Anatomic Parts of the Central Nervous and the Drugs affecting them

The central nervous system consists mainly of the brain and spinal cord and their functional activities. The nervous system as part of body systems that coordinates and control other body systems has drugs and herbs that also act on it based on its anatomic parts and divisions, parts of which have been listed below

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1- Cerebral Cortex
It mainly consists of MOTOR COTREX (initiates and controls the somatic motor actions)

SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX (deals with processing of sensory information)
Visual and auditory areas of the cerebral cortex which deals with vision and hearing respectively

Several areas on the cerebral cortex are very relevant to pain sensation and pleasure such as orofacial sensation which is majorly processed by cerebral cortex

Drugs that alter the cerebral cortex include General Anaesthetics, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, and sedative-sleeping drugs.

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2- Limbic Cortex
It controls the affection (emotions) sensations, movement, visceral(internal) and hormonal (endocrine) functions.
Such as walking, sleeping , fatigue, ovulatory activity, panic attacks, fears, anxiety and so on.

Drugs that co-ordinates its function include;

Benzodiazepines (mainly for sedation)

Local anaesthetics , antipsychotics and estrogens(mainly to prevent ovulation)

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3- Midbrain and Brainstem
It also processes sensory activity, co-ordinates visceral parts such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems and also integrates various reflex actions (swallowing and vomiting as opposite to each other)

Drugs acting on midbrain and brainstem include but not limited to opioids and some antihypertensive drugs

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4- Spinal cord
Spinal cord as a major part of the central nervous system involves with the processing, interpreting and modulation of general sensory activity (such as touch, prick, heat, cold, pain pressure and so on)

It is also concern with somatic movement actions, skeletal and visceral reflexes

Drugs acting on the spinal cord activity includes

Opioids such as morphine and codeine

Local Anaesthetics mainly applied to the Epidural layer of the spinal cord

5- Blood Brain Barrier
It protects and isolates the whole CNS from the other parts of the body
It prevents the entrance and free diffusion of many substances into the CNS mainly the brain

Lipophilicity is the major factor in diffusion of substances through the blood brain barrier which means the more the lipophilic the easier it passes through

Thanks for reading in our next lecture we will discuss on drugs that are used in treatment of nervous system disorders

Happy Serey and remain blessed

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