Neurobiology Final Flashcards
Know which hypothalamic nucleus is in charge of body temperature control through sweating.
Anterior hypothalamic nucleus
Know the signs/symptoms (potential side effect) of taking anticholinergic medication
Eye: pupillary dilation, Far vision
Salivary glands: Dry mouth
Bronchi: Relaxation, sticky dry
Heart: Acceleration
GI tract: Gastric secretion reduced, constipation
Bladder: retention of urine
Know which thalamic nucleus is responsible for limb proprioception and fine touch/vibration
Ventral posterolateral
You will have an MRI image of the cervical spinal cord- know what are the functions for the white matter based on the location pointed to on image (Right ventral horn)
Ascending fine touch/proprioception and vibration on the right hemisphere of spinal cord
Know which area of the body is most likely affected with left or right middle cerebral artery stroke
Left MCA: right face and UE
Right MCA: left face and UE
Know which receptors can detect noxious stimuli and encode them as diffuse pain
C-fiber
Know which muscles are innervated by the lower motor neurons located in the ventral horn from anterior to posterior or posterior to anterior
Anterior to posterior: extensors to flexors
Posterior to anterior: flexors to extensors
Know what structure forms the dentate ligament
This ligament segmentally attached to the arachnoid and dura laterally, midway between the roots of adjacent spinal cord segment
The dentate is an extension of the Pia mater
Know what nerve roots make up the long thoracic nerve
C5, C6, C7
Serratus anterior
SALT57
Know how a patient would present if they had an injury to the superficial fibular nerve
L4-S1
Lateral leg
Fibularis longus and brevis
Plantarflexion, eversion
Know how the patient would present if they had an injury to the deep fibular nerve
L4-5
Tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus, fibularis tertius, extensor hallucis, digitorum brevis
Drop foot
Know how a patient would present if they had an injury to the saphenous nerve
L3-4
medial leg to arch
lower knee, calf, ankle and foot arch
sensory
Know how a patient would present if they had an injury to the tibial nerve
L4-S3
hamstrings excpet BF, adductor magnus, all foot intrinsics except extensor brevis
hip extension, knee flexion/IR/ER, ankle PF/INV/ADD/toe flexion
Know if huntington’s disease is genetically or environmentally predisposed and if it can or can not be prevented through manipulating genetic or environmental factors
It is 100% genetically dominated neurological degenerative disorder and can not be controlled by manipulating environmental or genetic factors
Know what disorders belong to the psychotic group/type
Bipolar
Schizophrenia
Know which structure is a reward seeking center
Nucleus Accumbens
core: want
shell: pleasure
Dopamine receptors D3 in nucleus accumbens- drug addiction induces excessive amount of dopamine release and increases in D3 receptors
Know which time frame is when synaptogenesis peaks or is peaking for all 3 critical periods
stage 1: sensorimotor, 2 months before and peaks 1 month after birth
stage 2: parietal/temporal association cortex, peaks ~8 months
stage 3: prefrontal cortex develops last, peaks at 2 years old
Anatomically know in which direction the brain matures
posterior to anterior and right to left
What is wallerian degeneration
degeneration of the distal segment of axon
can occur in both the CNS and PNS
PNS: this can regrow but slowly due to schwann cells that create myelin
ex. if you have an ACL surgery and have tingling and numbness for a few months but then you can feel again, this is because the peripheral nerves were cut in surgery and have slowly regrown
CNS: regrowth is very limited because of glial scarring
What is central chromatolysis
death of the proximal segment
not easily repairable, so often leads to cell death
adjusting and fine tuning movement
movement coordination
adjustments to motor programs via STN
involved with motor and non-motor functions
involved in feedback and feed forward loops
coordinates the majority of voluntary movements
postural control
helps with fine movement
command-feedback comparator
motor learning
tonic reinforcer
combiner coordinator
timer
Primary roles of the cerebellum
Know mechanisms of plasticity may occur after a lesion to the primary sensory cortex
sensory cortex takes in all sensory info via the thalamus
topographically organized
reorganizes rapidly with lesions affecting sensory input
contributes to CST
source of excitation to motor cortex
lesion: deficits in motor behavior due to sensory loss
know what is long-term potentiation
Potassium pushes magnesium out of NMDA (receptor of glutamate) > increase in AMPA receptors
makes in easier for neurons to communicate to each other (increase excitability)
mechanism of memory storage in the hippocampus- if the two receptors don’t communicate then the changes don’t occur
