Neurophys anatomy
This CNS structure, erroneously proposed to control anger, jealousy and aggression in The Water Boy, is actually responsible for autonomic functions like blood pressure, coughing, and swallowing
What is the Medulla oblongata?
Motor signals are transmitted from the cortex through the spinal cord through this descending tract
What is the corticospinal (pyramidal) tract?
This branch of the autonomic nervous system has long preganglionic neurons and short postganglionic neurons, synapsing close to the target organ
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
This procedure, where the frontal cortex is removed or severed, may cause a person to have inappropriate social responses and lose their ability to solve complex problems
What is a lobotomy?
The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
What is glutamate?
This structure acts as the relay station for sensory information before it reaches the cortex.
What is the thalamus?
This type of anterior motor neuron excites contraction of the skeletal muscle fibers
What are alpha anterior motor neurons?
(BIG! gamma are small and are responsible for muscle tone)
The adrenal medulla primarily secretes this neurotransmitter
What is epinephrine?
(Benefits of the this structure to the sympathetic NS?)
Amblyopia is commonly known by this informal term
What is a lazy eye?
Acetylcholine binds to these cholinergic receptors
What are muscarinic and nicotinic?
Pain and temperature sensory signals are detected by these _____ _____ receptors and ascend in this ________ pathway.
What are nociceptors, thermoreceptors, and the (spinothalamic) anterolateral column?
Located in muscle fibers, these sensory receptors provide information on tension, tone, and position to the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum
What are the golgi tendon organs and muscle spindles?
Increased heart rate and dilated pupils are physiologic responses to danger driven by this branch of the autonomic nervous system
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
(BONUS: what type of receptor dilates the iris when activated?)
A penetrating neck injury from a MVA injures the left side of the spinal cord causing left-sided hemiparesis, loss of proprioception and vibration sensation AND right-sided loss of pain and temperature sensation below the level of the injury, known as this syndrome
What is Brown-Séquard syndrome?
Norepinephrine is released in response to stress and is involved in the "fight or flight" response, primarily through activation of these receptors
What are adrenergic receptors?
Fluent but nonsensical speech and impaired comprehension, resulting from damage to this area of the brain
What is Wernicke's area?
(BONUS: what side of the brain is this usually in?)
These fibers allow for multisegmental connections from one spinal cord level to other levels
What are propriospinal fibers?
Not the branch made up of the parasympathetic and sympathetic NS, but the other branch of the peripheral nervous system
What is the somatic nervous system?
Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that primarily affects this part of the brain
What is the basal ganglia?
(accumulation of mutant Huntington protein leads to loss of GABA and Acetylcholine secreting neurons)
Facilitation is the enhancement of synaptic transmission between neurons as a result of repeated stimulation, which overtime creates this
What is a memory trace?
This afferent pathway enters the spinal cord at the dorsal root and ascends ipsilaterally until crossing to the other side at the level of the medulla oblongata
What is the dorsal pathway?
In response to too much force, golgi tendon organs cause this to relax the muscle
What is autogenic inhibition?
When activated, this receptor on myocardium cells will increase mycocardial strength and the heart rate
What are beta1 receptors?
55 yo M presents to the ER with difficulty speaking after sudden onset of weakness on his right side. He seems to understand instructions but speaks slowly, with effort, using short, telegraphic phrases.
MRI brain shows a lesion in the left inferior frontal gyrus. His syndrome is consistent with this disorder.
What is Broca's aphasia?
The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, abbreviated GABA, stands for this
What is gamma-aminobutyric acid?