Cerebral Cortex

Overview

Introduction

• Anatomy 
  • the cerebral cortex contains eminences (termed gyri) and spaces separating these eminences (termed sulci)
    • sulci include
      • lateral (Sylvian) fissure
        • separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobe
      • central sulcus
        • separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe
        • note that anterior to this sulci is the precentral gyrus and posterior to the this sulci is the postcentral gyrus
          • the precentral gyrus is the primary motor cortex
          • the postcentral gyrus is the primary somatosensory cortex
      • parieto-occipital sulcus
        • which separates the parietal lobe from the occipital lobe and can best be seen medially
      • calcarine sulcus
        • which separates the cuneus from the lingual gyrus
    • the lobes of the cerebral cortex includes
      • frontal lobe 
        • primary motor cortex and premotor cortex are involved in
          • contralateral movement
        • Broca area is involved in 
          • producing speech
        • frontal eye fields are involved in
          • eye movement
        • prefrontal cortex is involved (this is a simplification) in
          • restraint
          • initiative
          • order
      • parietal lobe
        • primary somatosensory cortex is involved in
          • receiving contralateral sensory information
        • Wernicke area (junction of parietal and temporal lobes) is involved in
          • language comprehension
      • temporal lobe
        • primary auditory cortex is involved in
          • processing sound
      • occipital lobe
        • visual and visual association cortex is essential for
          • receiving and recognizing visual stimuli
• Blood supply 
  • the brain receives blood from the internal carotid and vertebral arteries
    • anastomoses of the internal carotid arteries and basilar artery results in the formation of the
      • circle of Willis
  • the blood supply will be simplified as follows
    • middle cerebral artery
      • supplies blood to most of the lateral surface of the brain as well as the
        • posterior limb and genu of the internal capsule
    • anterior cerebral artery
      • supplies the medial surface of the parietal and frontal lobe as well as the
        • anterior limb of the internal capsule
    • posterior cerebral artery
      • supplies the occipital lobes