Neuroanatomy Flashcards
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Brain and Spinal Cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The parts of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord
Meninges
Protective covering of the nervous system composed of three layers: Dura Mater, Arachnoid, Pia Mater
Dura Mater
Tough outer layer of the meninges
Arachnoid
Middle web-like layer of the meninges
Pia Mater
Delicate inner layer of the meninges
Lobes of the Brain
Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Temporal Lobe, Occipital Lobe
Frontal Lobe Function
Voluntary movement (motor cortex), expressive language (broca’s area), higher level executive functions
Temporal Lobe Function
Hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language (wernicke’s area)
Parietal Lobe Function
Somatosensory Cortex
Occipital Lobe Function
Visual Cortex
Central Sulcus
Separates the Motor (frontal lobe) and Sensory (parietal lobe) Cortices
Precentral Gyrus
Precentral gyrus is on the lateral surface of each frontal lobe, anterior to the central sulcus. It runs parallel to the central sulcus and extends to the precentral sulcus. The primary motor cortex is located within the precentral gyrus and is responsible for the control of voluntary motor movement
Postcentral Gyrus
Primary somatosensory cortex and receives the majority of the somatic sensory relay information from the thalamus
Homunculus
Latin for “little man”
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
Grey Matter
Grey matter (or gray matter) makes up the outermost layer of the brain and is pinkish grey in tone, hence the name grey matter. It gets its grey tone from the high concentration of neuronal cell bodies in contains. Grey matter also contains unmyelinated axons.
White Matter
White matter is the tissue through which messages pass between different areas of grey matter within the central nervous system. The white matter is white because of the fatty substance (myelin) that surrounds the nerve fibers (axons).
Cerebellum
Latin for “little brain”
A major structure of the hindbrain that is located near the brainstem. This part of the brain is responsible for coordinating voluntary movements. It is also responsible for a number of functions including motor skills such as balance, coordination, and posture
Thalamus
The thalamus is a small structure within the brain located just above the brainstem between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain and has extensive nerve connections to both. The primary function of the thalamus is to relay motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex
Brainstem
The brainstem (or brain stem) is the posterior stalk-like part of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. In the human brain the brainstem is composed of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.
Brainstem + Cranial Nerves
Midbrain (Upper Brainstem): CN III-IV
Pons (Middle Brainstem): CN V-VIII
Medulla (Lower Brainstem): CN IX-XII
Cranial Nerve I
Olfactory Nerve
Modality: Sensory
Function: Smell
Monitored: NA
Cranial Nerve II
Optic Nerve
Modality: Sensory
Function: Vision
Monitored: VEP
Cranial Nerve III
Oculomotor Nerve
Modality: Motor
Function: Eye movement, pupillary constriction
Monitored: EMG from extraocular muscles (inferior rectus)
Cranial Nerve IV
Trochlear Nerve
Modality: Motor
Function: Eye movement
Monitored: EMG from superior oblique
Cranial Nerve V
Trigeminal Nerve
Modality: Both
Function: Facial sensation, mastication
Monitored: EMG from masseter and/or temporalis
Cranial Nerve VI
Abducens Nerve
Modality: Motor
Function: Eye movement
Monitored: EMG from lateral rectus
Cranial Nerve VII
Facial Nerve
Modality: Both
Function: Facial expression, autonomic input to salivary glands, taste to anterior 2/3 of tongue
Monitored: EMG from frontalis, orbicularis oculi, orbicularis oris, mentalis
Cranial Nerve VIII
Vestibulocochlear Nerve
Modality: Sensory
Function: Hearing and balance
Monitored: BAER
Cranial Nerve IX
Glossopharyngeal Nerve
Modality: Both
Function: Motor to stylopharyngeus, sensation to tonsils and pharynx, taste to posterior 2/3 of tongue, input to parotid gland
Monitored: EMG from soft palate
Cranial Nerve X
Vagus Nerve
Modality: Both
Function: Motor to vocal cords, parasympathetic to thoracic and abdominal viscera
Monitored: EMG from vocal cords (RLN)