Week 1 - Overview Flashcards
What are the primary functions of the nervous system?
- sensory input
- integration (processing, interpreting and sending information)
- motor output (response)
What is neuroscience?
The study of the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the nervous system and its implications on the rest of the body.
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
Peripheral nervous system (PNS) and Central nervous system (CNS)
What are the two divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
Autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
sympathetic and parasympathetc nervous systems
What are the functions of the autonomic nervous system?
controls internal activities of organs and glands
What are the functions of the somatic nervous system?
controls external action of skin and muscles
What is the difference between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?
- parasympathetic = calming
- sympathetic = arousing
What are the two functional classifications of neurons?
- Afferent: towards CNS
- Efferent: from CNS
What are the components of the central nervous system?
brain and spinal cord
What are the components of the peripheral nervous system?
cranial and spinal nerves that connect the body to the CNS
What are the four main components of the brain?
- Cerebral hemispheres
- Diencephalon
- Brainstem
- Cerebellum
What links the brain stem to the cerebral hemisphere?
Diencephalon
What are the three planes/sectional terms used when referring to the brain? What do they cut the brain into?
- coronal: front and back
- horizontal: top and bottom
- mid-sagittal: left and right
What are the directional terms used when describing the brain? Explain each
- ventral: anterior
- dorsal: posterior
- Rostral: superior (towards beak)
- Caudal: Inferior (towards spinal cord)
Explain the reason why the brain is given different directional terms
The brain is tilted forward, changing the axis of the CNS
How would you describe the position of the cerebellum in respect to the brainstem?
cerebellum is dorsal to the brain stem
What are the
a. elevations
b. depressions
of the brain called?
a. gyrus (gyri)
b. sulcus (sulci)
What separates the two hemispheres of the brain?
longitudinal fissure
Is it a layer of grey or white matter on the cortex?
grey
What side of the brain controls what side of the body?
opposite side of the brain controls opposite side of the body
Where are the sensory structures of the brain generally located?
top of the brain (dorsal)
Where are the motor aspects of the brain generally located?
bottom of the brain (ventral aspect)
What does grey matter consist of? Why is it a grey colour?
cell bodies of neurons. Grey due to the density of structures i.e. organelles
What does white matter consist of? Why is it a white colour?
axonal sections of neural. White due to the myelin sheaths which is a fatty tissue
What matter are cortex, nucleus, horn and ganglia made up of?
grey
What matter are tracts/pathways, commisure, capsules and leminiscus made up of?
white
what is the cortex?
superficial layer of the cerebrum consisting of grey matter
What are the four lobes of the brain?
- frontal
- parietal
- temporal
- occipital
What is the functional role(s) of the frontal lobe?
- movement
- attention
- planning
- social skills
- abstract thinking
- memory
- some aspects of personality
What is the functional role(s) of the occipital lobe?
- vision
- processing visual information
What is the functional role(s) of the parietal lobe?
- touch
- detecting movement in the environment
- locating objects in space
- vestibular sense
- complex visual processing
What is the functional role(s) of the temporal lobe?
- audition
- language comprehension
- abstract knowledge
- memory
describe where the longitudinal fissure is located?
between the two cerebral hemispheres, separates them
describe where the lateral sulcus is
boundary between temporal, frontal and parietal lobes
describe where the pre, post and central gyri are
- central boundary between frontal and parietal lobes
- pre-central gyri is rostral to central gyrus
- post-central gyri is caudal to central gyrus
Describe the corpus callosum
white matter structure that acts as a bridge between the left and right cerebral hemispheres
Describe the calcarine sulcus
divides the occipital lobe into two halves of visual field
- top half of occipital controls lower half of visual field and vice versa
What are the main specialized cortical regions?
- primary motor cortex
- primary somatosensory cortex
- primary hearing cortex
- primary visual cortex
- broca’s area
- wernicke’s area
What are some examples of deep grey areas of the cerebrum?
- basal ganglia nuclei
- caudate nucleus
- lentiform nucleus
what are the two types of lentiform nuclei?
- globus pallidus
- putamen
What are Brodmann areas?
numerical system for locating different functional areas of the cortex
what are the three classifications of white matter fibers in the cerebrum?
- projection fibers
- commissural fibers
- association fibers
Where do projection fibers travel?
connect brain with the brain stem and spinal cord
name three examples of projection fibres
- corona radiata
- internal capsule
- optic radiations
where do commissural fibres travel?
corresponding regions of the two hemispheres
list two examples of commissural fibres
- corpus callosum
- anterior commissure
where do association fibres travel?
connects within one hemisphere - ipsilateral
where do short association fibres travel?
adjacent gyri
what are some types of long association fibres?
longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus
What is cerebrospinal fluid?
