Olfaction and the limbic system Flashcards
What makes up the olfactory epithelium?
Bipolar olfactory neurones–bipolar
Sustentacular cells- support cells
Basal cells- regenerate olfactory neurones
How do olfactory neurones change with age?
We lose them
Where is the olfactory bulb found?
Sitting just above the cribriform plate- part of ethmoid bone
Where is the olfactory epithelium found?
Upper part of the nose
How do the axons of the bipolar cells travel?
They pass through the cribriform plate in the base of the skull up into the olfactory bulb
What happens when these bipolar cells reach the olfactory bulb?
They synapse at a glomerulus with a second order olfactory neurone which send their axons down the olfactory tract towards the brain
What are the second order olfactory neurones called?
Olfactory bulb mitral cells
What happens to the olfactory tract?
It splits to form two olfactory stria (medial and lateral) each going to either piriform or orbitofrontal cortex
What does damage to piriform or orbitofrontal cortices result in?
anosmia
What effect does connections of the olfactory system to the brain stem have?
Odours can promote autonomic responses e.g. salivating when you smell foot
What is a clinical deficit in the olfactory system?
Anosmia
What is a common cause of anosmia and how?
Mid-face trauma- if you get smacked in the nose that is serious enough to cause a fracture of the skull you can break the cribriform plate and shear off the neurones going from the olfactory epithelium
Where does most of the olfactory processing take place?
Piriform cortex and orbitofrontal cortex
Where is epilepsy often focussed?
Temporal lobe
What does the fact that epilepsy is often centred in temporal lobe lead to?
Some people with epilepsy will experience prodromal aura where they are made aware that they’re going to have a seizure because they’ll smell something that isn’t there
What is pathology in the olfactory bulb an early aspect of?
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease
What is the definition of the limbic system?
A rim of cortex adjacent to the corpus callosum and diencephalon
What is the main aim of limbic processes?
Survival of the individual
What behaviour is the limbic system responsible for?
Maintenance of homeostasis via: -Activation of visceral effector mechanisms -Modulation of pituitary hormone release -Initiation of feeding and drinking Agnostic behaviour Sexual and reproductive behaviour Memory
What are the two key parts to the limbic system and where are they found?
They are found in the temporal lobe:
Amygdala (anteriorly)
Hippocampus (immediately behind the amygdala on the floor of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle)
What circuit do the amygdala and hippocampus belong to?
Papez circuit
What cortical representation of the limbic system is there?
Mainly the cingulate cortex which is just above the corpus callosum
What is the Papez circuit?
A neural circuit for the control of emotional expression
Where is the hippocampus and what is its main output pathway?
It is found on the floor of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle and its main output pathway is the fornix