Session 1 Flashcards
(22 cards)
What are the broad functions of the midbrain, pons and medulla?
Midbrain - eye movements, primitive hearing
Pons - feeding, hearing, balance
Medulla - vagus, heart/lungs
What are the broad functions of the cerebellum and cerebrum?
Cerebellum - coordination
Cerebrum - deep thought and memory
Name the waste clearance pathway in the CNS
Glymphatic system
What are the grooves and ridges called on the cerebral cortex?
Grooves - sulcus
Ridges - gyrus
What is found anterior and posterior to the central sulcus and what is their function?
Anterior - precentral gyrus. Contains motor cortex
Posterior - postcentral gyrus. Contains primary sensory cortex
What are the lobes of the cerebral cortex and what separates them?
Frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes separated by the central, lateral and parieto-occipital sulci
What sits in the middle cranial fossa?
Temporal poles
What structure can compress the midbrain during raised ICP?
Uncus of the temporal lobe
What connects the two hemispheres of the brain?
Corpus callosum
What is found between the periosteal and meningeal layers of the dura mater?
Dural venous sinuses
Describe the different names given to hemorrhages between different parts of the meninges
Between dura mater and skull - extradural
Between dura mater and arachnoid mater - subdural
Between arachnoid mater and pia mater - subarachnoid
What does grey matter primarily contain?
Cell bodies, dendrites and axon terminals
Where is grey matter found?
Cerebral coretex, nuclei and ventral/dorsal horns
What does white matter primarily contain?
Axons and fibres (axons plus supporting cell)
What are different types of white matter in the CNS?
Association fibres (between neighboring gyri on ipsilateral side), commisures (between hemispheres or between sides of spinal cord) and projection fibres (longitudinally through CNS)
What is a tract?
A connection between 2 areas of grey matter
What term is used to describe the crossing of nerve fibres over the midline?
Decussation
What are the main differences between T1 and T2 MRI scans?
T1 - anatomical, fat is white
T2 - pathological, fat and water is white
Outline the conditions where the neural tube fails to close cranially/caudally
Caudally - Spina Bifida
Cranially - Anencephaly
How are neural fold defects diagnosed and treated?
Diagnosis - raised serum alpha-fetoprotein, USS
Treatment - folic acid supplements
What complications can result from spina bifida?
Neurological deficit (but no cognitive delay) and hydrocephalus (treated with shunt)
What are the two flexures in the CNS?
Cervical flexure at spinal cord-hindbrain junction
Cephalic flexure at midbrain region