Ultra-filtrate of blood made by choroid plexus inside the ventricles
where does CSF circulate within to nourish the brain?
ventricles
what are the functions of the brainstem?
- serves as a conduit for ascending and descending tracts
- reflex control centers
- regulation of cardiac, respiration, vasomotor, vomiting, coughing and swallowing
- pain modulation centre
- reticular formation (alters levels of consciousness)
What cranial nerves does the brain stem contain?
III - XII (3 - 12)
What is the order of structures in the brainstem from superior to inferior?
midbrain, pons, medulla
What are the functions of afferent neurons and where do their cell bodies reside?
relays sensory information to the CNS. Cell bodies within the PNS
What are the functions of efferent neurons and where do their cell bodies reside?
effects visceral and somatic structures. Cell bodies reside in the CNS
Name some examples of nerves that are part of the PNS
- spinal nerves
- cranial nerves
- spinal ganglia
- autonomic ganglia
Name the cranial nerves
I - Olfactory II - Optic III - Occulomotor IV - Trochlear V - Trigeminal VI - Abducens VII - Facial VIII - Vestibulocochlear IX - Glossopharyngeal X - Vagus XI - Accessory XII - Hypoglossal
State the functions of cranial nerves I - IV
I - Olfactory regulates sense of smell
II - Optic regulates vision
III - Occulomotor regulates movement of the eyeball, pupillary constriction and accommodation and elevation of the eye lid
IV - Trochlear regulates movement of the eyeball
For cranial nerves I - IV state what their component fibres are
I - sensory
II - sensory
III - motor and parasympathetic
IV - motor
State the functions of cranial nerves V - VIII
V - trigeminal regulates general sensation, mastication and tension of tympanic membrane
VI - Abducens regulates movement of the eyeball
VII - Facial regulates taste, tension of bones in middle ear, salivation and lacrimation and facial movement
VIII - vestibulocochlear regulates vestibular sense (head in relation to the environment) and hearing
For cranial nerves V - VIII state what their component fibres are
V - sensory and motor
VI - motor
VII - sensory, motor and parasympathetic
VIII - sensory
State the functions of cranial nerves IX - XII
IX - glossopharyngeal general sensation, taste, swallowing, salivation and chemo- and baroreception
X - vagus controls general sensation, chemo- and baroreception, visceral sensation, speech, swallowing, control of cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts
XI - accessory controls movement of head and shoulder
XII - hypoglossal regulates movement of the tongue
For cranial nerves IX - XII, state what their component fibres are
IX - sensory, motor and parasympathetic
X - sensory, motor and parasympathetic
XI - Motor
XII - Motor
What structures make up the diencephalon?
hypothalamus, thalamus, epithalamus and subthalamus
What is the function(s) of the diencephalon?
- autonomic and endocrine function control
- directs sense impulses throughout the body
- motor function control
- homeostasis
- hearing, vision, smell and taste
- touch perception
What is the function of the brainstem?
connects brain to spinal cord, maintains visceral functioning and coordinates reflexes
- conduit for ascending and descending tracts
- reflex control centres
- respiration
- vasomotor
- vomitting
- heart rate
- cardiac centre
- coughing
- swallowing
What does the midbrain do?
communication and control in motor systems, hearing, vision and reflexes for visual and auditory stimuli
What does the pons do?
relays info from ear, face and teeth and signals of mastication, facial expression and some eye movements
What does the medulla oblongata do?
controls autonomic functions (visceral)
What does the cerebellum do?
recieves sensory info, spinal cord and regulates motor movements i.e. balance, posture, coordination and speech
Where can the primary motor cortex be found? What is its function?
- found on the pre-central gyrus of the frontal lobe
- generates skeletal muscle contraction
Where can the primary somatosensory cortex be found? What is its function?
- post-central gyrus of the parietal lobe
- conscious perception of touch, pressure, pain, vibration, taste and temperature
Where can the primary auditory cortex be found? What is its function?
- temporal lobe
- conscious perception of audition
Where can the primary visual cortex be found? What is its function?
- occipital lobe
- conscious perception of visual stimuli
Where can Broca’s area be found? What is its function?
- neural cortex of the left cerebral hemisphere on frontl lobe
- speech production
Where can Wernicke’s area be found? What is its function?
- left cerebral hemisphere on temporal lobe
- language comprehension and construction
Where can the internal capsule be found?
near basal ganglia
Where can the
- lateral ventricles
- third vetricle
be found?
- occipital and temporal regions
- between thalamus and hypothalamus
What is the function of the ventricular system?
production and circulation of CSF in the brain
describe the process of CSF circulation as part of the ventricular system
lateral ventricle -> intraventricular foramen -> 3rd ventricle -> cerebral aqueduct -> 4th ventricle -> spinal cord
