Question | Answer |
Nervous system | controls all motor, sensory, autonomic, cognitive, and behavioral activities |
Neuron | Basic functional unit |
Central Nervous System | brain and spinal cord |
Peripheral Nervous system | includes everything else: cranial and spinal nerves, autonomic and somatic systems |
True or false
The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary body functions. | True |
Neurotransmitters | Communicate messages from one neuron to another or to a specific target tissue; they can potentiate, terminate, or modulate a specific action; they can also excite or inhibit a target cell |
Excitatory neurotransmitters | acetylcholine, norepinephrine, enkephaline/endorphin |
Inhibitory neurotransmitters | serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) |
the brain is divided into three major parts | cerebrum, brain stem, and cerebellum |
Cerebrum | consists of two hemispheres, thalamus, hypothalamus, and basal ganglia |
brain stem | mid brain, pons, medulla, and connections for cranial nerves |
cerebellum | located under the cerebrum and behind the brain stem |
Frontal lobes | Largest, major functions include concentration, abstract thought, information storage and memory, and motor functioning |
What are the frontal lobes responsible for? | affect, judgement, personality, emotions, attitudes, and inhibitions, and contributes to the formation of thought processes |
Broca's area | critical for motor control of speech |
parietal lobes | primary sensory cortex; located posterior to the motor strip |
what are the parietal lobes responsible for? | analysis of sensory information such as pressure, vibration, pain, and temperature, and relays the interpretation of this information to the thalamus from the sensory cortex; essential in awareness of the body in space |
Sterognosis | the ability to perceive and object using the sense of touch as processed in this area |
Temporal lobes | contains auditory receptive areas located round the temples; interpretation provides integration of visual and auditory areas- most dominant role of any area of the cortex is thinking |
What lobe deals with long term memory | Temporal lobes |
Left temporal lobe contains what area that is responsible for receptive speech | Wernicke's area |
Occipital lobes | posterior portion of the cerebral hemisphere; primary visual cortex; assists in some visual reflexes and involuntary eye movements |
Corpus Collosum | thick collection of nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres and transmits the information from one side of the brain to the other side |
Hypothalamus | anterior and inferior to the thalamus and lies next to the third ventricle |
hypothalamus and endocrine system functions | regulates pituitary secretion of hormones, maintain fluid balance, plays a role in appetite control, regulates sleep-wake cycle, blood pressure, aggressive and sexual behavior, emotional responses, controls and regulates the ANS, and maintains temperature |
where is a common site for brain tumors in adults? | pituitary gland |
Pituitary gland | at the base of the brain |
Brainstem function | reflex centers for respiration, BP, heart rate, coughing, vomiting, swallowing, and sneezing; houses cranial nerves 3,4,9,11 |
Cerebellum function | integrates sensory information to provide smooth coordinated movement, plays and important role in motor control, contributes to coordination, precision, and accurate timing |
indentations in the skull base | fossae |
Meninges function | cover the brain and spinal cord, provide protection, support, nourishment |
How many layers make up the meninges? | 3 (PAD- pia, arachnoid, dura) |
Dura mater | tough, thick inelastic fibrous and grey |
arachnoid | middle membrane layer, extremely thin, delicate membrane resembling a spider web, no blood supply, absorb cerebrospinal fluid. |
Where is the CSF located at in the brain? | Subarachnoid space |
pia mater | the innermost membrane, thin transparent layer hugs the brain closely and extends into every fold of the brains' surface; HIGHLY VASCULAR |
CSF | clear colorless fluid produced in the lateral ventricles by the choroid plexus |
What does CSF contain? | protein, WBC, glucose, and other electrolyte levels, but NO RBCs |
Cerebral Circulation | receives 15% of cardiac output or 750 mL per minute |
blood brain barrier | formed by endothelial cells and astrocytes of the brain's capillaries; they are so tightly bound together that they form a continuous tight junction, creating a barrier to molecules and many compounds; filter to all substances entering the CSF |
