Overview of neuroscience

Question 1

LO

Answer 1

• Be familiar with the gross anatomy of the CNS
• Be familiar with functions of the various brain regions
• Be familiar with the major neurotransmitter systems
• Understand which regions/pathways are affected in disease

Question 2

What are the 7 basic subdivisions of the anatomy of the CNS?

Answer 2

1. Cerebral hemispheres
2. Cerebellum
3. Diencephalon
4. Midbrain
5. Pons
6. Medulla
7. Spinal cord

Question 3

What things have provided us with knowledge of the subdivisions of the CNS?

Answer 3

• Brain lesions
• Imaging techniques localise functional areas
• Histological variations (Broadmann’s areas)

Question 4

What is the role of the occipital lobe?

Answer 4

Processing and interpretation of visual information

Question 5

What is the role of the temporal lobe?

Answer 5

• Complex memory
• Imaginative processes
• Object and colour recognition

Question 6

What are some diseases associated with the temporal lobe?

Answer 6

• Prosopagnosia- inability to recognise faces
• Achromatopsia- inability to recognise colours
• Alzheimer’s disease= problems with acquisition and retention of memory

Question 7

What is the role of the frontal lobe?

Answer 7

• Higher intellectual functions
• Expression of emotion
• Motor functions

Question 8

What is a disease associated with the frontal lobe?

Answer 8

Frontal-temporal dementia= personality changes, disinhibition

Question 9

What is the role of the parietal lobe?

Answer 9

Sensory association cortex: touch, pain, temperature, taste and balance

Question 10

Whats the role of the cerebellum?

Answer 10

Control of movement

Question 11

What are the divisions of the diencephalon?

Answer 11

Thalamus

Sub-thalamus

Hypothalamus (homeostasis)

Associated structure: basal ganglia

Question 12

What does the basal ganglia and substantia nigra influence?

Answer 12

Movement generated by upper motor neurons

Question 13

If an individual has brain lesions, how does this effect them?

Answer 13

The patient is unable to switch between commands to start and stop movements

Question 14

Name some neurodegenerative diseases associated with the basal ganglia?

Answer 14

Parkinson’s diseases: loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra

Huntington’s diseases: Atrophy of caudate and putamen (rapid, jerky movements with no purpose)

Other examples include:

• Epilepsy
• Tourettes
• OCD

Question 15

What structures are found in the brain stem?

Answer 15

Midbrain

Pons

Medulla

Question 16

What sort of things can be found in the brain stem?

Answer 16

• Sensory ascending tracts for somatic senses
• Motor descending tracts for movement control
• Reticular formation

Question 17

Whats involved in the reticular formation and what are both of these involved in controlling and the NT associated with each?

Answer 17

Raphe nuclei (serotonin + 5HT)

Locus ceruleus (Ad + Nad)

Both of these are controlled in the sleep/ wake cycle + controlling respiration/CVS + modulating pain perception + movement control

Question 18

What is the consequence of brain stem injury in the brain stem?

Answer 18

Disruption of control of viral functions –> fatal

Diminished connectivity between CNS and periphery –> paralysis

Question 19

Tell some examples of neurotransmitter systems

Answer 19

• Cholinergic
• Adrenergic
• Glutamatergic
• Dopaminergic
• 5-HT
• GABA
• Histamine
• Neuropeptides
• Nitric Oxide

Question 20

Tell me the following about the Cholinergic system…

The neurotransmitter involved?

Where its found?

The receptors involved?

The action?

Diseases?

Answer 20

Acetylcholine

Found in the parasympathetic + CNS sites

The receptors are the nicotinic/ muscarinic receptors

The action it has is excitatory

The diseases its involved is implicated in AD

Question 21

Tell me the following about the Adrenergic system…

The neurotransmitter involved?

Where its found?

The receptors involved?

The action?

Diseases?

Answer 21

Noradrenaline

Found in sympathetic system, locus coeruleus- forebrain projections

The receptors are alpha- and beta-adrenergic R

The action it has is excitatory

The diseases it’s involved in is CVS problems and affective disorders

Question 22

Tell me the following about the Glutamatergic system…

The neurotransmitter involved?

Where its found?

The receptors involved?

The action?

Diseases?

Answer 22

Glutamate

Found in a majority of excitatory networks

The receptors are NMDA, AMPA and kainate

The action it has is excitatory

The diseases its involved is excitotoxicity following acute brain injury

Question 23

Tell me the following about the Dopaminergic system…

The neurotransmitter involved?

Where its found?

The receptors involved?

The action?

Diseases?

Answer 23

Dopamine

Found in many regions’ projections from substantia nigra

The receptors are dopamine R

The action it has is excitatory

The diseases its involved in is Parkinson’s diseases and schizophrenia

Question 24

Overview

Answer 24

• The CNS can be subdivided into the cerebral cortex, diencephelon, midbrain, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord
• Each region regulates a specific function
• This is achieved by a network of nts systems
• Compromised function of a nts system or a lesion in a specific CNS region leads to clinical symptoms of disease