Topic > Neuroscience Case Study on Central Nervous System Structure Damage and in the neurocranium surrounding the cerebrum and brainstem. The neurocranium is composed of 8 cranial bones; 1 ethmoid, 1 sphenoid, 1 frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, 1 occipital, their role is to protect the underlying nervous tissue of the brain. All these sections are joined together with sutures which are strong, elastic and fibrous tissues. The space between the skull and the brain is filled with meninges, there are three layers; dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater. The outer layer of the dura mater is a dense connective tissue that lines the inside of the skull, the second layer is the arachnoid and this is quite thin and has elastic tissue and blood vessels. The inner layer is the Pia Mater which has many blood vessels that also follow the folds of the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid, responsible for protecting the brain and spinal cord from injury, also flows into the space between the arachnoid and the pia mater layer. The brain itself has an outer covering called the cerebral cortex which is gray matter and surrounds the brain which is divided into the left and right hemispheres. The left side of the brain has more to do with thinking, while the right side is more visual. The subcortex includes the basal ganglia, limbic system, and diencephalon. The brainstem includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThere are four lobes; frontal, occipital, parietal and temporal. The frontal lobe is involved in voluntary movement and personality. The occipital is responsible for receiving and processing visual information. The parietal receives signals from the entire brain and gives them meaning. The thunderstorm is responsible for memory and interpretation of emotions. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the anterior part of the frontal lobe and it is this subsection of the frontal lobe that is responsible for personality expression. Diving deeper into the structure of the PFC there are a few main subdivisions; The Dorsolateral PFC together with the Ventrolateral PFC and the Dorsomedial PFC are responsible for emotion regulation. Looking at the anatomy of the brain in figure 1 you can see that right next to the frontal lobe is the motor cortex which is responsible for learning and executing movement. The right ventrolateral portion of the PFC is also thought to play a vital role in motor inhibition. The limbic system is the structure responsible for emotions, memory and learning, it does this by being connected to the lower and higher brain functions to control emotions. Gray and white matter are wrapped in both cerebral hemispheres and primarily connect multiple structures. The processing side of the limbic system includes the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus, the output side includes the septal nuclei and the hypothalamus. The limbic lobe is located in the subcortex and is composed of the limbic gyrus and the intralimbic gyrus. The hippocampus is embedded deep in the temporal lobe and is subcortical, therefore classified as part of the limbic lobe, it is associated with emotions including: mood, pain and memory. In 1930 James Papez suggested that the emotional response is prepared in the hippocampus and then expressed in the limbic lobe. While the hippocampus is located on the posterior side of the limbic lobe, the amygdala is located near the front and is involved in emotional processing andin aggression. The hypothalamus, located at the center of the limbic system, is responsible for homeostasis and behavior as well as having integral connections with the pituitary gland and controlling the endocrine system. The Papez circuits are important pathways that are part of the limbic system and connect multiple components. The hippocampus, mammillary bodies, thalamic nucleus, fibrous prefrontal cortex, septum, amygdala, and other areas are all part of the circuit. Damaged Central Nervous System Structure + Symptoms As described in the case study, Dr. C. suffered a depressed frontal bone fracture causing damage to the indentation of the frontal bone. the frontal lobe/PFC in the left cerebral hemisphere. The frontal bone covers and protects the frontal lobe of the brain which is responsible for many different cognitive processes including movement, intelligence, reasoning, behavior, memory and personality. A depressed fracture is the indentation and breakage of bone that pushes bone fragments beneath the surface of the skull, caused in this case by blunt trauma from the ice axe. This means that, depending on the severity, it can cause damage to the underlying brain tissue. From the MRI you can see a black spot on the frontal lobe, this is a lesion of the brain. A brain injury is an inflammation of tissue that has been damaged. It is believed that lesions in different parts of the brain may still present similar symptoms due to overlap in network connectivity. After the symptoms explained in Dr. C.'s case study, the first symptom manifested was the loss of consciousness. Traumatic brain injury is the clinical term given to patients if they have suffered changes in consciousness due to injury to the brain. Traumatic injury means that there is a sudden transfer of energy from an external source (e.g. blunt force trauma) to the tissue, but in excess of the amount that can be absorbed. The energy causes ruptures of vascular and cellular membranes leading to changes in blood flow, damage to axons, and release of intracellular contents. This leads to energy failure due to ATP depletion and cell death via necrotic and apoptotic pathways. As explained previously, the frontal lobe/PFC controls functions involving emotions, problem solving, memory, language, and judgment. Traumatic brain injury can cause diffuse axial injury (DAI) following high-energy trauma to white matter tracts. DAI causes cognitive, physical and behavioral changes, and one study has shown that there is a correlation between the number of lesions and impaired function. Dr. C's behavioral changes may be linked to post-concussion disorder which includes experiencing symptoms such as social inadequacy, aggression due to minor provocations, and apathy. The orbitofrontal cortex has extensive connections to the limbic system via Papez circuits and may influence the amygdala. The amygdala is associated with depression, anxiety, temper/aggression, cortisol concentration, and fear conditioning. A lesion to the anterior prefrontal cortex could affect the amygdala via the orbitofrontal cortex or via a local diffuse axial lesion near the region depending on the amount of energy force coming from the amygdala. the ice ax is transferred through the brain. This would explain the side effect of sudden outbursts of anger. A study conducted by Zheng KZ tested the anomalous hyperactivation of the limbic system and the hypoactivation of the frontal cortex. The result was that the damaged white matter led to disconnectivity from the frontal cortex to the amygdala in a pattern.
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