Neuro Part 2 Flashcards
Describe the structures on the dorsal brainstem in order from rostral to caudal.
- pineal body
- superior colliculi
- inferior colliculi
- superior cerebellar peduncles
- middle cerebellar peduncles
What is the role of the pineal gland?
it is involved in melatonin secretion according to circadian rhythms
What is the function of the superior colliculi?
it is the conjugate vertical gaze center
What is the function of the inferior colliculi?
it is a relay station for auditory information
What is Parinaud syndrome?
paralysis of the conjugate vertical tase due to lesions of the superior colliculi (e.g. stroke, hydrocephalus, pinealoma)
Which cranial nerves are organized more medially and which are located more laterally?
- medial: motor nuclei
- lateral: sensory nuclei
Which cranial nerve nuclei are in the midbrain?
CN III and IV
Which cranial nerve nuclei are in the pons?
CN V, VI, VII, and VIII
Which cranial nerve nuclei are in the medulla?
CN IX, X, XII
Which cranial nerve nuclei are in the spinal cord?
CN XI
What is the cribriform plate?
the medial portion of the anterior cranial fossa though which olfactory nerves extend
What is the optic canal?
a foramen in the middle cranial fossa (sphenoid bone) through which CN II and the ophthalmic artery pass
What is the superior orbital fissure?
a foramen in the middle cranial fossa through which CN III, IV, V1, and VI pass
What is the foramen rotundum?
a foramen in the middle cranial fossa through which CN V2 passes
What is the foramen ovale?
a foramen in the middle cranial fossa through which CN V3 passes
What is the foramen spinous?
a foramen just behind the sphenoid in the middle cranial fossa through which the middle meningeal artery passes
What is the internal auditory meatus?
a foramen in the posterior cranial fossa through which CN VII and VIII pass
What is the jugular foramen?
a foramen lateral to the foramen magnum and hypoglossal canal in the posterior cranial fossa through which CN IX, X, and XI pass
What is the hypoglossal canal?
a foramen in the posterior cranial fossa, just lateral to the foramen magnum, through which CN XII passes
What is the foramen magnum?
a foramen in the posterior cranial fossa through which the brainstem extends
What is the function of CN III?
- most eye movements and eyelid opening by action of the elevator palpebrae via the oculomotor nucleus
- parasympathetic innervation of the eye (accommodation and pupillary constriction) via the Edinger-Westphal nucleus
What is the function of CN IV?
control of the superior oblique muscle of the eye
What is the function of CN V?
control muscles of mastication, somatosensation from the anterior ⅔ of the tongue, and facial sensation
What is the function of CN VI?
control of the lateral rectus muscle of the eye
What is the function of CN VII?
facial movement, taste from the anterior ⅔ of the tongue, lacrimation, salivation (submandibular and sublingual glands), eyelid closing (orbicularis oculi), auditory volume modulation (stapedius)
What is the function of CN VIII?
hearing and balance
What is the function of CN IX?
- taste and sensation from the posterior ⅓ tongue
- swallowing and salivation of the parotid gland
- monitoring the carotid body and sinus chemo-/baroreceptors
- elevation of the pharynx and larynx via the stylopharyngeus
What is the function of CN X?
- taste from the supraglottic region
- swallowing
- soft palate elevation
- midline uvula
- talking
- coughing
- parasympathetics to the thoracoabdominal viscera
- monitoring aortic arch chemo- and baroreceptors
What is the function of CN XI?
head turning and shoulder shrugging via motor innervation of the SCM and trapezius
What is the function of CN XII?
tongue movement
What are the three vagal nuclei?
- nucleus solitarius
- nucleus ambiguus
- dorsal motor nucleus
What is the function of the nucleus solitarius and what cranial nerves contribute?
- it is a purely sensory vagal nucleus in the medulla
- processes primarily taste and some other visceral sensory information (e.g. taste, baroreceptors, gut distention)
- CN VII, IX, and X contribute
What is the function of the nucleus ambiguus and what cranial nerves does it contribute to?
- a motor nucleus that innervates the soft palate, larynx, pharynx, and upper esophagus
- located in the medulla
- functions in swallowing and speech
- contributes to CN IX, X, and XI
What is the function of the dorsal motor nucleus and what cranial nerves contribute?
- a cranial nerve in the medulla
- sends parasympathetic fibers to the heart, lungs, and upper GI tract
- contributes to the CN X
Describe the corneal reflex.
- initiated by touching the cornea with a cotton swab
- afferent: V1
- efferent: VII to the orbiculares oculi to initiate a blink
Describe the lacrimation reflex.
- initiated by irritation of the eye
- afferent: V1
- efferent: VII elicits lacrimation
- even if dysfunction, you may see emotional tears
Describe the jaw jerk reflex.
- a stretch reflex in which the mandible is tapped downward just below the lips while the mouth is slightly open
- normally the master muscles pull the mandible upward only slightly or not at all
- damage to upper motor neurons, however, cause this reflex to be very pronounced
- afferent: V3 (muscle spindle)
- efferent: V3 (motor)
Describe the pupillary reflex.
- afferent: CN II
- efferent: CN III
- shining a light in the eye should elicit constriction of the pupil
Describe the gag reflex.
