Basal Instincts
This associate nuclei within the basal ganglia is best known for the production of a key excitatory neurotransmitter.
What is dopamine?
This nerve has both sensory and motor influences and is generally tested either by having a patient move their jaw in various directions or distinguishing between sharp and dull stimuli on the face.
What is CN 5 (Trigeminal Nerve)?
Lesions to the VPL nuclei of the Thalamus would present with likely deficits to these specific senses.
What are temperature and nociception (AKA Spinothalamic tract sensations)
Infarcts to this artery result in the clinical presentation of voluntary/respiratory muscle and facial/abducens nerve paralysis.
What is the basilar artery?
When taking a neuroanatomy exam, you notice both a heightened state of anxiety and abnormal amounts of sweat, especially on your hands. This system is likely to be the culprit.
This hypokinetic movement involves involuntary, rhythmic oscillating movements. It is generally pronounced when actively holding one's limbs in a sustained position.
What is a postural tremor?
These 3 nerves can be collectively tested by performing an examination procedure involving moving the eye in a "H" shape.
What are CN 3,4,6 (Oculomotor, Trochlear, Abducens)?
These 3 tracts are influenced by BG-released Glutamate that passes through the motor thalamus to the cerebral cortex.
What are the corticospinal, corticopontine, and corticobrainstem tracts?
Blood supply to the spinal cord is usually derived from these two aptly named arteries.
What are the anterior and posterior spinal arteries?
A patient presents with severe back pain, weakness and reflexive loss in the LEs, and difficulty using the bathroom. When reviewing their case, you also notice the patient has sexual dysfunction, pointing to this likely syndrome.
This dopamine pathway applies an inhibitory signal to neurons from the putamen, impacting the "No-Go pathway" and thereby facilitating movement.
What is the D2 pathway?
Performing the Weber and Rinne test is a great way to differentiate between these types of sensory hearing loss.
What are conductive and sensorineural hearing loss?
The vermal section of the spinocerebellum has an indirect influence on movement by adjusting the activity of these motor tracts.
What are the medial motor tracts?
Many of the major branches involved in blood supply for the Hypothalamus meet together to form this structure.
What is the Circle of Willis?
A patient was involved in a rock climbing accident and suffered trauma to their T5 vertebrae. Following the injury, the patient was hospitalized due to a severe blood pressure spike that they partially remember following an urge to use the restroom, a tell-tale sign of this autonomic dysfunction.
What is autonomic dysreflexia?
Damage to or dysfunction of this BG nuclei often leads to the disregulation of voluntary movement, impaired skill learning, and various dyskinesias. Hint: It's the major input nuclei!
What is the striatum (Caudate, Putamen) nuclei?
A hospitalized patient may be placed on a dysphagia diet involving thickened liquids to accommodate for deficits that may be caused by these 2 nerves.
What are CN 9 and 10 (Glossopharyngeal and Vagus)?
Anterior Cord Syndrome, caused by the disruption of blood flow to the anterior spinal artery, is likely to impact these tracts.
What are the ST and motor tracts?
What are branches of the Basilar artery OR medial/circumferential branches of Posterior Cerebral/Communicating Artery?
A patient in the clinic presents with an involuntary, unpredictably, dance-like movement pattern. They also complain neck pain and, upon evaluation, you notice dystonia, especially in the cervical region. You check the patient's chart and confirm this diagnosis.
What is Huntington's disease?
This region of the BG is often associated with stepping patterns and walking, and is uniquely driven by the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine.
What is the Midbrain locomotor region?
Due to a lack of decussation of most cranial nerves, you can expect deficits to follow this specific pattern.
What is an ipsilateral impairment pattern?
The pedunculopontine nucleus influences postural and girdle activity via it's articulation with this tract.
What is the reticulospinal tract?
The lateral lenticulostriate arteries, which branch off the Middle Cerebral Artery provide blood supply to these structures.
What are the Putamen, Globus Pallidus, and Internal Capsule?
A patient has arrived at the clinic and, being the astute observer you are, you analyze their movement patterns upon entering. You notice a lack of coordination in the movements of the patient's upper and lower limbs, as well as widened gait to compensate for what appears to be significant core instability. You believe this combination of gait deficits to likely be due to damage of this portion of the cerebellum.
What are the vermis and lateral hemispheres?