LPU - ST.

CABRINI SCHOOL
OF HEALTH SCIENCES, INC.
COLLEGE OF ALLIED MEDICINE

Brainstem and Higher

Brain Functions
Group 7, BSMLS 1-2
 Brainstem

1 MEDULLARY OBLONGATA

2 PONS

3 MIDBRAIN

4 RETICULAR FORMATION
 MEDULLA
OBLONGATA
MEDULLA OBLONGATA
• Most inferior portion
• Ascending and descending tracts
• Contains discrete nuclei with specific functions
– Such as: regulation of heart beat and blood vessel dia
meter, breathing, swallowing, vomiting, coughing,
sneezing, balance, and coordination.
MEDULLA OBLONGATA

• Anterior surface – pyramids

• Pyramids consist of descending nerve tracts
– Involved in conscious control of skeletal muscles.
PONS
• Superior to medulla oblangata
• Contains ascending and descending nerve
tracks as well as several nuclei.
• Some of nuclei in pons relay information.
• Functional bridge between cerebrum and
cerebellum.
PONS

• Lower pons together with medulla

oblongata control functions such as:
– Breathing, swallowing, balance, chewing, and
salivation.
MIDBRAIN
• Superior to the pons
• Smallest region in brainstem
• Colliculi
– Two inferior colliculi
– Two superior colliculi
• Reflexes controlled in superior colliculi: turning the head toward a
tap on the shoulder, a sudden loud noise, or a bright flash of light.
MIDBRAIN
• Contains nuclei involved in
• Substantia nigra
– Part of basal nuclei
• Rest of midbrain consists of
– Ascending tracts
– Descending tracts
RETICULAR FORMATION
• Scattered throughout the brainstem
• Regulatory functions
• Involved in regulating cyclical motor
functions, such as respiration,walking
and chewing.
RETICULAR FORMATION
• Reticular activating system
• Stimuli such as:
– Ringing alarm clock, sudden bright lights,
smelling salts, or cold water splashed on face.
• Drowsiness or sleep
• Coma
 HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS

COMMUNICATION
01 BETWEEN THE RIGHT 02 BRAIN WAVES
AND
AND LEFT
HEMISPHERES AND CONSCIOUSNESS
SPEECH

03 MEMORY 04 LIMBIC SYSTEMS

AND EMOTIONS
 COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEFT
AND RIGHT HEMISPHERES

• Right cerebral hemisphere

• Left cerebral hemisphere
• Commissures
– Corpus callosum, largest commissure
 COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEFT
AND RIGHT HEMISPHERES
Researchers believed that:

• Left hemisphere is more on

• Right hemisphere is more on
 SPEECH

• Left cerebral cortex

• Two major cortical areas:
– Sensory speech
– Motor speech
• Aphasia
– stroke
 SPEECH

• Speech-related functions involve both of

these pathways
– Sensory
– Motor
BRAIN WAVES AND CONSCIOUSNESS

• EEG (electroencephalogram) patterns

are irregular
• Brain waves
– Based on the state of brain activity
BRAIN WAVES AND CONSCIOUSNESS

• Alpha waves
• Beta waves
• Delta waves
• Theta waves
 MEMORY

• Three stages of storage of memory:

– Working
– Short-term
– Long-term
• Declarative
• Procedural
 MEMORY

• Working memory
– Limited primarily by the number of bits of informa
tion (about seven) that can be stored at a time.
• Short term memory
– Susceptible to brain trauma, such as physical
injury, or decreased oxygen, and anesthetics.
 MEMORY

• Long-term memory
– Consolidation
– Declarative memory
– Procedural memory
– Memory engrams
 LIMBIC SYSTEM AND EMOTIONS

• Limbic system influences

• Olfactory nerves
• Hypothalamus
• Lesions in the limbic system can result in:
– Voracious appetite, increased sexual activity, and docility.