The Brainstem, Cranial Nerves and the Visual Pathways (Neuro)

Question 1

What the brainstem connect together? What three sections is it made up of?

Answer 1

Connects cerebrum to spinal cord
1. Midbrain
2. Pons
3. Medulla Oblongata

Question 2

What is it the most superior part of the Brainstem? Why is it hard to see?

Answer 2

Midbrain
Optic chiasm obstructs most of the view of the anterior brainstem

Question 3

What are the two parts of the Midbrain called? Where is each one located?

Answer 3

Tectum (Dorsally)
Tegmentum (Ventrally)

Question 4

What are the two pairs of rounded bumps called on the Brainstem?

Answer 4

Superior colliculi and Inferior colliculi

Question 5

What are the Super colliculi involved in? (2)

Answer 5

Involved in regulating eye movements
Reflexes associated with visual stimuli (turning or moving the head quickly)

Question 6

What are the inferior Colliculi involved in? (3)

Answer 6

Sound location
Pitch discrimination
Reflexes with auditory stimuli

Question 7

What is the larger part of the midbrain called? Where is it located? What does it contain?

Answer 7

Tegmentum
Ventrally
Substantia nigra

Question 8

What is the Substantia nigras function? What else does the Tegmentum contain (2)? Which surface is it on?

Answer 8

Dopamine production
Cerebral peduncles on the most ventral surface and red nuclei

Question 9

What is the function of cerebral peduncles? What do the red nuclei do?

Answer 9

Large white matter bundles that connect the midbrain to the thalami
Involved in supporting motor control to limbs

Question 10

The Nuclei of which three structures is found in the Midbrain?

Answer 10

1. Oculomotor (CN 3)
2. Trochlear (CN 4)
3. Edinger Westphal

Question 11

Name the structures

Answer 11

a- Superior colliculus
b- Trochlear nucleus
c- Oculomotor Nucleus
d- Edinger Westphal nucleus
e- Red Nucleus
f- Substantia Nigra
g- Cerebral Peduncle
h- Tectum
I- Tegmentum
j- Cerebral aqueduct

Question 12

What is the Largest part of the Brainstem in the middle called? What lies on its Ventral surface? What lies on the Dorsal surface?

Answer 12

The Pons
Basilar artery
Middle cerebellar peduncles

Question 13

What are the Middle cerebellar peduncles? What other structure lies dorsal to the pons? Inbetween what?

Answer 13

White matter connections to the cerebellum
Fourth ventricle lies posterior (shown on picture) inbetween the middle cerebellar peduncles

Question 14

What four nuclei does the Pons contain?

Answer 14

• Trigeminal (CN 5)
• Abducens (CN 6)
• Facial (CN 7)
• Vestibulocochlear (CN 8)

Question 15

What two centres do the pons contain? What are they involved in the regulation of?

Answer 15

Apneustic and Pneumotaxic centres
Regulation of breathing

Question 16

What connects the Pons to the spinal cord? What is the groove on its ventral surface called?

Answer 16

The medulla oblongata
Anterior median fissure

Question 17

What does the anterior median fissure separate? What is the structure of these?

Answer 17

Medullary pyramids
Two distinct lumps on the ventral surface

Question 18

What runs through the Medullary pyramids? What structures are immediately lateral to the pyramids?

Answer 18

Essential motor tracts known as corticospinal tract
Medullary olives

Question 19

What is the sensory pathway of nerves called on the dorsal part of the medulla? What is it made up of? Names for both these structures(2)?

Answer 19

Dorsal column Medial Lemniscus (DCML)
Two pairs of nerve bundles: Fasciculus gracilis and fasciculus cuneatus

Question 20

What 4 nuclei of nerves does the medulla contain?

Answer 20

Glossopharyngeal (CN 9)
Vagus (CN 10)
Accessory (CN 11)
Hypoglossal (CN 12)

Question 21

Vital centres for regulating what 4 processes are found in the medulla oblongata?

Answer 21

Respiration
Heart rate
BP
Initiating vomiting

Question 22

Where do the Cranial nerves originate from? Why is this different to other nerves?

Answer 22

Brain
Other nerves originate from the spinal cord

Question 23

What position do all the Cranial Nerves leave there point of origin? Which one is the exception and why?

Answer 23

Anteriorly
Trochlear nerve, leaves brain posteriorly

Question 24

How are odour molecules detected?

Answer 24

Specialised nerve cells of the nasal cavity detect odour molecules
convey information superiorly through the cribriform plate to olfactory bulbs

Question 25

Where is the information from the olfactory bulbs taken to? in what direction?

Answer 25

Olfactory cortices in temporal lobes Posteriorly

Question 26

What is the name of CN2 where does it carry nerves to and from?

Answer 26

Optic nerve Retina to the optic chiasm

Question 27

What are the names of CNs III, IV and VI? What is their role?

Answer 27

Oculomotor, Trochlear and Abducens Control muscles for movements of eyes and diameter of pupils

Question 28

Mnemonic for Sensory or motor innervation of Cranial nerves?

Answer 28

Some Say Money Matters But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More

Question 29

Where do the olfactory and Optic nerve originate from respectively?

Answer 29

Cerebrum and Diencephalon

Question 30

What four functions does the Oculomotor have?

Answer 30

Eye movements Eyelid opening Pupillary constriction and accomodation

Question 31

What three areas does the Trigeminal Nerve Provide sensation to?

Answer 31

Sensation from upper third of face (V1-opthalmic) Sensation from middle third of face (V2- Maxillary) Sensation from lower third of face (V3- Mandibular)

Question 32

What two Muscles does the V3 branch of the Trigeminal nerve provide sensation to?

