PSYC234 – Lecture 1

Gross Anatomy of the

Nervous System A

Prof. Stuart Johnstone

Reference: Kalat Ch. 3

 Learning Objectives

• Identify directional terms

• Understand the distinction between the central and
peripheral nervous systems
• Identify regions of the brain
• Describe functional significance of these regions
• Evaluate behavioural deficits following damage to
specific regions
bring sensory
information into
CNS

carry motor
commands away
from CNS
Peripheral NS
Neuron
• Nerve fibres outside brain & spinal cord

Somatic NS 1 2
• voluntary skeletal muscles and sensory receptors
• “the voluntary NS”
Autonomic NS
• visceral structures (heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles,
glands)
• “involuntary NS” eg heart beat, digestion, and
perspiration
Fight
or
flight
Divisions of the ANS (autonomic
nervous system)
• Sympathetic NS: mobilises bodily resources
• Physiological senses (e.g. muscles clench)
• People with anxiety disorders have this where their heart rates continues to
increase

• Parasympathetic NS: conserves bodily resources

• Needed to slow down your sympathetic NS
• where you heart rate slows

• Goal is homeostasis (state of balance)

Now, the BRAIN!
Dorsal – towards
backbone
(top/back)

Ventral – towards
stomach
(bottom/front)

Middle (inside) Towards the side

Outside (sides)

sideways front
dorsal lateral

middle
Anterior

Posterior
Anterior Dorsal

Posterior
Anterior Dorsal

Posterior Ventral
Anterior Dorsal Lateral

Posterior Ventral
Anterior Dorsal Lateral

Posterior Ventral Medial

Back and side
We have accidents!
Meninges
• Brain wrapped in 3 membranes
(the meninges) (meningitis >
often fatal)

• Dura mater
• Arachnoid mater
• Pia mater
Meninges Why all the protection?
• Brain wrapped in 3 membranes
(the meninges)
One reason = Concussion
• Dura mater
• Arachnoid mater
• Brain bounces against bone of
• Pia mater

skull

• Causes tearing or twisting of

structures and blood vessels

•  normal function interrupted

Ventricles
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• Cushions against shock
• Flows through central canal of spinal cord, ventricles & subarachnoid
space

• 4 cerebral ventricles (2 lateral + 3rd and 4th)

VentriclesPrimary purpose?
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

• protection
• Flows through central canal of spinal cord, ventricles & subarachnoid
space

• nourishment
• 4 cerebral ventricles (2 lateral + 3rd and 4th)

• removes waste
Ventricles (the blue tubes)
Ventricles CSF flow blocked?
 fluid builds
 whole brain expands
 Hydrocephalus (“water head”)
Treatment – drain excess fluid and
remove obstruction
Spinal Cord

• Base of brain to just below

waist

• Connects brain to rest of body

via PNS

• Sensory nerves: info from body

to brain via SC

• Motor nerves: info from brain

to body via SC
 Back

Front
 • SC has a segmented
Back
structure
• Upper segments control
upper parts of body
• Lower segments
controlling lower parts
•Front
If SC severed  a loss of
feeling and paralysis at all
levels below the injury
Reflex
Sensory
Sensory

Motor
Motor
Reflex
Sensory neurons also
communicate with brain
via ascending sensory Sensory
fibres of SC, but
interneurons cause
reflexive, pre-conscious
nature of reflex

Motor
Cranial Nerves
• Most peripheral nerves enter CNS through spinal cord (spinal nerves)

• Twelve pairs of nerves enter and exit brain directly, i.e. the cranial
nerves (does not go through the spinal cord)
 S = sensations
Cranial nerves

Number/name Sensory Motor

1. Olfactory Smell None
2. Optic Vision None
3. Oculomotor Eye muscle S Eye movements,
pupil constriction
4. Trochlear Eye muscle S Eye movements
5. Trigmenial Skin of face, nose, Chewing,
mouth S swallowing
6. Abducens Eye muscle S Eye mvmnts
 S = sensations

Cranial nerves
Number/name Sensory Motor
7. Facial Taste, face Facial expressions,
muscle S crying, salivation
8. Stratoacoustic Hearing, balance (No motor nerve)
9. Glossopharangeal Taste, throat S Swallowing,
salivation
10. Vagus Taste, neck, Parasymp nerves
abdomen S to heart & viscera
11. Accessory (No sensory Shoulders & head
nerve)
12. Hypoglossal Tongue S Tongue



 Hindbrain: Medulla (nape of the
neck)
• Comprised of ascending and
descending tracts
• Core nuclei = reticular
formation
• Controls vital reflexes
(breathing, salivation)
• Damage often fatal
• Effects of certain drugs (eg
opiates) on breathing & heart-
rate at level of medulla
• Pons: Fibre tract
 Cerebellum
• Critical for co-ordination of
fine motor skills such as
writing and typing

• Useful roadside test for

drunken driving…

Hold hand out to side of

head and smoothly bring
finger to rest on tip of nose
Midbrain

• Composed of tectum and

tegmentum

• Tectum: superior colliculi,

inferior colliculi

• Tegmentum: reticular
formation, red nucleus,
substantia nigra,
periaqueductal gray
 Midbrain
• Composed of tectum and
tegmentum
Tectum - primarily visual (superior
• Tectum: superior colliculi,
colliculi)/auditory (inferior colliculi)
inferior colliculi
function
• Tegmentum: reticular
Tegmentum
formation, red nucleus, - sensorimotor
functioning,
substantia nigra, but also arousal
periaqueductal gray
system and pain mediation
 Forebrain: Thalamus
• Relay station for all sensory information except smell
• Integrates information across senses

• Lateral Geniculate Nuclei: vision

• Medial Geniculate Nuclei: hearing
• Ventral posterior nuclei: touch
 Hypothalamus

• Just below the thalamus (hypo=below)

• Regulation of motivated behaviours

• Lesioning effects motivated behaviour

 Hypothalamus
How?
• Just below the thalamus (hypo=below)
Via direct control of pituitary gland
(master
• Regulation gland
of motivated of endocrine system)
behaviours

which
• Lesioning effectsis:
motivated behaviour

• suspended from hypothalamus

• releases hormones that control
hormone release by other glands
Limbic system

• Motivated and emotional behaviour

• Septal area: experience of pleasure
• Amygdala: learning and remembering emotionally significant events
(SUGAAA)
• Basal ganglia - control of movement (voluntary)
• Hippocampus - memory
Limbic system
• Motivated and emotional behaviour
• Septal area: experience of pleasure
• Amygdala: emotionallsignificant events
Key in the four “Fs” of
• Basal ganglia - control of movement
• Hippocampus - memory motivation:

i.e. fleeing, fighting, feeding

and… sexual behaviour