2ndyr- B2 Neurophysiology

 NEUROPHYSIOLOGY IMPORTANT TOPICS 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND SENSORY PHYSIOLOGY: 

• Types of synapses (short question and viva)**

• Mechanism by which an action potential causes transmitter release (just read) 

• Electrical events during neuronal excitation and resting membrane potential of the neuronal soma(read) 

• Excitatory postsynaptic potential and inhibitory postsynaptic potential (diagram and values) (important prof question)***

 • Spatial and temporal summation (chap 46 )(read)

 • Some special characteristics of synaptic transmission (important question) *** 

• Types of sensory receptors (very important for viva)

 • Adaptation of receptors, mechanism of adaptation, slow adapting and rapidly adapting receptors, predictive function of the rate receptors (very important) *** 

• Spatial and temporal summation (chap 47) (at least do the definitions) 

• Divergence and convergence of signals (definitions at least) 

• Signal prolongation from a reverberatory circuit (read) 

• Synaptic fatigue (read) 

• Dorsal column-medial lemniscus system and anterolateral system (sensations they carry: purple box) 

• Transmission through medial column-dorsal lemniscus system (diagram and purple box) (important question for prof) *** 

• Functions of somatosensory area 1 (important)** 

• Anterolateral pathway transmission (diagram and purple box )(important for prof )*** 

• Less important but you never know (spatial orientation of signals from different parts of body in somatosensory area 1 ) ( if u aren’t short of time) 

• Chapter 49 (pain and headache ) ( the most important chapter for neurophysiology )(except thermal sensations )*** 

• Just give a read to thermal sensation topic.

MOTOR AND INTEGRATIVE
NEUROPHYSIOLOGY:

• Spinal cord reflexes chapter 55 (whole chapter) 

(very important in neurophysiology)(at least read)

• Important questions in this chapter:

• Functions of Golgi tendon organ**

• Significance of coactivation of alpha and gamma 

motor fiber?**

• Define damping function of muscle spindle( if it’s

possible, you can make your own notes of these 

questions in this chapter)**

• Structure of muscle spindle(draw the diagram)**

• Golgi tendon reflex (diagram with components) **

• Define Reflex action and reflex arc

• Flexor reflex and crossed extensor reflex with 

diagram**

• Mass reflex (in purple box)*

• Spinal shock (definition and main points)

• Premotor area (read)

• Supplementary motor area(read)

• Broca’s area(very important)**

• Voluntary eye movement field 

• Head rotation area 

• Area for hand skills

• Corticospinal (pyramidal tract) and extra

pyramidal tract 

• Upper motor neuron lesion(UMNL) and lower 

motor neuron(LMNL) (very important)(prof

question)***

• Pontine reticular system and medullary reticular 

system(read)

• How is static equilibrium maintained **

• If u have time, then (read vestibular apparatus)

• Functional unit of cerebellar cortex( read)

• Different functional zones of cerebellum and their 

functions ***

• Clinical abnormalities of cerebellum (signs of 

cerebellar lesions) ***

• Athetosis, hemiballismus, and chorea (definitions)

• Clinical signs of Parkinson’s disease (you must 

know the mechanism of each sign)

• Resting tremors and action tremors

Huntington’s disease (Huntington’s chorea)

• Names of association area (chapter no 58)

• Parieto-occipitotemporal association area (read)

• Wernicke’s area (function ) (very important)

• Sensory , motor and global aphasia ***

• Pathway of speech in response to written 

command**

• Classification of memory

• Declarative and skill memory 

• Intermediate long term memory (mechanism)***

• Long term memory

• Anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia

• Diff. between slow wave sleep and REM sleep

• Sleep wake cycle (interplay of three neuronal 

systems)***

• Transmitter related of to sleep 

• Alarm or stress response **

• Composition of CSF and clinical significance of 

BBB(blood brain barrier)

thanking our contributor!!

Contributed by: bilal anwar (3rd year)

Edited by: aiza anwar (publishing director