WithExampleExamQuestions

NeurocognitionLectures WithExampleExamQuestions September-October2024 ClinicalNeuropsychology LeidenUniversity 1 / 4

Lecture1→Development ●Brainstructure&anatomy ○Neuronanatomy ■Cellbody ■Axon ■Axonhillock ■Dendrites ■Synapse ■Synapticcleft ●Pre& postsynapticside ●Vesicles& receptors ■Myelinsheath ■NodesofRanvier ○Neurontypes ■Categorizedbyshape andfunction ■Sensory(afferent) ■Interneurons(stellate,pyramidal,purkinje) ■Motor(efferent) ○Actionpotentials ■Thresholded,nondecremental,all-or-nothingresponse ■Triggeredbysummationofexcitatorypotentials ■Drivenbyvaryingpermeabilityofcellmembrane ■Propagatesalonganaxon,cantravelfor1mormore ■Triggersneurotransmitterreleaseataxonterminal ○Synapse ■Actionpotentialleadstoneurotransmitterreleaseinsynapticcleft ■Someneuronscanreleasemorethanoneneurotransmitterdependingon frequencyofstimulation ●Acetylcholine 2 / 4

●Dopamine ●Norepinephrine ●Serotonin ●Glutamate ●Gamma-aminobutyricacid(GABA) ■Receptorsinthepostsynapticmembranecanadapttooverorunderuse ■Distributionofsynapsesconnectingtoacellinfluencesitsexcitability ○Glialcells ■Astrocytes→bloodbrainbarrier,structuralsupport ■Oligodendrocytes→myelinforCNSneurons ■Microglialcells→fightsinfections,wastedisposal ■Ependymalcells→ventricularsurfaceepithelium,createscerebrospinal fluid ■Schwanncells→myelinforperipheralneurons ○Corticalcelllayers ■Differenttypesofneuronsareoftenorganizedinlayers ■Sensory(input),interneurons(relay)andmotor(output)neuronsare grouped ■Layersdifferpercorticalarea(dependentonfunction) ■Eachlayerhasaspecificfunctionandareinterconnected(6layers) ■Inputlayersfromthalamus,cortex,brainstem ■Outputlayerstothalamus,cortex,brainstem,spinalcord ○Whitemattertracts ■Bundlesofmyelinatedaxons ■ConnectneuronsthroughoutCNS&PNS ■Associationfibers→connectareaswithinahemisphere ■Commissuralfibers→connectareasbetweenhemispheres ■Projectionfibers→connectoutwardtosubcorticalareas,cerebellum, spinalcord ○MajorcomponentsoftheCNS ■Telencephalon→forebrain, hemispheres,corpuscallosum, subcorticaldeepstructure ●Subcortical ○Basalganglia ○Limbicstructures ●Cortical ○Frontallobe ○Occipitallobe ○Temporallobe ○Parietallobe ■Diencephalon→thalamic structures 3 / 4

●Thalamus,hypothalamus,pituitarygland ●Relaystation,manysubnuclei ■Mesencephalon(midbrain)→topofbrainstem,sensory&motorrelay nuclei ●Superior&inferiorcolliculi→sensoryprocessing ●Substantianigra→movementinitiation ●OriginofcranialnervesII-IV ■Metencephalon(hindbrain)→pons,cerebellum,medullaoblongata ●Medullaoblongata→vitalreflexes,damageisoftenfatal ●Pons→crossoverformanyfibersinsensory&motorcontrol ●Cerebellum→automatedmovement,timing,sensorimotor coupling,attentionshifting ●OriginofcranialnervesV-XII ■Spinalcord ○Basalganglia ■Caudatenucleus ■Putamen ■Globuspallidus ■Subthalamicnucleus ■Substantianigra ■Circuits ●Motor→organizingvoluntarymovementthroughexcitatory& inhibitorypathways ●Associative→contributestolearning,predictiveprocessing, sequencing ●Reward→pleasureresponses&motivation ○Limbicsystem ■Cingulate(partofcortex) ■Hippocampus ■Hypothalamus ■Amygdala

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