Learning Objectives

• Describe early embryonic nervous system development (neurulation) and subsequent brain development
• Identify the cerebral hemispheres. Describe the cerebral hemispheres in terms of their structure, their roles in motor and sensory processing and routes of communication within and between gyri, lobes and hemispheres
• Describe the gray matter nuclei of the basal ganglia and their functions
• Describe the structures of the limbic system and their roles
• Identify and describe the anatomical structures that comprise the brainstem and the functions of each area
• Describe the location of the reticular formation and its function
• Identify the cerebellum and describe its role in movement
• Describe the structure and function of the diencephalon
• Describe the process of neurulation
• Describe human brain development from neural tube to 3, then the 5 vesicle stage.
• Describe how the brain develops within the cranium
• Describe the structure and function of the diencephalic structures: thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus and subthalamus

Neurodevelopment & Neural Tube Defects

• what is neurulation? what structures does the neural tube form?
• what is the neural crest? what structures does it form?
• when does the neural tube close? how does this occur?
• what disturbances may cause neural tube defects?
• what are the 3 categories of spina bifida?