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Flashcards in CNS Overview Deck (16)
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1
Q

What four things makes up the CNS generally?

A
  1. Forebrain
  2. Brainstem
  3. Cerebellum
  4. Spinal Cord
2
Q

What is the Forebrain made of?

What is it’s general functions?

What are the different lobes of the cerebral cortex and their general functions?

What is the main function of the cerebral cortex?

A

The forebrain is made of:

Cerebral Cortex

Basal Ganglia

Thalamus

Function: Motor control, somatosensory, processing, emotion, thoughts, planning, and memory

Breakdown of lobes and functions

  • Frontal lobe = Motor control center, executive function
  • Parietal lobe = Somatosensory processing (Touch, pain, pressure, etc.)
  • Temporal Lobe = Auditory processing and New memory formation
  • Limbic Structures: Emotional processing, learning and memory
  • Occipital Lobe: Visual processing

The main function of the cerebral cortex is Cognition

3
Q

What are the Basal Ganglia

What do they do?

What does a dysfunction in the BG look like?

A

The Basal ganglia are 7 different nuclei located in the center of the brain.

Functions:

  1. Coordinates what movements our skeletal muscles should make (decides what muscle movement will have the best outcome)
  2. Operational Learning: ability to connect a consequence with an action
  3. Also acts as a gatekeeper what portion of the flood of input we receieve should be processed for output (action, thought, emotion, etc.)

Dysfunction –> Can’t begin movements, movements are slow, or movements are excessive

4
Q

What does the Forebrain do?

If it is damaged what is the result?

A

Function:

  1. Interpret/change sensory information that is coming into the cortex
  2. Change information that the cerebral cortex receives based on physical state (arousal, sleep, vigilance, etc.)
  3. Helps with attention to parts of sensory environment (you are focusing on looking at a painting rather than hearing the painting).
5
Q

What is the general function of th brainstem?

  • Function of midline parts
  • Function of lateral parts
  • Function of more caudal (bottom) parts
  • Function of more rostral (top)parts?
A

General Function: Maintain lifesustaining functions (breathing, heart beat)

  • Midline functions: Motor functions (heart beat)
  • Lateral: Sensory (pain, temperature)
  • As you go from caudal to rostral (top to bottom) you go from more serious lifesustaining functions to less critical (breathing/heartbeat –> higher levels of functioning)
6
Q

In the brainstem…

What is the function of the midbrain?

Pons?

A

Midbrain:

  1. Vertical eye movement
  2. Pupil Control
  3. Posture and locomotion
  4. Non-rapid eye movement
  5. Level of arousal

Pons:

  1. Conjugate horizontal eye movements
  2. Posture
  3. Rapid eye movements
  4. Facial Expressions
7
Q

In the brainstem…

What is the function of the Medulla?

A
  1. Blood pressure
  2. Breathing
  3. GI motility
  4. Ingestion
  5. Equilibrium
8
Q

What does the Cerebellum do?

How do you test it?

What is ataxia

A

Function:

  1. Coordination of movement

This is especially needed in movement of more than one joint or trying to move based on visual input.

-So this is key for walking, playing guitar, learning any new complex movements

Test: Have a patient reach out and touch their finger to yours. IF they struggle with this, there may be damage to the cerebellum.

Ataxia = Uncoordinated movements and is caused by damage to the cerebellum

9
Q

What are the functions of the spinal cord?

A
  • Primary role: Transmit somatosensory signals and somatomotor signals (reflexes, proprioception)
  • Secondary: House the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic nervous system)
10
Q

What are the two primary components of consciousness?

A

Wakefulness: Ability to be arounsed and open our eyes

-Ex. physcially having eyes open and moving during a partial seizure (even though you aren’t thinking or realizing what’s going on)

Awareness: Ability to have thoughts, memories, and emotions

-Ex. Taking a car alarm going off while you’re asleep and incorporating it into your dream

11
Q

What are altered states of consciousness?

There are four general ASC

A

These are states of consciousness where parts of the CNS are not working properly

  1. Coma
  2. Locked In Syndrome
  3. Vegetative State
  4. Minimally consious state
12
Q

Define a coma and what causes it

A

Coma

  • Person doesn’t respond to external or internal stimuli (just spinal reflexes but that is it, you don’t move, see, hear, nothing)
  • Unarousable (can’t get them to wake up)
  • No spontaneous eye opening

Cause: Damage to any one of these

  1. Both cerebral cortex hemispheres
  2. Brainstem
  3. Thalamus
13
Q

What is the vegetative state (Unresponsive Wakefulness)?

Cause?

A

Definition:

  • Unresponsive to internal or external stimuli with no awareness of self or others
  • You can open your eyes and have sleep-wake cycles
  • You can smile/grimace and grip a hand but it is all reflex
  • You do not have awareness (no thoughts, memories, emotions)

Cause: damage to the cortex or thalamus (brainstem is okay)

14
Q

What is the Minimally Conscious State?

What is MCS + and MSC - ?

A

Definition: You have sleep-wake cycles with incomplete awareness (somewhere between fully aware and coma)

+ = you have a high level of of behvioral responses (can follow commands and communicate at times)

  • = low level of behavioral responses (can sense pain and follow a finger, smiling/crying, etc.)
15
Q

What is Locked-In syndrome?

A

You have normal Sleep-wake cycles and are fully aware but you dont have the ability to respond!

-You can tell what people are saying but can only respond by blinking

This can be caused by a brainstem lesion, particularly on the bilateral ventral pons.

16
Q
A