Clinical NS TOPIC 2 – NEUROANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY & STRUCTURES

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central nervous system

Comprised of brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

Comprised of somatic nervous system (voluntary skeletal muscle control) and autonomic nervous system (involuntary organ control)

somatic nervous system

Division of PNS that provides innervation for voluntary skeletal muscle control

autonomic nervous system

Division of PNS that provides involuntary muscle control for organs; subdivided into parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight)

parasympathetic

Branch of autonomic nervous system; rest or digest

sympathetic

Branch of autonomic nervous system; fight or flight

neuron

The brains of the nervous system; cells that send commands

glial cells

Helper cells that support neurons; involved in nutrition and maintenance of nerve cells; include astrocytes and oligodendrocytes

ganglion

Cluster of neuron cell bodies in peripheral nervous system; example is dorsal root ganglion (clusters sensory neuron cell bodies)

nucleus (CNS)

Cluster of neuron cell bodies in central nervous system; located in specific regions of brain or spinal cord; cells receive from similar sources project to similar targets and share similar functions

synapse

Connection where terminal bouton of neuron 1 communicates with soma or dendrites of neuron 2

gray matter

Houses neuron cell bodies; appears darker gray or darker pink on stained images; located on surface of cortex deep subcortical structures (basal ganglia) many nuclei in brainstem cerebellar cortex deep cerebellar nuclei and center of spinal cord (butterfly shape)

white matter

Axons from neurons plus nerve fibers and blood vessels; underlying portion of cortex

association fibers

White matter fibers that allow different parts within the same hemisphere to talk to each other

commissural fibers

White matter axons that go from left to right hemisphere connecting similar regions between hemispheres; allow hemispheres to talk

corpus callosum

Commissural fiber connecting corresponding regions of the two hemispheres except temporal lobes

anterior commissure

Commissural fiber connecting inferior and middle temporal gyri and olfactory regions of the two hemispheres

posterior commissure

Commissural fiber connecting left and right midbrain

hippocampal commissure

Also known as commissure of fornix; connects left and right hippocampus regions

projection fibers

Afferent and efferent axons coming in and leaving the cortex; project from cell bodies in gray matter of cortex

corona radiata

Radially arranged grouping of projection fibers coming together from cortex

internal capsule

Formed by merging of projection fibers between thalamus and basal ganglia; fibers funnel together then continue through midbrain pons medulla and spinal cord

fiber tract

Group or bundle of axons passing from a given nucleus to a specific target region; think central nervous system

cerebral cortex

Covering of entire surface of brain; highly folded appearance; classified based on function and location

gyrus (gyri)

Big ridges or wrinkles on surface of brain

sulcus (sulci)

Folds or furrows on surface of brain

fissure

Larger sulcus; example is lateral fissure

central sulcus

Major sulcus separating frontal lobe from parietal lobe

precentral gyrus

Gyrus in front of central sulcus; houses motor function

postcentral gyrus

Gyrus behind central sulcus; houses sensory function

lateral fissure

Also called Sylvian fissure; separates temporal lobe from rest of structures

parieto-occipital sulcus

Sulcus separating parietal lobe from occipital lobe

frontal lobe

Lobe of brain anterior to central sulcus; functions include motor control (precentral gyrus) executive functions personality behavior speech production (Broca's area) and higher cognition

parietal lobe

Lobe behind central sulcus anterior to occipital lobe; functions include sensory processing (postcentral gyrus for touch pressure pain temperature) spatial awareness proprioception and integrating sensory information

temporal lobe

Lobe below lateral fissure; functions include auditory processing memory formation (hippocampus) language comprehension (Wernicke's area) emotion and olfaction

occipital lobe

Most posterior lobe; functions include visual processing color shape motion recognition and visual perception

limbic lobe

Located on inner surface (mesial surface) of hemisphere; formed from different portions of different lobes

medial

Towards the midline of the brain or median plane

lateral

Moving away from the midline

superior (above brainstem)

Top of cerebral cortex

inferior (above brainstem)

Bottom of brain or bottom of spinal cord

dorsal (above brainstem)

Towards the top of the brain

ventral (above brainstem)

Towards the bottom of the brain

dorsal (brainstem)

Posterior surface towards back of body; closer to cerebellum

ventral (brainstem)

Anterior surface towards front of body

anterior (above brainstem)

Towards the front of the brain

posterior (above brainstem)

Towards the back of the brain

anterior (brainstem)

Ventral surface (synonymous with ventral)

posterior (brainstem)

Towards the back (synonymous with dorsal)

rostral (above brainstem)

Front of the brain (synonymous with anterior)

caudal (above brainstem)

Back of the brain (synonymous with posterior)

rostral (brainstem)

Portion of brainstem closest towards cerebral cortex (going upwards)

caudal (brainstem)

Bottom portions going down towards sacral portion of spinal cord

ipsilateral

On the same side of the body; laterality always referenced to a specific point

contralateral

On the opposite side of the body; laterality always referenced to a specific point

decussation

Literally means crossing; where fibers cross in the nervous system; example is motor fibers crossing at bottom of brainstem to opposite side of spinal cord

coronal plane

Reference plane for diagnostic imaging; slices coming from front of body to back of body

sagittal plane

Reference plane for diagnostic imaging; slices coming from side

axial plane

Reference plane for diagnostic imaging; also called transverse or horizontal; slices occurring horizontally (bottom up)