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LCRS > Neuroscience 7 - CNS > Flashcards

Neuroscience 7 - CNS Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the meaning of the term rostral, in relation to anatomy.

A

Rostral means towards the front of the brain, ie. the nose and mouth.

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2
Q

Define the meaning of the term caudal in anatomy.

A

Near the posterior part of the body, away from the brain. Indicated the direction that points towards the feet.

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3
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

The spinal cord is the nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata down to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. It consists of nervous tissue.

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4
Q

What is the vertebral column?

A

The bone which surrounds the spinal cord and provides protection.

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5
Q

What is the intervertebral foramen?

A

These are the gaps between vertebrae where the nerves can exit and enter.

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6
Q

What are the segments of the spinal cord, in descending order?

A
  • Cervical vertebra are dorsal
  • Thoracic vertebra
  • Lumbar vertebra
  • Sacral vertebra
  • Coccygeal vertebra are ventral
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7
Q

How many vertebra and nerves are in the cervical spinal cord segment?

A

7 vertebra

8 nerves

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8
Q

How many vertebra and nerves are in the thoracic spinal cord segment?

A

12 vertebra

12 nerves

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9
Q

How many vertebra and nerves are in the lumbar spinal cord segment?

A

5 vertebra

5 nerves

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10
Q

How many vertebrae and nerves are in the coccygeal spinal cord segment?

A

4 vertebra

1 nerve

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11
Q

How many vertebrae are in the vertebral column?

A

33

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12
Q

How many nerves are in the spinal cord?

A

31 pairs of nerves

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13
Q

Why can a lumbar puncture be performed?

A

The spinal chord terminates at the lumbar vertebrae, and so CSF can be taken without damage to the spinal cord.

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14
Q

Between which vertebrae is a lumbar puncture performed?

A
  • In adults, a sample is taken from between L3 and L4.

- In children, the sample is taken from between L4 and L5

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15
Q

What is the function of the ventral root of the spinal cord?

A

It is an efferent root, meaning it has motor functions.

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16
Q

What is the function of the dorsal root of the spinal cord?

A

It is an afferent root, meaning it has sensory functions.

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17
Q

Where do the axons in the ventral root of the spinal cord arise from?

A

They arise from the cell bodies in the ventral horn.

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18
Q

Where do the axons in the dorsal root of the spinal cord arise from?

A

They arise from cell bodies in the dorsal horn.

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19
Q

List the functions of the spinal cord.

A
  • Connects the PNS and ANS to the brain
  • Carries sensory signals to the brain
  • Carries motor signals to the muscles
  • Coordinates reflexes (eg. patellar reflex)
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20
Q

List the components of the brain stem.

A
  • Midbrain
  • Pons
  • Medulla oblongata
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21
Q

List the major components of the forebrain/cerebrum

A
  • Diencephalon (thalamus + hypothalamus)

- Cerebral hemisphere

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22
Q

Describe the contents of the brain stem.

A
  • All sensory and motor fibres that connect the cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal cord run through
  • Contains nuclei of 10 of the 12 cranial nerves
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23
Q

List the functions of the brain stem.

A
  • Controls many vital functions (breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing, balance)
  • Defensive reflexes (cough, gag, sneeze)
  • Involved in sleep cycles, alertness and consciousness
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24
Q

What area of the brain degenerates in parkinsons disease?

A

The substantia nigra, from the midbrain

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25
Q

List the functions of the diencephalon.

A
  • Hypothalamus regulates temperature, hunger, thirst, hormone and autonomic function
  • Thalamus integrates somatic and special senses and projects this to the cortex. Involved in emotional status, consciousness and motor response.
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26
Q

List the components of the basal ganglia and their location.

A
  • Cordate, putamen, globus pallidus (cerebrum)
  • Substancia nigra (midbrain)
  • Subthalamic nucleus (diencephalon).
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27
Q

What is the corpus striatum?

A
  • Caudate + putamen

- Connected to the cortex, thalamus and nigra

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28
Q

What is the lentiform nucleus?

A

Putamen + globus pallidus

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29
Q

List the functions of the basal ganglia.

A
  • Control of movement

- Facilitating voluntary movement, and inhibiting unwanted/inappropriate movements (fine tuning)

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30
Q

List the main functional areas of the cerebral cortex.

A
  • Prefrontal cortex determines personality and appropriate behaviour
  • Auditory association area recognises sounds as words/music
  • Primary visual/auditory cortexes recieve signals
  • Primary somesthetic cortex deals with touch, pain and temperature
  • Motor association area is were neurones plan the contraction of muscles
  • Primary motor cortex determines finely coordinated limb movement.
  • Visual association area recognises faces/familiar objects
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31
Q

What is the broca area and where is it found?

A
  • Generates a motor program for all the muscles of speech

- LHS of the frontal lobe (or RHS if left-handed)

32
Q

What is the Wernicke area and where is it found?

A
  • Recognises spoken and written language

- LHS of temporal lobe

33
Q

Which part of the brain is laminar?

A
  • The meninges have 3 layers

- The neurones of the cerebral cortex are arranged in 6 layers

34
Q

Why can the cortex be described as somatotopic?

A
  • There is an orderly relationship between the part of the body innervated and its location in the corresponding motor areas of the brain.
  • Relates to both sensory and motor neurones.
35
Q

List the components of the limbic system.

A
  • Corpus callosum
  • Fornix
  • Pineal gland
  • Hippocampus
  • Hypothalamus
36
Q

List the functions of the limbic system.

A
  • Motivation
  • Instinctive behaviour
  • Emotion
  • Memory
37
Q

How is the cerebellum connected to the brain?