LTP is a process by which synaptic connections between neurons become stronger with frequent activation. LTP is thought to be a way in which the brain changes in response to experience, and thus may be a mechanism underlying learning and memory
Know what happens after a stroke to the motor cortex based on what hand is affected and now they have to use the opposite hand
The hand area of the side they do not use shrinks and the opposite hand area increases (the one being used)
Know the pontine reticulospinal system
function: excites extensors and inhibits flexors
facilitates: spinal circuits
terminates at all levels of the spinal cord
works with the vestibulospinal tract
counteracts the effects of gravity in the LE
know which neural system would be activated to transition from standing to a seated posture
medullary reticulospinal tract
allows us to move out of extension
inhibits extensors and activates flexors
know which area has the greatest impact on the sequencing and coordination of movement
supplementary motor area- since it is involved with coordination of sequential tasks and coordinated bimanual movements
know the primary function in which the basal ganglia influences motor control
non-motor functions: goal-directed behavior, social behavior, emotions, learning, eye movements, and spatial attention
motor functions: influences movement via thalamus (no direct connections with the CST so it uses the thalamus), select and execute action plan, inhibits competing motor programs that would interfere
know how a patient would present with broca’s aphasia and if the lesion is on the frontal or temporal lobe
can comprehend but has challenges with speaking words
frontal lesion
expressive aphasia
non-fluent
motor
know how a patient would present with wernicke’s aphasia and if the lesion is on the frontal or temporal lobe
cant comprehend but can speak clearly (word salad)
temporal lobe
receptive
fluent
sensory
know the clock drawing test
if the lesion is on the R hemisphere the patient will have hypo attention the L side stimuli
the left side doesn’t exist for them so they will only draw on the right side of the clock
long-term depression
simple spike activity is high during resting state, but further increases with sensory input and movement
complex spike activity is low during resting state
acquisition stage of learning: complex spikes increase (more errors) and simple spike decreases
as the task is learned, complex spikes return to low levels (normal, less error), but simple spikes remain depressed
low levels of simple spikes with learned tasks: long-term depression
know the signs typically associated with hyperkinetic disorder of the basal ganglia
huntington’s: chorea, postural stability, dysphagia, dysarthria, dementia
dystonia: involuntary muscle contractions that cause slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures that can be painful
athetosis: slow involuntary writhing movements, difficulty maintaining postures and midline
ballism: uncontrollable flinging of extremities- proximal musculature
tourette’s: sudden, involuntary, repetitive muscle movements (vocal or motor tics)
tardive dyskinesia: coordinated constant movements of mouth, tongue, jaw, cheeks, agitation, inappropriate posturing
know how output of the deep cerebellar nuclei is modulated
purkinje cells works to inhibit deep cerebellar nuclei and fine tune movement
Patient had a stroke and has a short delay when is cued to perform a movement and know where the infarct would be and involved in movement ____
supplemental motor area
lesions would impair self-initiated movements
know error signaling in the cerebellum
mossy fibers are going to use simple spikes constantly and more often
climbing fibers are to use complex fibers that will be used less and just used for learning to correct error
there will be an influx of complex spikes when a new task is being learned because there will be a lot of error and thus a suppression of simple spikes- as the task is more learned then the complex spikes will become less and the simple spikes will become more constant again
explicit learning
declarative learning
conscious recall
limbic system involvement
implicit learning
once learned does not require limbic system involvement
non emotional value placed on performance
BG, cerebellum, cortex
if a patient can’t recall the exercise but can do them then they are using more of implicit learning/system
know where the dysfunction is located if a patient has walking and talking at the same time (dual tasking)
decreased function in the basal ganglia so frontal lobe kicks in
know the cluster of clinical signs and symptoms for Parkinson’s disease
TRAP
tremor
rigidity
akinesia
posture and balance
Know the pathophysiology that leads to parkinson’s disease
loss of dopamine in the Snc leads to increased thalamic inhibition resulting in less movement
neurodegenerative disease, degeneration of dopamine neurons, hypokinetic
