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Human Anatomy MSc Sheffield - Head and Neck > week 8 - neuro (basal ganglia, limbic system) > Flashcards

week 8 - neuro (basal ganglia, limbic system) Flashcards

1
Q

What is the fornix?

A

The major output tract of the hippocampus - part of the limbic system

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2
Q

What are the components of the limbic system?

A

Orbital frontal cortex, hippocampus, insular cortex, cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, olfactory bulb, hypothalamus, anterior and dorsomedial nuclei of the thalamus

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3
Q

What are the components of the limbic system?

A

Orbital frontal cortex, hippocampus, insular cortex, cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, olfactory bulb, hypothalamus, anterior and dorsomedial nuclei of the thalamus

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4
Q

What is the circle of papez?

A

Cingulate gyrus - parahippocampal gyrus - entorhinal cortex - subiculum - lateral and medial mammilary nuclei - anterior thalamic nucleus - internal capsule - cingulate gyrus

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5
Q

What is the function of the limbic system?

A

Feeding (satiety and hunger), Forgetting (memory), Fighting (emotions), Family (sexual reproduction, maternal instincts), Fornicating (sexual arousal)

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6
Q

What is the function of the orbital frontal cortex?

A

Perceive smell, involved in formation of memories

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7
Q

What is the function of the hippocampus?

A

Associated with long-term memory

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8
Q

What is the function of the insular cortex?

A

Associated with desires, cravings and addiction

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9
Q

What is the function of the cingulate gyrus?

A

Perception of pain and nociception

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10
Q

What is the function of the parahippocampal gyrus?

A

Provides a path for communication between cortical association areas and hippocampus

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11
Q

What is the function of the amygdala?

A

Fear, anxiety responses

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12
Q

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

A

Final output for the limbic system, produces hormones

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13
Q

What is the septum pellucidum?

A

A thin, triangular double membrane, separating the anterior horns of the left and right lateral ventricles of the brain

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14
Q

What is the central sulcus?

A

A sulcus running in the coronal plane, separating anterior and posterior of the cerebral cortex

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15
Q

What is the longitundinal fissure?

A

The fissure that separates the left and right cerebral hemispheres

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16
Q

Where is the paracentral lobule?

A

On the inside surface of the brain, visible through the longitudinal fissure, a continuation of the pre and post-central gyri

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17
Q

What is the function of the paracentral lobule?

A

Motor and sensory innervation to the contralateral lower extremity, defecation and urination

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18
Q

Where is the cingulate sulcus?

A

Superior to the cingulate gyrus - separating it from the paracentral lobule and the superior frontal gyrus

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19
Q

What are the main commissures of the brain?

A

Corpus callosum, anterior commissure, posterior commissure, habenular commissure, hippocampal commissure

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20
Q

What are the functions of the anterior commissure?

A

Connects structures of the olfactory pathway, frontal cortex, temporal pole and parahippocampal gyri

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21
Q

What is the function of the posterior commisure?

A

Connects the language processing centres of both cerebral hemispheres

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22
Q

What do patients with an absence of the full developed corpus callosum present with?

A

Impaired verbal processing speed and problem solving

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23
Q

What may damage to the posterior commissure present with?

A

Alexia - inability to understand written words

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24
Q

What are the main issues that present if the corpus callosum is damaged?

A

Pseudobulbar palsy - inability to control tongue or facial muscles (difficulty swallowing, chewing, speaking)
Speech and movement ataxia - lack of coordination
Alien hand syndrome - The hand appears to act on its own without cognitive control or awareness from the person

