NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION & GENERAL

FEATURES OF NERVOUS SYSTEM
Topics For 1st Semester
1. Introduction & General Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdul
Features of Nervous System Azeem
2. Sensations & Pain Department of Physiology,
3. Cerebral Cortex Ummal Qura University,
4. Motor System Makkah, Saudi Arabia
5. Basal Ganglia LECTURE 1; 11th October, 2008
6. Cerebellum
7. Hypothalamus
8. Neural Examination
9. Learning & Memory
 CLASSIFICATION OF NERVOUS SYSTEM
Nervous System

Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System

Brain Spinal Cord Somatic

Autonomic
(Cranium) (Vertebral column) (Spinal nerves to Skeletal Muscles)
(Viscera & Vessels

Parasympathetic
Special Senses, Head, Viscera
12 Cranial Nerves
Sympathetic
Name Origin Function

1. Olfactory Olfactory mucosa Smell 31 Segments of Spinal Cord

2. Optic Retina Vision
3. Occulomotor Rectus Muscle Eye Ball Movement Region of Segments
4. Trochlear Superior Oblique Eye Ball Movement Spinal Cord Involved
5. Trigeminal Pons Mastication
6. Abducens Pons Eye Ball Movement 1. Cervical 8
7. Facial Pons Facial Expression & salivation 2. Thoracic 12
8. Vestibulochochlear Cochlea & Vestibular Hearing & Equilibrium 3. Lumbar 5
Apparatus 4. Sacral 5
9. Glossopharyngeal Medulla Smell & Saliva 5. Coccygeal 1
10. Vagus Medulla Control of Visceral Organs
11. Accessory Medulla & Cervical Smell & Head Movements
Region of Spinal Cord
12. Hypoglossal Medulla Movements of Tongue, Smell
& Speech
Classification of Brain

Prosencephelon Mesencephelon Rhombincephelon

•Cerebral Peduncles
Telencephelon •Corpora Quadrigemina
•Cerebral Cortex •Substantia Nigra Metencephelon
•Corpus Striatum •Red Nucleus •Cerebellum
•Corpus Callosum •Pons
•Internal Capsule •Cerebellar
Peduncles
Diencephelon
•Thalamus
•Hypothalamus Myelincephelon
•Median Geniculate Body Medulla Oblongata
BASIC FUNCTIONAL UNIT

In central
nervous
system, the
NEURON
_________
is the basic
functional unit.
SENSORY
DIVISION OF
THE
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
MOTOR
DIVISION OF
THE
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
MAJOR LEVELS OF CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM FUNCTION

lSpinal cord level

lLower brain level
lHigher brain or
cortical level
 Structural Parts of a Neuron & Their
Functions
Dendrites Receive Signals
Soma Synthesis, release & electro-tonic conductions
Axon Hillock Generation of Action Potential
Axon Propagation of Impulse
Myelinated
Unmyelinated
Axon terminals Release of Neurotransmitter
SYNAPTIC CONNECTIONS
Axo-axonal Between two Axons
Axo-somatic Between Axon & Soma
Axo-dendritic Between Axon & Dendrites
Dendro-dendritic Between two Dendrites
Dendro-somatic Between Dendrites & Soma
FUNCTIONS OF NEURON

Electrical Signals
– Receives
– Process &
– Transmit
Synthesis & release
– Neurotransmitters
Types of Neuron

With Respect to Functions

l Sensory
l Motor
With Respect to Structure
l Anaxonic
l Unipolar
l Bipolar
l Multipolar
MOTOR
NEURON
SENSORY
NEURON
1.Anaxonic
In Central
Nervous System

2.Unipolar 3. Bipolar 4. Multipolar

In dorsal root
In Retina In Spinal Cord
ganglion
BRAIN CELLS
OTHER THAN
NEURON

•Astrocytes

•Microglia

•Oligodendroglia
Myelination

l Supporting nerve cell

l Oligodendorglia (schwann
Cell)
l Insulation layers of lipid
sphingomyelin
l Fast conduction of
Impulse
l Alpha (motor Nerves)
l A-type (sensory Nerves)
Nerve Potentials

l Electrochemical
environment
l Neurolemma or
Axolemma
Resting Potential
Electro-Chemical Gradient
ELECTROTONIC POTENTIAL

l Passive spread of potential

l Dendrites to Soma & up to axon Hillock
l Neuronal membrane having resistances &
capacitor
l Capacitance charge the membrane for
potential generation
l Resistances decay the potential produced
at the membrane
ELECTRICAL MODEL OF NEURONAL
MEMBRANE

•Battery.
connected with
•Resistances in
series & parallel.
•Transverse &
longitudinal
resistances.
•Capacitors
Electrotonic Potential

l It is the passive flow of current without the

generation of Action Potential.
l It decays with distance traveled by the
potential along the membrane.
PASSIVE
CURRENT

It decays with
distance due
to the
resistances
(longitudinal &
transverse) in
the membrane
Ionic Conductance & Potential

l Movement of ions across the neuronal

membrane is ionic conductance.
l Development of charge across the
neuronal membrane is ionic current.
l Conductance of ions represented by “g”
is responsible for membrane potential “E”.
l For example K conductance is gk and
potential it will produce is Ek.
Single Ion Conductance & Potential
Membrane
Permeability

Versus
Membrane
Potential
Ionic conductance and ionic current
across neuronal membrane
Generation of Action Potential
Phases in Action Potential Generation

l Resting Membrane Potential (In-active Membrane)

l Stimulation (Must be Threshold Stimulus)
l Threshold Level (-60mV)
l Opening of Fast Sodium Channels
(Voltage Or Ligand Gated Channels)
l Tremendous Sodium influx (Inward Current)
l Rapid Depolarization (Reversal & Spike Potential)
l Potassium Eflux (Outward Current)
l Rapid Repolarization
(Restoration towards Resting Membrane Potential)
l Hyperpolarization (+ve After Potential)
l Restoration of Resting Membrane Potential (Na+/K+ Pump)
Thanks
THREE ADVICES FROM YOUR TEACHER:
1. ALWAYS READ BOOKS
2. COMBINE THE CONCEPT YOU GET FROM LECTURE &
BOOKS FOR A TOPIC
3. WRITE THIS CONCEPT IN YOUR OWN WORDS

BOOKS RECOMMENDED:
1. TEXT BOOK OF MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY BY GUYTON
2. MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY BY GANONG
3. Neurophysiology by Carpenter