know the difference between decorticate and decerebrate rigidity and know if the lesion will be below or above the red nucleus
decorticate: above red nucleus, flexion
-rigidity in arms (ADD&FLX) legs (IR) feet (PF)
decerebrate: below red nucleus, extension
-extension biased rigidity in arms (ADD/EXT/PRONATED), legs (NONS), feet (PF)
You will have to answer which of the following statements are true regarding feedback and feedforward
feedback
-the comparator (what do we want to happen vs. what is happening)
-the sensor (what is occurring within the environment)
-effector (what is going to enact change)
feedforward
-information, desired output (sensor) > feed forward control signal (controller) > effector > output
FF system is faster than FB
uses sensory info to program best instructions to reach desired output
Know what deficits could be caused by lesion to primary motor cortex
deficits in fine motor coordination
impaired force production
impaired motor learning of skilled task
increased mirror movements
spasticity with increased DTRs
know the primary tract responsible for sending signals regarding fractionated movement
lateral motor tracts
more specifically lateral corticospinal tract- primary and critical role in voluntary movement also functions for fractionated movement
know which tracts have a primary role in postural control and automatic movements
medial motor tracts
-medial vestibulospinal tract
-medial CST
-reticulospinal tracts (pontine & medullary)
You will have a question asking which of the following is true regarding locomotor control
brain does not need constant for locomotion
once locomotion is started (either by brain or reticular system) there appears to be networks within the spinal cord that are responsible for constant of locomotion
know what it is called when surviving motor neuron develops new axonal connections with an adjacent motor unit
synaptogenesis
-the creation of new/home synapses on original synapse
sprouting
-new axon/dendritic spine on original neuron
neurogenesis
-formation of new neurons
-research proves that this occurs in adults
-but only limited to hippocampus, sub ventricular zone, olfactory bulb- thus if the injury is not to one of the 3 area above then most likely there will not be formation new neurons
know klein’s principles of experience dependent plasticity
experience- dependent plasticity: (learning and memory) persistent, long lasting change in synaptic connections and neural networks
-use it or lose it
-use it or improve it
-specificity
-repetition matters
-intensity matters
-time matters
-salience matters
-age matters
-transference
-interference
know the tract responsible for processing information about head movement and position and what tract is important for postural control related to gravity
medial vestibulospinal tract
-head and neck orientation
-receives info about head movement and position
-affects motor neurons controlling neck and upper back muscles
lateral vestibulospinal tract
-receives information about gravity
-continuously active when upright to maintain BOS
Know what motor areas is an integrative center where motor control, drive, and cognition interface
cingulate motor cortex
non-motor loop of the basal-thalamic pathway
you will have a question asking which of the following statement is false regarding the primary motor cortex
-brodmann’s area 4
-execution of movement
-largest proportion of pyramidal tract axons (CST)
-controls force and direction of movement
-activity of 1 single neuron the motor cortex contribute to multiple muscles activation
-overlapping representation may indicate synergies
-involved with motor learning and neural plasticity
if unimanual force and coordination is fully intact but bimanual coordination is disrupted (know where you would suspect a lesion)
supplementary motor area; where unimanual coordination if unaffected
you will have a question asking which of following statement is false regarding the hippocampus
working memory- short term memory > memory consolidation (maybe not remember every detail but remember the experience) > experience is in the LTM
encoding memory- memory consolidation
know the integral components of a feedback mechanism
comparator
effector
sensor
know what happens to the postsynaptic cell, after a period of high-frequency tetanic stimulation in a presynaptic cell
post-tetanic potentiation (presynaptic membrane potential)
-normal: stimulates excites neuron and creates action potential
-hyper polarized: less sensitive to excitation thus require more stimulus to create an action potential (aka harder to create (aka harder to create AP)
-depolarized: more sensitive to excitation thus require less
post-tetantic poteniation (post synaptic membrane potential)
-this is the how likely the cell is to fire
-normal: will fire with normal stimulus
-hyper polarized: less likely to fire
-depolarized: more likely to fire
