Central Nervous System

  • Cranial Nerves

    • Rostral - toward the nose

    • Caudual - toward the tail


  • Olfactory (l) : sensory - smell

  • Optic (ll) : sensory - sight

  • Oculomotor (lll) : motor - moves eye inside socket

  • Trochlear (lV) : motor - superior oblique - moves eye

  • Trigeminal (V)

    • sensory : to head and neck

    • motor : mastication (chew) muscles

  • Abducent (VI) : motor - abducts the eye

  • Facial (VII)

    • sensory : taste; anterior 2/3 tongue

    • motor : to facial muscles

  • Vestibulocochlear (VIII) : sensory - sound and balance

  • Glossopharyngeal (IX)

    • sensory : taste; posterior 1/3 tongue

    • motor - parotid gland / pharyngeal muscles (swallowing)

  • Vagus (X)

    • sensory : taste; palate and pharynx visceral sensation

    • motor : visceral organs

  • Accessory (XI) : motor - SCM (move neck and flexion)

  • Hypoglossal (XII) : motor - moves tongue


  • Coverings

    • bone

    • epidural space (fat)

    • meninges

    • cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)


  • Meninges

    • Dura Mater

      • two layers - tough membrane

      • dural sinus - blood vessels

    • Arachnoid Mater


  • Epidural space

    • Outside of the dura

    • packed with fat - for cushion


  • Brain

    • cerebrum (outermost part)

      • cortex

    • diencephalon

      • thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus

    • brain stem

      • midbrain, pons, medulla, cerebellum


  • Vocab

    • gyrus/gyri - bumps

    • sulcus/sulci - grooves


  • Function

    • motor areas

      • primary motor cortex

      • premotor cortex

      • broca’s area


  • Sensory Areas

    • primary somatosensory cortex

    • primary visual cortex

    • primary auditory cortex

    • olfactory and gustatory cortices


  • Association Areas

    • somatosensory association cortex

    • visual association cortex

    • auditory association cortex

    • prefrontal cortex

    • wernicke’s area

    • facial recognition area


  • Diencephalon

    • hypothalamus

      • autonomic control

      • emotional response

      • body temperature

      • food / water intake

      • sleep-wake cycles

      • endocrine (pituitary)

    • thalamus

      • conducts sensory impulses to the cortex

      • conduct motor impulses to the cerebellum

      • mediates sensation, motor activities, learning & memory

    • epithalamus

      • a.k.a - pineal gland

      • secretes melatonin

    • corpus callosum


  • Brain Stem

    • Midbrain

      • consciousness and arousal (awake & alert)

      • visual and auditory reflexes

      • control skeletal muscles

      • CN III and IV

    • Pons

      • connects cerebrum to cerebellum

      • respiratory control (PRG - pontine respiratory group)

      • CN V, VI, VII

    • Medulla

      • respiratory control (DRG & VRG - dorsal & ventral respiratory group)

      • cardiac control

      • vasomotor actions

      • vomiting, sneezing, coughing

      • CN VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII

    • Cerebellum

      • processes information from the cerebrum

      • cognition and language processing??

      • smooths out and coordinates skeletal & muscle contraction


  • Parkinson’s Disease

    • caused by the loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway


  • Types

    • Primary : loss of pigmented neurons of the substantial nigra

    • Secondary : caused by trauma, infection, toxins, etc

      • treatment : anticholinergic drugs, L-dopa (can be converted to dopamine),



  • MPTP

    • destroys substantial nigra

    • can give Parkinson’s