Lecture 2 - Spinal Cord & Brainstem

Question 1

Myelination limits plasticity. Why is this important?

Answer 1

Molecules on the myelin make it harder for the synapse to change.

Question 2

What is the role of astrocytes?

Answer 2

Act as blood/brain barrier because blood cannot come into contact with the brain – shuttle stuff from the blood to neurons

Question 3

Rostral

Answer 3

Towards front of head

Question 4

Caudal

Answer 4

Towards tail

Question 5

Dorsal

Answer 5

Up (on the backside)

Question 6

Ventral

Answer 6

Down (towards belly)

Question 7

Horizontal or axial

Answer 7

Slice front of head to back (bagel)

Question 8

Coronal

Answer 8

Slice from ear to ear (loaf of bread)

Question 9

Sagittal

Answer 9

Slice from in-between eyes and nose (hot dog)

Question 10

4 roles of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 10

Protection
Buoyancy
Nutrition
Waste removal

Question 11

In spinal cord gray matter is where

Answer 11

In the inside (middle)

Question 12

In spinal cord white matter is where

Answer 12

On the outside (white matter includes the axons)

Question 13

In the spinal cord how can you orient ventral vs dorsal

Answer 13

Ventral gray matter wider than dorsal

Question 14

In spinal cord where are secondary sensory neurons

Answer 14

Dorsal horn gray matter

Question 15

In spinal cord where are the motor neurons

Answer 15

Ventral horn gray matter

Question 16

Sensory input from the body _____ to the brain

Answer 16

Ascends

Question 17

Motor output from the brain ___ to the body

Answer 17

Descends

Question 18

Why is it clinically relevant that the spinal cord only goes halfway down our back?

Answer 18

CSF but no nerves once the spinal cord ends so it doctors can administer anesthesia or epidurals in this region

Question 19

Sections of spinal cord from top to bottom

Answer 19

Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Coccygeal

Question 20

Why might someone feel pain in their arm when they have a heart attack?

Answer 20

The same dermatome or part of the spinal cord innervates these regions

Question 21

Biggest to smallest size of spinal cord sections

Answer 21

Cervical (ovular)
Thoracic (small oval)
Lumbar (circular)
Sacral (small circle)

Question 22

Why is there more white matter at the cervical level?

Answer 22

All of the axons from all over the body are in the same place so there is a lot of white matter at the top

Question 23

Why isn’t there much gray matter at the thoracic level?

Answer 23

Poor sensitive acuity in the back – not a lot to innervate

Question 24

In the spinal cord the white matter are what

Answer 24

Axons

Question 25

Where you need more neural control what do you see more of?

Answer 25

Gray matter

Question 26

What's in the brainstem?

Answer 26

- Ascending and descending pathways to/from body and brain - Nuclei important for sleep, hear rate, breathing, neurotransmitter production - Cranial nerves

Question 27

3 parts of brainstem

Answer 27

Midbrain Pons Medulla

Question 28

Ventral brainstem

Answer 28

Pyramid bumps on medulla in the middle

Question 29

Dorsal brainstem

Answer 29

Superior colliculi Inferior colliculi Cerebellar peduncles Gracile nucleus Cuneate nucleus

Question 30

What marks that you are in the midbrain

Answer 30

Inferior colliculi

Question 31

Cuneate nucleus is towards what side of the gracile nucleus

Answer 31

Lateral (towards the outside)

Question 32

Dorsal columns ascending tract

Answer 32

Sends information about fine-grained touch and position sense (proprioception) from body to brain

Question 33

Dorsal columns primary neurons -- where is cell body

Answer 33

In dorsal root ganglion

Question 34

Dorsal columns primary neurons -- where do they synapse

Answer 34

Synapse in dorsal column nucleus (medulla)

Question 35

Dorsal columns primary neurons -- synapse in gracile nucleus for information on which body region

Answer 35

Lower body

Question 36

Dorsal columns primary neurons -- synapse in cuneate nucleus for information on which body region

Answer 36

Upper body

Question 37

Dorsal columns secondary neurons -- axon crosses over and ascends as what

Answer 37

Medial lemniscus

Question 38

Dorsal columns secondary neurons -- where is cell body

Answer 38

In gracile or cuneate nucleus

Question 39

Dorsal columns secondary neurons -- where do they synapse

Answer 39

Crosses over to synapse in thalamus

Question 40

Dorsal columns tertiary neurons -- cell body is where

Answer 40

Ventral posterior lateral nucleus of the thalamus

Question 41

Dorsal columns tertiary neurons -- axon where

Answer 41

In internal capsule/corona radiata

Question 42

Dorsal columns tertiary neurons -- synapse where

Answer 42

Primary somatosensory cortex

Question 43

Where is the dorsal column system in the spinal cord

Answer 43

Cervical

Question 44

In the upper medulla what switches

Answer 44

In images, the right side will carry info from left side of the body

Question 45

Where is the dorsal column system in the cortex?

Answer 45

Primary somatosensory cortex

Question 46

Dorsal column primary neurons -- axon where

Answer 46

Posterior spinal cord

Question 47

Corticospinal tract descending tract

Answer 47

Sends info about conscious motor control from brain to body

Question 48

Corticospinal tract primary neurons -- cell body where

Answer 48

In motor cortex

Question 49

Corticospinal tract primary neurons -- synapse where

Answer 49

Ventral horn

Question 50

Corticospinal tract secondary neurons -- cell body where

Answer 50

In spinal cord

Question 51

Corticospinal tract secondary neurons -- synapse where

Answer 51

On muscle

Question 52

Where do primary neurons decussate (dorsal tract)

Answer 52

In the medulla

Question 53

Primary motor cortex is where in reference to the sensory cortex

Answer 53

Anterior (rostral) to sensory cortex

Question 54

Axon of primary neuron travels first where then where

Answer 54

Corona radiate Internal capsule

Question 55

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the midbrain

Answer 55

Cerebral peduncles

Question 56

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the pons

Answer 56

Ventral part

Question 57

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the upper and lower medulla

Answer 57

Pyramids

Question 58

Axon of the primary neuron crosses where (corticospinal tract)

Answer 58

In the lowest medulla

Question 59

Axon of the primary neuron is where in the corticospinal tract

Answer 59

Lateral corticospinal tract