How can the blood brain barrier be altered? | trauma, cerebral edema, and cerebral hypoxemia |
Spinal cord | connects the brain and periphery; 45cm long, thickness of a finger; consists of grey and white matter- grey in center surrounded by white |
The cervical spine contains how many bones? | 7 |
The thoracic spine contains how many bones? | 12 |
The lumbar spine contains how many bones? | 5 |
The sacrum is how many fused bones? | 5 |
peripheral nervous system | cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and autonomic nervous system |
how many cranial nerves are there? | 12 |
Sensory cranial nerves | 1,2,8 |
motor cranial nerves | 3,4,6,11,12 |
mixed cranial nerves | 5,7,9,10 |
Cranial nerve 1- Olfactory (one nose) | smell- frequently coffee or tobacco is what is used to test this nerve |
Cranial nerve 2- Optic (two eyes) | sensory, read and letters are clear, vision test, peripheral vision |
Cranial nerve 3- Oculomotor | motor, muscles that move the eye and lid, pupillary constriction, lens accommodation- test light reaction, look up, open eyelids |
Cranial nerve 4- Trochlear | motor, muscles that move the eye- H movement test |
Cranial nerve 5- Trigeminal | mixed, facial sensation, corneal reflex, mastication- tests include close eyes, cotton swipe to forehead, cheek, and jaw, same with sharp object, or cold and hot sensation, cotton wisp to the corneal of eye, clench jaw and move it from side to side |
Cranial nerve 6- Abducens | motor, muscle that move the eye, side to side eye movement tested |
Cranial nerve 7- Facial | mixed, facial expression and muscle movement, salivation, tearing, taste, sensation in the ear- smile, whistles, elevates eyebrows, frowns, tightly closes eyelids against resistance, sugar and salt on tongue (observe for symmetry) |
Cranial nerve 8- Acoustic Vestibulocochlear/ Auditory | sensory, hearing and equilibrium- tested with romberg, whisper, weber, and rinne |
Why would you check the cranial nerves? | annual physical, headaches, LOC decreased, brainstem pathology, presence of peripheral nervous system disease, abnormal functioning of any cranial nerve |
Cranial nerve 9- Glossopharyngeal | mixed, taste, sensation in pharynx and tongue, pharyngeal muscles, swallowing- gag reflex, ability to swallow, sugar and salt difference |
Cranial nerve 10- Vagus | mixed, muscles of the pharynx, larynx, & soft palate, sensation in external ear, pharynx, larynx, thoracic & abdominal viscera, parasympathetic innervation of thoracic & abdominal organs |
Cranial nerve 10 testing | gag reflex, hoarse voice, ability to swallow, say "ah" monitor for symmetrical uvula & soft palate movement |
Cranial nerve 11- Spinal accessory | motor, sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles- shoulder shrug |
Cranial nerve 12- Hypoglossal | motor, movement of the tongue- stick tongue out, check tongue strength, note any deviation or tremors |
Pneumonic for Cranial Nerves | On Old Olympus' Towering Top, A French And German Viewed Some Hops
Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Boobs Matter Most |
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there? | 31 pairs- 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal |
Autonomic Nervous system function | regulate activities of internal organs and to maintain and restore internal homeostasis |
Sympathetic Nervous system (stress) | Fight of Flight response; main neurotransmitter is norepinephrine |
parasympathetic nervous system (peace) | controls mostly visceral functions; regulated by centers in the spinal cord, brainstem, and hypothalamus |
basal ganglia function | planning and coordinating motor movements and posture |
Thalamus sensory function | major receiving and transmitting center for afferent nerves; integrates all sensory impulses except olfactory |
primary headache | no organic cause |
secondary headache | symptoms associated with organic cause such as headache with brain tumors |
seizures | abnormal paroxysmal discharges in the cerebral cortex |
dizziness | the patient feels like THEY are spinning |
vertigo | the patient feels like the ROOM is spinning |
Muscle strength point scale | 5 point scale-
5 normal, 4 slight weakness, 3 moderate weakness, 2 severe weakness, 1 very severe weakness, 0 no movement |
deep tendon reflex types | biceps, triceps, brachioradialis, patellar, achilles (2+ is normal) |
superficial reflexes | corneal, gag, upper/lower abdominal, cremasteric, plantar, and perianal |
Glasgow Coma Scale | eye opening response, verbal response, motor response- max of 15, 8 or less is comatose, 3 is totally unresponsive |