Reticular system

Question 1

What are the functions of the reticular systyem?

Answer 1

Integrates information from all senses

Consciousness and arousal

Filters unimportant information, shunts life-threatening information to the amygdala

Question 2

What are the three columns of the reticular system?

Answer 2

Lateral

Medial

Median

Question 3

What is the lateral column?

Answer 3

Contains small, parvicellular neruons that receive afferent fibers from neighboring brainstem regions

Question 4

What is the medial column?

Answer 4

Contains magnocellular and gigantocellular neurons that give rise to many efferents

Question 5

What is the median column?

Answer 5

Contains intermediate sized serotonin neurons of th raphe nuclei

Question 6

What is the nucleus basalis of Meynert or the basalis magnocellularis?

Answer 6

Located in the telencephalon

Contains ACh neurons that project widely to the cortex and amygdala

Plays a role in selective attention, alerness and memor processes

Question 7

What is the reticular nucleus of the thalamus?

Answer 7

Diencephalon

Receives input from other thalamic nuclei and widespread cortical area

Influences cortex via other thalamic nuclei

Question 8

What is the periaqueductal grey?

Answer 8

MIdbrain

Grey matter that surrounds the cerebral aqueduct

Involved in modulating descending pain pathway, contains high density of opioid receptors

Question 9

What is the dorsal raphe nucleus?

Answer 9

Midbrain

Primary site of serotonergic neurons in the reticular formation

Widespread forebrain connections with now thalamic relay

Regulation of consciousness, attention, and mood

Question 10

What is the ventral tegmental area?

Answer 10

Midbrain

Part of the mesolimbic dopamine and mesocortical DA reward pathways

Plays a role in memory, attention, and motivation

Question 11

What is the substantia nigra pars compacta?

Answer 11

Midbrain

Part of the nigrostriatal pathway

Basal ganglia function

Also may play a role in reward and reinforcement

Question 12

What is the Nucleus locus coeruleus (blue nucleus)?

Answer 12

Pons

Provides the majority of NE input to the CNS

Modulate arousal, selective attention, stress response, pain, and mood

Question 13

What is the Pedunculo-pontine nucleus and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus?

Answer 13

Pons

Largest sites of ACh production in the brain

Involved in wakefulness and REM sleep

Part of the indirect arousal system that must be inhibited for sleep to occur

Question 14

What is the Nucleus raphe magnus?

Answer 14

Medulla

Contains serotonergic neurons

Involved in modulating pain transmission

Question 15

What is the rostral ventral medulla nucleus?

Answer 15

Medulla

Contains glutamatergic neurons

Involved in modulating the transmission of pain within the CNS, similar to the PAG

Question 16

What are the nuclei of the medullary reticular formation?

Answer 16

Medulla

Critical in cardiovascular and respiratory center regulation

Question 17

What is responsible for actively maintaining consciousness/wakefulness/arousal/attention?

Answer 17

Ascending reticular activating system

Question 18

What are the functions of the RAS?

Answer 18

Consciousness

Filter out massive amounts of information

Primes the cortex to allow incoming sensory information to be processed

Shunts fearful information to the amygdala

Question 19

What are the two most well known pathways in the ARAS?

Answer 19

Aminergic nuclei

Cholinergic nuclei

Question 20

What are the aminergic nuclei in the ARAS?

Answer 20

Nucleus locos coeruleus, raphe in the midbrain, Tubermammilary nucleus in the hypothalamus

activated exclusively during the waking state

Question 21

What are the Cholinergic nuclei in the ARAS?

Answer 21

Pedunculo-pontine, Laterodorsal tegmental nuclei

Activated during waking state and REM sleep

Question 22

What is locked-in syndrome?

Answer 22

Lesion preventing corticospinal and corticobulbar motor output

Sensory function and consciousness is preserved

Question 23

What is akinetic mutism, abulia, or catatonia?

Answer 23

Ipaired frontal and dopaminergic function leading to profound apathy and deficits in response initiation

Question 24

What is a minimally conscious state?

Answer 24

Periods of responsiveness or wakefulness with minimal and variable awareness

Question 25

What is a vegetative state?

Answer 25

Consists of periods of wakefulness, but no periods of awareness No visual tracking, no volitional behavior

Question 26

What is a persistent vegetative state?

Answer 26

Vegetative state that lasts for more than a month without evidence of change

Question 27

What is a coma?

Answer 27

Prolonged losss of consciousness with a severe impairment of corical function Unresponsive to sensory input but some primitive reflex activity can be present

Question 28

What is brain death?

Answer 28

Irreversible unconsciousness with complete loss of brain function and inability to breath

Question 29

What are some causes of comas?

Answer 29

Bilateral lesion in upper brainstem affecting RAS Bilateral compromis of the hemispheres Large bilateral lesion of the thalamus

Question 30

What are the 4 major dopamine pathways in the brain?

Answer 30

Substantia nigra to the neostriatum Ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens - reward, + schizo symptoms VTA to the cortex - parkinsons and - schizo symptoms Tubero-infundibular projection - arcuate nucleus to the anterior pituitary

Question 31

What are typical anti-psychotic drugs?

Answer 31

Alliviate the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, but exacerbate the negative symptoms can also cause hyperkinetic affects

Question 32

What are atypical anti-pyschotic drugs?

Answer 32

Cause fewer extrapyramidal effect but come with the complication of weight gain, T2DM, and prolactinema

Question 33

What is the major norepinephrine pathway in the brain?

Answer 33

Nucleus locus coeruleus, widespread projections to the cortex, limbic system and dorsal horn Modulate arousal, selective attention, pain modulation

Question 34

What are the two important serotonin nuclei?

Answer 34

Dorsal raphe nucleus - mood modulation Nucleus raphe magnus - modulation of pain transmission

Question 35

What is the major acetylcholine nuclei in the brain?

Answer 35

Nucleus basalis of Meynert Diffuse projections to the cortex without relaying through the thalamus