Olfaction and the Limbic System Flashcards
What the three types of cell that makes up the olfactory epithelium?
Bipolar Olfactory Neurones
Sustentacular Cells – support cells mainly providing metabolic support
Basal Cells – there is some regeneration in olfactory neurones
Where is the olfactory bulb found?
Sitting on top of the cribriform plate
Which cells synapse within the olfactory bulb?
The bipolar cells pass their axons through the cribriform plate to synapse with the second order neurones (olfactory bulb mitral cells) in the glomerulus within the olfactory bulb
What structure do the second order neurones form and what does this structure split into?
Olfactory tract
It splits to form the medial and lateral olfactory stria
Where does higher processing of smell take place?
Piriform Cortex
Orbitofrontal Cortex
What is a clinical deficit in the olfactory system called?
Anosmia- lack of smell
What is a common cause of anosmia?
Mid-face trauma
Impact with enough force could cause a fracture of the cribriform plate, shearing the neurones going from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb
The piriform cortex is found within the temporal lobe. Explain thesignificance of this with regards to epileptic patients.
Epilepsy is often focused in the temporal lobe
This means that some people with epilepsy will experience PRODROMAL AURA (they are made aware of an imminent seizure because they’ll smell something that’s not there)
Neurodegenerative disease is a relatively common cause of anosmia.
State two neurodegenerative diseases that could cause anosmia.
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
What is the limbic system?/ what makes it up
A rim of cortex adjacent to the corpus callosum and diencephalon, responsible for general survival instinct
composed of olfactory bulbs, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus and frontal lobe
What are the roles of the limbic system?
general survival instinct:
- Homeostasis (mainly hypothalamic functions such as regulation of food intake and pituitary hormone release)
- Agonistic behaviour (fight or flight)
- Sexual and reproductive behaviour
- Memory
State two important parts of the limbic system that are found within the temporal lobes.
Hippocampus and Amygdala
What circuit are these structures (Hippocampus and Amygdala) a part of?
Papez Circuit
What is the cortical representation of the limbic system?
Cingulate Cortex
What is the function of the Papez circuit?
It is a neural circuit for the control of emotional expression
Describe/draw the papez circuit.
Hippocampus —via Fornix —> Mammillary Bodies of hypothalamus —via Mammillo-Thalamic Tract (MTT) —> Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus –> Cingulate Cortex — via Cingulum Bundle —> Hippocampus
What conditions could damage the mammillary bodies leading to amnestic issues?
Chronic Alcoholism
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
What is our emotional expression ‘coloured’ by?
Neocortex- ie contributes past experiences/ previous memory
What form of imaging is used to study the limbic system?
Digital Tensor Imaging – shows co-instant activity in different parts of the brain thus showing which parts of the brain are working together
Describe the afferent pathway of the hippocampus.
Afferent Pathway = Perforant Pathway
The entorhinal cortex is linked to the hippocampus via the afferent pathway (perforant pathway)
The entorhinal cortex receives input from all other parts of the neocortex
What is the efferent pathway of the hippocampus called?
Fimbria/Fornix
What are the functions of the hippocampus?
Memory and Learning
What happens to the hippocampus in Alzheimer’s disease?
It shrinks severely
Describe the spatial relations of the hippocampus and the fornix to other important brain structures.
The hippocampus is found on the floor of the lateral ventricles
The fornix comes out of the hippocampus and passes under the corpus callosum
It then dives inferior and anteriorly towards the mammillary bodies
Describe the appearance of advanced Alzheimer’s disease on a CT head scan in the coronal plane.
There will be extensive cortical atrophy
The ventricles would appear enlarged
There will also be widening of sulci
State two microscopic hallmarks of neurodegeneration.
Tau Immunostaining
Intracellular pathology – the cytoskeleton has been compromised
The tau proteins show up in the staining and allow the damaged neurones to be seen
Senile Plaques
Extracellular pathology
Lumps of protein (alpha-beta proteins) sitting in between cells in the neuropil
Describe the anatomical progression of Alzheimer’s disease, including the symptoms experienced.
Early
Hippocampus and entorhinal cortex affected
Short-term memory problems
Moderate
Parietal lobe affected (where you have your procedural memory)
Example of effects: dressing apraxia
Late
Frontal lobe
Loss of executive skills
Where is the amydala found?
In the white matter of anterior temporal lobe
What are the afferent connections of the amygdala?
Olfactory Cortex
Septum (septal nuclei)
Temporal Neocortex
Hippocampus
Brainstem
What is the main output pathway (efferent) of the amygdala?
Stria terminalis
What is the function of the amygdala?
Fear and Anxiety
fight or flight
In Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, the amygdala starts showing pathology early on. What are the possible outcomes of this?
Patients could either become terrified of everything or they could become totally disinhibited and become quite aggressive
State and describe a syndrome affecting the amygdala.
Kluver-Bucy Syndrome Bilateral lesions of the anterior temporal lobe (including amygdaloid nucleus) Symptoms : Hyperorality Hypersexuality Loss of Fear Visual Agnosia
State three structures associated with aggression.
Hypothalamus
Brainstem (periaqueductal grey matter)
Amygdala
What are the main afferent connections of the septum?
Amygdala
Olfactory Tract
Hippocampus
Brainstem
What are the functions of the septum?
Reinforcement and Reward
Name another structure that is important in the reward system.
Nucleus Accumbens
Name a structure that is important in drug dependence.
Nucleus Accumbens
What effect do all drugs of abuse have on the nucleus accumbens?
They all increase dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens
what is the mesolithic pathway
Ventral tegmental area (midbrain –> Nucleus accumbens
via MFB- median forebrain bundle
which drugs increase dopamine in the nucleus accumbens
opiods nicotine amphetamines ethanol cocaine
