Week 3 Vocab

Question 1

Ataxia

Answer 1

the loss of full control of bodily movements.

Question 2

Vermis

Answer 2

the rounded and elongated central part of the cerebellum, between the two hemispheres.

Question 3

Cerebellar hemispheres

Answer 3

an anterior lobe and a posterior lobe of the cerebellum separated by the primary fissure.

Question 4

Flocculonodular lobe

Answer 4

a region of the cerebellum with important connections to the vestibular nuclei.

Question 5

Nodulus

Answer 5

the most anterior part of the inferior surface of the vermis of the cerebellum.

Question 6

Cerebellar tonsils

Answer 6

structures located on the inferior surface of the cerebellum and functions for coordinating voluntary movement of the distal limbs.

Question 7

Superior cerebellar peduncle

Answer 7

a part of the wall of the fourth ventricle and mainly carries outputs from the cerebellum.

Question 8

Middle cerebellar peduncles

Answer 8

a part of the wall of the fourth ventricle and mainly carries inputs into the cerebellum.

Question 9

Inferior cerebellar peduncles

Answer 9

a part of the wall of the fourth ventricle and mainly carries inputs into the cerebellum.

Question 10

Deep cerebellar nuclei

Answer 10

from lateral to medial are the dentate, emboliform, globose, and fastigial nuclei (“Don’t Eat Greasy Foods”).

Question 11

Granule cell layer

Answer 11

a tightly packed layer of granule cells of the cerebellar cortex.

Question 12

Purkinje cell layer

Answer 12

cell bodies of large, flask shaped Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex.

Question 13

Molecular layer

Answer 13

unmyelinated granule cell axons, Purkinje cell dendrites and other interneurons in the cerebellar cortex.

Question 14

Mossy fibers

Answer 14

a type of synaptic input that ascends through the cerebellar white matter to form excitatory synapses onto dendrites of the granule cells.

Question 15

Climbing fibers

Answer 15

a type of synaptic input that arises exclusively from neurons in the contralateral inferior olivary nucleus.

Question 16

Dorsal spinocerebellar tracts

Answer 16

carries afferent information about limb movements to the cerebellum for the lower extremities.

Question 17

Cuneocerebellar tracts

Answer 17

carries afferent information about limb movements to the cerebellum for the upper extremities and back.

Question 18

Ventral spinocerebellar tracts

Answer 18

carries information about activity of spinal cord interneurons for the lower extremities.

Question 19

Rostral spinocerebellar tracts

Answer 19

carries information about activity of spinal cord interneurons for the upper extremities.

Question 20

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)

Answer 20

supplies the latera medulla, inferior half of the cerebellum and the inferior vermis.

Question 21

Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA)

Answer 21

supplies the inferior lateral pons, the middle cerebellar peduncle, and ta strip of the anterior cerebellum between the PICA and SCA, including the flocculus.

Question 22

Superior cerebellar artery (SCA)

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

Appendicular ataxia

Answer 23

ataxia on movement of the extremities and often involves defects to both the vermis and the cerebellar hemispheres.

Question 24

Dysmetria

Answer 24

abnormal undershoot or overshoot during movements toward a target.

Question 25

Dysdiadochokinesia

Answer 25

abnormalities of rapid alternating movements.

Question 26

Basal ganglia

Answer 26

a group of structures linked to the thalamus in the base of the brain and involved in coordination of movement.

Question 27

Caudate nucleus

Answer 27

the upper of the two gray nuclei of the corpus striatum in the cerebrum of the brain.

Question 28

Putamen

Answer 28

the outer part of the lentiform nucleus of the brain.

Question 29

Globus pallidus

Answer 29

the median part of the lentiform nucleus in the brain.

Question 30

Subthalamic nucleus

Answer 30

a lens-shaped nucleus located in the subthalamus, forming part of the extrapyramidal motor system.

Question 31

Substantia nigra

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

Lentiform nucleus

Answer 32

the lower of the two gray nuclei of the corpus striatum.

Question 33

Striatum or Neostriatum

Answer 33

the caudate nucleus and the putamen, considered as the more recently evolved part of the corpus striatum.

Question 34

Glutamate

Answer 34

an excitatory neurotransmitter, which in the basal ganglia, supports cortical inputs to the striatum.

Question 35

Direct pathway

Answer 35

an intrinsic basal ganglia connection that travels from the striatum directly to the internal segment of the globus pallidus (substantia nigra pars reticulata).

Question 36

Indirect pathway

Answer 36

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).

Question 37

Parkinson’s disease

Answer 37

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.

Question 38

Parkinsonism

Answer 38

a more general term used to describe several other conditions that have some features of Parkinson’s disease, typically the bradykinesia and rigidity.

Question 39

Hemiballismus

Answer 39

an impairment characterized by unilateral wild flinging movements of the extremities contralateral to the lesion of the basal ganglia.

Question 40

Huntington’s disease

Answer 40

a basal ganglia pathology where striatal neurons in the caudate and putamen degenerate.

Question 41

Movement disorders

Answer 41

a term used to describe abnormal movements resulting from basal ganglia and/or cerebellum pathology.

Question 42

Dyskinesia

Answer 42

abnormality or impairment of voluntary movement.

Question 43

Bradykinesia

Answer 43

slowed movements.

Question 44

Hypokinesia

Answer 44

decreased amounts of movements.

Question 45

Akinesia

Answer 45

absence of movement.

Question 46

Rigidity

Answer 46

increased resistance to passive limb movement.

Question 47

Dystonia

Answer 47

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.

Question 48

Athetosis

Answer 48

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.

Question 49

Chorea

Answer 49

a neurological disorder characterized by spasmodic involuntary movements of the limbs or facial muscles.

Question 50

Tremor

Answer 50

an involuntary quivering movement.

Question 51

Resting tremor

Answer 51

occurs when the muscle is relaxed, such as when the hands are resting on the lap.

Question 52

Pill-rolling tremor

Answer 52

a resting tremor named as patients appear to be rolling something between their thumb and index finger.

Question 53

Postural tremor

Answer 53

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.

Question 54

Action tremor

Answer 54

a type of tremor that occurs when the patient’s limbs are moving.

Question 55

Intention tremor

Answer 55

Ataxic tremor.

Question 56

Festinating gait

Answer 56

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.