
Which Brodmann’s area is the Primary motor cortex?
Area 4 frontal lobe.
What is area 44/45?
Broca’s area of motor speech. It is the inferior frontal gyrus.
What function occurs within the prefrontal cortex?
Cognitive functions of higher-order intellect, judgement, prediction and planning.
Which Brodmann’s areas make up the Primary Sensory Area?
Areas 3,1,2.
Post central gyrus.
What is the function of the Primary sensory area?
Receives general sensations from contralateral half of body.
What is the function of the superior parietal lobule?
Association area.
Interprets general sensory information and conscious awareness of contralateral half of body.
What is the function of the inferior parietal lobule?
Interface between somatosensory cortex and visual and auditory association areas.
In dominant hemisphere it also contributes to language functions.
What does a parietal lobe lesion result in?
Hemisensory neglect - defect in attention and awareness of one side of field of vision due to damage to 1 hemisphere.
Acalculia - acquired impairment where individual struggles to perform simple mathematical tasks.
Agraphia - acquired impairment where individual loses ability to communicate via writing.
Right-left agnosia - inability to process sensory information.
Which Brodmann’s areas make up the Primary auditory cortex?
Areas 41 & 42.
Superior temporal gyrus.
What is the function of the auditory association areas?
Crucial for understanding spoken word and has connections with other language areas.
Wernicke’s area in dominant hemisphere.
What is the function of the inferior surface of the temporal lobe?
Receives fibres from olfactory tract to provide the conscious appreciation of smell.
Which Brodmann’s area is the Primary Visual Cortex?
Area 17
Either side of calcarine sulcus on medial surface.
Which Brodmann’s areas make up the visual association cortex?
Areas 18 & 19
Rest of occipital lobe.
What is the function of the visual association cortex?
Interpretation of visual images.
What is the limbic lobe?
Functional area of the medial surface of cerebral hemispheres.
Involved in memory and emotional aspects of behaviour.
Includes the cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and the amygdala.
What is Aphasia?
Problem with speech due to damage to one or more speech areas within the brain.
What are the characteristics of Broca’s aphasia?
Understands speech Misses out small words Aware of their difficulty to speak Damage to frontal lobe Weakness/ paralysis on 1 side of body.
What are the characteristics of Wernicke’s aphasia?
Can't understand speech. Fluent speech with new made up words. Doesn't make sense. Unaware of mistakes in speech. Damage to temporal lobe No paralysis.
What are commisural fibres?
Myelinated axon fibres that connect corresponding areas of the 2 hemispheres. = Corpus Callosum.
What are association fibres?
Myelinated axon fibres that connect one area of cortex to the next. Can be short or long fibres.
What are projection fibres?
Myelinated axon fibres that run between cerebral cortex and various subcortical centres. Pass through corona radiata and the internal capsule.
What is the internal capsule?
White matter collection of projection fibres that pass to and from the cerebral cortex. Fibres form the corona radiata.
Lies between the thalamus and caudate nucleus medially and the lentiform nucleus laterally.
Supplied by the middle cerebral artery.
What is the basal ganglia?
Subcortical nuclei deep within each cerebral hemisphere.
What structures make up the Basal ganglia?
Caudate nucleus
Putamen
Globus Pallidus
What is the function of the basal ganglia?
Helps regulate initiation and termination of movements. Plays a role in controlling the motor system.
How is the substantia nigra related to the basal ganglia?
Both the substantia nigra and the basal ganglia have the same function, they are just anatomically separate as the substantia nigra is found in the midbrain.
What is a tract?
Fibre pathway passing through the CNS carrying a specific modality e.g pain sensation, motor fibres, touch sensation.
What are ventricles?
Spaces within the brain that contain cerebrospinal-spinal fluid.
What are the 2 major arteries that supply the brain?
Internal carotid arteries
Vertebral arteries
What is the function of the circle of willis?
Protective mechanism against vaso-occlusion of large arteries.
What area of the brain does the Anterior cerebral artery supply?
Medial aspect of cerebral hemispheres, excluding the occipital lobe.
What area of the brain does the Middle cerebral artery supply?
Lateral aspect of cerebral hemispheres?
What area of the brain does the Posterior cerebral artery supply?
Inferior aspect of cerebral hemispheres and the occipital lobe.
What is the venous drainage of the brain?
Superficial and deep veins drain into venous sinuses located in between 2 layers of dura mater. These then drain into the internal jugular vein.
What are the 3 primary vesicles?
Prosencephalon (forebrain)
Mesencephalon (midbrain)
Rhombencephalon (hindbrain)
What are the 5 secondary vesicles?
Telencephalon Diencephalon Mesencephalon Metencephalon Myelencephalon
Which structures make up the brainstem?
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla
Which cranial nerves arise from the brainstem?
Cranial nerves III - XII.
What other structures are present with the brainstem?
Spinal cord tracts and Vital centres e.g cardiorespiratory centres.
What is the function of brainstem centres?
Produce the rigidly programmed automatic behaviours essential for survival.
What are the surface features of the medulla?
Pyramids and their decussation (crossing over)
Olives that sit laterally.
Inferior cerebellar peduncle connects it to cerebellum.
Cranial nerves IX, X, XI and XII arise from its surface.
What are the surface features of the Pons?
Anterior to IV ventricle.
Middle cerebellar peduncle attaches it to cerebellum.
Cranial nerves V, VI, VII and VIII arise from its surface.
What are the surface markings of the Midbrain?
Cerebral peduncle.
Superior cerebellar peduncle connects it to cerebellum.
Corpora quadrigemina (Superior and inferior colliculus).
Cranial nerves III and IV arise from its surface.
What separates the right and left hemispheres of the cerebellum?
Vermis