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25
What are the common side effects of a corpus callosotomy for epilepsy?
Speech irregularities, alien hand syndrome, cognitive impairments
26
What is the function of the thalamus?
The central hub through which all fibres pass through before reaching the brain/spinal cord
27
What structures lie anterior to the thalamus?
Interventricular foramen, internal cerebral vein
28
What structures lie posterior to the thalamus?
Stria terminalis, body of fornix, caudate nucleus, internal capsule, splenium of corpus callosum
29
What structures lie inferior to the thalamus?
Hypothalamus, cerebral aqueduct, tegmentum
30
What is the internal medullary lamina?
A Y shaped white matter structure that splits the thalamus into three main parts - anterior, medial and lateral thalamus
31
What is the name of the posterior most aspect of the thalamus?
The pulvinar
32
What structures sit between the pulvinar of the thalamus?
Pineal gland, habenular, posterior commissures
33
How many nuclei are there in the thalamus?
16
34
What do the ventral anterior and ventral lateral nuclei of the thalamus do?
Motor cortex activities
35
What are the ventral posterior medial and lateral nuclei of the thalamus involved in?
Relay of information to the primary somatosensory cortex
36
What are the medial group of thalamic nuclei involved in?
Integrating olfactory, somatic and visceral efferent information with emotions
37
What is the anterior nuclei of the thalamus involved in?
The limbic system - organise emotion and recent memory
38
What are the lateral and medial geniculate bodies?
Nuclei of the thalamus - medial = auditory. Lateral = visual.
39
Which artery supplies the thalamus?
Posterior cerebral artery
40
Where is the hypothalamic sulcus?
It is a groove in the lateral wall of the third ventricle, marking the boundary between the thalamus and hypothalamus
41
What does the medial geniculate body do?
relays auditory information from the inferior colliculus to the auditory radiation
42
What does the lateral geniculate body do?
relays visual information from the superior colliculus to the primary visual cortex
43
Where are the medial and lateral geniculate bodies?
Under the pulvinar - the posterior end of the thalamus
44
What are the main functions of the hypothalamus?
regulation of eating and drinking behaviour, regulation of sexual activity and reproduction, and the control of autonomic activity
45
What do the mammillary bodies do?
they have a role in recollective memory
46
What are the functions of the habenular nuclei?
Medial - mood regulation and fear memory Lateral - mood and behaviour expression, sleep mechanism control
47
Where is the habenular nuclei?
Just anterior to the pineal gland
48
What does the pineal gland do?
Produce melatonin - regulates sleep cycles
49
What is the preoptic area?
The anterior portion of the hypothalamus - involved in sexual behaviour
50
What is the reticular formation?
A network of interconnected nuclei in the brainstem
51
Which parts of the limbic system are connected via the papez circuit?
Cingulate gyrus, Hippocampal formation, parahippocampal gyrus, anterior perforated substance, septal nuclei, uncus, and amygdala
52
What is the fornix?
A white-matter tract connecting the hippocampus to the mammillary bodies
53
What are association fibres?
Fibres that connect cortical areas within the same hemisphere
54
Where is the cingulum bundle?
In the cingulate gyrus wrapping around the outside of the corpus callosum
55
What does the cingulate gyrus do?
It is a white matter tract that connects the different lobes of each cerebral hemisphere
56
What is the corona radiata?
White matter tracts between the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures
57
What structure sits immediately superior to the fornix?
The lateral ventricle
58
Which structures border the anterior horn of the lateral ventricles?
Caudate - anterolateral wall of anterior horn Thalamus - posterolateral wall of anterior horn Putamen - lateral to lateral ventricle but does not border directly
59
Which structure forms the floor of the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle?
The hippocampus
60
What is the choroid fissure?
A narrow cleft between the thalamus and fornix to which the choroid plexus is attached
61
What is the pes-hippocampi?
The anterior part of the hippocampus that resembles a lions paw
62
What is the stria terminalis?
A band of fibres running over the thalamus, major output tract of the amygdala (to septal nuclei and hypothalamus)
63
Where is the dentate gyrus?
The tissue between the parahippocampal gyrus and the fimbria of the hippocampus (medial to the hippocampus)
64
What are the clinical manifestations of an amygdala lesion?
Increased sex drive, hunger, decreased aggression
65
