Reticular Formation Flashcards

1
Q

name the areas & their function

A
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2
Q

What are the major functions of the reticular formation systems?

A
  1. Pain - central group form ascending pathway for poorly localised pain, raphe neuron form descending inhibitory pathway, periaqueductal analgesia
  2. Somatic motor - reticulospinal fibres
  3. Visceral activity - maximal inspiration and expiration, cardiovascular and respiratory centres, viscera regulation via connection with hypothalamis/amygdala
  4. Sleep and arousal - normal loss of consciousness (sleep) vs abnormal (injury or disease)
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3
Q

Describe the concepts of wakefulness and sleep

A

consciousness is the state of awareness of oneself and surroundings, accompanied by neuronal activity in whole cerebral cortex.

Sleep is a normal loss of consciousness.

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4
Q

Describe REM and non-REM Sleep

A

REM = rapid eye movement.
* muscles are relaxed (mediated by RF inhibition of spinal cord motor neurons)
* deeply asleep (significant stimulus needed for arousal - thalamus to cerebrum comms are inhibitied)
* cerebral cortex very active
* NA-ergic neurons no active, cholinergic neurons active (same as awake)

non-REM sleep
* lower levels of activity in systems that are active in REM sleep
* NA-ergic neurons decreased (but not off), cholinergic neurons off, gaba-ergic neurons on

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5
Q

What system is active during wakefulness

A

locus coeruleus most active when awake, NA

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6
Q

Which neurons in brainstem/hypothalamus promote sleep?

A
  • serotonergic raphe neurons
  • lateral hypothalamus
  • suprachiasmatic nucleus of hypothalamus
  • pedunculopontine and lateral dorsal tegnmental cholinergic neurons
  • gaba-ergic neurons
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7
Q

What role does the suprachiasmatic nucleus play?

A

24hr internal clock

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