Brainstem Overview and Components

The oldest part of the brain that controls vital functions.

Regulates cardiovascular and respiratory functions, sleep, and motor functions for head and neck.

Brainstem provides motor and sensory function for the head and neck, alongside the spinal cord for the body.

Nerves that attach to the brainstem, crucial for many functions.

The brainstem is evolutionarily the oldest brain part, similar in function to simple animals.

Injuries to the brainstem can lead to severe damage or death due to critical functions it controls.

Includes three main structures that work together to maintain vital functions.

Compared to a main character in a story, essential for the plot to continue.

The structure located rostral to the brainstem, acts as a relay station for sensory information.

Located posterior to the brainstem, it is involved in coordination and balance.

The structure caudal to the brainstem, transmitting signals between the brain and the body.

The most superior component of the brainstem, involved in vision, hearing, and motor control.

A canal within the midbrain that connects the third and fourth ventricles.

A structure in the midbrain, part of the corticospinal tract relating to muscle movement.

Nerves associated with the midbrain, crucial for eye movement and function.

The third cranial nerve primarily responsible for eye movement.

The fourth cranial nerve that controls the superior oblique muscle of the eye.

A midbrain structure associated with motor coordination and control.

A midbrain region where dopamine is produced, crucial for movement.

A posture where the arms are flexed towards the body due to midbrain injury.

A posture with extended limbs indicating serious midbrain damage.

Damage can lead to abnormal posturing with poor prognosis.

A structure in the brainstem that connects to the cerebellum and houses cranial nerve nuclei V, VI, VII, and VIII.

The pons contains nuclei for cranial nerves V, VI, VII, and VIII which are important for facial sensation and movement.

The lowest part of the brainstem that houses nuclei for cranial nerves IX, X, XI, and XII.

The medulla contains nuclei for cranial nerves IX, X, XI, and XII, involved in vital functions like heart rate and digestion.

The crossing of vertical tracts in the medulla that allows coordination of movement and sensation from one side of the body to the other.

Nuclei located in the medulla that assist in cerebellar function and sound perception.

Wiring-like structures in the brainstem that transmit motor and sensory information.