Basic Neurology Pdf
Karmen Mcarthun
The brain is the most complex part of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behavior. Lying in its bony shell and washed by protective fluid, the brain is the source of all the qualities that define our humanity. It is the crown jewel of the human body.
This fact sheet is a basic introduction to the human brain. It can help you understand how the healthy brain works, how to keep your brain healthy, and what happens when the brain doesn't work like it should.
The brain is like a group of experts. All the parts of the brain work together, but each part has its own special responsibilities. The brain can be divided into three basic units: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain.
The uppermost part of the brainstem is the midbrain, which controls some reflex actions and is part of the circuit involved in the control of eye movements and other voluntary movements. The forebrain is the largest and most highly developed part of the human brain: it consists primarily of the cerebrum and the structures hidden beneath it (see "The Inner Brain").
When people see pictures of the brain it is usually the cerebrum that they notice. The cerebrum sits at the topmost part of the brain and is the source of conscious thoughts and actions. It holds your memories and allows you to plan, imagine, and think. It allows you to recognize friends, read, and play games.
The cerebrum is split into two halves (hemispheres) by a deep fissure. The two cerebral hemispheres communicate with each other through a thick tract of nerve fibers that lies at the base of this fissure, called the corpus callosum. Although the two hemispheres seem to be mirror images of each other, they are different. For instance, the ability to form words seems to lie primarily in the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere seems to control many abstract reasoning skills.
For some as-yet-unknown reason, nearly all of the signals from the brain to the body and vice versa cross over on their way to and from the brain. This means that the right cerebral hemisphere primarily controls the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere primarily controls the right side. When one side of the brain is damaged, the opposite side of the body is affected. For example, a stroke in the right hemisphere of the brain can leave the left arm and leg paralyzed.
Coating the surface of the cerebrum and the cerebellum is a vital layer of tissue the thickness of a stack of two or three dimes. It is called the cortex, from the Latin word for bark. Most of the actual information processing in the brain takes place in the cerebral cortex. When people talk about "gray matter" in the brain, they are talking about the cortex. The cortex is gray because nerves in this area lack the insulation that makes most other parts of the brain appear to be white. The folds in the brain add to its surface area and therefore increase the amount of gray matter and the volume of information that can be processed.
Each cerebral hemisphere can be divided into sections, or lobes, each of which specializes in different functions. To understand each lobe and its specialty, we will take a tour of the cerebral hemispheres.
The two frontal lobes lie directly behind the forehead. When you plan a schedule, imagine the future, or use reasoned arguments, these two lobes do much of the work. One of the ways the frontal lobes seem to do these things is by acting as short-term storage sites, allowing one idea to be kept in mind while other ideas are considered.
The forward parts of these lobes, just behind the motor areas, is the somatosensory cortex. These areas receive information about temperature, taste, touch, and movement from the rest of the body.
As you look at the words and pictures on this page, two areas at the back of the brain are at work. These lobes, called the occipital lobes, process images from the eyes and link that information with images stored in memory. Damage to the occipital lobes can cause blindness.
The last lobes on our tour of the cerebral hemispheres are the temporal lobes, which lie in front of the visual areas and nest under the parietal and frontal lobes. Whether you appreciate symphonies or rock music, your brain responds through the activity of these lobes. At the top of each temporal lobe is an area responsible for receiving information from the ears. The underside of each temporal lobe plays a crucial role in forming and retrieving memories, including those associated with music. Other parts of this lobe integrate memories and sensations of taste, sound, sight, and touch.
Deep within the brain, hidden from view, lie structures that are the gatekeepers between the spinal cord and the cerebral hemispheres. These structures not only determine our emotional state, but they also modify our perceptions and responses and allow us to initiate movements that without thinking about them. Like the lobes in the cerebral hemispheres, the structures described below come in pairs: each is duplicated in the opposite half of the brain.
The hypothalamus, about the size of a pearl, directs a multitude of important functions. It wakes you up in the morning and gets the adrenaline flowing during a test or job interview. The hypothalamus is also an important emotional center, controlling the chemicals that make you feel exhilarated, angry, or unhappy. Near the hypothalamus lies the thalamus, a major clearinghouse for information going to and from the spinal cord and the cerebrum.
The brain and the rest of the nervous system are composed of many different types of cells, but the primary functional unit is a cell called the neuron. All sensations, movements, thoughts, memories, and feelings are the result of signals that pass through neurons. Neurons consist of three parts: the cell body, dendrites, and the axon.
The cell body contains the nucleus, where most of the molecules that the neuron needs to survive and function are manufactured. Dendrites extend out from the cell body like the branches of a tree and receive messages from other nerve cells. Signals then pass from the dendrites through the cell body and travel away from the cell body down an axon to another neuron, a muscle cell, or cells in some other organ.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that brain cells use to talk to each other. Some neurotransmitters make cells more active (called excitatory) while others block or dampen a cell's activity (called inhibitory).
The brain is one of the hardest working organs in the body. When the brain is healthy it functions quickly and automatically. But when problems occur, the results can be devastating. NINDS supports research on hundreds of neurological disorders. Knowing more about the brain can lead to the development of new treatments for diseases and disorders of the nervous system and improve many areas of human health.
Due to popular demand, Basic Neurology will also be running an MCQ course to help cement your neurology knowledge just before the RACP written exam. The course will focus on building foundational neurology knowledge, improving pattern recognition skills, and finally learning how to tackle tricky questions. Questions will be linked to important areas covered in the original Basic Neurology course that we will discuss and cover once again.
I rate the course 20/10!! Absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much! Not only has this helped me identify my gaps in my knowledge and fill them in, but also I felt it will make me a better registrar. I have never had such a fantastic teacher as Prashanth. He was fantastic at explaining, very engaging, approachable and above all excellent clinical examples that makes the theory more memorable.
Brilliant!! I both hate and never understood neurology for years and have been petrified of neurology in the exam. Now I both understand the material covered and feel the exam will be manageable. Loved your teaching style, I think you have a gift for holding our interest and highlighting what is relevent.
All attendees to virtual course will receive a colour textbook covering the course lectures and high yield material for the exams mailed to them prior to the course. Please register early, before 25th September 2024 to avoid mail delays. For bookings made after this date, course books will be mailed as soon as practicable.
Here is a selection of introductory mini-lectures (10 minutes or less) on basic neurology topics, along with case-based multiple choice questions with immediate feedback. This is designed for medical students or new neurology residents, and can be used as either an introduction or refresher.
Residents in this training pathway are mentored by program leadership Dr. Tim Lotze (Child Neurology Residency Program Director) and Dr. Hsiao-Tuan Chao (Child Neurology Residency Associate Program Director - Basic Neuroscience Pathway) and have opportunities to work under the mentorship of prominent scientists such as Drs. Huda Zoghbi, Hugo Bellen, Jeffrey Magee, Sameer Sheth, James Lupski, Josh Shulman, Tom Lloyd, Brendan Lee, and Paul Pfaffinger, to name a few. The collaborative mission of Baylor, Texas Children's, and other Texas Medical Center institutions allows our residents to explore neuroscience-related opportunities with faculty from other departments including Neuroscience, Molecular and Human Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Radiology, Pathology and Immunology, Hematology-Oncology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, and many others. In this way, a Basic Neuroscience resident has a tremendous number of options through which they can work with a mentor that meets their particular interests and career goals.
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