AslongasyouunderstandthegeneralfunctionandlocationyouaregoingtodofineMidBrain

Activation.Thecerebellumisconnectedtothebrainstem.Thespacebetweentheduraandthe
arachnoidisknownasthesubduralspace.Manycollateralsentertherednucleusandotherfibersare
saidtoruntothesuperiorcolliculus.Drawingofthedifferentcorticessulciandgyriandmidsagittal
drawingemphasizesthelimbiclobe.Themedullaoblongatajoinsthespinalcordattheforamen
magnum.Themedullaislocateddirectlyabovethespinalcordandcontrolsmanyvitalautonomic
functionssuchasheartratebreathingandbloodpressure.Landmarkstructuresincludetheheadofthe
caudatenucleustheanteriorlimboftheinternalcapsuletheglobuspallidusandputamen.The
hippocampusisalsolocatedinthetemporallobewhichiswhythisportionofthebrainisalsoheavily
associatedwiththeformationofmemories.Fordescriptivepurposeseachcerebralhemispherecanbe
dividedintosixlobes.
Thesenervefibersarehighlydevelopedandabletoanalyzebothmotorandsensoryinformation.The
Midbraincontainsanumberofstructuresincludingthesuperiorcolliculiwhichisinvolvedinvision
theinferiorcolliculiwhichareinvolvedinhearingandthegreymatterrednucleussubstantianigra
andventralregionwhichareallimportantforthecontrolofmovement.Thefibersofthemedial
lemniscustakeorigininthegracileandcuneatenucleiofthemedullaoblongataandasinternal
arcuatefiberstheycrosstotheoppositesideinthesensorydecussationMidBrainActivation.Many
fiberseitherterminateinorsendoffcollateralstothegraymatterofthemedullatheponsandthe
midbrain.Itcoordinatessubconsciousmovementssuchasbalanceandcoordinatedmovement.These
nucleiareimportantinthecontrolofmovement.Theinterbrainlocatedatthecentreofthecerebrum
linksandconsolidatesthefunctionsofeachpartofthebrain.Thecorporaquadrigeminaarearranged
inpairsandareseparatedfromoneanotherbyacrucialsulcus.Thefrontallobeistheportionwhichis
rostraltothecentralsulcusandabovethelateralfissureanditoccupiestheanterioronethirdofthe
hemispheres.Insomecasesadevicecanbeplacedinthebraintostimulatetheareasrelatedto
movementandhelpcontrolsymptomsbutthisisusuallyonlyrecommendedforpatientswhodont
respondtomedications.
MesencephaloniscontinuouswiththediencephalonrostrallyandwiththeponscaudallyMidBrain
ActivationForAdults.Thegreatbulkofthefibershoweverentertheventrolateralportionofthe
thalamusgiveoffcollateralstotheposteriorsemilunarnucleusandthenterminateintheprincipal
sensorynucleusofthethalamus.Itreceivesmanyterminalsandcollateralsfromthesuperior
cerebellarpedunclealsocollateralsfromtheventrallongitudinalbundlefromGuddensbundleandthe
medianlemniscus.Thetemporopontinefibersarelateraltothecerebrospinalfiberstheyoriginatein
thetemporallobeandendinthenucleipontis.Itsthecenterforvomitingcoughingandhiccupping.
ThetopoftheMidbrainiscalledthetectumortectalareaMidBrainActivationForAdults.These
fibersfromthesuperiorcolliculusprobablypassintotheventrallongitudinalbundle.TheMidbrain
isthesmallestregionofthebrainthatactsasasortofrelaystationforauditoryandvisual
information.Thebasalgangliaworksalongwiththemotorareasofthecortexandcerebellumfor
planningandcoordinatingcertainvoluntarymovements.Thecerebellumisinvolvedinmovementand
coordinationwalkingposturereflexeseyeandheadmovement.
Thickermediallythanlaterallyitreachesfromtheoculomotorsulcustothelateralsulcusandextends
fromtheuppersurfaceoftheponstothesubthalamicregionitsmedialpartistraversedbythefibers
oftheoculomotornerveasthesestreamforwardtoreachtheoculomotorsulcus.Deficitsinthisarea
havebeenlinkedwithHuntingdonsdiseaseandParkinsonsdisease.Theventriclesconnectwitheach
otherandproducecerebrospinalfluidwhichisaclearshockabsorbingliquidthatisconstantly
moving.Thediencephalonconsistsofacomplexcollectionofnucleilyingsymmetricallyoneither
sideofthemidlineMidBrainActivation.Stilldeeperisthestratumopticumcontaininglarge
multipolarnervecellsseparatedbynumerousfinenervefibers.Thetectumisthedorsalorroofpartof
theMidbrainandcontrolsvisualandauditoryreflexes.ThebaseoftheMidbrainconsistsofthe
cerebralpedunclewhichcontainnervefibersdescendingfromthecerebralcortexMidBrain
ActivationForAdults.CNIVisthetrochlearnerve.Thebrainandthespinalcordariseinearly
developmentfromtheneuraltubewhichexpandsinthefrontoftheembryotoformthethreeprimary

