How does the pons affect behavior?
The pons helps to regulate the respiratory system by assisting the medulla oblongata in controlling breathing rate. The pons is also involved in the control of sleep cycles and the regulation of deep sleep. The pons activates inhibitory centers in the medulla in order to inhibit movement during sleep.
How is pons used in everyday life?
The pons also serves to connect the cerebral cortex to the medulla oblongata via the cerebral peduncles. The pons is involved in many autonomic and sensory functions including arousal, respiratory processes, fine motor control, equilibrium, muscle tone, and the Circadian cycle (specifically regulating sleep).
What is the function of the pons in psychology?
Pons: n. a structure on the brain stem that lies above the medulla and regulates sleep, arousal, consciousness, and sensory processes.
Can you live without a pons?
The Pons is one of those parts that we cannot live without. Because of the part that the Pons plays in hearing, eating, facial expression, and eye movement, the Pons is NOT something you could live without. It relays messages throughout the brain and controls too many important vital functions we as human beings need.
What causes pontine strokes?
A pons stroke can be caused by a blood clot or by a ruptured blood vessel. Both types reduce or halt blood flow to the brain. This can cause brain damage.
What is pons disease?
Definition. Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a neurological disorder that most frequently occurs after too rapid medical correction of sodium deficiency (hyponatremia). The rapid rise in sodium concentration is accompanied by the movement of small molecules and pulls water from brain cells.
What happens if damage to pons?
When the injury to the pons is complete, the patient may pass away. If a patient with a complete injury survives, he or she could develop locked in syndrome. In this syndrome, the person has no sensory or motor function, except for the ability to move their eyes up and down. Some people can also blink.
How does the pons affect sleep?
The brain stem (especially the pons and medulla) also plays a special role in REM sleep; it sends signals to relax muscles essential for body posture and limb movements, so that we don’t act out our dreams.
What are the pons functions?
Pons Function. The functions of the pons include sensory roles in the hearing, equilibrium, taste, facial sensations such as touch and pain, roles in eye movement, chewing, facial expressions, swallowing, and the discharge of saliva and tears.
What does the thalamus do in brain?
Because of its role as relay between various subcortical areas and the cerebral cortex, the thalamus contributes to many processes in the brain including perception, attention, timing and movement. It plays a central role in alertness and awareness.
What does the pons control?
“Pons” means “bridge” in Latin, and the pons functions as a bridge between different parts of the brain. It also controls sleep and consciousness, breathing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, swallowing, eye movement and the secretion of saliva and tears.