W2 | Cortex, Thalamus, Meninges, Ventricles, and Vascular System

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on the neuroanatomy of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, meninges, dural reflections, brain ventricles, CSF circulation, and cerebral blood supply.

Grey Matter

Neural tissue comprised primarily of nerve cell bodies, dendrites, and synapses, forming the cerebral cortex and deep subcortical nuclei.

White Matter

Neural tissue composed of myelinated axon fibre tracts that connect different regions of the nervous system.

Commissural Fibres

White matter tracts that interconnect corresponding cortical areas between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Association Fibres

White matter tracts that interconnect different cortical regions within the same cerebral hemisphere, such as arcuate and longitudinal fasciculi.

Projection Fibres

White matter tracts that connect the cerebral cortex to lower subcortical structures, the brainstem, or the spinal cord.

Corpus Callosum

The largest commissural white matter tract in the brain, containing over 200 million axons that enable interhemispheric communication.

Internal Capsule

A major projection fibre pathway situated between the subcortical nuclei and thalamus, conveying ascending and descending tracts to and from the cerebral cortex.

Precentral Gyrus

The frontal lobe gyrus that contains the primary motor cortex, responsible for controlling voluntary skeletal muscle movements.

Postcentral Gyrus

The parietal lobe gyrus that contains the primary somatosensory cortex, responsible for processing tactile, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioceptive sensations.

Broca's Area

The motor speech center located in the inferior frontal gyrus (pars opercularis and pars triangularis) of the dominant hemisphere; damage leads to motor (expressive) aphasia.

Wernicke's Area

The sensory speech center located in the superior temporal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere; damage leads to sensory (receptive) aphasia and impaired sentence comprehension.

Prefrontal Cortex

The anterior region of the frontal lobe involved in executive functions, including working memory, decision-making, self-control, planning, and emotional processing.

Hemispheric Lateralisation

The functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres, where specific tasks (such as language production and math calculation in the left hemisphere) are lateralized.

Thalamus

An egg-shaped diencephalic structure comprising 80% of the diencephalon that acts as the primary sensory relay center ('gateway to cerebral cortex') for all modalities except olfaction.

Internal Medullary Lamina

A Y-shaped sheet of white matter that divides the thalamus into anterior, medial, and lateral nuclear groups.

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)

A specific thalamic relay nucleus that receives sensory input from the optic tract and projects visual signals to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe.

Medial Geniculate Nucleus (MGN)

A specific thalamic relay nucleus that receives auditory signals from the brainstem and projects them to the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

A clear fluid produced by the choroid plexus that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, offering hydromechanical protection, regulating electrolyte homeostasis, and removing metabolic waste.

Choroid Plexus

A specialized vascular network of ependymal cells present in the lateral, third, and fourth ventricles that continuously secretes cerebrospinal fluid.

Interventricular Foramen

The anatomical channel that connects each lateral ventricle to the single central third ventricle.

Cerebral Aqueduct

The narrow canal passing through the midbrain that connects the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle.

Foramina of Luschka and Magendie

The openings of the fourth ventricle (two lateral apertures of Luschka and one median aperture of Magendie) through which CSF enters the subarachnoid space.

Arachnoid Granulations

Tufted projections of arachnoid mater that extend into dural venous sinuses (e.g., superior sagittal sinus) to enable passive resorption of CSF into venous blood.

Subarachnoid Cisterns

Expanded regions of the subarachnoid space filled with CSF, including the cisterna magna, interpeduncular cistern, pontine cistern, and quadrigeminal cistern.

Hydrocephalus

A condition caused by an obstruction in CSF flow or impaired resorption, resulting in enlarged ventricles and increased intracranial pressure.

Meninges

The three connective tissue layers—dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater—that envelop and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, leading to elevated pressure on the brain, stiff neck, headache, and photophobia.

Dura Mater

The thick, outermost cranial meningeal layer consisting of an outer periosteal layer and inner meningeal layer that separate to form dural venous sinuses.

Falx Cerebri

A vertical dural reflection positioned in the longitudinal fissure between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Tentorium Cerebelli

A horizontal dural reflection separating the occipital lobes of the cerebrum from the underlying cerebellum.

Diaphragma Sellae

A small dural reflection forming a roof over the sella turcica, surrounding the infundibulum of the pituitary gland.

Middle Meningeal Artery

A primary artery perfusing the cranial dura mater and inner calvaria; traumatic rupture causes extradural (epidural) hematoma.

Extradural Hematoma

An arterial blood accumulation in the potential space between the skull calvaria and the periosteal layer of dura mater, often due to middle meningeal artery rupture.

Subdural Hematoma

A blood collection in the potential space between the dura mater and arachnoid mater, typically caused by ruptured bridging veins.

Pia Mater

The delicate, highly vascular innermost meningeal layer that adheres directly to the surface of the brain, following gyri and sulci.

Internal Carotid Artery (ICA)

A major branch of the common carotid artery that ascends through the neck, enters via the carotid canal in the temporal bone, and supplies the anterior and middle cranial fossae.

Vertebral Artery

A branch of the subclavian artery that ascends through cervical transverse foramina (C6-C1), passes through foramen magnum, and forms the basilar artery.

Circle of Willis

An arterial anastomotic ring at the base of the brain connecting the internal carotid and vertebrobasilar systems to provide collateral circulation.

Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA)

A terminal branch of the internal carotid artery supplying the medial regions of the frontal and parietal lobes.

Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)

The largest branch of the internal carotid artery that courses through the lateral sulcus to supply the lateral cortex of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes.

Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA)

Terminal branches of the basilar artery supplying the occipital lobes and medial regions of the cerebral hemispheres.

Superior Cerebellar Artery (SCA)

The most rostral cerebellar artery branching from the basilar artery to supply the superior surface of the cerebellum and midbrain.

Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (PICA)

A cerebellar artery that branches directly from the vertebral artery (rather than the basilar artery) to supply the inferior cerebellum and medulla.

Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (AICA)

The most caudal cerebellar branch originating from the basilar artery to supply the anterior inferior cerebellum and pons.

Superior Sagittal Sinus

An upper dural venous sinus situated along the superior attached border of the falx cerebri, into which CSF drains via arachnoid granulations.

Confluence of Sinuses (Torcula)

The dilated venous junction at the internal occipital protuberance where the superior sagittal, straight, occipital, and transverse sinuses meet.

Cavernous Sinus

A paired dural venous plexus surrounding the sella turcica, containing the internal carotid artery, CN VI, and having CN III, CN IV, CN V1, and CN V2 in its lateral wall.