Neuroanatomy Flashcards
What is a neurone
The most basic functional unit of the nervous system
Where are neurones found
- Brain
- Spinal cord
- Peripheries
What is the nervous system split into
- Central
2. Peripheral
What is the central nervous system made up of
The brain and spinal cord
What is the peripheral nervous system made up of
- Somatic
2. Autonomic
What does the somatic nervous system do
Controls external actions of skin and muscles
What doe sth autonomic nervous system do
Controls internal activities of organs and glands
What is the autonomic peripheral nervous system split into
- Sympathetic
2. Parasympathetic
What is the sympathetic nervous system also described as
Fight or flight
What is the parasympathetic nervous system also described as
Rest and digest
Name to 2 types of matter found in the brain and spinal cord
White
Grey
What is grey matter made up of
Nerve cell bodies
What is white matter made up of
Nerve axons
What other words do we sometimes use to describe grey matter
Nuclei (CNS)
Ganglia
Give examples of words we can use to describe a group of nerve axons
Fascles
Lemincus
Pathway
Tract
What is a gyrus
Fold
What is a sulcus in the brain
Groove h
What can be found in the gyri
Grey matter
Name the different parts of the brain
- Cerebral hemisphere
- Cerebellum
- The brain stem
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Corpus callous
What is the role of the cerebellum
Co ordinates movement and plays a role in balance
What is the brain stem made up of
- Midbrain
- Pons
- Medulla
What is the role of the thalamus
It an important relay station where sensory information is received from the body and the thalamus decides where the information goes
What is the role of the hypothalamus
Plays a role in maintaining autonomic function (homeostasis)
Describe the corpus callosum
It is an area of white matter fibres that connects the left and right hemisphere
When looking at an inferior view of the brain what can we see
12 pairs of cranial nerves
What so the cranial nerves do
They supply the head and neck region
What makes cranial nerve 1 and 2 different to the other cranial nerves
They are extensions of the forebrain whereas 3-12 are extension of the brainstem
Name cranial nerve V
Trigeminal nerve
Where does the trigeminal nerve arise from
The pons
What system is present in the brain and what does this system describe
The ventricular system which describes spaces found in the brain
Name the different ventricles found In the brain
- Lateral ventricle
- Third ventricle
- Fourth ventricle
Where is the lateral ventricle found
In both hemispheres
Where is the third ventricle found
Between the thalamus in each hemisphere
Where is the 4th ventricle found
In the brainstem (posterior to the brainstem and anterior to the cerebellum)
Why is the ventricular system so important
As it is where production and circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid happens
What is the cerebrospinal fluid
It is a specialised fluid that bathes the structures of the central nervous system
What does the Cerebrospinal fluid act as
- Shock absorber
- adds buoyancy to the spinal cord and brain
- Acts as a medium to remove case products
What is the 4th ventricle continuous with
The central canal of the spinal cord
How many spinal cord segments are there?
31
What is the spinal cord split into
- 8 Cervical
- 12 Thoracic
- 5 Lumbar
- 5 Sacral
- 1 Coccygeal
How many cervical spinal cord segments are there?
8
C1-C8
How many Thoracic spinal cord segments are there?
12
T1-T12
How many Lumbar spinal cord segments are there?
5
L1-L5
How many Sacral spinal cord segments are there?
5
S1-S5
How many Coccygeal spinal cord segments are there?
