Understanding Your Central Nervous System

Understanding the Central Nervous System’s structure will help you understand your M.S. symptoms.

The Brain:            

I. THE CEREBRUM:
Frontal Lobe

·     Behavior

·     Abstract thought processes

·     Problem solving

·     Attention

·     Creative thought

·     Some emotion

·     Intellect

·     Reflection

·     Judgment

·     Initiative

·     Inhibition

·     Coordination of movements

·     Generalized and mass movements

·     Some eye movements

·     Sense of smell

·     Muscle movements

·     Skilled movements

·     Some motor skills

·     Physical reaction

·     Libido (sexual urges)

Occipital Lobe

·     Vision

·     Reading

Parietal Lobe

·     Sense of touch (tactile sensation)

·     Appreciation of form through touch (stereognosis)

·     Response to internal stimuli (proprioception)

·     Sensory combination and comprehension

·     Some language and reading functions

·     Some visual functions

Temporal Lobe

·     Auditory memories

·     Some hearing

·     Visual memories

·     Some vision pathways

·     Other memory

·     Music

·     Fear

·     Some language

·     Some speech

·     Some behavior and emotions

·     Sense of identity

Right Hemisphere (the representational hemisphere)

·     The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body

·     Temporal and spatial relationships

·     Analyzing nonverbal information

·     Communicating emotion

Left Hemisphere (the categorical hemisphere)

·     The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body

·     Produce and understand language

Corpus Callosum

·     Communication between the left and right side of the brain

II. THE CEREBELLUM

·     Balance

·     Posture

·     Cardiac, respiratory, and vasomotor centers

III. THE BRAIN STEM

·     Motor and sensory pathway to body and face

·     Vital centers: cardiac, respiratory, vasomotor

SPINAL COLUMN

The spinal column is made of five sections, with the three major ones being the Cervical Spine (neck), Thoracic Spine (upper and mid back - from base of neck to waist), and Lumbar Spine (low back)

Cervical Spine:

C1:

·     blood supply to the head

·     pituitary gland, scalp, bones of the face

·     inner and middle ear

·     sympathetic nervous system

C2:

·     eyes, optic nerves

·     auditory nerves

·     sinuses

·     mastoid bones

·     tongue

·     forehead

·     heart

C3:

·     cheeks

·     outer ear

·     face, bones, teeth

·     trigeminal nerve

·     lungs

C4:

·     nose, lips, mouth,

·     Eustachian tube

·     mucus membranes

·     lungs

C5:

·     vocal cords

·     neck glands

·     pharynx

C6:

·     neck muscles

·     shoulders

·     tonsils

C7:

·     thyroid gland

·     bursa in the shoulders

·     elbows, ulnar nerve

Thoracic Spine

T1:

·     arms from the elbows down, including hands, arms, wrists and fingers

·     esophagus and trachea, heart

T2:

·     heart, including its valves and covering coronary arteries

·     lungs bronchial tubes

T3:

·     lungs, bronchial tubes, pleura,

·     chest, breast,

·     heart

T4:

·     gallbladder, common duct

·     heart

·     lungs, bronchial tubes

T5:

·     liver

·     solar plexus

·     circulation (general), heart

·     esophagus, stomach

T6:

·     stomach, esophagus

·     peritoneum

·     liver

·     duodenum

T7:

·     kidneys

·     appendix

·     testes, ovaries, uterus

·     adrenal cortex

·     spleen, pancreas, large intestine

T8:

·     spleen

·     stomach

·     liver

·     pancreas

·     gallbladder

·     adrenal cortex

·     small intestine, pyloric valve

T9:

·     adrenal cortex

·     pancreas

·     spleen

·     gallbladder

·     ovaries, uterus

·     small intestine

T10:

·     kidneys

·     appendix

·     testes, ovaries, uterus

·     adrenal cortex

·     spleen, pancreas, large intestine

T11:

·     kidneys

·     ureters, urinary bladder

·     large intestine

·     adrenal medulla, adrenal cortex

·     ovaries

·     ileocecal valve

T12:

·     small intestine

·     lymph circulation

·     large intestine

·     urinary bladder

·     uterus

·     kidneys

·     ileocecal valve

Lumbar Spine

L1:

·     large intestine

·     inguinal rings, uterus

L2:

·     appendix

·     abdomen

·     upper leg

·     urinary bladder

L3:

·     sex organs

·     uterus

·     bladder

·     knee

·     prostate

·     large intestine

L4:

·     prostate gland

·     muscles of the lower back

·     sciatic nerve

L5:

·     lower legs

·     ankles

·     feet

·     prostate

Sacrum:

·     hip bones

·     buttocks

·     rectum

·     sex organs, genitalia

·     urinary bladder

·     ureter

·     prostate

Sacral Plexus:

·     Forms the sciatic as well as other nerves that go to muscles

·     joints and other structures of the legs, knees, ankles, feet and toes

Coccyx:

·     rectum

·     anus

You will notice that many body parts are ennervated by more than one source in the brain and/or spinal column.

And depending on the size and location (left, right, center…) a lesion at any given spot on the spinal cord can affect any and all areas below it as well. This can only be a guide to lesions and symptoms, as there sometimes is no understandable correlation between lesions and symptoms in patients.  Just one more way MS is unpredictable.