Week 1 - Dry Room Flashcards
What arteries compose the circle of Willis?
Vertebral artery Anterior spinal artery Basilar artery Posterior cerebral artery Posterior communicating artery Internal carotid artery Middle cerebral artery Anterior cerebral artery Anterior communicating artery
From which arteries do the vertebral arteries arise from?
The subclavian arteries
In which sulcus does the middle cerebral artery travel in?
Lateral sulcus
In what sulcus does the posterior cerebral artery travel in?
Calcarine sulcus
In what groove does the anterior cerebral artery travel in?
Anterior interhemispheric groove
What parts of the brain does the anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries supply?
Anterior supplies the medial portion of all the lobes of the cerebral hemispheres except the occipital
Middle supplies the middle portion of the cerebral hemispheres from the lateral sides
The posterior supplies the occipital lobe and inferior part of the hemispheres
What cerebral artery supplies the primary sensory, motor, auditory and visual cortex’s?
Sensory cortex = anterior C.A.
Motor cortex = anterior C.A
Auditory cortex = anterior C.A
Visual cortex = posterior C.A
What cerebral artery supplies the area of the brain responsible for olfaction?
Middle C.A
What parts of the brain does the vertebrobasilar system supply?
The pons
Superior and inferior aspects of the cerebellum
Which cranial nerve emerges just above the superior cerebellar artery?
Occulomotor nerve CN III
What clinical condition commonly occurs at the area of the posterior cerebral artery where the occulomotor nerve emerges? And what consequences does this have?
At this point, the posterior cerebral artery is also running immediately above the superior cerebellar artery and it is above this artery which the occulomotor emerges
Aneurysms of the posterior cerebral are common at this area and can result in palsy of the CN III
What help control the blood flow to the brain?
Carotid sinus
Carotid body
Sympathetic motor nerves from the superior cervical ganglion which form a plexus around the internal carotid artery
Where are venous sinuses located?
Between the periosteum and cranial dura matter
Where does blood from the brain drain?
It drains into venous sinuses which eventually drain into the internal jugular vein
What is one of the main cerebral veins? Is it part of the superficial or deep group?
Part of the deep group of cerebral veins
The great cerebral vein (of Galen)
What are the names of the venous sinuses”?
Cavernous sinus Superior and inferior Sagittal sinus Transverse sinus Sigmoid sinus Straight sinus Superior and inferior petrosal sinuses
What are some of the important connections between the intracranial venous sinuses and extracranial veins?
And why are they of clinical importance?
They are important in the spread of infection
- emissary veins
- superior ophthalmic vein
- inferior petrosal sinuses
What are the superior and inferior petrosal sinuses connected to each other by?
Basilar sinus
What does the emissary veins connect?
It connects the cranial venous sinuses with the dipole of the skull which contains the blood sinuses in the bone marrow
In turn these blood sinuses within the bone marrow are continuous with the veins in the superficial fascia overlying the outer part of the skull
What vein is the superior ophthalmic vein continuous with?
The facial vein
What structures lie within the cavernous sinus?
Internal carotid artery
CN III, IV, VI
Optic nerve
Ophthalmic and maxillary nerve
What arteries fuse to form the anterior spinal artery?
The vertebral arteries
What arteries are the posterior and anterior spinal arteries branches of?
Anterior - vertebral arteries
Posterior - posterior inferior cerebellar arteries
What is the venous drainage of the vertebrae?
Internal and external vertebral venous plexus
Where is CSF found?
Around the brain
Within the subarachnoid space - between arachnoid and pia matter
What is found within the subarachnoid space?
CSF
Trabeculae (connective tissue)
Arteries and veins
What is the sheath of dura matter that separates the cerebral hemispheres?
Falx cerebri
What si the fold of dura matter that separates the cerbellum?
Falx cerebella
What is the dura matter which the occipital lobe lies on?
The tentorium cerebri
What bony structure(s) does the tentorium cerebelli connect to?
The posterior clinoid processes and petrosal part of temporal bone
What bony structure(s) does the flax cerebri attach to?
The Crista Gali and internal occipital processes
What venous sinuse runs along the upper and lower borders of the flax cerebri?
Superior and inferior Sagittal sinuses
What is the fold of dura matter that surrounds the pituitary stalk?
Diaphragm sellae
What is the middle meningeal artery a branch of and what foramen does it arise from?
Branch of the maxillary artery
Foramen spinosum
Where is the maxillary artery a branch of and where does this artery give off the maxillary branch?
Branch of ICA
Given off within the parotid gland
What embryological structures are the ventricles formed from?
Mesencephalon - neural tube
What are the ventricles within the brain?
Lateral ventricles
3rd ventricle
Cerebral aqueduct
4th ventricle
What is found within the ventricles and what is its purpose?
Choroid plexus - produces CSF
Where is CSF absorbed into the general circulation?
Through blood vessels over the surface of the brain
What makes the indentations on either side of the superior sagittal sinus?
Arachnoid villi
Congenital defects of restriction of the CSF circulation can cause a condition called? What are affects of this condition?
Hydrocephalus
It causes an increase in intracranial pressure which will lead to a progressive enlargement of the head and a reduction in cerebral matter
What can hydrocephalus be associated with?
Spina bifida
How is hydrocephalus treated?
Shunt - to redirect fluids out of the cerebral circulation into the deep venous system
