Lecture 2 from a college level neuropharmacology course taught in the spring 2012 semester by Brian J. Piper, Ph.D. (psy391@gmail.com) at Willamette University. Includes major areas of the central nervous system, anatomical terminology, brain imaging techniques

1. Brain I: Neuroanatomy
Brian J. Piper, Ph.D.

2. Goals
• Major Brain Areas
• Neuroimaging

3. Spinal Cord
• Divided into regions:
– Cervical
– Lumbar
• Function
– Motor
– Sensation

4. Brainstem
The Medulla is the base
of the brainstem that
controls heartbeat and
breathing.
Example: SIDS

7. Beneath Skull
• Dura: thick/tough layer
• Arachnoid: contains blood vessels
• Pia: thin layer

8. ______ lobe

9. Match Color

10. Sensory Areas

11. 2.2
Description of 3-Dimensional Space
• Coronal:
– section from ear to ear, like a loaf of bread
– most commonly used for animal research
• Sagital:
– section from front to back
– mid-sagital shows brain with left and right
cortex separated
• Axial:
– section that parallels horizon
– Common for showing humans

12. Different Planes

13. Anatomical Terminology

14. Functions of Different Cortical Areas
• Frontal: cognition, executive function
• Temporal: hearing
• Occipital: vision
• Parietal: integration of sensory information
Dorsal
Posterior Anterior
Ventral

15. Corpus Callosum
• Fibers that connect left and right cortex
Fornix

16. Cingulate Gyrus
• Tissue surrounding corpus collosum
– Anterior
– Posterior

17. Cerebellum
(a mid-saggital)
• Located below the
CC
occipital cortex
• Important for motor
function
BS
• Site of action of alcohol

18. Cerebellum
• Located below the
occipital cortex
CC • Important for motor
function
BS • Site of action of alcohol

19. Thalamus
• Located in the center of
the brain
• Major relay
center, information
from spinal cord goes to
thalamus, thalamus has
many connections to
the cortex

20. Hippocampus
• Bilateral structure
• Hippocampus is greek
for seahorse
• Essential for memory,
especially spatial
memory
• Effected by long term
alcohol exposure
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Synaptic/info/pathway/hippocampal.htm

21. 1.2 Hippocampus: Coronal
cc
Box a contains hippocampus:
CA = cornu ammonis
DG = dentate gyrus
CC = corupus collosum

22. Amygdala
The Amygdala consists of
two lima bean-sized neural
clusters linked to the
emotions of fear and anger.

23. Brain Areas Important for
Hormone Control
Rene Descartes
• Pineal Gland
– Very small subcortical structure
– Releases the hormone melatonin
• Hypothalmus
– Hypo = “below” therefore located
under thalamus
– Regulates activity of Pituitary
– Pituitary communicates with
other endocrine glands (e.g.
testes)
– Important for steroids

24. Ventricles: Contain CSF
Abnormal Ventricles

25. http://www.omsi.edu/visit/life/aging/brainText.cfm

26. Hypothalamus
• Paraventriclar Nucleus: stress response
• Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN): circadian
rhythms
• Mammillary body: #5

27. Neuroanatomy Video (1.5 min)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li5nMsXg
1Lk

28. Animal
Research
=
?
Very helpful, but ….

29. Hippocampus Comparison

30. More brains
rat & dog

31. (Thalamus

32. C
A
B
D
E
L
K H F
G
J I

33. and sheep brain

34. Cranial Nerves
• I. Olfactory: smell (S)
• II. Optic: vision (S)
• III. Oculomotor: pupil construction (M)
• IV. Trochlear: eye movement (M)
• V. Trigeminal: face & teeth (S), jaw (M)
• X. Vagus: heart (SM), autonomic nervous system

35. Brain Imaging
• Can provide information about anatomy (structure) or
physiology (function)
• Imaging procedures differ in their:
– Spatial resolution: the ability to differentiate nearby brain
regions
– Temporal resolution: the ability to differentiate brain
activity at different times
For more about brain imaging and drug abuse goto:
http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol11N5/Basics.html

36. Electroencephalography (EEG)
1873-1941
• Developed by Hans
Berger in 1929
• Electrodes are placed
on the surface of the
skull
• Electrical activity from
the cortex is recorded
Time

37. 1.7
Computed Tomagraphy (EMI scan, axial)
Gr: tomos (slice) & graphein (to write).
• Developed in the 1970’s
• X-ray beams are passed
through the head
• A 2 or even 3-
dimensional structural
map is created
For more information about CT, goto:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computed_axial_tomography

38. Positron Emission Tomography (PET,
another axial)
• Radioactive material is
1.7
injected into the blood
• Scanner records the
radioactivity (positron) in
different parts of the brain
• Provides information about
function
• Very useful for research
For more detailed information about PET, goto:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography

39. Figure 2. Brain Glucose Metabolic Images Showing Axial Planes at the Level of the
Orbitofrontal Cortex
Volkow, N. D. et al. JAMA 2011;305:808-813
Copyright restrictions may apply.

40. Functional Magnetic Resonance
2.2
Imaging (fMRI)
• A cylindrical magnet
creates a magnetic field
• A sensor records blood
flow and brain
activation
• Can also be used for
just structure
• White matter
• Gray matter
• Ventricle

41. Comparison of Imaging Techniques
4.7
Measures
Procedure Brain:
Advantage Disadvantage
Function Excellent temporal Measures only from brain
EEG resolution (msec) surface
CT Structure Found in many Some radiation exposure
hospitals
Function Wide variety of Poor temporal resolution (min),
PET Poor spatial resolution (cm)
uses
Radiation
fMRI Function Good temporal Patient cannot have
resolution (sec), metal implants
Good spatial
resolution (0.5cm)

42. The Brain
Techniques to Study the Brain
A brain lesion
experimentally
destroys brain tissue to
study animal behaviors
after such destruction.
Hubel (1990)

43. What plane?
Sarah Tappon, 8/5/2009

44. Sarah Tappon, 8/5/2009

45. What is the impact of …?

46. Example Brain Research
• Brain Development: Healthy, Hyperactive & Childhood
Schizophrenia
• http://videocast.nih.gov/launch.asp?15762
• Juddith Rappaport, M.D.
• 2:40 up 37:50
• Jargon
– Myelination: formation of white matter (myelin)
– Intramural: part of the National Institutes of Health in DC
– Prospectively: to follow forward in time
– Apolipoprotein E: gene that is associated with Alzheimer’s
Disease
– Heritability: extent that a trait is due to genetic factors in a
sample