What are the clinical manifestations of a hippocampal lesion?
Anterograde amnesia - difficulty turning short term memories into long-term memories
66
What are the clinical manifestations of antagonising the limbic system?
A schizophrenia-type picture
67
What are the symptoms of acquired hydrocephalus?
Headache, feeling sick, blurred vision, difficulty walking
68
What are the symptoms of congenital hydrocephalus?
Learning difficulties, speech problems, memory problems, visual problems
69
What are the causes of hydrocephalus?
Spina bifida, mumps, serious head injury, brain tumour, stroke
70
How do you treat hydrocephalus?
A shunt can be placed to drain the fluid, third ventriculostomy
71
What is the lateral medullary lamina?
The area that separates the globus pallidus and the putamen
72
What is the medial medullary lamina?
The area that separates the medial and lateral parts of the globus pallidus
73
What are the three parts of the internal capsule?
Posterior limb, genu and anterior limb
74
Where is the internal capsule?
Between the thalamus and lentiform nucleus (GP and Putamen)
75
Where is the external capsule?
Between the putamen and claustrum
76
Where is the extreme capsule?
Between the claustrum and insula
77
What are the three parts of the caudate nucleus?
Head, body, tail
78
Where does the caudate nucleus sit?
Central brain - makes up lateral wall of the lateral ventricle. continuous with putamen rostrally
79
What is the function of the caudate nucleus?
Integrates proprioceptive information and sends to specific areas of the thalamus. also involved in memory, goal-pursuit, learning, language processsing, emotions
80
What is the name of the white matter layer that separates the putamen and globus pallidus?
The lateral medullary lamina
81
What is are the functions of the putamen?
Regulation of motor functions and influencing learning. It uses dopamine.
82
Where is the nucleus accumbens?
In the rostral forebrain, where the head of the caudate nucleus and putamen meet
83
What is the function of the nucleus accumbens?
It is involved in the reward circuit - as the limbic-motor interface. When we do anything rewarding, dopamine neurons in ventral tegmental area are activated, these project to nucleus accumbens, which are activated causing an increase in dopamine levels.
84
What structure is immediately inferior to the globus pallidus?
Subthalamic nucleus
85
What is the function of the globus pallidus?
It is involved in regulation of movement to produce precise motor actions, inhibits the excitatory action of the cerebellum
86
Where is the substantia nigra?
In the midbrain, between the cerebral peduncles and tegmentum
87
What are the two parts of the substantia nigra and their functions?
Pars compacta - output of basal ganglia circuit sending dopamine to the striatum Pars reticulata - input, conveys signals from basal ganglia to thalamus
88
What is thought to be the etiology of parkinsons?
Loss of dopamine neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta, less signals sent to striatum, reduction in precision of movement
89
What are the four functional groups of the basal ganglia?
Input nuclei: striatum, subthalamic nucleus Output nuclei: Internal globus pallidus, reticular part of substantia nigra Connecting nuclei: External part of globus pallidus Modulatory nucleus: compact part of substantia nigra
90
What are the major output pathways of the basal ganglia?
Corticostriatal - excite the striatal neurons nigrostriatal - from SNc ensuring basal ganglia have a contant supply of dopamine thalamostriatal - excitatory effects on cortex and brainstem
91
What are the functions of the basal ganglia as a whole?
Planning and modulation of movement, motivation and reward, decision making, working memory, eye movements
92
How does less dopamine in the substantia nigra cause parkinsons symptoms?
the basal ganglia cannot control muscle movement as they normally do, leading to tremor, slow movement (bradykinesia), a tendency to move less (hypokinesia), problems with posture and walking, and some loss of coordination.
93
What is the etiology of Huntington's disease?
Degeneration of the caudate nucleus and putamen
94
What are the symptoms of Huntington's disease?
Jerking/spasm movements, chorea, mental deterioration - cant control impulses and death
95
What is the visual manifestation of an enlarged pituitary gland?
Bitemporal hemianopia - due to pituitary squashing the optic chiasm (fibres from lateral areas of vision)
96
Why are carrots good for your eyes?
They contain vitamin A which is needed to form rhodopsin (a pigment in your eye that helps you see at night). Also contains antioxidants which help prevent eye damage from free-radicals

Human Anatomy MSc Sheffield - Head and Neck (11 decks)

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