Brain Anatomy

Question 1

What are the components of the brainstem from top to bottom?

Answer 1

Midbrain
Pons
Medulla Oblongata

Question 2

What makes up the diencephalon?

Answer 2

Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Pineal Gland

Question 3

Where is the diencephalon

Answer 3

Above the midbrain

Question 4

Why is the thalamus often referred to as the ‘switchboard’ of the brain?

Answer 4

It receives and sends information to/from the cerebral hemisphere and has links to basal ganglia.

Question 5

What is the neurocortex?

Answer 5

The cortex which has 6+ layers.

It is for higher functions including conscious thought

Question 6

What are the connections between the cerebellum and the brainstem known as?

Answer 6

Peduncles

Question 7

What are the three histological layers of the cerebellar cortex?

Answer 7

Molecular
Purkinje
Granular

Question 8

What are the three meningeal layers?

Answer 8

Dura
Arachnoid
Pia

Question 9

Where is CSF found?

Answer 9

In the subarachnoid space

Question 10

What is white mater made up of?

Answer 10

Axons

White matter in internal in the brain and external in the spinal cord

Question 11

What is grey matter made of?

Answer 11

Cell bodies, processes and synapses

Found mainly on the outside of the brain and inside of the spinal cord

Question 12

What is the lentiform nucleus composed of?

Answer 12

Putamen

Globus Pallidus

Question 13

Where is the cerebellum located?

Answer 13

Posterior and inferior to the cerebral hemispheres

posterior to brainstem

Question 14

How many lobes does the cerebellum have? Name them:

Answer 14

3
Anterior
Posterior
Flocculonodular Lobe

Question 15

What does the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex have a lot of?

Answer 15

Neurons

>50% of the neurons in the entire nervous system are found here

Question 16

How do afferent fibers enter the cerebellum and which layer do they project onto?

Answer 16

Enter via the peduncles

Project onto the granular layer

Question 17

State some of the afferent fibers which travel to the cerebellum and where they originate?

Answer 17

Somatic proprioceptors (spinal cord)
Pressure receptors (spinal cord)
Cerebral cortex via pons
Vestibular apparatus via vestibular nucleus

Question 18

What are the efferent axons of the cerebellum mainly composed of?

Answer 18

Purkinje cells

Question 19

Lesions on one side of the cerebellar hemisphere will lead to symptoms on the _________ side?

Answer 19

Ipsilateral

Question 20

What are the functions of the basal ganglia?

Answer 20

Facilitates movement
Inhibits unwanted movement
Plays part in pressure and tone

Question 21

What makes up the striatum?

Answer 21

Caudate nucleus

Putamen

Question 22

What makes up the corpus striatum?

Answer 22

Caudate nucleus
Putamen
Globus Pallidus

Question 23

Other than than the corpus striatum, what else forms the basal ganglia?

Answer 23

Subthalmic nucleus

Substantia Nigra

Question 24

Where is the substantia nigra located?

Answer 24

In the midbrain

Question 25

What is the substantia nigra composed of? Pathology here is seen in what disease?

Answer 25

Dark pigment involved in dopamine production | Loss of this pigment leads to Parkinsons

Question 26

What is the role of the direct pathway of the basal ganglia and how does it do this?

Answer 26

Enhances desired movement | Stimulates the thalamus

Question 27

How does the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia work?

Answer 27

Inhibits thalmic outflow, resulting in slowed or inhibited movement

Question 28

What disease leads to problems with the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia?

Answer 28

Huntingtons

Question 29

Lesions of the basal ganglia lead to symptoms on the ________ side of the body?

Answer 29

Contralateral

Question 30

What region is the thinnest part of the skull?

Answer 30

Pterion

Question 31

What vessel lies deep to the pterion?

Answer 31

Middle meningeal

Question 32

A tough sheet of dura mater forming a roof over the pituitary fossa:

Answer 32

Diaphragm Sellae

Question 33

A tough sheet of dura mater covering the cerebellum and attaching to the ridges of the petrous temple bone

Answer 33

Tentorium Cerebelli

Question 34

Midline structure composed of dura mater, attaching to the deep aspect of the skull, which separates the right and left hemisphere:

Answer 34

Falx Cerebri

Question 35

What are the attachments of the falx cerebri?

Answer 35

Ethmoid bone | Internal occipital protuberance

Question 36

What cranial nerve supplies sensory supply to the dura?

Answer 36

CN V

Question 37

What is the straight sinus?

Answer 37

This is where the falx cerebri and the tentorium cerebelli meet and attach to one another

Question 38

Where do most afferent cerebellar fibers terminate?

Answer 38

Cerebellar cortex (granular layer)

Question 39

What part of the cerebellum is responsible for the maintenance of balance/equilibrium?

Answer 39

Vestibulocerebellum

Question 40

What part of the cerebellum is responsible for posture and muscle tone?

Answer 40

Spinocerebllum

Question 41

What part of the cerebellum is responsible for muscle coordination, including trajectory and force of movements?

Answer 41

Pontocerebellum

Question 42

What does the central sulcus show a divide between?

Answer 42

Frontal and Parietal lobes

Question 43

What does the lateral sulcus show a divide between?

Answer 43

Parietal and Temporal lobes

Question 44

Embryologically, where does the cerebral hemisphere derive from?

Answer 44

Telencephalon

Question 45

What is the role of the gyri and sulci?

Answer 45

To maximize surface area

Question 46

What separates the two hemispheres?

Answer 46

Great Longitudinal fissure | This accommodates the falx cerebri

Question 47

What unites the two hemisphere's, deep to the great longitudinal fissure?

Answer 47

Corpus Callosum

Question 48

What is significant about the pre-central gyrus?

Answer 48

It is the primary motor region of the cerebral hemisphere

Question 49

What is significant about the post central gyrus?

Answer 49

It is the primary somatosensory cortex

Question 50

What on the occipital lobe indicates the location of the primary visual cortex?

Answer 50

The prominent calcarine sulcus

Question 51

Where is the primary auditory cortex located?

Answer 51

The superior temporal gyrus

Question 52

What makes up the "limbic lobe" of the cerebral hemisphere?

Answer 52

Cingulate Gyrus Parahippocampal Gyrus Hippocampus (NOTE this is in the medial part of the cerebral hemisphere)

Question 53

Which hemisphere in most individuals is thought to be dominant for language?

Answer 53

The left hemisphere

Question 54

Where in respect to the pre-central gyrus is the head located?

Answer 54

The representation of the body is inverted, with the head area located in the most inferior part of the precentral gyrus, just above the lateral fissure.

Question 55

Where is the lower limb represented on the pre central gyrus?

Answer 55

The lower limb is represented on the medial surface of the hemisphere, above the corpus callosum. .

Question 56

What is Broca's Aphasia and how does it occur?

Answer 56

This is characterized by choppy speech and the inability to form complete sentences. Speech is produced with great effort and poor articulation, repetition of words is impaired but powers of comprehension are relatively preserved. There is also impairment of reading and writing Caused by damage to the frontal lobe in a place known as Brocas Area

Question 57

What is Wernicke's Aphasia and how does it occur?

Answer 57

Speech that is fluent and rapid but contains word errors (paraphasia) and is incomprehensible. There is profound word-finding difficulty, impaired repetition of words and profound loss of comprehension. Caused by damage to the Left Temporal Lobe

Question 58

What are commissural fibers?

Answer 58

These form links between matching areas in the two cerebral hemispheres

Question 59

What is the arcuate fasciculus

Answer 59

This is a connection of nerve fibers linking Wernicke's and Broca's Areas Damage to this results in the inability to repeat something which is heard