Overview of CNS: Structure and Function Flashcards
what type of fibers does the spinal cord contain?
ascending sensory from periphery
descending motor from the brain
where is the gray matter in the brain?
on the outside
cell bodies
where is the auditory cortex?
temporal lobe of the cerebrum
what is the insular cortex part of?
network involved in taste
how many distinct cellular layers does the cortex have?
6
where do association fibers connect different parts of the cortex?
within the cortex
where do commissural fibers connect different parts of the cortex?
between the hemispheres
where do projection fibers go?
travel to and from areas outside of the cortex
what is the hippocampus important for?
forming new memories
spatial navigation
what area of the brain is important for regulation of emotional response to sensory stimuli?
amygdala
what is the amygdala involved in?
arousal
regulation of emotional response to sensory stimuli
emotional memories
PTSD
what does the basal nuclei do?
integrator voluntary motor output
goal-oriented, reward related behaviors
what is the nucleus accumbens in the basal nuclei implicated in?
all rewarding behaviors
including sex and feeding
what does the nucleus accumbens in the basal nuclei receive dopaminergic inputs from?
midbrain area
what are the major components of the diencephalon?
epithalamus
subthalamus
thalamus
hypothalamus
what is the subthalamus involved in?
rhythmic movement
what does the thalamus regulate?
consciousness
sleep
alertness
what is the primary interface between the endocrine and autonomic regulation of homeostasis with regulatory input from the forebrain?
hypothalamus
what structures are included in the limbic system?
amygdala
hippocampus
cingulate gyrus
what are the major fiber tracts that connect the limbic structures to the hypothalamus?
stria terminalis
fornix
where are most cranial nerves and their associated nuclei found?
brainstem
where are the rostral and caudal colliculus?
tectum of mesencephalon
what does the medulla/myencephalon do?
controls autonomic functions
relays nerve signals between brain and spinal cord
where does the ascending reticular activating system project to?
thalamus
cortex
what are some functions of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)?
circadian rhythms
attention
motivated behaviors
lots of basic functions
which cranial nerves are involved in afferent input?
I
II
V
VII
VIII
IX
X
what is the cingulate cortex important for?
emotions
what is the insular cortex involved in?
taste
what does the epithalamus include?
pineal gland and habenula nuclei
what are some things that the hypothalamus regulates?
heart rate and blood pressure
body temperature
fluid and electrolyte balance (including thirst)
appetite and metabolism
glandular secretions of the stomach and intestines
production of releasing factors for pituitary gland
sleep cycles
what is the limbic system?
ring of structures closely associated with lateral ventricle
highly conserved
what is the limbic system important for?
control species-survival related behavior
learning and memory
what are the rostral and caudal colliculus involved in?
reflexes allowing head to turn towards visual or auditory stimulus
what does the periaqueductal gray do?
plays an important role in coordinated autonomic and motor responses to emotional experiences
what does the pons/metencephalon do?
arousal
assists in controlling autonomic functions
relays sensory information between the cerebrum and cerebellum
sleep
what is the prefrontal cortex important for?
reward-related behavior
impulse control
general arousal/attention
what degenerates during aging?
hippocampus
what is the periaqueductal gray involved in?
descending pain pathways
