Cerebral Cortex Flashcards
What is the preferential site of excitatory synapses in pyramidal cells?
dendritic spines
What is special about dendritic spines?
suggested sites of synapses that are selectively modified as a result of learning
- small changes in spine configuration lead to electrical properties and in turn synapse efficacy
What do spiny stellate cells mainly receive?
most of afferent input from thalamus, other cortical areas
What do smooth stellate cells do?
silence weakly active cell columns in cortex (similar to focusing action noted in cerebellar cortex by Golgi cells)
Where are association fibers from?
long and short: from small and medium sized pyramidal cells in other parts of ipsilateral cortex
Where are commissural fibers from?
medium sized pyramidal cells via corpus callous or anterior commissure from corresponding contralateral cortex
Where are thalamocortical fibers from?
relay or association nuclei (VPL and VPM)
Where are non-specific thalamocortical fibers from?
intralaminar nuclei
Where are cholinergic and aminergic fibers from?
basal forebrain, hypothalamus (tuberoinfundibulum), brainstem (midbrain raphe, LC)
Where do efferent commissural fibers come from?
contralateral cerebrum via corpus callous and anterior commissure
What makes up the largest input to basal ganglia?
fibers from primary sensory and motor cortex
What receives input from all of the cortex?
thalamus
- corticopontine, corticospinal, corticobulbar
Association areas function?
mediate higher mental functions (language, art, music)
- not much known
What do the parvocellular layers of the eye detect?
layers 3-6 (color and form)
What do the magnoceelular layers of eye detect?
layers 1-2 (moment and contrast)
Which layers get input from contralateral eye? ipsilateral?
1,4,6
2,3,5
What did Dr. Tatsuji describe?
retinotopic organization of primary visual cortex
Where do optic radiations end?
retinotopically in occipital cortex, above and below calcarine sulcus
Where do inferior visual fields end? superior?
superior above calcrine sulcus
inferior below calcimine sulcus
How is the macula represented? peripheral fields?
most posteriorly, more anteriorly
Where does primary visual cortex distribute info?
specialized parts of extra striate cortex
How do columns in cortical modules analyze info?
visual field
- modules in foveal part analyze small areas so fovea has many more modules and therefore better resolution
Which hemisphere is determined to be dominant?
one that produces and comprehends language (usually L)
Where are the cortical language areas near?
lateral sulcus
