1.3 Gross Neuroanatomy: Forebrain

Question 1

List some brain areas that comprise the basal ganglia

Answer 1

• Subthalamus
• Substantia nigra

Question 2

What are some functions associated with the basal ganglia?

Answer 2

• Motor learning and control
• Executive function
• Learning

Question 3

List two structures that make up the basal forebrain

Answer 3

• Nucleus basalis
• Septal nuclei

Question 4

What is the basic function of the basal forebrain?

Answer 4

Releases acetylcholine to cortex

Question 5

Nucleus basalis function

Answer 5

Arousal, wakefulness, and attention (ACh)

Question 6

Septal nuclei function

Answer 6

• Relay between hypothalamus and hippocampus
• Important for reward and reinforcement learning

Question 7

List three subcortical structures located in the telencephalon

Answer 7

• Limbic system
• Basal ganglia
• Basal forebrain

Question 8

This nucleus is a source of acetylcholine for subcortical structures such as the basal ganglia…

Answer 8

Pedunculopontine nucleus

Question 9

Does the primary motor cortex design patterns of movement?

Answer 9

• No
• It merely converts the pattern and plan into execution

Question 10

What type of cell dominates the primary motor cortex? What tract do they contribute to?

Answer 10

Large pyramidal cells. These contribute to the corticospinal tract.

Question 11

List three motor associated areas that the primary motor cortex receives input from

Answer 11

• Thalamus
• Cerebellum
• Basal ganglia

Question 12

What determines the amount of real estate a certain body part gets in the primary motor cortex? What doesn’t?

Answer 12

• Directly related to the skill involved in moving that body part
• Unrelated to mass of muscle being targeted

Question 13

Does the primary motor cortex operate contralaterally or ipsilaterally on the body?

Answer 13

Contralaterally

Question 14

In what area is Broca’s area located?

Answer 14

Inferior frontal gyrus

Question 15

What is Broca’s area responsible for? Therefore, what would Broca’s aphasia look like?

Answer 15

• Responsible for speech production
• Therefore, in Broca’s aphasia, the patient knows what to say, but has trouble saying it (low fluidity)

Question 16

How does Broca’s area facilitate speech, in terms of neural areas?

Answer 16

By projecting to the relevant areas in the motor cortex

Question 17

Where can the frontal eye field be found?

Answer 17

Where the middle
frontal gyrus meets the precentral gyrus

Question 18

What is the frontal eye field responsible for? {brain area}

Answer 18

Voluntary eye movements (pursuit)

Question 19

What is the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex important for?

Answer 19

Holding objects in working memory

Question 20

Other than the postcentral gyrus, what are the two other gross anatomical sections of the parietal lobe?

Answer 20

Superior and inferior parietal lobule

Question 21

Where does the primary somatosensory cortex receive input from?

Answer 21

The thalamus.

Question 22

Does the primary somatosensory cortex have more or less pyramidal cells than the primary motor cortex?

Answer 22

Less

Question 23

Functions of superior parietal lobule

Answer 23

• Touch localisation
• Spatial attention

Question 24

What are the five gyri of the temporal lobe?

Answer 24

• Superior temporal gyrus
• Middle temporal gyrus
• Inferior temporal gyrus
• Fusiform gyrus
• Parahippocampal gyrus

Question 25

What is the role of the primary auditory cortex?

Answer 25

Processing basic aspects of auditory stimuli

Question 26

What does it mean that the primary auditory cortex is tonotopically organised?

Answer 26

Certain areas respond to certain frequencies of sound.

Question 27

Where in the temporal lobe is the primary auditory cortex located?

Answer 27

Superior temporal gyrus

Question 28

What is Wernicke’s area responsible for? Therefore, what happens during aphasia?

Answer 28

• Speech comprehension
• Aphasia causes word salad

Question 29

Describe the arrangement of the primary, secondary, and association auditory cortices

Answer 29

Primary is surrounded by secondary, secondary is surrounded by association.

Question 30

Where is Wernicke’s area located?

Answer 30

Posterior aspect of auditory association (superior temporal gyrus)

Question 31

What two areas of the occipital lobe does the calcarine fissure separate? (superiorly and inferiorly)

Answer 31

• Cuneus
• Lingual gyrus

Question 32

Where is the primary visual cortex located?

Answer 32

Medial surface of brain — around calcarine fissure

Question 33

What is the responsibility of the primary visual cortex

Answer 33

Basic visual perception (e.g. orientation)

Question 34

Describe how an electrical impulse spreads from the primary visual cortex

Answer 34

Starts at back of brain in V1, then more complex processing in V2, then association in V2+