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Nervous System Biology > NSB 2. Structure of the Central Nervous System > Flashcards

NSB 2. Structure of the Central Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What is the frontal lobe associated with?

A

personality

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2
Q

What is the temporal lobe associated with and important for?

A

hearing

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3
Q

What is the occipital lobe associated with and important for?

A

visual cortex

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4
Q

What is the cerebellum important for? What is transient cerebellar disease?

A
  • important for movement + coordination

Transient Cerebellar Disease:

  • when cerebellum not working, it’s like you are drunk
  • motor activity is impaired
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5
Q

What are the 3 main parts of the brain?

A

[1] Cerebrum
[2] Brainstem
[3] Cerebellum

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6
Q

What are the cortexes present in the frontal lobe?

A

[1] Motor Cortex
- somatic motor association area
[2] Gustatory Cortex
[3] Olfactory Cortex

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7
Q

What are the cortexes present in the temporal lobe?

A

[1] Auditory Cortex

(a) Primary Auditory Cortex
(b) Auditory Association Area

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8
Q

What is the cortex present in the parietal lobe?

A

Somatic Sensory Association Area

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9
Q

What are the cortexes present in the occipital lobe?

A

[1] Primary Visual Cortex

[2] Visual Association Area

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10
Q

What does the Central Sulcus separate?

A

it separates the motor cortex and somatosensory cortex

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11
Q

Where do the sensory neurons going to the somatosensory cortex end?

A

they end in the POST-central gyrus

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12
Q

Where do the motor neurons going to the motor cortex end?

A

they end in the PRE-central gyrus

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13
Q

What are the 2 neurons involved in the motor neurons going to the motor cortex?

A

[1] Upper Neuron
- from brain down to spinal cord

[2] Lower Neuron
- from spinal cord down to muscle/tissue

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14
Q

Where do the Upper Motor Neurons start and go through? Where do they end?

A
  • starts in the cerebral motor cortex (pre-central gyrus)
  • they pass through the pyramids of the medulla
  • goes to the brainstem/spinal cord
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15
Q

Where do the Lower Motor Neurons start and go through? Where do they end?

A
  • comes from the brainstem cranial nerve motor nucleus

- goes from spinal cord to muscle

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16
Q

What is the pyramidal motor system?

A
  • it consists of the upper and lower motor neurons
  • it is responsible for PLANNED MOVEMENT
  • needs fine tuning though
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17
Q

What is the pyramidal motor system responsible for?

A

responsible for planned movement

- needs fine tuning though

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18
Q

Outline the steps/mechanism behind the Pyramidal System?

A
  • the upper motor neuron starts in the cerebral cortex (pre-central gyrus)
  • they pass through the pyramids of the medulla
  • conscious movement
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19
Q

Outline the steps/mechanism behind the Extrapyramidal System?

A
  • the upper motor neurons starts in other brain center nuclei (e.g. basal ganglia)
  • do NOT pass through the pyramids of the medulla
  • it fine tunes movement
  • involuntary actions
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20
Q

What is the medulla? What does it consist of?

A
  • the lower part of the brain stem

Consists of:
[1] Olives
[2] Pyramids

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21
Q

What is the putamen?

A

a round structure located at the base of the forebrain

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22
Q

What structures are part of the extrapyramidal system?

A

[1] Cerebellum

[2] Basal Ganglia

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23
Q

What is the cerebellum? What is its function in relation to the extrapyramidal system? What impairs this system?

A
  • cerebellum is responsible for balance, tone + posture and coordination + planning movement
  • impaired by alcohol intoxication
  • this leads to intention tremor
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24
Q

What is the basal ganglia? What is its function in relation to the extrapyramidal system? What impairs this system?

A
  • a diffuse set of nuclei (nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra)
  • responsible for allowing/stopping movements to happen as well as other functions
  • impaired in cases of Parkinson’s Disease
  • this leads to resting tremor
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25
Q

What type of tremor may arise if the cerebellum is impaired?

A
  • intention tremor

- from alcohol intoxication

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26
Q

What type of tremor may arise if the basal ganglia is impaired?

A
  • resting tremor

- e.g. Parkinson’s Disease

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27
Q

What is the function of the thalamus?

A
  • all general sensory info goes through the thalamus
  • known as the sensory relay station in the brain
  • located on either side of the 3rd ventricle
28
Q

Where is the Internal Capsule located?

A
  • white matter structure
  • separates caudate nucleus, + thalamus from putamen and globus pallidus
  • carries info past the basal ganglia
29
Q

What are the 2 sensation types (neurons) and their sensory pathways? [mentioned in lecture]

A

[1] Touch/Proprioception

  • signals transferred up through Dorsal Columns
  • decussates in the medulla (crosses over)

[2] Pain + Temperature

  • signals transferred up through the Spinothalamic Tract
  • decussates immediately
30
Q

What neurons do signals from touch/proprioception go up from?

A

Dorsal Columns

- decussates in medulla

31
Q

What neurons do signals from pain + temperature go up from?

A

Spinothalamic Tract

- decussates immediately

32
Q

What is the body representation on the motor and sensory cortices -homunculus?

A
  • the brain is associated with with different parts of the body
  • not a lot of the brain is associated with the back
  • a lot of the brain is associated with the hands and face
  • LOOK AT IMAGES
33
Q

What is the main part of the brain that allows for homeostasis based on internal inputs?

