OTD 605 Section 3: Neuroanatomy and Gross Brain Structures

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from Section 3 lecture notes on gross cerebral structures, diencephalon, brainstem, reticular formation, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and limbic system.

Gyri

Ridges or wrinkles on the surface of the folded cerebral cortex, named for their function and/or location.

Sulci

Shallow valleys or crevices on the surface of the cerebral cortex.

Fissures

Large, deep sulci or grooves on the cerebral cortex surface.

Central Sulcus

A prominent shallow valley (sulcus) located on the surface of the cerebral cortex.

Lateral Fissure

A deep groove or large sulcus pictured on the cerebral cortex.

Parieto-Occipital Sulcus

A sulcus visible only on the medial side of the brain that delineates the occipital lobe.

Medial Longitudinal Fissure

A deep fissure running along the midsagittal plane that separates the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Frontal Lobe

Cerebral lobe responsible for cognition, expressive language, executive function, motor planning, math calculations, and working memory; it is not fully developed until into our 20's.

Parietal Lobe

Cerebral lobe involved in sensory detection (touch, temperature, pain), perception, interpretation, and navigation.

Temporal Lobe

Cerebral lobe involved in hearing, understanding language, and long-term memory encoding.

Occipital Lobe

Cerebral lobe responsible for interpreting information from optic pathways, including color, form, and motion.

Left Hemisphere

Brain hemisphere dominant in ~90% of people, primary for language functions, speech production/comprehension, sequential processing, observing/analyzing details, mathematical calculations, sequencing movements, and verbal memory.

Right Hemisphere

Brain hemisphere primary for spatial and non-language functions, non-language sounds, complex visual patterns, tactile recognition, spatial movement/orientation, visual memory, sustaining posture/movement, and perceiving emotion.

White Matter

Tissue below gray matter in the central nervous system composed of myelinated fiber tracts and neuronal axons.

Gray Matter

Unmyelinated tissue covering the surface of the cerebrum/cortex and cerebellum, extending deep into the CNS (called nuclei in the CNS and ganglia in the PNS).

Diencephalon

Deep brain region surrounding the 3rd ventricle, consisting of four structures: the thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, and subthalamus.

Thalamus

Relay station in the diencephalon processing all body sensory information except smell before sending it to the cortex; plays roles in sleep, wakefulness, consciousness, learning, and memory.

Hypothalamus

Diencephalic structure located anterior and inferior to the thalamus that regulates the ANS, endocrine system hormones, body temperature, hunger, thirst, and wake-sleep cycles.

Epithalamus

Most distal part of the diencephalon forming the roof of the 3rd ventricle, regulating motor pathways and emotions, and secreting melatonin via the pineal gland to regulate circadian rhythm.

Subthalamus

Diencephalic structure caudal to the thalamus containing cells that use dopamine, primarily functioning in movement regulation along with the basal ganglia.

Korsakoff Syndrome

A thalamic clinical condition commonly occurring as a side effect of alcoholism.

Prader-Willi Syndrome

A condition caused by missing genetic material on chromosome #15 leading to hypothalamic issues and appetite regulation problems.

Pituitary Gland

Single endocrine gland located near the optic chiasm that secretes hormones regulating growth and reproduction.

Pineal Gland

Single structure innervated by the ANS that influences the pituitary gland to release sex hormones and impacts circadian rhythms via melatonin secretion.

Brainstem

Stalk-like portion of the brain connecting the brain and spinal cord, comprising the midbrain, pons, and medulla, which controls vegetative and regulation life functions.

Four D's of Brainstem Region Dysfunction

Clinical symptoms of brainstem dysfunction consisting of dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), dysarthria (difficulty with speech), diplopia (double vision), and dysmetria (impaired control of distance of movement).

Glasgow Coma Scale

Assessment tool used to measure level of consciousness.

Midbrain

Brainstem structure located on top of the pons involved in muscle movement, particularly controlling eyeball movements to fuse images from both eyes into a single 3D image.

Pons

Brainstem structure below the midbrain that serves as a bridge between the cerebellum and spinal cord, helps control balance, and houses the 4th ventricle and corticospinal tracts.

Medulla

Brainstem structure located caudal to the pons that carries ascending sensory and descending motor messages, controlling vital functions like blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and reflex functions.

Reticular Formation

Brainstem structure responsible for modulation of pain, circadian rhythm regulation, controlling muscle tone via reticulospinal tracts, and regulating states of consciousness (wakefulness and sleep).

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Component of the reticular formation located in the rostral midbrain that sets the brain's general level of wakefulness and alerts the cortex to important sensory stimuli ('Get up and Go!').

Reticular Inhibiting System (RIS)

Component of the reticular formation that dampens or lessens unimportant sensory stimuli (such as clothing tags or background noise) so the cortex can focus on important information.

Basal Ganglia

Set of deep forebrain nuclei (including caudate, putamen, globus pallidus) operating subcortically to integrate cortical activity into motor output and control smooth, automatic motor movements.

Substantia Nigra

Structure located in the midbrain that produces dopamine; its depletion or lack is the primary feature of Parkinson's Disease.

Cerebellum

Structure termed the 'little brain' responsible for postural adjustments, balance, unconscious processing of vestibular and proprioceptive inputs, and movement coordination.

Limbic System

Deep brain structures responsible for long-term memory, emotional responses (fear, pleasure, anger), stress responses, and basic drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of others).

Amygdala

Limbic system structure responsible for the mediation of fear, anxiety, and anger.

Hippocampus

Limbic system structure responsible for long-term memory, particularly encoding memories from traumatic or emotional events.