Neuroanatomy Flashcards
What spinal level does the spinal cord end in children and adults, the subarachnoid space end?
Spinal cord: Adults L1/L2, Children L3
Subarachnoid space:
What are the spinal levels of the cervical and lumbosacral enlargement?
Cervical C4-T1 Lumbosacral (L2-S3) (roughly the level of the brachial plexus (C5-T1) and the lumbosacral plexus
Is the epidural space in the spinal cord true? How many layers of dura are on the spinal cord?
yes…vs. brain it is a potential space
One layer of dura continuous with the meningeal dura of the brain.
Which space are the spinal vessels suspended in?
The subarachnoid space, which is also filled with CSF. The posterior paired vessels supply the posterior 1/3 of the cord including the PCML. The anterior artery supplies the anterior 2/3
What meningeal covering is the filum terminale a part of?
pia
Which spinal levels have more grey matter in the cord? Which have more white matter?
Cervical and lumbar have more gray matter because they innervate the limbs, so extra cell bodies. More white matter as you move rostrally.
How many spinal nerves are there?
31
What spinal levels are SNS? PNS?
SNS: T1-L2 PNS: S2-S4
Where is the spinothalamic tract? What information does it carry? How many neurons does it involve?
In the anterolateral part of the lateral column. It carries crude touch, pain and temperature. It is a three neuron tract with cell bodies in the DRG, the subtantia gelatinosa and the thalamus
How does temperature information get from the skin to the brain?
Sensory neuron (cell body in DRG) enters the cord in Lissauer’s fasciculus, travels up/down 1-2 levels, synapses with another neuron in the substantia gelatinosa (dorsal horn) then this new neuron crosses over in the anterior white commisure and enters the spinothalamic tract. This goes up to the thalamus (ventral posterolateral (VPL)), synapses in the thalamus then goes to the post-central gyrus
Which nerve endings convey touch?
Meissner’s corpuscles (papillary dermis- light touch) Pacinian corpuscles (reticular dermis-deep pressure and vibration) Ruffini endings Merkel endings (stratum basal- vibration)
Define nucleus
A discrete collection of cell bodies within the CNS
How does light touch and proprioception information get to the brain?
Sensory neurons (cell body in DRG) from lower limb enter the fasciulatus gracile (more medial) and the upper limb enter the fasciculatus cuneate (more lateral). Travel up the spinal cord and synapse in the cuneate and gracile nuclei of the medulla. Cross over (decussate) as internal arcuate fibers then. Move up through the medial lemniscus of pons. Synapse in the ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus, continue on to the post-central gyrus
What is somatotopic organization and what are the general principles?
Somatotropic organization is essentially where the fibres from one part of the body travel in the spinal cord.
Cervical fibres are always closest to the gray matter.
Fibers entering (sensory) first are more medial (makes sense, like seven-layer dip)
Fibers exiting (motor) first are closer to gray (doesn’t make sense…but take those motor fibers and turn that seven-layer dip upside down…but sorta makes sense because dem axons have to get into the anterior horn and synapse first.)
What are the two different parts of the corticospinal tract and what does each part do?
Anterior CST: postural Lateral CST: limb movements
What is the blood supply of the corticospinal tract?
both anterior and posterior spinal arteries
What does the cavity of the neural tube develop into?
The ventricles
Are cranial nerves part of the CNS or PNS?
PNS
Where does the CNS make its 90 degree bend, and what does that mean for orientation?
At the midbrain-diencephalon junction.

What is the spacing of the ventricles in the anterior vs. posterior forebrain?
They are wider apart in the anterior then move close in the posterior pole
What are the parts of the CNS?
- Forebrain
- Telencephalon: Cerebrum (cortex, basal ganglia etc..)
- Diencephalon: thalamus, hypothalmus, subthalamus
- Midbrain
- Brain stem
- Cerebellum
- Pons
- Medulla
- Spinal cord
What fissures separate the cerebral lobes? What spearates the occipital lobe?
Hemispheres from each other: longitudinal fissure
Frontal from temporal and parietal: central sulcus
Temporal from parietal + frontal : lateral sulcus (AKA Sylvian fissure)
Parietal from occipital: parieto-occipital sulcus (AKA transverse occipital fissure)
Limbic (AKA cingulate gyrus) from rest: cingulate sulcus
Calcarine fissure: splits occipital into superior (cuneate) and inferior (lingual) lobes
Where are:
- Midbrain (tectum, colliculi, cerebral peduncles, interpeduncular fossa, mammilary bodies)
- Pons (superior, inferior and middle cerebellar peduncles)
- Medullar (pyramids, olives, pyramidal decussation, fasciculus gracilis and cuneate, nucleus gracillis and cuneate)
- Cerebellum (hemispheres, peduncles, vermis)

What is the internal capsule? How to recognize it on an horizontal section? What structures does it run between?
A tract containing the corticospinal tract. These fibers come from the precentral gyrus (gray matter), into the corona radiata (white matter) then course lateral to the thalamus and caudate nucleus but medial to the putamen and globus pallidum. They look like a V on a horizontal section. The internal capsule contains 3 parts: anterior, genu and posterior.












































































































