BRAIN STEM

The brain stem is the vital part of central nervous system and serves several important
Functions.

 Regulations of basic bodily function

 Relay centre (nerve fibres passing through the brain stem, transmit signal to and
from various regions of the body

 Cranial nerve control

 Sleep and consciousness regulation – specific regions within the brain stem are
involved in regulating sleep and brain fullness; helps control the level of arousal and
consciousness

 Motor Coordination – coordination of voluntary and involuntary movements,

balance and posture

 Reflexes – coordinating of certain reflex actions, such as the startle reflex, coughing,
sneezing and swallowing
CRANIAL NERVES

Cranial nerves are the nerves that emerge directly from the brain (including the brain
stem), of which there are conventionally….

THE MID BRAIN

 Visual and auditory processing (perception and interpretation)

 Motor Control (Regulations of muscle tone, posture and the initiation and
execution of the voluntary movements)

 Regulation of arousal and sleep-wake cycle

 Pain modulation (pain perception)

 Eye movement control (gaze and coordinate visual tracking)

 Dopamine production (responsible to producing dopamine, a neuron

transmitter that plays a critical role in various brain functions including the
movement, Motivation, Revolve and emotional regulation).
PONS
 Relay of sensory and motor information

 Regulation of respiration (controls the rate and dept of bleeding)

 Cranial nerves control

 Sleep regulation

 Control of voluntary movements (it helps facilitate smooth and

coordinated movements by relaying information between the cerebral
cortex and the cerebellum).

 Regulations of facial sensation (Processing and relaying and sense

information from the head).

MEDULLA OBLONGATA

 Regulations of vital autonomic functions (Functions such as respiration,)

 Cardiovascular control

 Respiratory control

 Swallowing, coughing and vomiting reflexes

 Control of involuntary movements

 Relay of sensory and motor information

SUPERFICIAL REGIONS OF CEREBRAL CORTEX

 Frontal lobe

 Parietal lobe

 Occipital lobe

 Temporal lobe

HOW TO MONITER BRAIN ACTIVITY

 Electroencephalography (EEG)

 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) – is a nonerosive

imaging technique that measures changes in blood flow and
oxygenation level in the brain.it can provide detailed information
about brain activity by detecting areas of the brain that are more
active during specific task of stimulate. fMRI is commonly used in
research to study brain function and can help to identify the regions
involved in different cognitive processors.

 Magnetoencephalography (MEG) – MEG measures the magnetic fields

generated by the electrical activity of neurons in the brain. Often used
in research to investigate neural oscillation, functional connectivity
and brain dynamics.

 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) – PET involves injecting a small

amount of radioactive substance (tracer)into the blood stream, which
is taken up by active brain cells. The scanner detects the emissions
from the tracer and generates a 3D image of the brain activity.

 Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) – NIRS is a nonerosive optical

imaging technique used to measure changes in the blood oxygenation
levels in the brain. It relays on the principle that Near-Infrared light
can penetrate biological tissues including the scalp and the skull, to a
certain depth.