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Introduction: Background Material
Published in Nassir H. Sabah, Neuromuscular Fundamentals, 2020
As one proceeds upwards from the spinal cord in humans, the first major subdivision encountered is the brainstem, consisting of three structures: first, the medulla oblongata (or simply the medulla), then the pons, and finally the midbrain or mesencephalon (Figure 1.8). The medulla, which is a bulge that extends for about 2.5 cm above the spinal cord, includes some nuclei that transmit information from the periphery to other parts of the brain, as well as nuclei of origin of some the peripheral nerves emanating from the brainstem. It plays a critical role in autonomic function, as it contains centers for controlling respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure as well as the reflex centers for vomiting, coughing, sneezing, and swallowing. The pons is a more prominent bulge that extends for about 2.5 cm above the medulla. The pons contains nuclei that relay signals from the cerebral hemispheres to the cerebellum, as well as nuclei involved in taste, hearing, sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, eye movement, facial expressions and sensation, equilibrium, and posture. Above the pons is the midbrain which contains nuclei involved in hearing, vision, sleep/wake cycle, arousal, motor control, and temperature regulation.
Central nervous system
Published in A Stewart Whitley, Jan Dodgeon, Angela Meadows, Jane Cullingworth, Ken Holmes, Marcus Jackson, Graham Hoadley, Randeep Kumar Kulshrestha, Clark’s Procedures in Diagnostic Imaging: A System-Based Approach, 2020
A Stewart Whitley, Jan Dodgeon, Angela Meadows, Jane Cullingworth, Ken Holmes, Marcus Jackson, Graham Hoadley, Randeep Kumar Kulshrestha
The brain is supplied with blood from two sources. The bilateral internal carotid arteries arise from the bifurcation of the common carotid arteries in the neck and branch off to form the left and right anterior and middle cerebral arteries, which supply the forebrain. The vertebral arteries arise from the subclavian arteries and come together at the level of the pons to form the midline basilar artery. The posterior cerebral, basilar and vertebral arteries supply the posterior circulation of the brain, comprising posterior cortex, the midbrain and the brainstem. Cerebellum is also supplied by dorsolateral arteries such as the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and superior cerebellar artery. An arterial ring called the circle of Willis connects the anterior and posterior cerebral circulation; thus, in the event of loss of blood supply to one area of the brain, it may be possible for blood to be supplied via a different arterial route.
Neuroimaging
Published in Sarah McWilliams, Practical Radiological Anatomy, 2011
o The basilar artery runs up anterior to the pons in the prepontine cistern; it gives rise to the anterior inferior cerebellar artery or AICA near the IAM (internal audi- tary meatus), the superior cerebellar arteries, and then terminates in the posterior cerebral arteries which run back posteriorly to supply the occipital lobes and ocular cortex (Fig. 1.30).
Coup-contrecoup brain injury: fluid–structure interaction simulations
Published in International Journal of Crashworthiness, 2020
The brain can be structurally divided into the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain–stem. The cerebrum is divided into two roughly equal hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum and a shared ventricular system. The brainstem is further divided into the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fills a system of cavities at the center of the brain, known as ventricles, and the subarachnoid space surrounding the brain and spinal cord (Figure 2). The CSF cushions the brain within the skull and serves as a shock absorber for the central nervous system [4].