HLTH 2501: nervous system review Flashcards
(53 cards)
meningitis
is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and is caused by a virus, bacteria, or sometimes a parasite or fungus
complications of meningitis
hearing loss, memory difficulty, learning disabilities, brain damage, gait problems, seizures, kidney failure, shock, and death
why might the head enlarge in an infant?
if the sutures separate before they fuse, causing the head to enlarge
another name for cavities
fossae
name for openings in the skull
foramina
where do nerves and blood vessels pass in the skull
via canals
what meningeal layer can fill with blood after an injury?
the subdural space
where is CSF produced?
the choroid plexuses
what maintains a constant intracranial pressure?
CSF being produced and reabsorbed at the same rate
blood-brain barrier
is a protective mechanism provided primarily by relatively impermeable capillaries in the brain; the capillaries have endothelial cells that are joined by tight functions, limiting the passage of potentially damaging materials into the brain
blood-CSF barrier
similar to the blood-brain barrier and is located at the choroid plexus to control the constituents of CSF
what can pass the blood-brain barrier?
lipid-soluble substances, ex. alcohol
UMNs
the cells of the motor cortex of the frontal lobe that initiate specific voluntary movements; their axons form corticospinal tracts in the spinal cord
what does an association area do?
it recognizes and interprets the stimulus; ex. the primary visual cortex is in the occipital lobe and interprets vision
dominant hemisphere
is the side of the brain that controls language, for most it is the left side
two special areas involved in speech
Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area
Broca’s area
the motor or expressive speech area; the output of words is coordinated in an appropriate and understandable way
Wernicke’s area
is the integration center that comprehends language received
what is the left hemisphere of the brain responsible for?
math, problem-solving, logic, and language
right hemisphere of the brain
artistic abilities, creativity, spatial relationships, and emotional and behavioral characteristics
prefrontal cortex
functions in coordinating complex cognitive behaviour, as well as providing components for expression of personality
basal nuclei
clusters of cell bodies that are involved in coordination and control of body movement
epithalamus
acts as the connection between the limbic system and other areas of the brain
what supplies blood to the brain?
the internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries
