Neuroanatomy Flashcards
The nervous system can be divided into…
CNS: brain and spinal cord
PNS: 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs spinal nerves and branches
What is the first structure the brain develops from?
Neural tube
What primary vesicles does the neural tube divide into? When does this occur?
Prosencephalon
Mesencephalon
Rhombencephalon
4 weeks
What secondary vesicles are formed from the primary vesicles of the brain? When does this occur?
1st and 3rd divide at 6-8 weeks:
Prosencephalon forms telencephalon and diencephalon
Mesencephalon remains the same
Rombencephalon forms melencephalon and mylencephalon
What structures of the brain evolve from the 5 secondary vesicles?
Top - toe order... Telencephalon ---> Cerebral hemispheres Diencephalon ---> Thalamus, hypothalamus Mesencephalon ---> Midbrain Melencephalon ---> Pons, cerebellum Myelencephalon ---> Medulla oblongata
What are the components of the brainstem?
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata
What is the role of neurones, principle cells of the CNS?
‘Communicators’ that recieve info via synapses, integrate it and then transmit electrical impulses to another neurone or effector cell
Most neurones are multipolar/ unipolar?
Multipolar
What is the basic structure of a neurone?
Dendrites
One axon
Cell body
What are the four types of glial ‘glue’ cells
Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Microglia
Ependymal cells
What is the most numerous cell in the CNS?
Glial cells
What is the role of astrocytes? What do they look like?
Roles in support, maintain blood-brain barrier, environmental homeostasis
Star shape
What is the role of oligodendrocytes? What do they look like?
Produce myelin in the CNS
Round nucleus which is stained
What is the role of microglia? What do they look like?
Immune monitoring and antigen presentation (don’t originate from CNS)
Similar to macrophages
What is the role of ependymal? What do they look like?
Line ventricles (no barrier to CSF) Square-shaped cells that are 'epithelium like'
What three structures give rise to the bumpy surface of the brain?
Gyrus (bumps)
Sulcus (grooves)
Fissures (deeper than sulcus)
The white matter of the brain contains ___ and is found on the inside/outside of the brain which is the opposite to the spinal cord
Axons, glial cells, blood vessels
Inside
The grey matter of the brain contains ___ and is found on the inside/outside of the brain which is the opposite to the spinal cord
Neurones, cell processes, synapses, glia, blood vessels
Outside
(H pattern in spinal cord)
The posterior fibres in the spinal cord are involved in motor/sensory information whereas the anterior fibres convey motor/sensory information
Sensory from dorsal (posterior) horn
Motor from the ventral (anterior) horn
The precentral gyrus is associated with what type of cortex?
Somatosensory
The postcentral gyrus is associated with what type of cortex?
Somatomotor
The lentiform nucleus can be split into…
Putamen
Globus pallidus
What is the functions of the corpus callosum?
Connects both hemispheres of the brain
Connects brain to spinal cord
What is the name for the touching part between the thalamus and hypothalamus?
Interthalamic adhesion
Columns in the spinal cord are composed of ___ matter, whereas horns are composed of ___ matter
White
Grey
Which sulci border the frontal lobe posteriorly and inferiorly respectively?
Central sulcus
Lateral sulcus
Which sulci border the parietal lobe anteriorly, inferiorly and posteriorly respectively?
Central sulcus
Lateral sulcus
Parieto-occipital sulcus (to preoccipital notch)
Which sulci border the occipital lobe anteriorly?
Parieto-occipital sulcus
Which sulci border the frontal lobe superiorly, inferiorly and medially respectively?
Lateral sulcus
Parieto-occipital sulcus (to preoccipital notch)
Calcarine sulcus (to preoccipital notch)
What is known as the fifth or ‘hidden’ lobe?
Insular lobe or insula
What fissure extends down between the cerebral hemispheres splitting the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes?
Longitudinal cerebral fissure
What are the layers of the meninges from superficial to deep?
- Dura
- Arachnoid matter
(Subarachnoid space) - Pia matter
Where does CSF drain to?
Subarachnoid space (and some to central canal of spinal cord)
Outline the route taken by CSF
Lateral Vs - Interventricular foramen - 3rd V - cerebral aqueduct - 4th V - SA space
What is known as the 3rd nervous system? Where is it located? What is it divided into?
Enteric nervous system
In digestive system (Oesophagus - rectum)
2 wall plexuses
- Myenteric (between SM)
- Submucosal (submucosa)
Outline the blood supply to the brain, splitting it into two systems
INTERNAL CAROTID SYSTEM
Anterior cerebral arteries
Middle cerebral arteries
Internal carotid arteries (form MCA)
VERTEBROBASILAR SYSTEM
Basilar artery
Vertebral arteries
What is the Circle of Willis?
