NEUROSCIENCE
PT SEM
GROSS ANATOMY OF THE BRAIN
Professor: Noel R. San Antonio PTRP, MSCPD, DPT
References: Snell, Fitzgerald, and Waxman
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
 In the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord are the
main centers where correlation and integration of nervous
information occur.
 Both brain and spinal cord are covered with a system of
membranes called cranial meninges.
DURA MATER
 Is also called the pachymeninx
 Tough outermost layer of the connective tissue coverings of the
brain called the cranial meninges.
 Is firmly attached to the inside of the skull
 Is supplied by branches of the middle meningeal artery
Meningeal artery
- Embedded in the endosteum of the skull
- Main function is to supply diploe (bone marrow)
- The largest is the middle meningeal artery, which ramifies
over the inner surface of the temporal and parietal bones
- Tearing of this artery is the usual source of extradural
hematoma
 Fused with endosteum (inner periosteum) of the skull, except
where it is reflected into the anterior of the vault or is stretched
along the skull base
 Wherever it separates from the periosteum, the intervening space
contains dural venous sinuses
Dural venous sinuses
- located between two dural layers periosteal and meningeal
 Fibrous sheath the extends from the foramen magnum to the level
of the second sacral vertebra, where it ends as a blind sac
 The dura of the spinal cord is continuous with the cranial dura
 Its outer layer constitutes the periosteum of the inside of the
skull so there is no epidural space in the cranium
Epidural Space
- also known as extradural space
- separates the dura from the boney vertebral column
- contains loose areolar tissue and a venous plexus
Subdural Space
- a narrow space between the dura and the underlying ground
 Its inner layer gives rise to partitions called dural reflections
Dural Reflections
- create two major compartments in the cranial cavity
- places where two face-to-face meningeal layers descend
into the cranial cavity to form the septa that
compartmentalize the brain
Two Main Dural Reflections
 also known as the two great dural folds
 extend into the cranial cavity
 help stabilize the brain
Ashley Franceska D. Cansanay
S2A
22-23 01
Falx cerebri
- Separates the two cerebral hemispheres
- Extends like a curtain down into the longitudinal fissure between the
cerebral hemispheres
- Attaches to the inner surface of the skull in midplane
- Its attached border extends from the crista galli (of the ethmoid bone)
to the internal occipital protuberance where it’s continuous with the
upper surface of the tentorium cerebelli.
- Along the vault of the skull, it encloses the superior sagittal sinus.
- Its free border contains the inferior sagittal sinus that unites with the
great cerebral vein of Galen to form the straight sinus.
- The straight sinus travels along the line of attachment of the falx
cerebri to tentorium cerebelli and meets the superior sagittal sinus at
the confluence of the sinuses.
Tentorium cerebelli
- Separates its contents, the cerebellum and brainstem, from the
occipital lobes and temporal lobes of the cerebrum
- Arches like a tent/roof over the posterior cranial fossa
- Is lifted by the falx cerebri in the midline
- Divides the cranial cavity into:
o Supratentorial compartment – containing the cerebrum
(forebrain)
o Infratentorial compartment – containing the cerebellum
and brainstem (hindbrain)
 When the dura mater is reflected it reveals the leptomeninges
Leptomeninges
- arachnoid and pia
- is revealed when dura mater is reflected
- the arachnoid is attached to the pia by arachnoid
trabeculae.
- the space between the arachnoid and pia is the
subarachnoid space.
Subarachnoid space
- contains CSF which is reabsorbed into the systemic
circulation thru arachnoid villi which project into the
superior sagittal sinus
- cerebral arteries and veins run on the surface of the pia mater
on the floor of the subarachnoid space
CEREBRUM
 The surface of the cerebrum has gyri separated by sulci
(grooves).
Cerebrum’s five lobes
1. Frontal
2. Parietal
1
 3. Temporal
4. Occipital
5. Insular

The central sulcus separates the frontal and parietal lobes

(Note the two vertical gyri, pre- and post-central).

The lateral sulcus separates the frontal & parietal lobes from the temporal
lobe

Central sulcus
 Separates the frontal and parietal lobes

Lateral sulcus
 Separates the frontal and parietal lobes from the temporal lobe

Ashley Franceska D. Cansanay

2
 The central sulcus and parieto-occipital sulcus are used to delineate lobes on
the medial aspect of the hemisphere.

The brainstem (midbrain, pons, medulla) and cerebellum occupy the

posterior cranial fossa.

Ashley Franceska D. Cansanay

3
 Flocculus
 Hemispheric portion of the flocculonodular lobe of the
cerebellum.

Cerebral peduncles
 Connect the cerebellum to the three divisions of the brainstem
 Carry major tracts into and out of the cerebellum

Cerebellum is connected to the by the

Midbrain Superior cerebellar peduncles
Pons Middle cerebellar peduncles
Medulla Inferior cerebellar peduncles

Ashley Franceska D. Cansanay

4
Ventral (Inferior) aspect of the brain
 All cranial nerves exit from the ventral aspect of the brain, except
the trochlear nerve.

Telencephalon I
Diencephalon II
From the brainstem:
Mesencephalon III, IV
Metencephalon V
Myelencephalon VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII

Ashley Franceska D. Cansanay

5