- afferent: CN IX
- efferent: CN X
- normal response is reflex contraction of the back of the throat in response to touching the roof of the mouth in the back of the throat
What does a direct pupillary response without consensual response indicate?
that it isn’t a sensory problem in the direct eye, but rather a deficit in the connection between the left and right pathway
What would signify a CN V motor lesion.
deviation of the jaw to the side of the lesion
What would signify a CN X lesion?
the uvula deviates away from the side of the lesion
What would signify a CN XI lesion?
weakness when turning the head to the contralateral side with shoulder droop on the ipsilateral side
What would signify a CN XII lesion?
the tongue would deviate toward the side of the lesion
What are the muscles of mastication? Do they open or close the jaw?
- masseter and temporalis close the jaw
- medial pterygoid opens the jaw
The muscles of mastication are innervated by what nerve?
CN V3
Describe the corticobulbar tract.
- upper motor neurons form the corticobulbar tract and decussate in the genu of the internal capsule
- they project to LMNs located in the contralateral facial nucleus
- LMNs are divided into an upper division and lower division
- LMNs in the upper division receive ipsilateral input as well as contralateral
Damage to the facial nucleus or CN VII leads to what deficits?
- ipsilateral paralysis of the upper and lower muscles of facial expression (UMNs have already decussated)
- ipsilateral hyperacusis (loss of stapedius muscle function)
- ipsilateral loss of taste on the anterior ⅔ of the tongue
What is the stapedius muscle?
- a muscle, innervated by CN VII, in the middle ear which serves to dampen oscillation and control volume
- damage to the facial nucleus or CN VII, then, results in hyperacusis
Bell’s Palsy
- an idiopathic clinical syndrome caused by a peripheral CN VII lesion
- similar syndromes can be caused by Lyme disease, herpes simplex, and herpes zoster
- treat with corticosteroids and acyclovir; most patients have gradual recovery
What virus is known for causing Bell’s palsy?
herpes simplex
What are the cavernous sinuses?
a collection of venous sinuses on either side of the pituitary, which drains into the internal jugular vein
Cavernous Sinus Syndrome
- caused by a pituitary tumor mass effect, carotid-cavernous fistula, or cavernous sinus thrombosis related to infection
- compresses some combination of CNs III, IV, V1, V2, VI, and post-ganglionic sympathetic pupillary fibers en route to the orbit
- presents with variable ophthalmoplegia, reduced corneal sensation, Horner syndrome, and occasional decreased maxillary sensation
- CN VI is most susceptible to injury
Sympathetic stimulation to the eye runs through which cranial nerve?
V1
What is the order of the ossicles in the middle ear?
- malleus
- incus
- stapes
What is the purpose of the middle ear ossicles?
conduct and amplify sound
What is the function of inner and outer hair cells?
- inner cells transduce sound as their hair cells are displaced by movement against the tectorial membrane
- outer cells modify basilar membrane movement to fine tune hearing
What is the function of the basilar membrane?
it vibrates secondary to sound waves and moves inner hair cell cilia against the tectorial membrane
Describe the tonotopy of the basilar membrane.
- low frequency sounds vibrate the basilar membrane best at the apex where it is wide and flexible
- high frequency sounds vibrate the basilar membrane best at the base, near the stapes, where it is thin and rigid
Describe the Rinne test.
- air conduction should be better than bone conduction
- so the test begins with the tuning fork against the mastoid bone and then is moved to beside the ear when the patient can no longer hear it pressed against the mastoid
- if the patient can’t hear the tuning fork after it is moved, this indicates their bone conduction is better than air conduction; this indicates conductive hearing loss
- if the patient can hear the tuning fork after it is moved, this indicates air conduction is still better; this indicates sensorineural hearing loss
Describe the Weber test.
- a tuning fork is placed in the center of the head and the patient is asked which side the sound is better on
- if it localizes to the affected ear, this indicates a conductive hearing loss
- if it localizes to the unaffected ear, this indicates a sensorineural hearing loss
Describe the innervation of inner and outer hair cells in the ear.
- inner cells contact several afferents
- outer cells are innervated by efferents which change their shape to modify tuning
Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss can be localized where? Why is this?
- it is due to a lesion in the cochlear nucleus or more distally
- above this level, there is bilateral input and hearing loss would be bilateral
What frequency of hearing is lost first in response to noise damage?
high frequency
What is a cholesteatoma and what are the major complications?
an overgrowth of desquamated keratin debris within the middle ear space, which may erode ossicles or mastoid air cells and contribute to conductive hearing loss
The ciliary body is connected to the lens by what?
zonular fibers
What is the posterior chamber of the eye?
the area between the iris and lens
Describe the sympathetic innervation of the eye.
- a1 receptors are expressed by the dilator pupillae muscle
- B1 receptors are expressed by the non pigmented epithelium of the ciliary body and induce aqueous humor production
- sympathetics stimulate dilation of the pupil, flattening of the lens for far sight, and production of aqueous humor
Describe the parasympathetic innervation of the eye.
- M3 receptors are expressed by the sphincter pupillae muscle
- M3 receptors are also expressed by the ciliary body and induce constriction
- parasympathetics, then, stimulate constriction of the pupil, rounding of the lens for near sight, and drainage fo aqueous humor through the canal of Schlemm
What is hyperopia?
- essentially the eye is too short for the refractive power of the cornea and lens, so light is focused behind the retina
- aka far sightedness
What is myopia?
- essentially the eye is too long for the refractive power of the cornea and lens, so light is focused in front of the retina
- aka near sightedness
What is astigmatism?
an abnormal curvature of the cornea which leads to different refractive powers at different axes