Functional Organization of the

Central Nervous System

 Nervous System

Central Nervous Peripheral Nervous

System System

Brain Spinal Cord

Central Nervous System is Organized in three
ways
1. Hierarchical Organization
2. Lateralized Organization
3. Localized Organization
1. Hierarchical Organization
Building a CNS from the bottom up to
understand hierarchical control from the
top down
a: Spinal cord
Do we have behavior with only a SC?
 Reflexes
monosynaptic reflex arc and pain

b. Add Hindbrain and Cerebellum

inactive
decerebrate rigidity
rudimentary location
vital functions
c. Add Midbrain
spontaneous locomotion
sleep and wake cycles
slight decrease in rigidity
¨seeing¨ and ¨hearing
d. Hypothalamus & Thalamus
drives
homeostatic mechanisms
emotions (unchecked)
hyperactivity
e. Basal Ganglia
Slight decrease in hyperactivity
Perseveration appears, inability to
shift set
f. Limbic System

normalization of activity & emotions

ability to remember
g. Cerebral Cortex
“normal functioning”
individual differences
2. Lateralized Organization (more later)
Right Side controls left & vice-versa
Left Hemisphere Functions
e.g., language, analytical reasoning
Right Hemisphere Functions
e.g., spatial skills, processing music
Conservation of Nervous System
Preservation of Language in Humans
3. Localized Organization
Caution: this is not phrenology
- Brain “centers” for behavior intricately
connected with other brain areas involved
in the same or related behavior
- localization of sensation (primary &
secondary areas), motor (primary &
secondary), general areas of language
(reading, talking, verbal reasoning), and
spatial reasoning
Nomenclature
Telencephalon
Diencephalon
Mesencephalon
Metencephalon
Myelencephalon
 Neuroanatomical Ogranization
1. Spinal Cord
white matter vs gray matter
myelination of axons
dendrites, cell bodies and terminals
are not myelinated
dorsal horn & ventral horn
2. Brainstem
medulla, pons & midbrain
a. Medulla (Myelencephalon)
center for vital functions
decussation of the pyramids
crossing over for most
nerve fibers
b. Pons (Metencephalon)
numerous cranial nerves
reticular formation
raphe nucleus and sleep
c. Midbrain (Mesencephalon)
Superior Colliculus
Inferior Colliculus
Central Gray (periaqueductal gray)
Substantia Nigra
Ventral Tegmentum
Schizophrenia & Parkinson’s
disease
3. Cerebellum (Metencephalon)
smooth coordination of practiced
movements
integrates sensory & motor
cognitive functions (with frontal lobe)
4. Hypothalamus (Diencephalon)
22 sets of nuclei
homeostasis, biological rhythms
drives
5. Thalamus (Diencephalon)
Relay Station
Topographic arrangement with cortex
6. Basal Ganglia (Telencephalon)
Striatum (Caudate & Putamen)
Globus Pallidus
“Substantia Nigra”
7. Limbic System (Telencephalon)
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Nucleus Accumbens
“Prefrontal Cortex, Cingulate Cortex
& Hypothalamus”
8. Cerebral Cortex (Telencephalon)
- 6 layered structure
- Four lobes: Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital
- sulcus (i) & fissure (s) (lateral, central)
- gyrus (i)
Features of the Cerebral Cortex
note: more on this later
Somatosensory Cortex (homunculus)
Motor Cortex (homunculus)
Visual Cortex
Auditory Cortex
 Think about these questions
while you prepare for the test:
What is the significance of the homunculi as
far as observable behavior is concerned?
How do higher brain areas influence lower
brain areas?
What do localization, lateralization and
hierarchical organization mean in reference
to behavior?