Part 1 - Structure and Function Flashcards
Three germ layers and their future tissues
- Endoderm: Respiratory and GI
- Mesoderm: Muscles and circulatory
- Ectoderm: Skin, hair and CNS
Alternative names for hind brain, midbrain and forebrain
Rhombencephalon
Mesencephalon
Proencephalon
Content of cerebral peduncles
Descendign motor tracts
Two parts of tectum and their senses
Superior; optic
Inferior; auditory
Components of tegmentum
- Substantia nigra
- Red nucleus
- Cerebral aqueduct
- PAG
- Reticular formation
Which part of brain does the lateral ventricle lie within
Telencephalon of forebrain
Structure connecting leteral and third ventricle
Interventricular foramen
Which comparrtment does third ventricle lie in
Diencephalon
Structure connecting third and fourth venrticle
Cerebral aqueduct, also the narrowest part of ventricualr system
Path of CSF
- Produced in choroid plexus
- Flows through ventricles and into subarachnoid space via median and lateral apertures, some flows thorugh central canal of spinal cord
- CSF flows through the subarachnoid space
- CSF is absorbed into the dural venous sinuses via the arachnoid villi
Subtypes of hydrocephalus
- Obstructive/non-communicating: CSF flow blocked within the ventricles or between ventricles and SAS
-
Communicating: unimpaired communication between ventricles and SAS. Problem lies outside ventricular system
- Reduced absoroption of CSF
- Blockage of venosu drainage system
- CSF over production
Define a cistern
Large areas in SAS where CSF collects due to folds
Three main dural reflections
Falx cerebri - separates hemispheres
Tentorium cerebelli - Occipital lobe & cerebellum
Falx cerebelli - cerebral hemispheres
Major functions of lobes
frontal: Personality, attention, motivation, planning movement
Parietal: Integrating sensory information, language processing
temporal: Motor, memory, language comprehension
Occipital: vision
Main branches of carotid artery in cranium
- Middle cerebral artery (stroke)
- Anterior cerebral artires
- Hypophysial, opthalmic, posterior communicating arise from terminal bifurcation
Branches of vertebral artery
Anterior spinal
Posterior inferior cerebellar
Basillar artery branches
Pontine (pons)
Labrynthine artery (inner ear)
Superior cerebellar artery
Posterior cerebral artery(anastamost with int carotid to form circle of willis)
Size limit for passing BBB
<2000MW
Histological structure of choroid plexus
- A Layer of cuboidal epithelial cells sorrounding core of capillaries.
- Continual with ependymal cell layer lining ventricles
- However, the CP cells have tight junctions preventing blood-CSF
- Forms villi around capillaries
Processes involved in CSF formation
- ultra-filtration of plasma across capillary walls into ECF beneath basolateral membrane of choroid epithelial cells
- Choroid epithelial cells secrete fluid into ventricle
Mechanism of CSF secretion from CP cells
Basolateral membrane
- Transporters exchange intracellular HCO3 for Cl- by use of Na+ gradient
Apical membrane
- Na/K/ATPases
- AQP1
BBB vs Blood-CSF-Barrier
BBB: Tight junctions in brain capillaries control solute transport into ECF
BCSFB: Tight junctions between ependymal cells/CP cells
Functions of CSF
- Providing nutrients
- Removing waste from ECF
- Medium of exchange between ECF and systemic blood
- Shock absorber
Notable differences in composition of plasma/CSF
Plasma
- 6000mg/dl protein
- 175mg/dl cholestrol
- 4.7 K+
CSF
- 20 mg/dl protein
- 0.2 mg/dl cholestrol
- 2.9 K+
3 mechanisms of CSF reabsorption
- Bulk flow via arachnoid villi within SAS
- Diffusion via vascular epithelium of the choroid plexus
- Active transport via choroid plexus
Pathway of CSF
- Lateral ventricle (cortex)
- Foramina of Monroe
- Third ventricle (thalamus)
- Cerebral aquaduct of sylvisu (midbrain) - blockage
- Fourth ventricle (brain stem)