braindivisions:theprosencephalonmesencephalonandrhombencephalon.Inthisspacethereisa
clearliquidknownastheCSF.
Thespinalcordisanelongatedcylindricalstructurelyingwithinthevertebralcanalwhichincludes
thecentralcanalandthesurroundinggraymatter.Theforebrainconsistsoftwoalmostsymmetrical
cerebralhemispheresmadeupofthecerebralcortexthebasalgangliaandthelimbicsystem.Inother
wordsIamattemptingtosimplifyaREALLYcomplexscience.Theforebraindealswithhomeostasis
emotionsandconsciousactions.TheinferiorparietalgyruswhichisknownasWernickesareaisalso
importantforlanguageandreadingskillswhereasthesuperiorparietalgyrusisconcernedwithbody
imageandspatialorientations.TheCerebrum:Thecerebrumorcortexisthelargestpartofthehuman
brainassociatedwithhigherbrainfunctionsuchasthoughtandaction.CoronalSectionthroughthe
MidbrainDiencephalonJunction.Thisisbecausewemoveourhandsandlipsallthetimeandboth
areverysensitive.Thelimbicsystemalsoscreensallsensorymessagestothecerebralcortex
MidBrainActivation.Therearethreestructuresyoushouldknowinthehindbrain.
Additionallyfacialparalysisduetoapyramidallesionwillnotpermitvoluntarycontrolofthe
musclesbuttheseparalyzedmuscleswillrespondtoemotionalexpression.Theaxonsofitslarger
cellscrossthemiddlelineandarecontinueddownwardintothelateralfuniculusofthemedulla
spinalisastherubrospinaltractthoseofitssmallercellsendmainlyinthethalamus.Thesuperior
colliculusreceivesinputfromtheretinaandthevisualcortexandparticipatesinavarietyofvisual
reflexesparticularlythetrackingofobjectsinthevisualfield.Therearesubcorticalareasinthe
telencephalonlikethebasalgangliaandtheamygdaloidnucleuscomplex.Becausethenucleiofthe
vagusnervearefoundinthemedullaitisacenterforcirculationandrespiration.Manyofthesignals
ourbrainreceivesfromoursensesareregisteredinthecerebralcortex.Theinteriorofthebrain
consistsofmyelinatedneuronsthatarereferredtoaswhitematter.Midbrainstrokestypicallyaffect
anindividualsmotorandsensoryfunctionsincludingspeechvisionbodymovementandsensation.
Theoccipitallobeisthemostcaudalpartofthebrainliesonthetentoriumcerebelliandiscomprised
ofseveralirregularlateralgyri.Onthelateralsurfaceofthecerebralhemispheretherearetwomajor
deepgroovessulcithelateralfissureandthecentralsulcithesesulciprovidelandmarksfor
topographicalorientationMidBrainActivationForAdults.
Portionsofthefrontalparietalandtemporallobeswhichareadjacenttothelateralsulcusandoverlie
theinsularcortexareknownastheoperculum.Themajorbrainstructuresandcentralnervoussystem
structuresaredescribedbelow.Itconsistsoffibersfromtheterminalnucleiofthecochleardivisionof
theacousticnervetogetherwithothersfromthesuperiorolivaryandtrapezoidnuclei.
TemporalSpeechbehaviormemoryhearingvisionsmellandemotions.OlfactoryNerveIisthe
sensorynerveforthesenseofsmellOpticNerveIIisthesensorynerveforthereceiptofprimary
visualstimuliOculomotorNerveIIIinnervates4ofthe6musclesinvolvedineyemovementis
responsibleforelevatingtheuppereyelidandinvolvedwithpupillaryconstrictionTrochlearNerveIV
isresponsiblefordownwardandinwardeyemovementTrigeminalNerveVisamixednervewhichis
involvedinsensationsofpaintemperatureandlighttouchoftheentirefacescalpnoseandmouthand
whichinnervatesthemusclesofmasticationAbducensNerveVIisresponsibleforrotatingtheeye
laterallyFacialNerveVIIisamixednervewhich:Innervatesthemusclesoffacialexpressionandis
responsibleforclosingtheeyessmilingwhistlingshowingtheteethwrinklingthenoseandbrowand
grimacingControlstearingandsalivationMediatestastetotheanteriortwothirdsofthetongue
MediatessensationfromtheskinliningtotheexternalauditorymeatusAcousticNerveVIIIis
involvedinthesenseofhearingbalanceandorientationinspaceGlossopharyngealNerveIXisa
mixednervewhichinnervatesthepharynxtastereceptorsonthetongueparotidglandandbackofthe
earVagusNerveXisamixednervewhichinnervatesthesoftpalatepharynxlarynxthoracicand
abdominalorgansincludingtheheartlungsandvisceraandexternalauditorymeatus.Oftheefferent
fiberssomecrossthemiddlelinetotheoppositecolliculusmanyascendthroughthesuperior
brachiumandfinallyreachthecortexoftheoccipitallobeofthecerebrumwhileothersafter
undergoingdecussationformthetectospinalfasciculuswhichdescendsthroughtheformatio
reticularisoftheMidbrainponsandmedullaoblongataintothemedullaspinaliswhereitisfound

partlyintheanteriorfuniculusandpartlyintermingledwiththefibersoftherubrospinaltract.What
doesthatmean?Sensoryinformationisanythingyoufeelusingoneofyourfivebasicsenses.The
medullathemostprimitivebrainstructurecontrolsourdigestiverespiratoryandcirculatorysystems.
ThethirdandfourthcranialnervesoriginateintheMidbrain.Therighthemisphereisconcernedwith
sensoryinputauditoryandvisualawarenesscreativeabilitiesandspatialtemporalawarenessthatis
whatishappeningaroundusmomentbymoment.