brain regions

Key Points

Brain Stem

• Manages essential functions: breathing, heart rate, reflexes, alertness.

• Stroke can impair balance and walking.

Medulla

• Governs vital survival functions: heartbeat, breathing.

Pons

• Influences sleep, arousal, and coordination.

Thalamus

• Sensory relay for all senses (except smell).

• Lesions may cause synesthesia.

Reticular Formation

• Nerve network involved in arousal and attention.

Cerebellum

• Coordinates movement and balance; aids nonverbal learning/memory.

• Damage leads to coordination issues.

Limbic System

• Includes hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus.

• Manages emotions, memory, and stress responses.