Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
What are arachnoid granulations? What do they do?
Small evaginations of the arachnoid are termed arachnoid villi, large arachnoid villi are arachnoid granulations, and those that become calcified with age are referred to as pacchionian bodies. Arachnoid granulations are the major, but not the exclusive, sites of reabsorption of CSF into the venous system.
(2 marks)
What are cisterns and what are two of the major cisterns in the brain?
Large areas of subarachnoid space, where the arachnoid bridges over large surface irregularities and thus contain a considerable volume of CFS – cerebellomedullary (cistern magna), pontine cistern, interpeduncular cistern, superior cistern (quadrigeminal cistern).
(2 marks)
What is the significance of the cervical and lumbar enlargements in the spinal cord?
Regions of the spinal cord which supply the upper and lower extremities, respectively.
List the 8 dural venous sinuses of the brain:
(2 marks)
Superior sagital sinus, inferior sagital, straight sinus, transverse sinus, sigmoid sinus, superior petrosal sinus, inferior pertrosal sinus, cavanous sinus
(4 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
What are the common causes of a “stroke”?
Ischemic stroke, cause by sudden vascular insufficiency; hemorrhagic stroke, rupture of small arteries or an aneurysm; aneurysms, balloon like swelling of arterial walls; arteriovenous malformation, congenital malformation.
Describe the effects of blockage of the posterior cerebral artery.
(2 marks)
Supplies the medial and inferior surfaces of the temporal and occipital lobes. A blockage here would cause a number of defects related to the function of these areas.
Discuss the various ways of visualising blood flow in the brain.
(3 marks)
PET scan, injection of a radioactive gas, single photon emission computed tomography, fMRI, contrast CT scan. PET scan is the most common method to visualise blood flow. This technique utilises blood flow by looking at activity within the brain. Cells in regions of the brain that are active utilise high levels of glucose, this is proportional to an increase in blood flow to that area and can therefore be visualised.
(3 marks)
What can this information about blood flow tell us?
If there are any obstructions in blood flow; which particular areas of the brain are activated for different tasks; which arteries innervate which areas of the brain etc.
(2 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
List the 4 main gyri of the frontal lobe.
Superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and precentral gyrus.
(2 marks)
Discuss the various cortical areas involved in speech and the effects of damage on these areas.
Receptive language area – consists of Wernickes’s area (in auditory association cortex of temporal lobe) and adjacent parts of the parietal lobe, the supramarginal and angular gyri.
Expressive speech area – consists of Broca’s area in the opercular and triangular portions of the inferior frontal gyrus.
Damage to these areas results in aphasia which can vary depending on the damage. Receptive aphasia results in defects in language comprehension and audition of speech, naming of objects and repetition of a sentence – eg. Lesion in Wernicke’s area. Lesions to
Broca’s area affects motor production of speech. Interruption of the connection between Wernicke’s and Broca’s results in conduction aphasia where repetition is poor but comprehension is good.
(5 marks)
Which regions of the brainstem do the cerebellar peduncles arise from?
The inferior peduncle arises from the open medulla at the level of the vestibular area, the middle peduncle arises from the open medulla at the level of the facial colliculus and the superior peduncle arises from the open medulla at the level of the medial eminence
(3 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
Where is the primary visual cortex?
It occupies the upper and lower lips of the calcarine sulcus on the medial surface of the occipital lobe
What is the difference between the “open” and “closed” medulla?
(1 mark)
The open medulla is the medulla at the level of the 4 th ventricle, giving the impression of an open cavity, the closed medulla is caudal to the 4 th ventricle.
(2 marks)
Name the cranial nerves involved in eye movement.
Occulomotor – inferior rectus, inferior oblique, medial rectus, superior rectus, levator palpebrae superioris, sphincter pupillae muscle of the iris and ciliary muscle. (eg. All extraocular eye muscles except superior oblique and lateral rectus)
Trochlear – Superior oblique
Abducens – lateral rectus
What would be the result of transection of the right optic nerve?
Complete blindness in the right eye
(3 marks)
(2 marks)
Which cranial nerve comes off the dorsal surface of the brainstem? What does this nerve do?
Trochlear nerve – supplies the superior oblique muscle of the eye, this muscle rotates and depresses the eye.
(2 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
Where is the hypoglossal trigone located and what is its significance?
A triangular elevation in the floor of the caudal fourth ventricle formed by the underlying hypoglossal nucleus, a group of lower motor neurons that innervate muscles of the ipsilateral half of the tongue.
(2 mark)
What fibres are found in the gracile tubercles, are they motor or sensory?
