Neuroanatomy of auditory and visual pathways

Question 1

What two nerve nuclei are important in sound localization and as relays for stapedial and tensor tympani reflexes?

Answer 1

Superior olivary nucleus

Nucleus of lateral lemniscus

Question 2

At what part of the auditory cortex do nerves fibres carrying information regarding low frequency sound end up?

Answer 2

Anterolateral part

Question 3

At what part of the auditory cortex do nerves fibres carrying information regarding high frequency sound end up?

Answer 3

Posteromedial

Question 4

If a patient is having difficulty in producing language, often using few words and only saying the most important words in a sentence but they do not seem to have trouble understanding language where is the damaged area?

Answer 4

Broca’s area

Question 5

If the patient has difficulty understanding language and expresses meaningless words or words out of order where is the damaged area?

Answer 5

Wernicke’s area

Question 6

Which of the areas (broca’s or wernicke’s) is reponsible for the motor part of speech?

Answer 6

Broca’s

Question 7

Which of the areas (brocas or wernicke’s) is responsible for the sensory/receptive part of speech?

Answer 7

Wernicke’s

Question 8

What part of the midbrain receives information from the optic tract and also send out information for eye movements?

Answer 8

Superior colliculus

Question 9

What is the lateral geniculate nucleus?

Answer 9

A relay center in the thalamus for the visual pathway. It receives a major sensory input from the retina. The main central connection for the optic nerve to the occipital lobe.

Question 10

What sulcus is the primary visual cortex in?

Answer 10

Calcarine sulcus

Question 11

Which part of the visual pathway is responsible for producing movements in response to visual stimuli for example tracking moving objects?

Answer 11

Visual cortex

Question 12

What part of the visual pathway is responsible for movements of command (ie movements that are independent of moving visual stimuli

Answer 12

The frontal eye fields

Question 13

Which movements (tracking or command) tend to be jumpy?

Answer 13

Movements of command

Question 14

Which movements (tracking or command) tend to be smooth?

Answer 14

Tracking movements

Question 15

What is the end point of the optic tract?

Answer 15

Lateral geniculate body

Question 16

At the lateral geniculate body, neurones synapse with neurones that go on to form the….?

Answer 16

Optic radiation

Question 17

Where does the optic radiation end?

Answer 17

In the visual cortex of the occipital lobe

Question 18

Is the left visual field of each eye represented by the right or left occipital cortex?

Answer 18

Right

Question 19

What part of the occipital lobe does the macular vision go to?

Answer 19

Occipital poles

Question 20

What part of the occipital cortex does the upper visual field project to?

Answer 20

Inferior to the calcarine sulcus (lingual gyrus)

Question 21

What part of the occipital cortex does the lower visual field project to?

Answer 21

Superior to the calcarine sulcus ( cuneus)

Question 22

About 1% of optic tract fibres peel off before reachign the lateral geniculate body; where do they go?

Answer 22

Pretectal nucleus of the midbrain

Question 23

What happens to the optic tract fibres that have gone into the pretectal nucleus of the midbrain?

Answer 23

The go to the edinger westphal nucleus (bilateral projection) that then sends ot motor fibres to the iris causing pupillary constriction

Question 24

What is the reason for the consensual light reflex?

Answer 24

The pretectal fibres project bilaterally to the edinger westphal nucleus

Question 25

With regard to the white matter of the cerebral hemisphere; what are association fibres?

Answer 25

They connect cortical sites lying in the same hemisphere

Question 26

With regard to the white matter of the cerebral hemisphere; what are commissural fibres?

Answer 26

They connect one hemisphere with the other, usually connecting areas of similar function

Question 27

With regard to the white matter of the cerebral hemisphere; what are projection fibres?

Answer 27

They connect hemispheres to deeper structures including the thalamus, corpus striatum, brain stem and spinal cord