Neuroanatomy event 2

Question 1

What are Broca’s area and Wernicke’s areas?

Answer 1

Cortical areas of the brain specialised for production and comprehension, respectively of human language.

Question 2

Location and function of Broca’s area?

Answer 2

Located in the left inferior frontal gyrus and is responsible for working alongside the motor cortex and controls the ability to speak the words.

Question 3

Location and function of Wernicke’s area?

Answer 3

Left posterior superior temporal gyrus and is responsible for controlling the ability to understand the meaning of words.

Question 4

Aphasia vs dysarthria definitions?

Answer 4

Aphasia = disorder of language. Usually due to cerebral dysfunctions or lesions. Usually affects other language functions, such as reading and writing.

Dysarthria = disorder of motor production or articulation of speech. Usually due to defective articulation of sounds or words originating from brainstem.

Question 5

Damage to Wernicke’s area presents with?

Answer 5

Impaired comprehension but fluent speech

Question 6

Damage to Broca’s area presents with?

Answer 6

Normal comprehension but non-fluent speech.

Question 7

Frontal lobe functions?

Answer 7

Thought
Reasoning
Behaviour
Memory

Question 8

Parietal lobe functions?

Answer 8

Intellect
Thought
Reasoning
Memory

Question 9

Temporal lobe functions?

Answer 9

Behaviour
Memory
Hearing + vision pathways
Emotion

Question 10

Occipital lobe main function?

Answer 10

Primary visual cortex (main centre for vision).

Question 11

What are the ascending spinal tracts?

Answer 11

The ascending tracts include the dorsal column-medial lemniscus system, the spinothalamic system, and the spinocerebellar system. These tracts carry sensory information from the periphery, such as pain, touch, and temperature to the brain

Question 12

What are the descending spinal tracts?

Answer 12

The descending tracts include lateral and anterior corticospinal tracts, the vestibulospinal, the rubrospinal, and the reticulospinal tracts. These tracts carry motor information, such as a motor command to move the arm, from the brain down the spinal cord to the appropriate part of the body.

Question 13

Anterior corticospinal tract function?

Answer 13

Controls the voluntary movement of the axial and girdle muscles.

Question 14

Vestibulospinal tract function?

Answer 14

Controls body balance

Question 15

Reticulospinal tract function?

Answer 15

Regulates the function of spinal reflex arcs and maintains muscle tone when standing and walking.

Question 16

Tectospinal tract function?

Answer 16

Responsible for the blinking reflex and eye pursuit movements when following an object.