Blood supply to the brain

Question 1

Which sources supply the brain with arterial blood?

Answer 1

• Anterior circulation is fed by the internal carotid arteries
• Posterior circulation is fed by the vertebral arteries

Question 2

What does the anterior circulation of the brain supply?

Answer 2

• Most of the cerebral hemispheres

Question 3

What does the posterior circulation of the brain supply?

Answer 3

• The brainstem, cerebellum, some of the temporal lobe and the occipital lobe

Question 4

What are some key components of the anterior circulation of the brain?

Answer 4

• Middle cerebral artery
• Anterior cerebral artery

Question 5

Where does the middle cerebral artery come from?

Answer 5

• Direct continuation of the internal carotid artery

Question 6

What do the cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery supply?

Answer 6

• Emerge from lateral fissure
• Supply lateral aspect of cerebral hemisphere (cortex and underlying white matter)
• Includes lateral parts of the frontal and parietal lobes as well as superior temporal lobe

Question 7

What do the deep branches of the middle cerebral artery supply?

Answer 7

• Lenticulostriate arteries
• Supply deep grey matter structures
• Including lentiform nucleus and caudate nucleus, as well as internal capsule

Question 8

Where does the anterior cerebral artery come from?

Answer 8

• Branch of internal carotid artery

Question 9

What are the branches of the anterior cerebral artery?

Answer 9

• Left and right anterior cerebral arteries anastomose in the midline via anterior communicating artery
• The vessels loop over corpus callosum and send branches to the adjacent cortex
• Cortical branches supply medial aspect of frontal and parietal lobes
• There are also branches to corpus callosum itself

Question 10

What makes up the posterior circulation?

Answer 10

• Basilar artery
• Posterior cerebral artery
• Posterior communicating arteries
• Superior cerebellar arteries
• Pontine arteries
• Anterior inferior cerebellar artery
• Vertebral arteries

Question 11

What forms the basilar artery?

Answer 11

Midline vessel formed from the confluence of the vertebral arteries

Question 12

What forms the posterior cerebral artery?

Answer 12

• Terminal bifurcation of basilar artery

Question 13

What does the posterior cerebral artery supply?

Answer 13

• Occipital lobe
• Inferior temporal lobe
• Thalamus via thalamoperforator and thalamogeniculate branches
• Also supplies midbrain

Question 14

What do the posterior communicating arteries branch from?

Answer 14

• Posterior cerebral artery
• Connect with anterior circulation via internal carotid artery to

Question 15

What does the superior cerebellar artery supply?

Answer 15

• Superior aspect of cerebellum and midbrain

Question 16

What do the pontine arteries supply?

Answer 16

• The pons

Question 17

What does the anterior inferior cerebellar artery supply?

Answer 17

• Antero-inferior aspect of the cerebellum
• Lateral pons

Question 18

What are the branches of the vertebral arteries?

Answer 18

• Anterior spinal arteries
• Posterior inferior cerebellar arteries

Question 19

What do the anterior spinal arteries supply?

Answer 19

• Converge in midline to supply the anterior 2/3 of the spinal cord

Question 20

What do the posterior inferior cerebellar arteries supply?

Answer 20

• Postero-inferior aspect of the cerebellum