HEAL 1502 s4

• Association areas

  Where integration occurs and where memories are stored
• Premotor area

  • Anterior to the primary motor area
  • Organizes motor functions (muscle memory)
• Somatosensory association area

  • Posterior to the primary somatosensory area
  • Processes sensory information from the skin, muscles

  
• Visual association area

  • In the occipital lobe
  • Associates new visual information with stored visual memories (recognition)

  
• Auditory association area

  • In the temporal lobe
  • Associates new sounds with auditory memories

  
• Prefrontal area

  • In the frontal lobe
  • Reasoning, planning actions, critical thinking

  
• Wernicke's area

  • In the posterior part of the left temporal lobe
  • Understanding of both written and spoken words
• Broca's area

  • In the left frontal lobe
  • Directs the primary motor area to stimulate muscles for speaking and writing
• Central white matter

  Myelination occurs and white matter develops as a child grows
• Descending tracts from the primary motor area

  • Communicate with lower brain centers

  
• Ascending tracts from lower brain centers


  • Send sensory information up to the primary somatosensory area

  
• Tracts within the cerebrum

  • Take information to and from different sensory, motor, and association areas
• Corpus callosum


  • Contains tracts that join the two cerebral hemispheres
• Diencephalon

  Includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, pineal gland
• Thalamus


  • Receives all sensory input except the sense of smell
  • Sends it on to the appropriate areas of the cerebrum
• Hypothalamus


  • Regulates hunger, sleep, thirst, body temperature, and water balance
  • Controls the pituitary gland; serves as a link between the nervous and endocrine systems
• Pineal gland

  • Secretes the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate daily rhythms
• Cerebellum

  • Primarily composed of white matter in a treelike pattern called arbor vitae
  • Overlying the white matter is a thin layer of gray matter that forms complex folds
  • Maintains posture and balance
  • Produces smooth, coordinated, voluntary movements
• Midbrain

  • Relay station between the cerebrum and the spinal cord or cerebellum
  • Has reflex centers for visual, auditory, tactile
• Pons

  • Communicates with the cerebellum and the rest of the CNS
  • Together with the medulla oblongata, regulates breathing rate
  • Reflex centers coordinate head movements in response to visual and auditory stimuli

  
• Medulla oblongata

  • Contains reflex centers for regulating heartbeat, breathing, and vasoconstriction (blood pressure)
  • Contains reflex centers for vomiting, coughing, sneezing, hiccuping, and swallowing
  • Above the spinal cord; contains tracts that ascend or descend between the spinal cord and higher brain centers

  
• Reticular formation

  • Network of nuclei (masses of gray matter) and fibers that extends through the brain stem
  • Major component of the reticular activating system (RAS), which arouses the cerebrum and causes a person to be alert
  • Can filter out unnecessary sensory stimuli
  • Suppressed by general anesthetics
  • Severe injury can cause a coma
• Limbic system

  Part of the brain that integrates emotions with higher mental functions (reasoning, memory)

  
• Cingulate Gyrus

  • Expressing emotions through gesture (smile), involved in decision making
• Amygdala

  • Creates the sensation of fear
• Hippocampus

  • Plays a crucial role in learning and memory
• Short-term memory

  Stored in the prefrontal area
• Long-term memory

  Memorized facts
• Semantic memory

  Memorized numbers, words
• Episodic memory

  Memorized persons, events
• Skill memory

  Performing motor activities
• Long-term potentiation

  • After synapses have been used intensively, they release more neurotransmitters than before
  • May be involved in memory storage
• Left Hemisphere


  • Verbal, Logical, analytical, Rational
• Right Hemisphere


  • Nonverbal, visuospatial, Intuitive, Creative
• Somatic nervous system

  Nerves that go to the skin and muscles and is involved in conscious activities
• Autonomic nervous system

  Nerves that connect the CNS to the visceral organs and mediates unconscious activities

  
• Cranial nerves

  12 pairs of nerves attached to the brain

  
• Spinal nerves

  31 pairs of nerves that arise from the spinal cord
• Ganglia

  Collections of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS
• Peripheral nervous system

  Consists of somatic and autonomous systems