(PM3B) CNS Intro Flashcards
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
Autonomic - involuntary
(1) Mobilises
(2) Fight/ flight
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
Autonomic - involuntary
(1) Conserves
(2) Rest/ digest
What is the coronal (frontal) plane?
Ear to ear
Splits front and back of body
What is the horizontal (transverse) plane?
Front to back
Splits top and bottom of body
What is the sagittal plane?
Left and right
Splits left side of body from right side of body
What is grey matter?
Brain tissue
Dense in neuronal cell bodies
Glial cells + neurophil
What is white matter?
Areas dense in myelinated axonal tracts
Fewer cell bodies
What is the cerebral cortex?
Contains 90% of brain’s total neurons
Responsible for:
(1) Abstract thought
(2) Judgement
(3) Memory
(4) Interpretation
(5) Integration of sensory input
Proportionally larger in humans than other mammals
Evolutionary young area
What are Brodmann areas?
Regions of the cerebral cortex
What is the frontal lobe?
A cortical lobe of the brain
Responsible for higher, executive function
What are the cortical lobes of the brain?
(1) Frontal lobe
(2) Parietal lobe
(3) Occipital lobe
(4) Temporal lobe
What is the parietal lobe?
A cortical lobe of the brain
Responsible for integration of sensory information
What is the occipital lobe?
A cortical lobe of the brain
Responsible for visual processing
What is the temporal lobe?
A cortical lobe of the brain
Responsible for processing sensory information
What is the limbic system?
Responsible for application of emotion to cognitive functioning (fear/ love/ rage/ pleasure)
Includes:
(1) Hypothalamus
(2) Amygdala
(3) Hippocampus
(4) Thalamic nuclei
(5) Olfactory region + others
What brain areas/ systems are responsible for determining overall behaviours?
Balance of cortical + limbic functions
What is the thalamus?
Area in the brain
In the limbic system
Pre-processor + relay for sensory information
Dysfunction can cause perceptual symptoms, e.g. hallucinations
What is the hypothalamus?
Area in the brain
In the limbic system
Coordinates nervous system with endocrine system (via pituitary) + sympathetic nervous system
What is the hippocampus?
Area in the brain
In the limbic system
Important for learning + memory
What is the amygdala?
Area in the brain
In the limbic system
Involved in fear processing + emotional memories
What are the basal ganglia?
Interconnected nuclei within the cerebrum
Responsible for coordinating voluntary motor activity between cerebellum + cortex
Maintenance of posture + muscle zone
What are the main components of the basal ganglia?
(1) Striatum
(2) Globus pallidus
(3) Subthalamic nuclei
(4) Substantia nigra
What can happen following basal ganglia dysfunction?
(1) Huntington’s disease
(2) Parkinson’s disease
What is the excitatory neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia?
Glutamate
What is the inhibitory neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia?
GABA
What is the modulatory neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia?
Dopamine
What is the brainstem?
Oldest part of the brain (in evolutionary terms)
Contains visual, auditory + motor centres
Responsible for involuntary motor functions
What are the components of the brainstem?
(1) Midbrain
(2) Pons
(3) Medulla
What are the main responsibilities of the brainstem?
(1) Respiration
(2) Cardiovascular control
(3) Pain sensitivity control
(4) Alertness
(5) Consciousness
What is the relay station in the brainstem?
Reticular formation monitors + influences CNS input + output
(1) Ascending: Carries information TO the brain
(2) Descending: Carries information AWAY from the brain
What does the ascending relay station do in the brainstem?
Carries information to the brain
From the periphery
What does the descending relay station do in the brainstem?
Carries information to the periphery
From the brain
Where are the majority of cell bodies for amine neurotransmitters contained?
Brainstem