PCSD 313 Module VI & VII

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

- brain: the body's computer

- spinal cord: pathway for messages sent from brain to body and vice-versa

peripheral nervous system

cranial nerves and spinal nerves

corpus callosum

the special band of fibers that joins the left and right hemispheres

central sulcus

separates the frontal and parietal lobes

lateral sulcus

separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes

parieto-occipical sulcus

separates the occipital and parietal lobes

precentral sulcus

anterior to the central sulcus, houses primary motor area/cortex (controls voluntary movement of skeletal or voluntary muscle, contralaterally)

postcentral sulcus

posterior to the central sulcus, houses the primary somatosensory area/cortex

the cranium

what encases the brain (skull), made up of synarthrodial (not moveable) joints

primary areas

make you aware of a stimulus

association areas

allow you to interpret the stimulus

left frontal lobe

contains broca's area

broca's area

responsible for motor programming and planning for speech production (only plans and programs the message)

frontal lobes and executive function

higher-level cognitive functions that mediate language function & operate in the background (memory and attention, impulse control, planning and organization, ability to predict, mental/cognitive flexibility, problem solving)

what can damage to frontal lobes lead to?

personality changes, mood swings, lack impulse control, memory impairment, deficits in problem solving, etc)

left temporal lobe

contains wernicke's area and heschl's gyrus

wernicke's area

responsible for comprehension of spoken language and formulation of linguistic thought (thinks of the message you want to say/speak), is an association area (interprets what you heard)

heschl's gyrus

makes you aware you heard something (primary auditory cortex)

other functions of the temporal lobes

memory (semantic and declarative), naming ability, reading, writing, word recognition, facial recognition, process sensory info, social cognition

functions of parietal lobes

math skills, spatial skills, supports memory, personality

what can damage to parietal lobes cause?

alter body image, produce left-side neglect, agnosia (inability to interpret sensation and recognize things)

occipital lobes

contain primary visual cortex (makes you aware that you have seen something) and visual association cortex (allows you to interpret what you see)

what can damage to occipital lobes do?

interfere with ability to process visual information, recognize phonemes and objects, integrate visual information, recognize color/shape/form, difficulty locating objects in an environment

brainstem

articulates with the spinal cord to control the flow of neural impulses between brain and body, responsible for life-sustaining functions, contains the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain

medulla oblongata

damage is imminently life threatening/ending, regulates ALL life-sustaining functions, houses nuclei for CNs IX, X, XI, and XII, responsible for many reflexes

pons

a bridge connecting the medulla oblongata and midbrain, transmits signals to/from other structures in brain, regulation of some sensations (hearing, taste, balance), most IMPORTANT function is regulation of respiration (pneumotaxic center), houses nuclei for CNs V, VI, VII, VIII

midbrain

relay center for visual, auditory, and motor system information, regulates autonomic functions, houses nuclei for CNs III & IV

cerebellum

responsible for smooth, graded, flowing, coordinated movements for speech production, maintains overall tone and truncal tone, important for balance, posture, coordination, regulates force and timing of movements

sensory CN

nerve is responsible for bringing sensory information TO the brain for processing

motor CN

nerve is responsible for sending OUT neural signal that tells a muscle to fire or contract

olfactory nerve (CN I)

SENSORY only for smell

optic nerve (CN II)

SENSORY only for vision, transmits info from eye to brain for processing (primary nerve of sight)

oculomotor nerve (CN III)

MOTOR only, goes through muscles that move the eyes and allows pupils to constrict

trochlear nerve (CN IV)

MOTOR only, aids in eye movement

trigeminal nerve (CN V)

SENSORY & MOTOR: mastication, swallowing, protection of ear from excessively loud noise, assists in soft palate elevation

abducens nerve (CN VI)

MOTOR only, abducts the eyes (away from midline)

facial nerve (CN VII)

SENSORY & MOTOR: muscles of facial expression, sensory for tongue and palate

auditory nerve (CN VIII)

SENSORY only, sense of hearing and for balance/equilibrium

glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)

SENSORY & MOTOR: assistant to vagus nerve, motor for deglutition (swallowing), sensory for larynx, pharynx, tongue, EAM

vagus nerve (CN X)

SENSORY & MOTOR: motor for layrynx, pharynx, velum &digestion, cardiovascular function, sensory for larynx, pharynx, tongue root, epiglottis, heard/abdominal large internal organs

accessory/spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)

MOTOR only, assistant to vagus nerve, also head turning, tilting, shoulder extension

hypoglossal nerve (XII)

MOTOR only for extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue