Neuroanatomy Overview

Reticular Formation

• Function: Involved in sleep and consciousness.

• Damage: Can lead to coma.

Diencephalon

• Components:

  • Thalamus

  • Hypothalamus

  • Epithalamus

Hypothalamus

• Role: Major control center of the autonomic nervous system.

• Functions:

  • Hormone secretion

  • Autonomic effects

  • Thermoregulation

  • Food and water intake

  • Sleep and circadian rhythms

  • Memory and emotion

Thalamus

• Function: Acts as an important relay station for information to and from the brain.

• Notable point: Most ascending spinal cord tracts synapse here.

Epithalamus

• Includes: Pineal gland, which is involved in the regulation of sleep-wake cycles via melatonin secretion.

Cerebellum

• Anatomy:

  • Cerebral hemispheres

  • Vermis (central constricted area)

  • Folia (folds or ridges)

  • Arbor vitae (tree-like pattern of white matter)

  • Cerebellar peduncles (stalks connecting cerebellum to brainstem)

• Functions:

  • Motor coordination: Integrates sensory perceptions with motor outputs.

  • Spatial perception: Understanding the relationship between objects in space.

  • Timekeeper: Refers to the ability to estimate the duration and timing of events.

  • Scheduling tasks: Helps organize physical actions into sequences.

  • Sound discrimination: Detects subtle differences in similar sounds (e.g. distinguishing between "jasmine" and "Jazz man").

Cerebrum

• Lobes: Know the main lobes and their general functions:

  • Frontal Lobe: Responsible for reasoning, planning, movement, and problem-solving.

  • Parietal Lobe: Involved in processing sensory information from the body.

  • Temporal Lobe: Involved in processing auditory information and memory.

  • Occipital Lobe: Primarily responsible for vision.

Cerebral White Matter

• Types of tracts:

  • Projection tracts: Connect the cortex with lower brain regions and the spinal cord.

  • Association tracts: Connect different parts of the same hemisphere.

  • Commissural tracts: Connect corresponding areas of the two hemispheres (e.g., corpus callosum).

Gray Matter

• Refers to the areas on the brain's surface where neuronal cell bodies are predominantly located, essential for processing and cognition.