Brainstem Basics
These are the three main regions of the brainstem.
What are the midbrain, pons, and medulla?
Cranial nerve I is responsible for this sense.
What is smell?
CN I exits through this structure.
What is the cribriform plate?
The superior colliculi are associated with this type of information.
What is visual information?
The corticospinal tract is mainly responsible for this type of movement.
What is voluntary motor movement?
The brainstem is located in this cranial cavity region.
What is the posterior fossa?
Cranial nerve II is responsible for this sense.
What is vision?
CN II exits through this canal.
What is the optic canal?
The inferior colliculi are associated with this type of information.
What is auditory information?
The medial lemniscus carries this type of sensory information.
What are fine touch, vibration, and proprioception?
The brainstem extends from the midbrain-diencephalic junction to this junction.
What is the cervicomedullary junction?
Cranial nerves III, IV, and VI are mainly responsible for this general function.
What is eye movement?
CN III, CN IV, CN V1, and CN VI all exit through this opening.
What is the superior orbital fissure?
The pons connects to the cerebellum through these white matter tracts.
What are cerebellar peduncles?
The spinothalamic tract carries these two types of sensory information.
What are pain and temperature?
The medulla contains vital centers for these three functions.
What are breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure?
This cranial nerve controls facial expression, taste to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue, and parasympathetic function to lacrimal and salivary glands.
What is CN VII / the facial nerve?
CN V2 exits through this foramen.
What is the foramen rotundum?
The basis pontis contains corticospinal tracts, corticobulbar tracts, and these nuclei.
What are pontine nuclei?
A brainstem lesion can cause this pattern where cranial nerve signs are on one side and body signs are on the other.
What is a crossed syndrome?
This brainstem network helps with consciousness, sleep-wake cycles, autonomic control, pain modulation, and motor control.
What is the reticular formation?
This cranial nerve has parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and GI tract, and also helps with swallowing and speech.
What is CN X / the vagus nerve?
CN IX, CN X, and CN XI exit through this foramen.
What is the jugular foramen?
The medulla contains the pyramids and this crossing of motor fibers.
What is the pyramidal decussation?
In the pupillary light reflex, light travels through CN II, reaches the Edinger-Westphal nucleus, and then this cranial nerve constricts the pupil.
What is CN III / the oculomotor nerve?