Neuroanatomy Flashcards
Cerebrum
“Thinking portion” of brain; most complex cognitive functions
Brainstem
Automatic reflexes/vegetative functions (eg. breathing, heart rate)
Cerebellum
Voluntary movements, balance, coordination, posture, attention
Medulla
connects spinal cord to brainstem, regulates vital functions such as heart rate, breathing, and blood
pressure
Pons
attachment between cerebellum and rest of central nervous system
Midbrain
houses substantial nigra (production of dopamine)
-connect brainstem and
cerebellum, contains nuclei for cranial nerves
Basal Ganglia
Planning and modulation of movement, memory, eye
movements, reward processing, motivation
Spinal Cord
allows afferent impulses to transmit to brain & efferent from brain to body
Thalamus
relay center for sensory and motor signals
Hypothalamus
homeostasis, regulates hunger/thirst, pain/pleasure, anger/aggression
Hippocampus
responsible for new memories, emotions, and spatial navigation
Amygdala
responsible for motions, arousal and motivation
Herschl’s Gyrus
auditory processing
Angular Gyrus
involved in semantic processing, language and cognition
Frontal Lobe
language production, cognitive functions and voluntary movement, executive function
Parietal Lobe
sensation, touch, smell, taste and hearing
Temporal Lobe
language comprehension and memory
Brain Stem
breathing, temperature and heart rate
Occipital Lobe
vision and visual processing
Anterior Cerebral Artery
Blood supply to frontal & parietal lobes, basal ganglia and corpus callosum
Stroke - opposite leg weakness
Middle Cerebral Artery
Largest branch of internal carotid
- Supplies blood to broca & wernicke areas, temporal lobe and primary motor cortex
** Most often occluded in stroke
Posterior Cerebral Artery
Stem from basilar artery (in most people)
Blood supply to occipital lobes, cerebellum and inferior temporal
Sensory/Afferent
Neurons
Afferent neurons are
neurons whose axons
travel towards a
central point
Motor/Efferent
Neurons
Effernt neurons are
neurons whose axons
travel away from a
central point
Electroencephalograph
recording of the
brain’s electoral
activity at the
surface of the
skull
Computed Tomography (CT Scan)
scanning technique
using multiple Xrays to construct
three-dimensional
images
Positron emission
tomography (PET Scan)
imaging technique
that measures consumption of
glucose-like molecules, yielding a picture of neural activity in different regions of the brain
Magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI)
imaging technique that
uses a magnetic field and
computer-generated radio
waves to create detailed
images of the organs and
tissues in your body
Functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI)
measures the small
changes in blood flow
that occur with brain
activity (function of the
brain)
Thrombotic Stroke
ISCHEMIC - When a blood clot (thrombus) forms within an artery
supplying blood to the brain. The clot narrows the artery and
disrupts blood flow, leading to a lack of oxygen and nutrients for
the brain cells
Embolic Stroke
ISCHEMIC - Caused by a blood clot or other debris (embolus) that forms elsewhere in the body, then travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a smaller artery within the brain. This blockage prevents blood flow to the brain cells.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Occurs when a weakened blood vessel in the brain
ruptures and leaks blood into the surrounding brain tissue. This
type of stroke can be caused by conditions such as high blood
pressure or aneurysms.
Diencephalon
contains thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus; relays sensory information to cerebral cortex,
regulates autonomic functions, and produces hormones
