Overview of the brainstem ubc neuroanatomy season 1. An aura is a group of symptoms that generally serve as a warning sign that a bad headache is coming. It continues as the spinal cord at the cervicomedullary junction after passing through the foramen magnum. Brainstem gliomas include a collection of clinically and surgically heterogeneous tumors and are most commonly found in children. The cranial nerves and understanding the brainstem the rule of 4 the first section of this chapter will describe the anatomy, the techniques for examining the individual cranial nerves and the more common abnormalities encountered. Like spinal cord, dorsal structures are usually sensory, ventral structures usually motor in function. Work out where the problem is in the brainstem using the rule of 4. The brainstem brain stem is the distal part of the brain that is made up of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. Isolated vertigo and isolated diplopia are only rarely caused by intrinsic disorders of the brainstem. Work out where the problem is in the brainstem using the rule of 4 peter gates disturbance in the limbs andor face that categorically indicates a brainstem problem. Childhood trauma, the neurobiology of adaptation, and usedependent development of the brain. If you answered yes to these questions then you should read peter gates the rule of 4 of the brainstem int med j 2005. At the top of the brainstem is the thalamus, which relays sensory information to other parts of the brain. Wiegands website brainstem i and ii lecture outlines on test file dvd learning objectives with key words included.
Sometimes, the diencephalon, which is the caudal part of the. The nincds report indicated that although the combination of the loss of the pupillary light response and oculocephalic and oculovestibular reflexes had the greatest specificity, this combination included 4 % of patients who retained other brainstem reflexes. It consists of the midbrain, medulla oblongata, and the pons. The rule of 4 of the brainstem was devised by peter gates, an australian neurologist, in 2003 in order to simply explain the anatomy of the brainstem and basis. Rule of 4 summary the blood supply of the brain stem paramedian branches and long circumferential branches aica, a, pica, sca. This article summarizes gates four rules, associated important clinical deficits, important exceptions, and provides two examples of their clinical utility. Differential diagnosis of t2 hyperintense brainstem. Pdf work out where the problem is in the brainstem using.
Each of the three components has its own unique structure and function. Similarly, for medicaidlinked plans, the texas medicaid provider procedures manual tmppm supersedes coverage guidelines. The brainstem is the region of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. Brainstem rules of 4 litfl neurology clinical exmaination. Ten pairs of cranial nerves come from the brainstem. It is elegant, by explaining only that which can be detected by a.
Work out where the problem is in the brainstem using the. Rule of four legal definition merriamwebster law dictionary. P ersonal v iewpoint c linical t the rule of 4 of the. Gates the geelong hospital, barwon health, geelong, victoria, australia. All of these brainstem functions are enabled because of its unique anatomy. Joanne weinberg produced and directed by zachary rothman. Apply the anatomical planes of orientation as you look at the cns specimens and crosssectional imaging studies. Brainstem at ross university school of medicine studyblue. A case of nearly complete transection of the lower brainstem following skull fracture with detailed histological study is presented. The portion of the brain, consisting of the medulla oblongata, pons varolii, and midbrain, that connects the spinal cord to the forebrain.
Recently, i stumbled upon this blog entry that improves the graphical presentation somewhat, cute, printable and whatnot. The rule of 4 is a simple method developed to help students of neurology to remember the anatomy of the brainstem and thus the features of. It connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord and regulates blood pressure, breathing, chewing, swallowing, and eye movements. It is not designed to discuss patients presenting with coma, of which brainstem problems are only one of the many causes. Bootcamp i bootcamp ii spinal cord cortexcn ii brainstemeye movements limbic systemcn i brainstem reflexesherniation paincn v, vii objectives. Migraine with brainstem aura genetic and rare diseases. The 3 rules, when combined and used in conjunction with the physical examination, can be useful in localizing brainstem. This article is designed to help make sense of the signs in the more common brainstem syndromes using the rule of 4. Lab 3 in neurosciences manual rubber brainstem pdf on blackboard or dr. Cmss coverage issues manual can be found on the cms website. Describe the major surface markings of the forebrain and brainstem. The brainstem is a very small component of the brain, making up only around 2. Together, they help to regulate breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and several other important functions.
The rule of 4 of the brainstem is a useful and simple clinical tool to aid in the anatomical localization of signs and symptoms in a brainstem stroke 6. Claudia krebs, tamara bodnar, parker holman and dr. Motor and sensory neurons travel through the brainstem allowing for the relay of signals between the brain and the spinal cord. Brainstem article about brainstem by the free dictionary. Migraine with brainstem aura mba is a type of migraine headache with aura that is associated with pain at the back of the head on both sides. The second part will discuss the rule of 4 to aid in localising the problem within the brainstem. Brainstem definition of brainstem by the free dictionary. Midbrain gets 14, pons gets 58 and medulla gets 912. Thus a medial brainstem syndrome will consist of the 4 ms and the relevant motor cranial nerves, and a lateral brainstem syndrome will consist of the 4 ss and either the 911th cranial nerve if the lesion is in the medulla, or the 5th, 7th and 8th cranial nerve if the lesion is in the pons. Approximately 10% to 20% of pediatric brain tumors fall into this category, presenting in patients with a mean age of 5 to 10 years old.
Rule of 4 of the brainstem radiology reference article. Childhood trauma, the neurobiology of adaptation, and use. In this beautifully written paper, gates devises a system of approaching clinical brainstem neuroanatomy in a series of 4 simple rules. The rule of 4 is discussed and then applied to each of the brainstem vascular syndromes highlighting the distinguishing.
The portion of the brain remaining after the cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum have been removed explanation of brainstem. Study neuro brainstem flashcards at proprofs neuroscience brain stem functions. The neurological examination can only assess some of them. It contains nuclei, pathways and structures, many with unusual names such as the olives, medial longitudinal fasciculus and the superior and inferior colliculi. It is a simple set of four rules that demystify the brainstem. Gates the geelong hospital, barwon health, geelong, victoria, australia the rule of 4 is a simple method developed to help students of neurology to remember the anatomy of the. Although dysarthria, dysphagia, ataxia and bilateral symptoms and. Brainstem reflexes an overview sciencedirect topics. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
The brainstem is an indispensable interface between the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The brainstem, an extension of the spinal cord, is the oldest part of the brain in evolutionary terms. Case a 58 yo was referred to you because of recent onset of left hemiparesis, leftsided loss of propioception and rightsided tongue deviation. Brainstem death is a clinical syndrome defined by the absence of reflexes with pathways through the brainstemthe stalk of the brain, which connects the spinal cord to the midbrain, cerebellum and cerebral hemispheresin a deeply comatose, ventilatordependent patient. The rule of 4 of the brainstem was devised by peter gates, an australian neurologist, in 2003 in order to simply explain the anatomy of the brainstem and basis of brainstem stroke syndromes to the nonneurologist and medical student. Full text get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 667k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Ventral surface corticospinalpyramidal pathway pyramids transverse fibers of. Claudia krebs walks us through an overview of the brainstem.
Cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants page 4 of 8 b any treatment related to hearing. This paper describes using the rule of 4 of the brainstem to help emergency physicians readily identify patients with brainstem problems. Cessation of brainstem reflexes is generally accepted as the hallmark of brain failure. Principles of brainstem surgery the neurosurgical atlas. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Occlusion of the paramedian branches results in medialparamedian brainstem syndromes and occlusion of the circumferential branches results in lateral brainstem syndromes. Gates described a simplified method for answering the question where is the lesion. Brainstem stroke syndromes, also known as crossed brainstem syndromes, refer to a group of syndromes that occur secondary to lesions, most commonly infarcts, of the brainstem.