A

hypothalamus

34
Q

What is the limbic system made up of?

A

DEEP IN TEMPORAL LOBE

  • amygdala
  • hippocampus
  • thalamus
  • hypothalamus
  • basal ganglia
  • cingulate gyrus
35
Q

What is the function of the limbic system/limbic lobe?

A

“societal homeostasis”
- based on external inputs at a basic/survival level

  • involved in emotional aspects of behaviour and memory
36
Q

Explain the ventricular system of the brain.

A
  • there are Lateral Ventricles (1st and 2nd) filled with CSF
  • CSF flows from the lateral ventricle through the Interventricular Foramen of Monro to third ventricle
  • 3rd ventricle is in the cavity of Diencephalon
  • the 4th ventricle is located in the pons
37
Q

What does the Interventricular Foramen of Monro do?

A

it connects the 1st and 2nd ventricle to the 3rd ventricle

38
Q

What does the Aqueduct of Midbrain do?

A

it connects the 3rd ventricle to the 4th ventricle

39
Q

Explain the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in the brain.

A

[1] CSF from lateral ventricles enter 3rd ventricle through Foramen of Munro

[2] CSF flows from Foramen of Munro to 3rd ventricle

[3] CSF flows from 3rd ventricle to 4th ventricle through the Cerebal Aqueduct (of Sylvius)

[4] CSF from 4th ventricle enters subarachnoid space through:

(a) Foramina of Magendie (posteriorly)
(b) Foramina of Lushka (laterally)

40
Q

What is the main difference between an adult and a child’s brain?

A
  • a child’s brain has multiple parts (e.g. anterior and posterior fontanelle)
  • there are sutures between the parts of the child’s skull
  • in adults, the parts of the skull are all fused together
41
Q

What is hydrocephalus?

A
  • usually occurs in children
  • due to an increase in CSF in the skull
  • since the skul hasn’t been merged together, the skull expands
  • in adults, if there is an icnrease in CSF, this leads to an increase in pressure
  • the skull cannot expand because everything is already fused
42
Q

What is cranial nerve 1 related with?

A

smell

- olfactory bulb (I)

43
Q

What is cranial nerve 2 related with?

A

vision

- optic nerve (II)

44
Q

What is cranial nerve 3, 4 and 6 related with?

A

eye movement

  • oculomotor nerve (III)
  • trochlear nerve (IV)
  • abducens nerve (VI)
45
Q

What is cranial nerve 5 related with?

A

facial and scalp sensation, mandibular movements

- trigeminal nerve (V)

46
Q

What is cranial nerve 7 related with?

A

facial expression

- facial nerve (VII)

47
Q

What is cranial nerve 8 related with?

A

hearing + balance

- vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)

48
Q

What is cranial nerve 9 and 10 related with?

A

swallowing + phonation

  • glossopharyngeal nerve (IX)
  • vagus nerve (X)
49
Q

What is cranial nerve 11 related with?

A

neck and head movement

- accessory nerve (XI)

50
Q

What is tongue cranial nerve 12 related with?

A

tongue movement

- hypoglossal nerve (XII)

51
Q

How can you test the XI cranial nerve?

A
  • related with neck and head movements

- test it by shrugging shoulders (it supplies the trapezius)

52
Q

Where does the spinal cord end?

A

L1 (sometimes L2)

53
Q

How many cranial nerves are there?

54
Q

How many thoracic nerves are there?

55
Q

How many lumbar nerves are there?

56
Q

How many sacral nerves are there?

57
Q

What is Cauda Equina?

A
  • means “horse tail”

- after the end of the spinal cord, the nerves start flowing downwards (looks like a pony tail)

58
Q

What is the anterior horn?

A

the motor neurons come off of the anterior horn

59
Q

What is the posterior horn?

A

the sensory neurons enter the posterior horn

60
Q

Does the spinal cord have a subdural space?

A

NO

  • it only has dura mater and arachnoid mater
  • the dura and arachnoid are stuck together
61
Q

What does the Cauda Equina activate/supply?

A
  • bladder
  • bowel
  • sexual organs
  • legs
62
Q

What is Cauda Equina Syndrome?

A
  • a condition that occurs when the cauda equina is compressed/damaged
  • can lead to lower back pain, pain that radiates down leg, loss of bowel + bladder control
63
Q

What are causes of Cauda Equina Syndrome?

A
  • back/spine problems such as a slipped disc
  • tumours near the spine
  • injuries/trauma
64
Q

What are the 5 red flags of Cauda Equina Syndrome?

A

[1] Saddle Anaesthesia

  • weakness/tingling/numbness in “saddle” region (parts of body that would touch the saddle if you were sitting on a horse
  • upper inner thighs, groin, buttocks and genitals

[2] Pain
- pain, weakness, tingling or numbness in your lower back, backs of thighs, lower legs + feet

[3] Incontinence
- loss of control, urgency or finding it hard to urinate/defecate (or any strange sensation or numbness along with it)

[4] Numbness

  • numbness in lower back, backs of thighs, lower legs and feet
  • loss of feeling around your groin during sex

[5] Emergency

  • any of these can be a warning sign of CES
  • go to emergency department!
65
Q

Why is it important to treat Cauda Equina Syndrome quickly?

A

because delay can equal disability

Nervous System Biology (4 decks)

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