Neuroanatomy

Brainstem

• Medulla

  • Includes neurons that maintain normal, rhythmic breathing

• Pons region

  • Pons (structure) includes axons that allow the cerebellum to communicate with the brainstem and the cerebral cortex

  • Fourth ventricle is on dorsal side of Pons region

• Midbrain

  • Superior and inferior colliculi: localization of visual and auditory stimuli

Cerebellum   

• Motor planning- Aids the motor cortices in planning complex movements

• Motor learning- Error correction when learning movements: compares intended movement with actual movement and corrects errors that might occur. Synapses change with experience

  

Diencephalon

• Thalamus:

  • Located rostral to the midbrain

  • “Relay” for information going to and coming from the neocortex

• Hypothalamus

  • Located below the thalamus

  • Regulates the autonomic nervous system

  • Regulates hormone release

    

Cerebral Cortex (Neocortex)

• Gross structures:

  • Sulci (singular: sulcus): grooves

  • Fissures: deep sulci

  • Gyri (singular: gyrus): rounded regions between sulci

• Functions

  • Processing of sensory input

  • Initiation/planning of movements

  • “Higher-order” functions including memory, cognition, language

• Lobes of Cerebral Cortex

  • Occipital

    • Early-stage vision

  • Frontal

    • Planning and signaling movements

    • Working memory

    • Inhibition of inappropriate behaviours

    • Planning

  • Temporal

    • Memory

    • Hearing

    • Language comprehension

  • Parietal

    • Somatosensory (touch and pain)

    • Late-stage vision

• Central Sulcus

  • Separates Parietal and Frontal Lobes

  • Precentral gyrus on rostral side

  • Postcentral gyrus on caudal side

• Lateral Fissure

  • Separates temporal lobe from others

• Longitudinal Fissure

  • Separates left and right hemispheres

• Postcentral Gyrus

  • Directly caudal to central sulcus

  • Contains primary somatosensory cortex, which processes touch and pain information

• Precentral Gyrus

  • Directly rostral to central sulcus

  • Contains primary motor cortex, which helps plan movement and sends motor signals to spinal cord

Limbic System

• A group of interconnected structures that are related to emotional behavior and emotional interpretation of the world.

• Sexual behavior

• Involved in the formation of memory, contains primary reward and punishment centers.

• Site of action of drugs which produce euphoria (direct and indirect)

• Hypothalamus

  • Regulates many motivated functions (eating/drinking, sleep/wake cycle)

  • Controls activity of Pituitary gland (master gland that works with hypothalamus to regulate many functions via hormone release

    

• Hippocampus

  • Memory consolidation

  • Provides the organism’s context

• Amygdala

  • Coordinates autonomic responses in with emotional states (fear)

• Cerebral Cortex

  • Interacts with subcortical structures to guide behaviour

• Basal Ganglia

  • Group of interconnected structures that control voluntary, smooth movement

  • Structures

    • Striatum (caudate, putamen)

    • Globus pallidus

    • Substantia nigra

    • Actions of stimulants in basal ganglia increases motor activity

Corpus Callosum

• Long-range neurons that connect two halves of brain