Week 3 Vocab Flashcards
Ataxia
the loss of full control of bodily movements.
Vermis
the rounded and elongated central part of the cerebellum, between the two hemispheres.
Cerebellar hemispheres
an anterior lobe and a posterior lobe of the cerebellum separated by the primary fissure.
Flocculonodular lobe
a region of the cerebellum with important connections to the vestibular nuclei.
Nodulus
the most anterior part of the inferior surface of the vermis of the cerebellum.
Cerebellar tonsils
structures located on the inferior surface of the cerebellum and functions for coordinating voluntary movement of the distal limbs.
Superior cerebellar peduncle
a part of the wall of the fourth ventricle and mainly carries outputs from the cerebellum.
Middle cerebellar peduncles
a part of the wall of the fourth ventricle and mainly carries inputs into the cerebellum.
Inferior cerebellar peduncles
a part of the wall of the fourth ventricle and mainly carries inputs into the cerebellum.
Deep cerebellar nuclei
from lateral to medial are the dentate, emboliform, globose, and fastigial nuclei (“Don’t Eat Greasy Foods”).
Granule cell layer
a tightly packed layer of granule cells of the cerebellar cortex.
Purkinje cell layer
cell bodies of large, flask shaped Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex.
Molecular layer
unmyelinated granule cell axons, Purkinje cell dendrites and other interneurons in the cerebellar cortex.
Mossy fibers
a type of synaptic input that ascends through the cerebellar white matter to form excitatory synapses onto dendrites of the granule cells.
Climbing fibers
a type of synaptic input that arises exclusively from neurons in the contralateral inferior olivary nucleus.
Dorsal spinocerebellar tracts
carries afferent information about limb movements to the cerebellum for the lower extremities.
Cuneocerebellar tracts
carries afferent information about limb movements to the cerebellum for the upper extremities and back.
Ventral spinocerebellar tracts
carries information about activity of spinal cord interneurons for the lower extremities.
Rostral spinocerebellar tracts
carries information about activity of spinal cord interneurons for the upper extremities.
Posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)
supplies the latera medulla, inferior half of the cerebellum and the inferior vermis.
Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA)
supplies the inferior lateral pons, the middle cerebellar peduncle, and ta strip of the anterior cerebellum between the PICA and SCA, including the flocculus.
Superior cerebellar artery (SCA)
supplies the upper lateral pons, the superior cerebellar peduncle, most of the superior half of the cerebellar hemisphere, including the deep cerebellar nuclei, and the superior vermis.
Appendicular ataxia
ataxia on movement of the extremities and often involves defects to both the vermis and the cerebellar hemispheres.
Dysmetria
abnormal undershoot or overshoot during movements toward a target.
Dysdiadochokinesia
abnormalities of rapid alternating movements.
Basal ganglia
a group of structures linked to the thalamus in the base of the brain and involved in coordination of movement.
Caudate nucleus
the upper of the two gray nuclei of the corpus striatum in the cerebrum of the brain.
Putamen
the outer part of the lentiform nucleus of the brain.
Globus pallidus
the median part of the lentiform nucleus in the brain.
Subthalamic nucleus
a lens-shaped nucleus located in the subthalamus, forming part of the extrapyramidal motor system.
Substantia nigra
a large nucleus of the midbrain that contains (especially in adult humans) a layer of dark melanin-laden cells, and is a part of the extrapyramidal motor system which is involved in Parkinson’s disease and certain other disorders of movement.
Lentiform nucleus
the lower of the two gray nuclei of the corpus striatum.
Striatum or Neostriatum
the caudate nucleus and the putamen, considered as the more recently evolved part of the corpus striatum.
Glutamate
an excitatory neurotransmitter, which in the basal ganglia, supports cortical inputs to the striatum.
Direct pathway
an intrinsic basal ganglia connection that travels from the striatum directly to the internal segment of the globus pallidus (substantia nigra pars reticulata).
Indirect pathway
an intrinsic basal ganglia connection that takes a detour from the striatum, first of the external segment of the globus pallidus and then to the subthalamic nucleus, before reaching the internal segment of the globus pallidus (substantia nigra pars reticulata).
Parkinson’s disease
a common idiopathic neurodegenerative basal ganglia pathology where dopamine containing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta degenerate; characterized by asymmetrical resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability, which usually responds to therapy with levadopa.
Parkinsonism
a more general term used to describe several other conditions that have some features of Parkinson’s disease, typically the bradykinesia and rigidity.
Hemiballismus
an impairment characterized by unilateral wild flinging movements of the extremities contralateral to the lesion of the basal ganglia.
Huntington’s disease
a basal ganglia pathology where striatal neurons in the caudate and putamen degenerate.
Movement disorders
a term used to describe abnormal movements resulting from basal ganglia and/or cerebellum pathology.
Dyskinesia
abnormality or impairment of voluntary movement.
Bradykinesia
slowed movements.
Hypokinesia
decreased amounts of movements.
Akinesia
absence of movement.
Rigidity
increased resistance to passive limb movement.
Dystonia
a state of abnormal muscle tone resulting in muscular spasm and abnormal posture, typically due to neurological disease or a side effect of drug therapy.
Athetosis
a condition in which abnormal muscle contractions cause involuntary writhing movements. It affects some people with cerebral palsy, impairing speech and use of the hands.
Chorea
a neurological disorder characterized by spasmodic involuntary movements of the limbs or facial muscles.
Tremor
an involuntary quivering movement.
Resting tremor
occurs when the muscle is relaxed, such as when the hands are resting on the lap.
Pill-rolling tremor
a resting tremor named as patients appear to be rolling something between their thumb and index finger.
Postural tremor
or essential tremor which is the most common of all movement disorders and typically involves a tremor of the hands or arms; typically occurs with familial autosomal dominant inheritance.
Action tremor
a type of tremor that occurs when the patient’s limbs are moving.
Intention tremor
Ataxic tremor.
Festinating gait
s gait pattern characterized by small, shuffling steps often exhibited by a person who has a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease or has Parkinsonian type symptoms.