1
Co1
What is the spinal cord protected by
The vertebrae of the body
What does each spinal cord segment give rise to
1 pair of spinal nerves
How many spinal nerves do we have in total
62 (31 pairs)
What is the spinal nerves system called
Peripheral nervous system
What is the cranial nerve system called
Central nervous system
How do we describe spinal nerves
As mixed nerves as they have both sensory and motor fibres
Sensory fibres are also known as
Afferent fibres
What is an afferent fibre
A fibre going from the body to the CNS
Motor fibres are also known as
Efferent fibres
What is an efferent fibre
A fibre going from the CNS to the body
Name some important sulci we should be aware of
- Central sulcus
- Lateral sulcus
- Parieto-occipital sulucs
- Calcarine sulcus
- Cingulate sulcus
Name different lobes found in the brain
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Temporal lobe
- Occipital lobe
- Limbic lobe
What does the central sulci do
It divides the frontal lobe anteriorly from the parietal lobe posteriorly
What does the lateral sulci do
It divides the frontal+parietal lobe superiorly from the temporal lobe inferiorly
What is the frontal lobe known as
The motor cortex
What is the frontal lobe in charge of
Planning, judgement and behaviour
What is the parietal lobe known as
The sensory cortex
What is the parietal lobe in charge of
Language and comprehension
Spatial orientation
What is the temporal lobe known as
The auditory cortex
What is the temporal lobe in charge of
Regulating emotion and memory
What is the occipital lobe known as
Visual cortex
What does the Parieto-occipital sulucs do
It divides the parietal lobe from the occipital lobe
What does the limbic lobe do
Important for memory and emotion
what is the cerebral cortex further subdivided into
- Primary projection areas
- Association areas
- Lateralisation of function
What is the primary projection area split into
Sensory and motor
what does the sensory primary projection area describe
Area where specific sensory pathways terminate
What does the motor primary projection area describe
Where the major descending motor pathways originate
What do we mean by association areas of the cerebral cortex
The rest of the cerebral area that does not fall into the primary projection areas
Name some gyri we should be aware of
- Precentral gyrus
- Postcentral gyrus
- Hechl gyrus
What is found just anteriorly to the central sulcus
Precentral gyrus
What is the precentral gyrus
It is the primary motor cortex
Why is the precental gyrus significant
It is the area where key motor fibre pathways originate (primary motor cortex)
What is found posterior to the central sulcus
Postcentral gyrus
What is the post central gyrus
The primary somatosensory area
Why is the post central gyrus significant
It is the area where what we feel is brought to awareness
What do we find at the top of the temporal lobe
Hechl gyrus
What is the Hechl Gyrus also known as
The primary auditory cortex
What is found above and below the Calcarine sulcus
The primary visual cortex
What can happen if we have a lesion in our precentral gyrus
Can lead to Paralysis
What can happen if we have a lesion in our post central gyrus
Can lead to loss of sensation
What can happen if we have a lesion in hechls gyrus
can lead to deafness
What can happen if we have a lesion in our primary visual cortex
Can lead to blindness
How are the pre post central gyri organised
In a somatotopic way
What do we mean by somatotopic organisation
Every area of the body is given a different part of the pre and post central gyri
Some body parts may have a bigger part
Why do some parts of the body have a larger corresponding space on the pre and post central gyri
Due to variation in the number of nerve endings in different areas the body
EG hands have a lot of nerve endings so have a larger portion of the gyri
Which parts of the body are most sensory sensitive
- Hands
- Lips
- Tongue
What do sensory fibres need to pass before they can reach the post central gyrus
Must pass the spinal cod to the thalamus before reaching the post central gyrus
What do association areas surround
The primary areas
Name the different association areas
- Motor association
- Frontal eye field
- Somatosensory association
- Visual association
- Auditory association
What surrounds the pre central gyrus
Motor association area
What does the motor association area do
Starts the planning of the how we might perform a certain movement or action
What is found in the motor association area
The frontal eye field
What is the significance of the frontal eye field
It plans the movement of our eyes
What surrounds the post central gyrus
Somatosensory association area
What does the somatosensory association area do
Gives meaning to the somatosensory information we receive from the body
What does the visual association area do
It gives meaning to the visual information we receive
What can damage to the secondary sensory areas lead to
Disorders fo understanding- Agnosia
What happens in agnosia
Awareness of the sensation remains but significance of the sensation is lost so we can’t differentiate sensations
What can damage to the secondary motor areas lead to
Inability to carry out purposive movements although there is no paralysis- apraxia
What happens in apraxia
Leads to inability to perform learned movements
What is the general association cortex involved in
Involved in more complex aspects of behavioural and intellectual functioning
Name soem geral association cortexes
- Prefrontal cortex
2. Parieto temporal cortex
What does the prefrontal cortex do
- Regulates moods and feelings
- Involved in higher cognitive function
- Conceptulisation, planning and judgement
What does the Pareto-temporal cortex do
- Integrates information of different modalities
2. Involved in memory
What does cerebral dominance refer to
Having a dominant hemisphere that houses the areas specialised for linguistic function
Which hemisphere is usually the dominant one
In right handed people the left
What can cerebral dominance also be referred as
Lateralisation of function
What is agnosia
Disorders of understanding
What is apraxia
The inability to carry out purposive movements when paralysis haste occurred
what is apraxia caused by
Damage to secondary motor areas
Name the areas of the Brain specialised fo linguistic function
- Wernicke’s area
2. Broca’s area
What is Wernicke’s area in charge of
Understanding written and spoken language
the sensory and receptive aspects of language
What is Wernicke’s area also called
The posterior area
Where is Broca’s area found and what is it also referred to as
In the frontal lobe
also known as the anterior area
What is Broca’s area in charge of
Motor or expressive aspects of language
In charge of production and vocalisation of sound
What can damage to any of the linguistic areas of the brain lead to
Aphasia:
Inability to understand language
OR
Inability to correctly articulate speech
An inability to understand language is referred to as
Wernicke’s aphasia
An inability to correctly articulate speech is referred to as
Broca’s aphasia
