Neuroanatomical Terminology

• Rostral 


  refers to the front of the brain/anterior aspect of the head

  
• Caudal


  brain - caudal structures in the brain r towards the back of the head - the hindbrain is caudal to the midbrain

  spine - caudal structures in the spinal cord = towards the tail

  CNS - the rostro-caudal axis of the CNS bends at the midbrain + cont thru the brain stem + spinal cord

  
• Dorsal


  the superior region of the CNS/towards the scalp

  spinal region - the dorsal horn is one of the 4 main columns of grey matter

  
• Ventral


  refers to the bottom of the brain/front of the spinal cord

  
• Contralateral


  contralateral = on the opposite side of another structure

  e.g. the left side of the brain controls the right arm + leg

  = a contralateral relationship
• Ipsilateral


  ispilateral = structures/movements that occur on the same side of the body/brain

  e.g. a cranial nerve on the right side of the head is connected to the right side of the brain

  = an ipsilateral function
• Afferent


  the study of afferent neurons = nerve fibres that carry sensory info from the body's periphery to the CNS

  
• Efferent 


  study of nerve stuctures that carry signals from the brain + spinal cord (CNS) to the PNS

  = motor neurons, responsible for initiating actions in the body

  
• Optic Chiasm


  part of the brain where the optic nerves from each eye meet + cross, forming an X shape

  located at the base of the brain, below the hypothalamus + above the pituitary gland

  each half of the brain receives info from both eyes about the opposite visual field

  
• Decussation


  refers to the crossing of nerve fibres to the opposite side of the body

  it occurs at multiple points in the brain + spinal cord

  
• Commissure


  the spinal cord has 2 commissures:

  anterior white comissure + grey commissure

  commissures r tracts of nerve tissue that connect the left + right sides of the spinal cord, allowing info to pass between the brain + the opposite side of the body

  = important for coordinating sensory, motor + cognitive functions

  
• Ganglion


  a collection of neuron cell bodies located oustide of the CNS

  ganglia act as relay stations between neurons, receiving info, exciting the neuron + then send it on

  made up of somata + dendritic structures that r bundled/connected together

  ganglia can connect w each other to form a plexus

  
• Plexus


  a branching network of nerves

  e.g. cervical plexus - a network of nerves in the neck that provides sensory + motor functions to the head, neck + shoulders

  
• Ramus


  ramus = a branch of a nerve

  the rami of a spinal nerve = dorsal ramus, ventral ramus = ramus communicans

  
• Tract


  tracts = bundles of nerve fibres/axons that connect the CNS + spinal cord