- two foramin of Luschka and foramin of magendie
- SAS
Affect of lipid solubility on BBB passage
High lipid solubility; greater access
Impact of ionisatino on BBB passage
Drugs ionised at 7.4 have less access
Why can’t dopamine be used in Parkinson’s
Ionised at 7.4
Metabolised by MAO present in denothelial cells
Insted use L-DOPA with DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor preventing conversion outside of CNS as inhibitor is ionised at 7.4 and cant pass BBB
List circumventriular organs
= Brain areas lacking BBB, tight junction replaced by fenestrations
- Posterior pituitary; released hormones have direct access to circulation
- Median eminence; oxytocin, vasopressin, picks up releasing hormones
- Area Postrema; chemoreceptor zone in control of vomiting
- OVLT; important for actions of cytokines in periphery (fever
Three types of white matter tracts
Association fibres: exchange fibres within same hemisphere
Commisural fibres: Information between hemispheres
Projection fibres: From cortex to other regions of brain or spinal cord e.g. UMNs
Structures associated with fornix
Limbic structure, connects hippocampus in temporal lobes to mammillary bodies
i.e. memory
Structures associated with anterior commissure
Connects amygdalas of two temporal lobes
i.e. emotion
Structures associated with posterior commisure
Connects parts of Thalamus participating in vision to superior colliculus
Pathway for UMNs
Primary motor cortex area
Corona Radiata
Internal capsule
Midbrain
Spinal Cord
Divisions and roles of Internal Capsule
Anterior limb
- Association fibres. Thalamocortical and corticostriatal
Genu
- Projection fibres (UMN) from primary motor cortex; head and face movement(CN)
Posterior limb
- Projection fibres(UMN) from area IV; arm, trunk, leg movement
- Sensory fibres from thalamus to primary somatosensory cortex
Where do pyramidal tracts decussate
In the lower end of medulla
Divisions of pyramida ltract
Corticobulbar tract
- Terminates in brainstem; inputs to cranial nerves
Corticospinal
- Lateral: decussates; limbs and digits
- ventral: remains ipsilateral; trunk
Whre in ventral horn are flexors/extensors positioned
Flexors towards central canal
Extensors more ventral
Symptoms of UMN damage
- Increased tone
- SPcaticity/increased reflexes
- Clonus
ALS
Degeneration of UMN and LMN - extremities and inwards, progressive
Primary alteral sclerosis
Degeneration of corticospinal tracts
Begins as stiffness/weakness of legs, balance/gait issuse, spread to arm and trunk
Pseudobulbar Palsy
Degeneration of cortibulbar tract
Facial paralyiss, dribbling, speaking issues
Characteristics of Meissner’s corpuscles
Rapidly adaptive.
Light touch, 2 point discrimination
Concentrated in hairless skin e.g. finger pads
Charactersistics of Merkel’s disks
Slowly adapting
Light pressure and discriminatie touch
Characteristics or Ruffini corpuscles
Slowly adapting
Responds to skin strech; show little adaptation
Around fingernails, mointor slippage etc allowing modulation of grups
Pacinian corpuscle
rapidly adapting
Vibration and textures
3 Ascending Pathways
DCML - main sensory, discrimative/fine touchm propriception
Anterolatereal - Temperatrue and pain, non discrimative touch
Spinocerebellar - uncnscious propriception
Two tracts of DCML
Fasciculus gracilis;
- medial, from lower limb
- Synapses in gracile nucleus of lower medulla
Fasciculus cuneatus
- Lateral, from upper limb
- Synapses in cuneate nucleus of lower medulla
Signs of DCML damage
- Loss of discriminative touch, vibration, and propriception
- Preserved pain perception
- A positive ROMBERG sign indicates reduced propriception
Outlien spinothalamic tract
Direct portion of anterolateral system
- 2nd order neurons decussate in spinal cord at appropriate vertebral level
- Transmits info to thalamus and primary somatosensory CTX