Common signs of aging include loss of muscle bulk, decreased muscle tone, impaired fine coordination, and decreased sensory perception.
The two main parts of the nervous system are the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
The cerebellum coordinates motor movements, maintains equilibrium, and helps with muscle tone.
The cerebral cortex governs thought, memory, reasoning, sensation, and voluntary movement.
Crossed representation means that the left cerebral cortex receives sensory information from and controls motor function to the right side of the body, and vice versa.
The reflex arc is a basic defense mechanism of the nervous system that allows for quick reactions to potentially painful or damaging situations.
The F.A.S.T. plan stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call 9-1-1.
The thalamus acts as the main relay station for sensory pathways, integrating connections crucial to human emotion and creativity.
A dermatome is a circumscribed skin area supplied mainly from one spinal cord segment through a particular spinal nerve.
Damage to the Wernicke area in the dominant hemisphere results in receptive aphasia, where the person hears sounds but they have no meaning.
The posterior columns conduct position, vibration sensations, and finely localized touch.
The vagus nerve is involved in motor functions of the pharynx and larynx, as well as sensory functions from the carotid body and viscera.
The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord.
The three areas of the brainstem are the midbrain, pons, and medulla.
UMNs are descending motor fibers that influence or modify lower motor neurons and are located completely within the CNS.
The Glasgow Coma Scale is a standardized assessment that quantifies the level of consciousness and functional state of the brain.
The four lobes of the cerebrum are the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.
The anterolateral tract transmits sensations of pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch.
The three types of reflexes are stretch (deep tendon) reflexes, superficial (cutaneous) reflexes, and visceral (organic) reflexes.
The occipital lobe is the primary visual receptor center.
Cranial nerves are lower motor neurons that enter and exit the brain rather than the spinal cord.
The basal ganglia help initiate and coordinate movement and control automatic associated movements of the body.
The autonomic nervous system mediates unconscious activity and innervates smooth muscles, cardiac muscle, and glands.
The hypothalamus regulates vital functions such as temperature, appetite, sex drive, heart rate, and blood pressure control.
The corticospinal tract mediates voluntary movement, particularly skilled and purposeful movements.
The neurologic system in infants develops through the gradual acquisition of myelin, with motor activity initially controlled by the spinal cord and medulla.
The PNS includes all nerve fibers outside the brain and spinal cord, including the 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
The spinal cord mediates reflexes of posture control, urination, and pain response, and connects the brain to the spinal nerves.
LMNs are located mostly in the peripheral nervous system and connect the CNS with the muscle to be innervated.
Warning signs of a stroke include sudden weakness or numbness, confusion, trouble speaking, changes in vision, and severe headache.
