W5 - Brainstem Flashcards
Where does the medulla oblongata relay sensory information to?
The thalamus and other portions of the BSt
What is the main function for the medulla oblongata?
Main autonomic centre for visceral function (cardiovascular etc.)
Where does the pons relay sensory information to?
The thalamus and cerebellum
What 2 motor centres are found in the pons?
Subconscious somatic and visceral
What two types of data are processed in midbrain?
Visual and auditory
What does the midbrain generate and what does it maintain?
Somatic motor reflexes, maiintains consciousness
What circulation supplies the Bst?
The posterior circulation
What two artery types supply the medial parts of the Bst?
Vertebral and basilar arteries
What arteries supply the lateral parts of the Bst? (4)
The 3 cerebellar vessels (PICA, AICA and the SCA) and the posterior cerebral artery
What 3 ‘systems’ are found in the brainstem?
Sensory, motor and parasympathetic
What are the cerebral peduncles (white matter), where do they arise and what is contained within them?
The two stalks that join the cerebrum to the Bst arising from the midbrain and containing aff/eff pathways
Are the descending tracts ventral or dorsal on the Bst?
Ventral
What are the superior and inferior colliculi involved in? (seen on the posterior side of the Bst)
Superior - visual pathway, inferior - auditory
What is between the posterior side of the Bst and the cerebellum?
the 4th ventricle
What do the white matter cerebellar peduncles do?
Connect Bst to the cerebellum
When the spinal cord becomes the Bst, what happens to the sensory nuclei and motor nuclei centres?
The sensory (dorsal horns) move laterally and th motor (ventral horns) move medially
What colliculi and peduncles can be seen when you cut rostrally through midbrain and caudally through the midbrain?
Rostral - superior colliculi and cerebral peduncles, Caudal - inferior colliculi and cerebral peduncles
What does the reticular in the middle of the Bst contain lots of?
Integrating centres for reflexes
The MLF connects the brainstem’s gaze centres and the vestibular system, what does this allow for?
The coordination of eye movements and maintenance of gaze with head movement
The PAG is involved in descending pain control and???
Regulation of autonomic functions
What can be seen in the caudal midbrain that you cant see in the rostral?
Pontine nuclei and decussation of superior cerebellar peduncles
What two ascending sensory pathways can be seen in the midbrain and pons?
MEdial lemniscus and spinothalamic tract
What are the 3 peduncles contained in the pons?
Medial, Superior and Inferior
What do the medial and inferior peduncles of the pons contain?
Ascending cerebellar afferents
What happens to the 4th ventricle as you move from rostral pons to caudal pons?
Gets much larger/wider
What tract runs through the pyramids present on the medulla and through the cerebral peduncle of the midbrain?
Corticospinal tract (a ventral descending tract)
What two nuclei can be seen in the caudal medulla and not the rostral medulla?
Gracilis and cuneatus
What is present in the tegmentum of the midbrain?
Substantia nigra
What are the ‘squiggly’ grey matter structures called that can be seen in the medulla?
Olives
