Systems Level CNS Architecture Flashcards
The somatic nervous system…
interacts with the external environment
The autonomic nervous system
regulates the body’s internal environment
Do impulses come in via the dorsal or ventral root?
Comes in via dorsal root (afferent), out via ventral root (efferent).
What is in the forebrain?
Telencephalon (cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and limbic system)
Diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus)
Hindbrain
Medulla - Involved in autonomic and low level sensorimotor control
Pons - relay from cortex midbrain to cerebellum, pattern generators (eg how to walk)
Cerebellum - many neurons, cognition
Midbrain
Tectum (AKA colliculi) - visual/spatial and auditory frequency maps:
Superior colliculus is sensitive to sensory change / defensive movements. Inferior colliculus is similar for auditory events.
Tegmentum (Periaqueductal gray, red nucleus, substantia nigra)
Cerebral cortex
Gray matter (cell bodies), 6 layers.
Frontal lobe (pre-frontal cortex) = motor control, executive function (judgement, prediction, planning)
Parietal lobe = somatosensation
Temporal lobe = sensory information
Occipital lobe = dorsal and ventral stream. Dorsal for vision for movement. Ventral for identification, ‘what does it mean to us’.
Basal ganglia
Cortical control, selects and prioritisation for motor control, potentially affecting emotions
Limbic system
(amygdala, hippocampus, fornix, cingulate gyrus, septum, mammillary body) - emotional control and regulation, memory
Thalamus
Relay structure, regulating sleep
Hypothalamus
Regulates pituitary gland, controls endocrine system or motivated behaviour (eg hunger)
Periaqueductal gray
Defensive behaviour, role in pain and in reproduction
Red nucleus
Role in pre-cortical motor control
