Session 1

Question 1

What is the role of the frontal lobe?

Answer 1

Higher intellect, personality, language and speech

Question 2

What is the role of the parietal lobe?

Answer 2

Comprehension of language, calculation and visuospatial function

Question 3

What is the role of the temporal lobe?

Answer 3

Memory, language and hearing

Question 4

What is the role of the occipital lobe?

Answer 4

Vision

Question 5

Where are the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus?

Answer 5

Pre = anterior to central sulcus
Post = posterior to central sulcus
STG = inferior to the lateral sulcus

Question 6

What are the roles of the midbrain, pons and medulla?

Answer 6

Midbrain = eye movement, involuntary hearing and vision
Pons = muscles of mastication, hearing/balance, sleep, respiration, bladder control
Medulla = autonomic function, connects brain to spinal cord

Question 7

Role of the cerebellum?

Answer 7

Integration, regulation and co-ordination of motor processes. Unconscious.

Question 8

Roles of the cerebrocerebellum, spinocerebellum and vestibulocerebellum?

Answer 8

Cerebrocerebellum = planning movements and motor learning, and coordination of muscle activation
Spinocerebellum = Regulates body movements by allowing for error correction. Proprioception. 
Vestibulocerebellum = Balance and occular reflexes

Question 9

What are the roles of the thalamus and the hypothalamus?

Answer 9

Thalamus = sensory, motor and cognitive functions
Hypothalamus = autonomic, limbic and neuroendocrine system involvement.

Question 10

Role of the vestibular system?

Answer 10

Produces, transports and removes CSF

Question 11

What connects the lateral to the third ventricle?

Answer 11

Foramen of Monro

Question 12

What connects the third to the fourth ventricles?

Answer 12

Cerebral aqueduct

Question 13

What are the layers of the cranial meninges?

Answer 13

Dura mater - periosteal and meningeal layers (dural venous sinuses between these two layers)
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater

Question 14

What is the role of ependymal cells?

Answer 14

Form the choroid plexus and produce CSF

Question 15

How is CSF reabsorbed?

Answer 15

Enters the arachnoid space via the median aperture and the paired lateral apertures.
Then reabsorbed via arachnoid granulations into the dural venous sinuses.

Question 16

What happens once neurulation has begun?

Answer 16

Neural plate is formed, lateral edges rise.
Depression (neural groove) forms in the midline.
Neural folds meet in midline and fuse = neural tube.
Both ends (neuropores) must close.

Question 17

What results following failure of the neural tube to close caudally (posterior) and cranially (anterior)?

Answer 17

Caudally = Spina bifida
Cranially = Anencephaly

Question 18

Describe the 4 types of spina bifida

Answer 18

Spina bifida oculta = lack of fusion of the vertebral arches. No protrusion of SC.
Meningocoele = meninges forced between vertebrae. Nervous system undamaged.
Myelomeningocoele = unfused spinal column. Spinal cord protrudes, resulting in a sac enclosing spinal elements.
Myeloschisis = flat mass of nervous tissue, no overlying membrane. Risk of paralysis and meningitis.

Question 19

What are the derivations of the:

1) prosencephalon
2) mesencephalon
3) rhombencephalon

Answer 19

1) forms telencephalon (cerebral hemispheres) and diencephalon (thalamus)
2) midbrain
3) forms metencephalon (pons, cerebellum), myelencephalon (medulla)

Question 20

Where are the cervical flexure and the cephalic flexure?

Answer 20

Cervical = between spinal cord and hindbrain
Cephalic = within the midbrain region

Question 21

What structures are the ventricles derived from?

Answer 21

Lateral = cavity of cerebral hemispheres
Third = cavity of diencephalon
Fourth = cavity of rhombencephalon

Question 22

What is the lining of the neural tube?

Answer 22

Neuroepithelial cells form pseudostratified epithelium = neuroepithelial layer.
Upon closure of the neural tube, these cells give rise to neuroblasts (mantle layer) = grey mater of spinal cord.
Outermost layer = marginal layer, containing nerve fibres = white mater of spinal cord.

Question 23

What is the outcome of differentiation of the mantle layer surrounding the neural tube?

Answer 23

Ventral thickening = basal plates, containing ventral motor horn cells.
Dorsal thickening = alar plates, forming sensory areas.

Question 24

Give two conditions caused by defects of migration of neural crest cells / morphogensis

Answer 24

Hirschsprung’s disease = enteric ganglia don’t form, resulting in an aganglionic megacolon.

DiGeorge syndrome = cardiac abdormalities, abnormal facies, thyroid deficiency, cleft palate and hypocalcaemia. Due to mutation on chromosome 22. (CATCH-22)