Introduction to Neuroscience

PT 535

Systems of Neuroscience

• sensory systems

• motor systems

• cranial nerves

• interactions between systems

• higher functions of the nervous system

• clinical applications (developing diagnostic clinical reasoning and pattern recognition)

pattern recognition

accurate diagnosis, establish appropriate goals, and optimize your interventions

divisions of the nervous system

central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and autonomic nervous system

central nervous system

• “brain” & brainstem

• spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

located outside of CNS, “anything that sticks out”

• spinal nerves

• cranial nerves (12 pairs)

autonomic nervous system

functional subdivision with components within both the CNS and PNS

• sympathetic (fight or flight)

• parasympathetic (rest & digest)

“Brain”

• cerebrum

  • cerebral hemispheres

  • diencephalon

• brainstem

• cerebellum

spinal cord

• cervical region

• thoracic region

• lumbar region

• sacral region

Neuron (nerve cell)

• soma: cell body

• axon: carries info away from cell body

• dendrites: receivers of information

gray matter

• collections of cell bodies (little myelin)

• cortex of cerebrum and cerebellum

• nuclei in the CNS

• ganglia in PNS

white matter

• consists primarily of collections of axons (myelin appears white)

• tracts, fascicles, funiculus, column, lemniscus, capsule and peduncles in the CNS and nerves

• Nerve root and rami in the PNS

cerebrum gray and white matter

spinal cord gray and white matter

Coronal/Frontal cross section

Transverse Cross section

sagittal cross section

horizontal cross section

oblique cross section

vertically oriented w/brain stem

horizontally oriented w/brain

Midsagittal orientation

cuts brain into two equal right and left halves

coronal orientation

cuts brain into anterior and posterior sections

horizontal orientation

cuts brain into superior/dorsal and inferior/ventral sections

cross section

cuts spinal cord and brainstem into rostal and caudal sections

Regions of the Nervous System

• peripheral region

• spinal region (CNS)

• “brain” (CNS)

  • brainstem

  • cerebellum

  • diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus)

  • cerebrum

peripheral region

• af

• ef

• afferent axon

• efferent axon

af

toward a reference point

ef

away from a reference point

afferent axon

sensory axon

efferent axon

motor axon

spinal region/spinal cord

general functions:

• conducts information between the periphery and the “brain”

• involved in processing information

  • example: withdraw fingers from painful stimulus (spinal reflex)

Four Major Subdivisions of the “Brain”

• cerebral hemispheres

• diencephalon

  • thalamus and hypothalamus

• cerebellum

• brainstem

  • midbrain

  • pons

  • medulla

cerebrum

includes cerebral hemispheres, basal ganglia, and diencephalon

brainstem

midbrain

pons

medulla

brainstem ventral view

Cerebellum

cerebellum midsagital cut

diencephalon

brain “telencephalon”

• cerebral cortex

• cortex

• cortical region

• two cerebral hemispheres

great longitudinal fissue

cerebral cortex

divisible into lobes

• frontal (motor, planning, higher order functional)

• parietal (sensory)

• temporal (auditory, memory, and learning)

• occipital (vision)

• limbic (functional lobe)

central sulcus (lateral view)

midsagittal view