CNS overview Flashcards
(18 cards)
Brainstem anatomy
Midbrain, pons, medulla
Brainstem function
Homeostasis, life-sustaining functions, cranial nerve nuclei (III-XII)
Are the more caudal or rostral portions of the brainstem more essential for life?
Caudal. Rostral parts are higher level functioning
Are lateral parts of the brainstem motor or sensory?
Sensory
Are midline parts of the brainstem motor or sensory?
Motor
Midbrain functions
Vertical eye movements, pupil control, posture and locomotion, non-rapid eye movement, level of arousal
Pons function
Conjugate horizontal eye movement, posture, rapid eye movements, facial expressions
Medulla function
Blood pressure, breathing, GI motility, ingestion, equilibrium
Cerebellum function
Coordination of movements that use more than one joint and visually guided movements, learning complex new movements
Cerebellum damage symptom?
Ataxia
How is cerebellum function often tested?
Finger to nose testing
Spinal cord
Motor and sensory nerve roots, ascending and descending pathways, spinal reflexes, sympathetic nervous system. Transmits somatomotor and somatosensory signals and houses ANS
Consciousness
Wakefulness and awareness
Altered states of consciousness
Coma, vegetative state (unresponsive wakefulness, minimally conscious state, locked-in syndrome
Coma
Unresponsive to internal or external stimuli (may have spinal reflexes), no visual or auditory perception, unarousable, no spontaneous eye opening. Damage to BOTH cerebral hemispheres, brainstem, or thalamus
Vegetative state (Unresponsive wakefulness)
Sleep-wake cycles, unresponsive to internal or external stimuli (including pain/pleasure), not aware of self or others, may smile/grimace, reflexively grip hand, no thoughts, memories, emotions, intentions. Intact brainstem, damaged cortex and/or thalamus
Minimally conscious state
Some sleep-wake cycles, incomplete awareness, may have high or low level behavioral responses.
Locked-in syndrome
Sleep-wake cycles, intact awareness, quadriplegia, sensory loss, anarthria (can’t talk), conscious but unable to interact with external world (may be able to blink, look up or down). Brainstem lesion (bilateral ventral pons)