A
  • Attached to the brainstem by 3 pairs of penduncles
38
Q

Describe the structure of the cerebellum.

A
  • Grey matter on the surface, tightly folded to form the cortex
  • White matter on the inside with nuclei
  • Two hemispheres divided into lobes.
  • Hemispheres connected by central vermis
39
Q

Which parts of the CNS is the cerebellum connected to and why?

A
  • Vestibular system for balance
  • Spinal cord and muscles for posture and muscle tone
  • Motor cortex and thalamus for learned movements
40
Q

What are the three parts of the brain, as formed in embryonic development?

A
  • Forebrain
  • Midbrain
  • Hindbrain
41
Q

What is another name for the forebrain?

A

Prosencephalon

42
Q

What is another name for the midbrain?

A

Mesencephalon

43
Q

What is another name for the hindbrain?

A

Rhombencephalon

44
Q

What is contained within the forebrain?

A

Cerebral hemisphere and diencephalon

45
Q

What is contained within the hindbrain?

A
  • Pons

- Medulla oblongata

46
Q

What are the three types of fibres in the brain?

A
  • Commissural (connect the hemispheres)
  • Association (connect cortical areas in the same hemisphere)
  • Projection (couple the brain and the spinal cord)
47
Q

List the layers of the meninges

A
  • Dura mater
  • Arachnoid mater
  • Pia mater
48
Q

What is the function of the dura mater?

A
  • To separate the cranial cavity into compartments.

- Protect the brain from displacement

49
Q

What is the function of the arachnoid mater?

A

Transfer cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricles to the bloodstream.

50
Q

What is the function of the pia mater?

A
  • Protects the brain, CSF contained between pia mater and dura mater
  • Encloses and protects the vessels supplying the brain
51
Q

List the components of the ventricular system.

A
  • Lateral ventricles (right and left)
  • Third ventricle
  • Fourth ventricle
52
Q

How much CSF is produced in one day?

53
Q

What is the total amount of CSF in the brain at any one time?

54
Q

What is the composition of CSF compared to plasma?

A
  • Lower glucose
  • Lower protein
  • Lower Ca2+ and K+
  • Higher Cl- and Mg
  • Slightly lower pH
55
Q

List the functions of CSF

A
  • Cushioning
  • Nutrition
  • Removal of waste
  • Immune cells
56
Q

Describe the pathway of CSF flow.

A
  • Produced in the choroid plexus, at the lateral, 3rd and 4th ventricles
  • Lateral ventricles via interventricular foramina to the third ventricle
  • From the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle via te cerebral aquaduct
  • Passes into the subarachnoid space via midline foramen or two lateral foramina
  • Passess down the spinal cord inferiorly, envelops the brain superiorly
  • Absorbed through arachnoid granulations in the walls of dural venous sinuses
57
Q

What is the location of the lateral ventricles?

A

Connect to the frontal, occipital and temporal lobes

58
Q

What is the location of the third ventricle?

A
  • Situated between the right and left thalamus
  • Surpa-optic recess is above the optic chiasm
  • Infundibular recess is above the optic stalk
59
Q

What is the location of the fourth ventricle?

A

Lies within the brainstem, between the pons and medulla oblongata

60
Q

Where does fluid enter and drain the 4th ventricle?

A
  • Enters via the verebral aqueduct

- Drains via the central spinal canal and subarachnoid cisterns

61
Q

Define hydrocephalus

A

An abnormal collection of CSF within the ventricles of the brain

62
Q

What are the two types of hydrocephalus?

A
  • Communicating hydrocephalus (no flow obstruction)

- Non-communicating hydrocephalus (obstruction)

63
Q

How is hydrocephalus treated?

A
  • With stunt surgery (shunt in the brain drains CSF)

- Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (makes a hole in the bottom of one of the ventricles so CSF can drain out the brain)

64
Q

How can you distinguish between an epidural and subdural haemorrhage?

A
  • On a CT scan, epidural haematomas show a convex (lemon) shaped bleed, while subdural shows a crescent (banana) shaped, concave bleed.
65
Q

What are the contents of the anterior cranial fossa?

A

Frontal lobes and olfactor nerves

66
Q

What are the contents of the middle cranial fossa?

A

Temportal lobes and pituitary gland

67
Q

What bone does the pituitary gland lie in?

A

Sphenoid bone

68
Q

What are the contents of the posterior cranial fossa?

A

The brainstem and cerebellum

69
Q

Describe the distribution of grey and white matter in the spinal cord.

A

White matter surrounds the grey matter.

70
Q

Which lobes are separated by the central fissure sulci?

A

The frontal lobe and the parietal lobe.

71
Q

What separates the temporal lobe from the parietal and the frontal lobe?

A

Lateral sulcus

72
Q

Where are the precentral gyrus and postcentral gyrus?

A
  • Either side of the central sulcus.
  • Precentral in the frontal lobe
  • Postcentral in the parietal lobe
73
Q

Where is the extradural space?

A
  • Potential space between the dura mater and bone

- Normally the outer layer is firmly attached to the bone

74
Q

Where is the subdural space?

A
  • Anatomically does not exist
  • Blood entering this region creates a subdural hematoma
  • The space between the two layers of dura mater
75
Q

Where is the subarachnoid space?

A
  • The arachnoid mater clings to the inner layer of the dura mater, while the pia mater clings to the contours of the brain. As a result, this space forms between the two layers
  • It enlarges into expanded areas, subarachnoid cisterns which contains CSF and blood vessels

LCRS (24 decks)

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