NEUROLOGY: BRAIN STEM AND FOREBRAINBrought to you by Kelly Nguyen, Cindy Hoang, Courtney Boutwell, and Haley Johnson

What is neurology?

The scientific study of the nervous system

What is the brain stem?

The area of the hind brain and midbrain make up the brain stemThe blue and red

regions of the picture

Regions of the brain stem

The Regions of the Hindbrain

Hindbrain is the regions at the base of the brain and connect to the spinal cord.Pons – helps direct the right and left sides of

the body.Cerebellum – Manage movements, balance,

and posture.Medulla – Controls breathing, heartbeat, and

other vital functions.

What are the functions of the hindbrain?The sensory and motor

pathways pass through the hindbrain to the brain.

The medulla controls a number of vital reflexes such as swallowing, coughing, vomiting, and sneezing.

The cerebellum is involved in skills such as typing, writing, or gracefully backhanding a tennis ball.

An important relay station that centers important to the processing of auditory

and visual information.

What are the functions of the midbrain?

The midbrain controls auditory sensations in your ears, helping you orient toward the direction of a sound.

It also helps process visual information, including eye movements and locating objects and tracking their movements

The forebrain is often known as the cerebrum, and it represents about 90% of the brain. ◦ The yellow and

green of the picture

The Cerebral Cortex

The region is divided into two cerebral hemispheres connected by a thick bundle of axons called corpus callosum.

Each hemisphere can be divided into four lobes: the temporal, occipital, parietal, and frontal lobes.

Functions of different lobes

Temporal lobe receives auditory information.

Occipital lobe, which located at the back of the brain, receives visual information.

Parietal lobe is involved in processing bodily information, such as temperature, touch, and pressure.

The largest lobe of the cerebral cortex is the frontal lobe which involved in planning, initiating, and executing voluntary movements.

Borders around the brain stem and are involved in emotion,

motivation, learning, and memory.

Limbic System Structures

Hippocampus- a wishbone-shaped structure involved in forming new memories.

Thalamus- processes and integrates information from all the senses, except smell, and relays information to appropriate higher brain centers.

Limbic System Structures (cont)

Hypothalamus- a peanut-sized structure that maintains homeostasis, links endocrine system to brain, and regulates eating, drinking, sexual

activity, and sleep.Amygdala- almond-

shaped structure that involved in emotion and memory.