Practical neuroanatomy 1: Brain, meninges and blood supply Flashcards
Define caudal.
Towards the tail end.
What is the function of the pre-central gyrus?
Primary motor cortex
What is the function of the post-central gyrus.
Primary somatosensory cortex
What is the name of the dural septum extending between the two cerebral hemispheres.
Falx cerebri
What is the name of the dural septum that extends between the occipital lobes of the hemisphere and the cerebellum?
Tentorium cerebelli
Define rostral.
Towards the head end.
Define caudal
Towards the tail end.
What is meant by the term nucleus?
Aggregation of cell bodies in the CNS
What is meant by the term tract?
Nerve processes sharing common connections/functions run in the same path
What is a ganglion?
Aggregation of peripheral nerve cell bodies.
Which subdivisions of the brain make of the forebrain/cerebrum?
Frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes
What are the divisions of the brain stem?
Midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata
What is the corpus callosum?
White matter bridge between cerebral hemispheres
What is the function of the pre-central gyrus?
Primary motor cortex.
What is the function of the post-central gyrus?
Primary somatosensory cortex.
What structures are linked by the middle cerebellar peduncle?
Pons and cerebellum
What is the name of the dural septum extending between the two cerebral hemispheres?
Falx cerebri
What is the name of the dural septum that extends between the occipital lobes of the hemisphere and the cerebellum?
Tentorium cerebelli
Which dural venous sinuses run along the lines of attachment of the dura septae to the skull?
Superior saggital sinus runs along the falx cerebri.
What is the function of the arachnoid villi?
Allow CSF to exit the subarachnoid space and enter the blood.
Which vessel provides the arterial supply to the dura mater?
Middle meningeal.
What is the most common cause of an extradural haematoma?
Injured middle meningeal artery.
Which two pairs of blood vessels provide the arterial supply to the brain?
Vertebral and internal carotid.
Describe the course the vertebral artery takes as it ascends into the skull.
Crosses from the first part of each subclavian artery in the lower neck and passes superiorly through the transverse foramina of the upper 6 cervical vertebra. On entering the the cranial cavity each vertebral artery gives a small meningeal branch.
Describe the course the carotid arteries take as they enter the skull.
The internal carotid arteries arise as one of the two terminal branches of the common carotid. They proceed superiorly to the base of the skull where they enter the carotid canal.
What vessels feed the Circle of Willis, which surrounds the diencephalon at the base of the brain.
Basilar and internal carotid.
What is the functional significance of the circle of Willis?
Creates redundancies/collaterals in cerebral circulation.
What areas of the cerebrum are supplied by the anterior cerebral artery?
- Medial surface of the parietal lobe
- Superior surface of parietal lobe
- Anterior surface of frontal lobe
- Medial surface of frontal lobe
What areas of the cerebrum are supplied by the middle cerebral artery.
- Most of the lateral surface of the parietal lobe
- Some of the lateral surface of the frontal lobe
- Some of the lateral surface of the occipital lobe
- Some of the medial surface of the temporal lobe
What areas of the cerebrum are supplied by the posterior cerebral artery?
- Some of the lateral surface of the temporal lobe
- Some of the lateral surface of the occipital lobe
- Posterior surface of the occipital lobe
- Medial part of occipital lobe
- Small part of posterior surface of parietal lobe
- Medial part of temporal lobe
What do the striate arteries, arising from the MCA, supply?
Deep structures in the cerebrum - internal capsule and reticular formation.
What is a berry aneurysm?
Small intracranial aneurysm that looks like a berry and occurs at the point at which a cerebral artery departs from the of Willis.
