Neuroanatomy - DocNeuro

Contralateral definition

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 17:41:04 +0000

Contralateral: adjective; on the opposite side of. Used in descriptions of how two anatomical or pathological structures are related. Examples: 1. “a lesion of the motor cortex produces contralateral weakness” means that an injury to the part of the cerebral cortex that controls movement produces weakness in the muscles of the body on the opposite side of the injury (eg. injury […]

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Ipsilateral definition

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 17:35:59 +0000

Ipsilateral: adjective; on the same side of. Used in descriptions of how two anatomical or pathological structures are related. Examples: 1. “a lesion of the facial nerve produces ipsilateral facial weakness” means that an injury to the facial nerve produces weakness in the muscles of the face on the same side as the injury. 2. “the dorsal columns carry […]

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Facial nerve palsy

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 17:20:50 +0000

It is important to be able to distinguish central from peripheral causes of facial paralysis. Facial paralysis is caused by lesions in the pathway starting in the motor cortex and ending in the facial nerve (cranial nerve 7). The pathway is shown in the figure below. Motor cortex sends fibers to the 7th nerve nucleus […]

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High-yield Neuro Topics

Naoum Issa, MD, PhD — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:33:00 +0000

These are topics that are often covered and tested in early medical neurobiology courses. They require an understanding of specific neuro-anatomical and systems concepts, while at the same time have clinical relevance. Bell’s Palsy – a common disorder that has different manifestation depending on whether the lesion is central or peripheral. Requires knowledge of the […]

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Introduction To Neurobiology

Naoum Issa, MD, PhD — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:31:10 +0000

The study of neurobiology covers a wide range of topics and disciplines, from neuroanatomy, to biophysics and electrophysiology, and systems biology. Each discipline has its own practices, but they combine to provide a basic description of the beautiful workings of the nervous system. The nervous system controls almost every aspect of our body’s responses to […]

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Ventral Thalamus – The Thalamic Reticular Nucleus

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:00:28 +0000

The TRN sits like a shield covering the ventral surface the thalamus and projects locally to the other nuclei of the thalamus. The TRN receives input from both the cortex and brainstem that are thought to control states of consciousness. Because the TRN has exclusively inhibitory outputs (GABA) onto the dorsal thalamic nuclei, it is […]

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Higher Order Relay Nuclear Groups in the Dorsal Thalamus

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:59:42 +0000

The thalamus is not just a relay for primary inputs, it also relays information between cortical areas. Inputs from a particular system project to specific thalamic association nuclei. For example, visual cortical areas project to the pulvinar nucleus. Recordings in the pulvinar have found individual neurons with receptive fields as complex as any visual cortical […]

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Primary Relay Nuclear Groups in the Dorsal Thalamus

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:59:12 +0000

Sensory information enters the cerebrum through the primary relay nuclei of the dorsal thalamus. For example, retinal ganglion cells synapse in the dLGN (dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus). Similarly, inputs from the somatosensory system synapse in VPM and VPL (inputs from the head synapse in the ventral posteriomedial nucleus, while inputs from the body synapse in […]

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Olfactory Bulb

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:54:27 +0000

The olfactory bulb sits on top of the cribiform plate and receives input from the olfactory receptor neurons in the nose. It is the first stage of olfactory processing, and the outputs of the bulb project directly to cortex – without going through a thalamic intermediate. Because the olfactory system is a phylogenetically ancient system, […]

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Basal Ganglia

Naoum P. Issa MD PhD — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:52:07 +0000

Basal ganglia have been traditionally considered part of the motor system, modulating movement and, when pathological, producing disorders like Parkinson’s disease. In the last two decades the role of several nuclei in addiction and motivation has been heavily studied. The nuclei that make up the basal ganglia include: putamen, caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, globus pallidus […]

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