Radiology Essay

The human brain is made up of many different cortexes, and each cortex is associated with the different functions of the body. The cerebral cortex is the primary area of the nervous system. This is where our conscious mind is found. This area allows us to be aware of ourselves and our sensations, which includes communication, memory, comprehension and to be able to initiate voluntary movement. The cerebral cortex has three kids of areas, the motor area, the sensory area and the association area. Each hemisphere is associated with the opposite side of the body. For example the left hemisphere is associated with the right side of the body, and vice versa for the left side of the body. The motor functions are mapped into functions in an upside
down fashion. Where the top of the map starts at the toes and goes all the way down to the head. The sensory cortex is located just posterior to the primary motor cortex. The neurons receive information from the general area in the skin and muscles and then the neurons identify the body region being stimulated, which is called spatial discrimination. The mapping of the sensory cortex is also in the upside down fashion, starting with the feet and ending with the head. . Even though the hemispheres are symmetrical, they are not equal in function. There is not one functional area of the cortex that acts alone. The foot motor area is going to be very close to the foot sensory area, and it is like that throughout the entire map. (Marieb, 2007) When nerve fibers are damaged this can be serious because generally mature neurons do not divide.
If damage to a nerve is severe or close to the cell body the entire neuron may die as well as other neurons that are normally stimulated by that particular nerve, may die as well. However if the cell body remains intact, cut or compressed the axons of the peripheral nerves can regenerate. However post trauma axon regrowth never exactly matches what existed before the injury, and a lot of the recovery involves retraining the nervous system to respond appropriately so that stimulus and response are coordinated. (Marieb,
2007) After a patient suffers nerve damage to the sciatic nerve, and it requires surgery to repair it, the patient reports that sensation from the lateral and medial sides of the knee seem to be reserved. This can happen because when nerves are damaged and grow back together, they never end up exactly how they were before. There is not a guide to show which nerve fibers go with which. Then nerve fibers probably ended up growing into different pathways from the original state and they have to establish new synapses. Since the brain can’t keep track of which fibers grow into which pathway, it generically sends the sensation back to the area of where it started. Since it is just one area that has this sensation of opposites, I don’t think it is anything the surgeon did wrong. I don’t think it is possible to have crossed the sensory nerves, because it is not something that is happening across one whole side of the body. The knowledge I have of the motor and sensory system is going to help me tremendously in my new career of radiology.
Now that I understand what nerves connect with what areas of the brain and spinal cord, this will help me to make an educated decision of what area I need to X-ray on the patient. For example if a patient comes in and complains of pain in their leg with tingling sensation, I will need to use some sort of digital image technology to see what might be going on with their spine. It could turn out to my transverse myelitis, which is inflammation of the spinal cord, or it could turn out to be sciatica. This knowledge will help me make and educated decision with my patient’s symptoms, and help diagnose them, and help educate the patient on how to get well, or deal with the issue that has come
about.
Works Cited
Marieb, H. (2007). Human Anatomy & Physiology, Seventh addition. In K. H. Elaine N Marieb, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Seventh addition (pp. 438-439, 499-500). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.