Spinal Anatomy Brain and Spinal Cord

What connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord?

Brain stem

What does the medulla control?

Respiratory, cardiac, vasomotor, and reflex center

What cranial nerves are associated with the medulla?

CN9-12

What do the pons control?

Respiratory centre, relay sensory information to cerebellum, sleep cycle

What cranial nerves are associated with the pons?

CN5-8

What are the components of the midbrain?

Tectum, tegmentum, and cerebral penduncles

What does the tectum contain?

Superior colliculi and inferior colliculi

What do the superior colliculi control?

Reflex to light

What do the inferior colliculi control?

Reflex to sound

What makes up the corpora quadrigemina?

2 superior colliculi and 2 inferior colliculi

What does do inferior colliculi contain?

CN3 and 4 and cerebral aqueduct

What do cerebral peduncles contain?

Red nucleus, projections of corticospinal tracts, and substantial nigra

What occurs when there is damage to substantia nigra?

Parkinson’s

What are the components of the brainstem?

Medulla, pons, and midbrain

What are the components of the cerebrum?

Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes

What does the frontal lobe control?

Voluntary movements, higher executive functions, planning, reasoning, problem solving, and decision making

What is located in the frontal lobe?

Pre-central gyrus (primary motor cortex) and Broca’s area

What is Broca’s area responsible for?

Speech production

What is Broca’s aphasia?

Difficulty forming words and sentences

Where is the origin of the corticospinal tract/pyrimidal tract?

Frontal lobe

What does the parietal lobe control?

Integrate sensory information such as touch, temperature, pressure, and pain

What is located in the parietal lobe?

Post-central gyrus (primary somatosensory cortex)

What does the occipital lobe control?

Visual processing

What is located in the occipital lobe?

Broadman’s area 17 (primary visual cortex)

What does the temporal lobe control?

Hearing, language recognition, forming memories, and smell

What is located in the temporal lobe?

Primary auditory cortex (superior temporal gyrus), primary olfactory cortex, Wernicke’s area, hippocampus, and amygdala

What is the role of Wernicke’s area?

Comprehension of written and spoken speech

What is Wernicke’s aphasia?

Speaks in long, complete sentences that have no meaning (word salad)

What is the role of the hippocampus?

Learning and memory

What is the role of the amygdala?

Emotions, fear, anxiety

What are the fibres of the cerebrum?

Association, commissural, and projection

What do association fibres connect?

Same hemispheres

What do commissural fibres connect?

Left and right hemispheres

What do projection fibers connect?

Up and down in both directions

What does the cerebellum control?

Balance, posture, equilibrium, unconscious proprioception, and involuntary coordination/movements

All input to the cerebellum is _____

ipsilateral

What are the 3 anatomical lobes of the cerebellum?

Flocculonodular lobe, anterior lobe, and posterior lobe

What is the role of the flocculonodular lobe?

Balance of spine

What is the role of the anterior lobe of the cerebellum?

Balance of arms and legs

What is the role of the posterior lobe of the cerebellum?

Communication with cerebral cortex

What are the 3 functional divisions of the cerebellum?

Cerebrocerebellum, spinocerebellum, and vestibulocerebellum

Where do all outputs form the cerebellum originate?

Cerebellar deep nuclei

What does the superior cerebellar peducle communicate with?

Midbrain

What does the middle cerebellar peduncle communicate with?

Pons

What does the inferior peduncle communicate with?

Medulla

What are the fibres of the cerebellum?

Purkinje, mossy, and climbing

What are purkinje fibers?

Inhibatory

What are mossy and climbing fibres?

Excitatory

What is the role of the thalamus?

Relay station, processes all senses except smell

What is the role of the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus?

Relay sensory information from face to somatosensory cortex (parietal lobe)

What is the role of the ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus?

Relay sensory information from legs and arms to somatosensory cortex (parietal lobe)

What is the role of the lateral geniculate nucleus?

Process visual information to the visual cortex (occipital lobe)

What is the role of the medial geniculate nucleus?

Process auditory information to the auditory cortex (temporal lobe)

What is the role of the hypothalamus?

Integrates activities of nervous and endocrine systems and communicates with anterior and posterior pituitary

What is the role of the basal ganglia?

Fine tunes voluntary movements

What structures are made up of basal ganglia?

Striatum, globus pallidus, subtahalamic nucleus, and substantia nigra

What occurs with dysfunction of basal ganglia?

Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Tourette’s

What is the function of the rubrospinal tract?

flex proximal muscles of upper and lower extremity

What is the origin of the rubrospinal tract?

Red nucleus of the brain

What is the function of the reticulospinal tract?

Extend muscles of back and arms

What is the origin of the reticulospinal tract?

Reticular formation of midbrain

What is the function of the tectospinal tract?

Movement of neck musculature

What is the origin of the tectospinal tract?

Tectum of midbrain

What is the function of the superior colliculus?

Reflex to light

What is the function of the inferior colliculus?

Reflex to sound

What is the function of the vestibulospinal tract?

Unconsciously extend muscles of back and legs

What is the origin of the vestibulospinal tract?

Cerebellum and vestibular nuclei

What is the pathways of the vestibulospinal tract?

Dentate nuclei of cerebellum → anterior horn of SC → gamma motor neuron → intrafusal muscle fibers

Where does the lateral corticospinal tract dessucate?

Meduall

What is the function of the lateral corticospinal tract?

Flex distal muscles of upper and lower extremity

What is the origin of the lateral corticospinal tract?

Precentral gyrus of frontal lobe

Where does the ventral corticospinal tract dessucate?

Spinal level

What is the function of the ventral corticospinal tract?

Flex the trunk

What is the origin of the ventral corticospinal tract?

Precentral gyrus of frontal lobe

What is the pathway of the corticospinal tract?

Precentral gyrus of frontal lobe → anterior horn of SC → alpha motor neuron → extrafusal muscle fibers

What information do Pacinian fibers receive?

Vibration and pressure

What informationdoes the dorsal column receive?

Vibration, pressure, fine touch, and 2-point discrimination

What information do Meissner’s fibers receive?

Fine touch and 2-point discrimination

What type of fibers are in the dorsal column?

A beta fibers

What information does the spinothalamic tract recieve?

Pain, temperature, and crude touch

What fibers make up the spinothalamic tract?

Unmyelinated C fibers

Describe the nerve endings in the spinothalamic tract.

Free and naked

What are the neurons of the dorsal column medial lemiscus pathway?

First order, second order, and third orfer neurons

What is the pathway of sensory information from the upper limb from T6 and up?

Fasciculus cuneus in lateral dorsal column → nucleus cuneatus in medulla

What is the pathway of sensory information from the lower limb from T6 and below?

Fasciculus gracilis in medial dorsal column → nucleus gracilis in medulla

Where do second order neurons dessucate?

Nucleus cuneatus/grailis in medulla → medial lemniscus → VPL of thalamus

Where do third order neurons dessucate?

VLP of thalamus → internal capsule → primary somatosensory cortex in parietal lobe

What