Large, myelinated, primary afferents carrying tactile and proprioceptive information from the leg and lower body. Fibres are therefore sensory.
(2 marks)
Describe the location of the olive in the medulla. What is the function of the olivary nucleus?
The olive is found on the lateral aspect of the medulla, just dorsolateral to the pyramid, caused by the underlying olivary nucleus.
In the cerebellum, which fibres connect the flocculus to the nodulus?
(3 marks)
The pedunculus flocculi: a narrow band of afferent and efferent nerve fibers that connect the nodulus of the cerebellum to the flocculus; its dorsal part is continuous with the anterolateral part of the caudal medullary velum, from which most of its fibers are derived.
Name the four nuclei embedded within the white matter of the cerebellum.
(1 mark)
The dentate nucleus, emboliform nucleus, globose nucleus, fastigial nucleus
(2 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
Briefly describe the flow of CSF in the ventricular system.
Lateral ventricle – interventricular foramina – third ventricle – cerebral aqueduct – fourth ventricle – median and lateral apertures – cisterna magna and pontine cistern – cerebral hemispheres – arachnoid villi – superior sagittal sinus. Some CSF also leaves the lateral cisterns and circulates in the subarchanoid space around the spinal cord
What would be the result of a blockage in the foramen of Munroe?
(3 marks)
Swelling of the lateral ventricle resulting in hydrocephalus
(2 marks)
What type of brain matter makes up the interthalamic adhesion?
Gray matter containing neurons and axonal and dendritic processes
(1 mark)
Where does the caudate nucleus lie in relation to the lateral ventricle? Briefly discuss the function of the caudate nucleus.
It bulges into the lateral ventricle with its large head in the wall of the anterior horn with its tapering body immediately behind and the long tail running posteriorly into the atrium and anteriorly into the inferior horn. The function of the caudate nucleus is to regulate, organize and filter information. Thus, the many connections between the caudate and the frontal lobes play a large role in determining our behaviours.
(4 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
List the five major nuclei of the basal ganglia.
Caudate nucleus, putamen, globus palidus, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra.
(2 marks)
Describe the anatomical relationship between the globus pallidus, the putamen, the internal capsule, the extreme capsule and the external capsule.
Internal capsule – globus pallidus – putamen – external capsule – claustrum – extreme capsule (from medial to lateral)
(3 marks)
What is the fimbrium?
A prominent band of white matter along the medial edge of the hippocampus. The fimbria is an accumulation of myelinated axons
(mainly efferents) that first collect on the ventricular surface of the hippocampus as the alveus. Near the splenium the fimbria separates from the hippocampus as the crus of the fornix.
(2 marks)
Draw and name the various parts of the "basal ganglia" in a horizontal section.
(3 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
What thalamic nuclei process information about a) touch, b) vision, c) hearing? a) ventrolateral posterior nucleus b) lateral geniculate nucleus c) medial geniculate nucleus
(3 marks)
What would be the result of a lesion in the right primary visual cortex? Draw a diagram to represent this.
Lack of vision in the left visual field
(3 marks)
Describe the auditory pathway.
Auditory nerve – cochlear nucleus – ventral cochlear nucleus or dorsal cochlear nucleus – superior olive – lateral lemniscus – inferior colliculus – MGN – primary auditory cortex (temporal lobe).
(2 marks)
What is the arterial blood supply of the “mouth” area of the primary motor cortex?
Middle cerebral artery
(2 marks)

Neuroantomy 217 Semester 1, 2006
Where is the medial lemniscus situated in a cross section of the lower medulla?
At the midline just ventral to the medial longitudinal fasciculus
What is the substantia nigra?
A large nucleus in the midbrain, interposed between the red nucleus and cerebral peduncle. It has two parts – the compact, containing closely packed, pigmented dopaminergic neurons that project to the striatum; and a reticular part, containing more loosely arranged neurons, receiving inputs from the striatum and projecting to the thalamus.
List four nuclei found at the lower level of the medulla.
(2 marks)
Nucleus cuneatus, nucleus gracilis, spinal trigeminal nucleus, nucleus ambiguous of CN IX, X and XI, inferior olivary nucleus, hypoglossal nucleus, accessory cuneate nucleus, dorsal motor nucleus of CN X, solitary tract and nucleus
Where is the facial colliculus and what underlies it?
(2 marks)
The facial colliculus is a swelling in the floor of the fourth ventricle in the causdal pons, caused by the underlying internal genu of the facial nerve looping around the abducens nucleus
Name structures A and B
A - Inferior olivary nucleus; B - pyramid
(2 marks)