An arterial polygon formed as the internal carotid and vertebral systems anastomose around the optic chiasm and infundibulum of the pituitary stalk
What territory of the brain is supplied by the ACA, MCA and PCA respectively?
Medial frontal lobe
Lateral frontal lobe, parietal lobe and temporal lobe
Mostly occipital lobe
Outline the venous drainage of the brain
Blood drains into intercavernous and cavernous dural venous sinuses, then into jugular foramen and finally the internal jugular vein
Where does the spinal cord end?
L1/L2
What are the two enlargements of the spinal cord?
Cervical (UL)
Lumbar (LL)
What are the terms used to describe a group of cell bodies outside the CNS vs. inside the CNS?
Ganglion
Nucleus
What is the pathway taken by each segment of the spinal cord?
Rootlets —> Roots —> Subarachnoid space —> Intervertebral foramina —> Roots fuse to form mixed spinal nerve –> Ramii
Posterior root is enlarged by…
Dorsal root ganglion
Where does the spinal cord terminate? What does it continue as?
Conus medullaris
Thin CT cord = Filum terminale
Which foramen allows spinal and cranial meninges to be continuous with each other?
Foramen magnum
The spinal cord is suspended in the spinal canal by what ligament? What is it formed from?
Denticulate ligament
Pial and arachnoid tissue
What are the 3 components of white matter in the spinal cord?
Posterior, lateral and anterior fasciculi
What are the 5 components of grey matter in the spinal cord?
Left and right posterior and anterior horns (arms of ‘H’)
Dorsal and ventral grey commisures (join of ‘H’) which surround central canal
What is the arterial supply of the spinal cord and what do they originate from?
Vertebral arteries —> 1 anterior and 2 posterior longitudinal arteries
Vertebral, intercostal, lumbar arteries —> Segmental arteries
Various spinal arteries —> Radicular arteries
Where do radicular arteries travel?
Along dorsal and ventral roots
What is the venous drainage of the spinal cord?
Similar to supply - longitudinal and segmental veins
In the spinal canal, what is the space between dura and bone known as? What is it composed of?
Epidural space
Adipose tissue and venous plexuses
Information from the periphery reaches the cortex in the spinal cord. What parts of the body are an exception to this?
Face and scalp
The ascending spinal cord tract is sensory/motor, whereas the descending is sensory/motor
Sensory
Motor
What is the role of the dorsal column/ medial lemniscus system?
SENSORY: Fine touch, vibration and conscious proprioception (mostly upper limb)
Where do the fibres from the medial lemniscus system originate, cross and synapse to reach the cortex?
Medial lemniscus!
Medulla
Thalamus
What is the role of the spinothalamic tract?
SENSORY: Carries pain, temperature and deep pressure
Where do the fibres from the spinothalamic tract originate, cross and synapse to reach the cortex?
Spinal lemniscus (Medulla)
Segmentally in spinal cord
Thalamus
What is the role of the corticospinal/pyramidal tract?
MOTOR: fine, precise movement especially of distal limb muscles, for example digits
Where do the fibres from the CST start and end?
Where do the fibres from the corticospinal tract cross?
Cortex and spinal cord (lumbar region)
Medulla at decussation of pyramids (why it is also referred to as pyramidal tract)
NOT ALL OF THEM!
The crossed fibres of the CST form what part of the CST?
Lateral
The uncrossed fibres of the CST form what part of the CST?
Ventral (cross segmentally)
Which spinal tract is involved in decorticate posturing?
Corticospinal tract (FLEXOR - ARMS LIKE C)
What is the motor system outside the pyramidal tract known as? What tracts is it composed of?
Extrapyramidal system
Tectospinal, reticulospinal, vestibulospinal tracts
What is the role of the tectospinal tract?
Input to cervical segments - mediate reflex head and neck movement due to visual stimuli e.g. following a moving bus with your eyes
What is the role of the reticulospinal tract?
Forms central core of brainstem - receives input from all parts of CNS and influences voluntary movement, breathing and heart rate
Where do fibres from the reticulospinal tract originate from?
Reticular formations in the pons and medulla
Pons - extensor movement, inhibits flexor
Medulla - flexor movement, inhibits extensor
What is the role of the vestibulospinal tract?
Excitory input to ‘antigravity’ extensor muscles e.g. stabilise yourself if falling (LATERAL)
Control head movement via neck and back muscles (MEDIAL)
Where do fibres from the vestibulospinal tract originate from and where do they receive inputs from?
Vestibular nuclei (lateral (Deiters nucleus) and medial) of pons and medulla CNIII from vestibular labyrinths and cerebellum