731 Functional Neuroanatomy: The Human Brain

limbic system

a group of structures (hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus) that regulate emotion, motivation, learning, and memory function

thalamus

A relay station for sensory information that processes and transmits information to the cerebrum. All info except smell processed through here and also plays a role in sleep, wakefulness, consciousness, learning, and memory

hypothalamus

regulates essential bodily functions (temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep) and influences the release of hormones form the pituitary gland

what is the corpus callosum

a large band of nerve fibers connecting the two hemispheres of the cerebrum that allows the hemispheres to communicate with each other

corpus callosum role

enables the brain to process and coordinate sensory, motor, and cognitive information more effectively

frontal lobe role

• involved in higher cognitive functions, such as reasoning, planning, problem solving, and decision making

• plays a role in controlling movement and regulating emotions

• contains Broca’s area which is important for speech production

parietal lobe role

• processes sensory information such as touch, temperature, pain

• involved in spatial awareness and coordination

• plays a role in integrating sensory information from different sources

temporal lobe role

• involved in processing auditory information and recognizing sounds

• plays a role in memory formation and language processing

• contains Wernicke’s area which is important for understanding spoken and written language

occipital lobe role

• processes visual information such as color, shape, and motion

• involved in visual perception and recognition

central sulcus

separates the frontal and parietal lobe and is the boundary between the orimary motor cortex and the primary somatosensory cortex

lateral sulcus

separates the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe from the temporal lobe and helps to define the location of the primary auditory cortex within the temporal lobe

parieto-occipital sulcus

separates the parietal and occipital lobes and helps to demarcate the primary visual cortex from the occipital lobe

precentral gyrus (plural gyri)

located in the frontal lobe and contains the primary motor cortex

postcentral gyrus (plural gyri)

located in the parietal lobe and houses the primary somatosensory cortex

superior, middle, and inferior gyri

makes up most of the frontal lobe, functions include decision making, working memory, and attention

Broca’s area located in inferior

superior gyri

contains primary auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area

middle temporal gyrus

responsible for higher-level auditory comprehension: speech and music and semantic memory and contributes to language comprehension

inferior gyrus

plays a role in visual object recognition, particularly complex forms, such as faces and scenes and also involved in memory and semantic processing. contains Broca’a area

anterior circulation

supplies the frontal, parietal, and parts of the temporal lobes as well as the basil ganglia and internal capsule

what is the anterior circulation formed by

the internal carotid arteries which bifurcate into the anterior cerebral arteries and middle cerebral arteries

posterior circulation

supplies the occipital lobes, the remaining parts of the temporal lobes, the cerebellum, and the brainstem

what is the posterior circulation formed by

originates from the vertebral arteries which joint to form the basilar artery forming the primary vessels for this circulation

anterior cerebral artery

supplies the medial and superior parts of the frontal and parietal lobes

middle cerebral artery

supplies the lateral aspect of the cerebral hemispheres, including the motor and sensory cortices and language areas

posterior cerebral artery

supplies occipital lobes, inferior and medial parts of the temporal lobes, and parts of the thalamus

anterior inferior cerebellar artery

supplies parts of the cerebellum and the lateral pons

posterior inferior cerebellar artery

supplies the posterior cerebellum and the lateral medulla

basilar artery

supplies the pons, midbrain, and superior cerebellum

what is the blood brain barrier (BBB)

a selective barrier composed of specialized endothelial cells and supporting cells, maintaining a stable environment for brain function

blood brain barrier roles

• protection

• ion regulation

• nutrient transport

• waste removal

• neurotransmitter regulation

• immune surveillance

BBB protection

prevents pathogen/toxin entry via tight junctions and efflux transporters

BBB ion regulation

maintains optimal ion concentration using ion channels

BBB nutrient transport

ensures nutrient supply via specific transport proteins

BBB waste removal

facilitates waste product removal

BBB neurotransmitter regulation

controls neurotransmitter levels via uptake and enzymatic degradation

BBB immune surveillance

permits limited immune cell entry and molecule passage for brain protection and damage clearance