Answer 32

Muscles of mastication (Move the mandible) Tensor Tympani muscle

Question 33

What parts of the face does the Maxillary branch of the Trigeminal nerve provide sensation for?

Answer 33

Middle 1/3 of face Internal nasal cavity, upper teeth and palate

Question 34

What parts of the face does the Mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve provide sensory and motor information for?

Answer 34

Anterior 2/3 of tongue Mandibular teeth and gums Tensor tymapni Four muscles of Mastication

Question 35

What are the four muscles of Mastication?

Answer 35

Temporalis Masseter Media pterygoid Lateral Pterygoid

Question 36

What is the motor and sensory functions of the Facial nerve? (2&1)

Answer 36

Motor to: - Muscles of facial expression - Stapedius muscle Sensation: - ear canal

Question 37

Secretomotor and taste functions of facial nerve? (3+1)

Answer 37

Secretomotor: - Submandibular gland - Sublingual gland - Lacrimal gland Taste: - anterior 2/3 of tongue

Question 38

What does the first branch of the Facial nerve do? What does the next branch innervate?

Answer 38

Parasympathetic secretomotor function to lacrimal gland Next branch is to the stapedius muscle (As it progresses through MEC)

Question 39

After it has given off a branch to the stapedius muscle what is the next branch called and what are its functions (3)?

Answer 39

Chorda tympani (branch) Taste to anterior 2/3 of tongue, parasympathetic secretomotor function to submandibular and sublingual salivary glands

Question 40

Where does the facial nerve leave the skull after giving off the chorda tympani branch?

Answer 40

Stylomastoid foramen

Question 41

When the Facial nerve passes through the Stylomastoid foramen what does it carry sensory and motor innervation to and from respectively?

Answer 41

(Branch of facial) Sensory- Ear Motor- Muscles of scalp

Question 42

Where does the Facial nerve divide? What five nerves does it divide into? What do they innervate?

Answer 42

Parotid Gland Temporal, zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular and cervical branches] Muscles of facial expression

Question 43

What are the Motor and sensation innervations of the Glossopharyngeal nerve? (1 & 4)

Answer 43

Motor- Stylopharyngeus muscle Sensation: - Pharynx - Posterior 1/3 of tongue - Carotid baroreceptors and chemoreceptors

Question 44

What are the secretomotor and taste functions of the Glossopharyngeal nerve?

Answer 44

Secretomotor- Parotid gland Taste- posterior 1/3 of tongue

Question 45

Motor and sensation functions of the Vagus nerve? (3&2)

Answer 45

Motor: - Muscles of soft palate - Palatine folds - Pharyngeal muscles (Pharyngeal constrictors) - Internal laryngeal muscles Sensation: - External ear - Ear canal - Larynx

Question 46

What taste and parasympathetic functions does the vagus nerve have?

Answer 46

Taste: Epiglottis Parasympathetic: Thoracic and abdominal organs

Question 47

Which Muscle does the glossopgaryngeal nerve supply? What is it involved in?

Answer 47

Stylopharyngeus Swallowing

Question 48

Which CN is the accessory nerve? Where does it originate from? Where does it provide innervation to?

Answer 48

CN 11 Spinal cord C1-C5 Motor signals to trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles

Question 49

What are the functions of the Sternocleidomastoid and trapezius respectively?

Answer 49

Sternocleidomastoid- turning head and nodding Trapezius- Shrugging and movement of scapula

Question 50

Where does the accessory nerve enter and leave the skull?

Answer 50

Enter- Foramen Magnum Leave- Jugular Foramen

Question 51

What does the Hypoglossal nerve send information to? What type of information? What is not innervated by the Hypoglossal nerve?

Answer 51

Intrinsic and Extrinsic muscles of the tongue Motor innervation Palatoglossus (supplied by vagus)

Question 52

What are the areas of vision we can see in each eye called? What is each area divided into? Which one is lateral and which one is medial?

Answer 52

Visual fields Temporal field and nasal field Lateral- Temporal field Medial- Nasal field

Question 53

What detects light? What is the course of visual information to the CNS?

Answer 53

Retina detect light Optic nerve, optic tracts and finally the optic radiations then the primary visual cortex (Occipital lobe)

Question 54

Which part of the retina receives the lateral half of the visual field? Which part receives the Medial half of the visual field?

Answer 54

- Nasal/ medial half of retina receive lateral half of the visual field - Temporal/ Lateral half of retina receive medial half of visual field

Question 55

Where does visual information first travel to from the retinas? Where is this structure located?

Answer 55

Optic chiasm Anterior to midbrain and superior to pituitary gland

Question 56

Visual information from which visual field does what at the optic chiasm?

Answer 56

Visual information from the temporal visual field crosses over at the optic chiasm to the opposite side E.g. Right Temporal visual field information goes to the left optic tract

Question 57

After the optic chiasm where does visual information travel along? Where most of the fibres synapse along this tract? Where is this located?

Answer 57

Optic tract Lateral geniculate nucleus Thalamus

Question 58

After the lateral geniculate nucleus synapse where do the fibres move towards? What do they split into? What are they known as?

Answer 58

Move towards primary visual cortex Split into superior and inferior pathways Optic radiations

Question 59

What are the names of the superior and inferior optic radiation? Why?

Answer 59

Superior- Parietal radiation- travels through parietal lobe Inferior- Temporal radiation (Meyers loops)- Travels through temporal lobe

Question 60

Where does the visual information from the parietal and temporal radiations come from in the retina respectively? Which visions of field is associated with each area?

Answer 60

Parietal (superior) radiation- Superior aspect of retina- inferior field of vision Temporal (Inferior) Radiation- Inferior aspect of retina- Superior field of vision