Neurobio

The foramen magnum is the opening in the back of the skull where nerves connected to the brain exit to connect to the spinal cord. There are 12 main nerves that are connected directly from the brain to certain organs. The rest all go to the spinal cord where their messages are sent. The anatomy of this area is organized in this order: cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, foramen magnum and spinal cord. Connected to each vertebrae are 2 nerves that send messages to that area of the body. There are many conditions that can cause issues that can cause brain dysfunction and these can be observed in a patient's speech or level of consciousness. The brain is very sensitive to changes in oxygen, glucose and temperature. Slight changes in any of these three areas can have catastrophic effects on the brain. An example can be seen when a patient is in cardiac arrest. Their blood flow stops and they will enter into a comatose state in which brain damage can occur in seconds.