Concepts of the Forebrain

Ashley Davidoff MD

The Common Vein Copyright 2010

Introduction

This section is designed to frame the forebrain to enable basic concepts to start at ground level.  It is easiest to conceive the forebrain in three views;- The sagittal, axial and coronal view.

Sagittal View

The External View of the Brain

This artistic rendition of the brain reflects the vectors of the major parts of the brain with the stick diagram overlaid over a sagittal external view of the brain. In the stick diagram, the forebrain has been divided into the frontal lobe (bright green), parietal lobe (light mauve) occipital lobe (purple) and temporal lobe (red).

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The Axial View

Forebrain – The Axial View

The anchoring concept of the brain in the axial plane is two cerebral hemispheres with a series of structures reminiscent of backward and downward facing “C’s” symettrically positioned around the center. The orange ring represents the other major portion of the forebrain.

Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD copyright 2010 93914.3ka09.8sd01

MRI Coronal View

In this T2 weighted MRI image – the forebrain (green is seen centered aroubnd the ventriclar system. The red linees indicate the Sylvian fissures which in this instance in a relatively posterior cut reflect the parietal lobe superiorly and the temporal lobes inferiorly (darker green) The temporal lobes rest of the tentorium (white curvilinear convex lines). below the tenntorium is the midbrain and hind brain

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