Grey Matter in the Brain - Simply Psychology

The grey matter in the cerebellum is related to motor control, balance, coordination, and automatic movements. The three sections of grey matter ... Togglenavigation TheoriesResearchMethodsMentalHealthA-levelStatistics BrainAnatomyGreyMatterGreyMatterintheBrainByOliviaGuy-Evans,publishedOct11,2021Factchecked bySaulMcleod,PhDWhatisGreyMatter?Thecentralnervoussystemismadeupoftissueknownasgreymatterandwhitematter.Greymatter(orgraymatter)makesuptheoutermostlayerofthebrainandispinkishgreyintone,hencethenamegreymatter.Itgetsitsgreytonefromthehighconcentrationofneuronalcellbodiesincontains.Greymatteralsocontainsunmyelinatedaxons.Whitematterontheotherhandismainlycomposedoflong-rangemyelinatedaxons,whichtransmitsignalstothegreymatter,andonlyveryfewneuronalcellbodies.Greymatterisabundantinthecerebrum,cerebellum,brainstem,andthespinalcord.Thesheetofgreymatterthatconstitutesthecerebrumvariesinthicknessfromabout2to5mm.Inthecerebellum,whichmakesupjust10%ofthebrain’svolume,containsmoreneuronalcellbodiesthantherestofthebraincombined.Inthespinalcord,greymatterislocatedinthecentreandisshapedlikeabutterflyifslicedhorizontally.Greymatterplaysasignificantroleinallowinghumanstofunctionnormallyasitallowsustocontrolourmovements,retainmemories,andregulateouremotions,amongmanyotherfunctions.Greymatteristhereforeessentialforallmostaspectsofhumanlife. Greymatterisformedinearlydevelopmentfromectoderm.Throughoutdevelopment,greymattercontinuestoformuntiltheageofabout8yearsold.Afterthis,greymatterbeginstodecreaseintheareasofthebrainbutthedensityofthematterinparticularincreases.Thisincreaseindensityallowsforhigherprocessingandfurthermentaldevelopmentofhumans.WhatGreyMatterConsistsofGreymatterconsistsofneuronalcellbodies(knownassoma),whicharecircularstructuresthathousethenucleusofthecells.Inthecerebrum,estimatedcellnumbersvaryfrom10billiontomorethan50billionneurons.Theneuronsinthegreymatterareconnectedtootherpartsofthebrainbyalayerofnervefiberscalledwhitematter,whichliesbelowthesurfaceofthegreymatter. Thegreymattersurroundingthecerebrumisknownasthecortexofthebrain.Therearetwomajorcorticesofthebrain,thecerebralcortex,whichcontainsthelobes(e.g.frontallobesandparietallobes),andthecerebellarcortex,whichislocatedatthebackandlowerpartofthebrain.Therearealsoareasofgreymatterwithintheinnersectionsofthebrain,howeverthesearenotknownascortices,butinsteadcallednuclei.Onthesurfaceofthecerebralcortex,therearegyri(ridges)andsulci(grooves),whichgivethecortexitswrinkledappearance.Thepurposeofthegyriandsulciaretoincreasethesurfaceareaofthebrain.Thisiscrucialforeffectivefunctioningasitallowsformoreneuronstobepresentincontrasttoasmoothbrain.Figure8.Thecortexcontainsneurons(greymatter),whichareinterconnectedtootherbrainareasbyaxons(whitematter).Thecortexhasafoldedappearance.Afoldiscalledagyrusandthevalleybetweenisasulcus.Aswellassurroundingthecortices,greymatterextendsdownandaroundthebrainstem,aswellasextendingtothespinalcord.Whilstthegreymatterofthebrainispresentintheoutermostlayer,greymatterislocatedinsidethespinalcord.Greymatterworksinthespinalcordtomakesignalingmoreeffective.Greymatteralsosplitsintothreesectionsinthespinalcord,thesebeingtheanteriorgreycolumn,posteriorgreycolumn,andthelateralgreycolumn. Greymatteralsocontainsaxons,whicharelongextensionsoncells,branchedfromtheneuronalcellbodies.Theseaxonsareusuallyunmyelinated,meaningtheyarenotcoveredbyawhite-ishfattyproteincalledmyelin. Therearealsoglialcellspresentinthegreymatter,specificallycellscalledastrocytesandoligodendrocytes.Therearearound10timesasmanyglialandothercellsthanthereareneurons.Thepurposeofglialcellsistobesupportivetotheneurons.Theycantransportnutrientsandenergytotheneuronsandmayevenplayaroleininfluencinghowwellneuronsfunctionandcommunicatetoeachother.FunctionGreymatterservestoprocessinformationinthebrain.Thestructureswithinthegreymatterprocesssignalsfromthesensoryorgansorfromotherareasofthegreymatter.Thistissuedirectssensorystimulitotheneuronsinthecentralnervoussystemwheresynapsesinducearesponsetothestimuli.Thesesignalsreachthegreymatterthroughthemyelinatedaxonsthatmakeupthebulkofthewhitematter. Thegreymatterthatsurroundsthecerebrum,alsogiventhenamecerebralcortexisinvolvedinseveralfunctionssuchasbeinginvolvedinpersonality,intelligence,motorfunction,planning,organization,languageprocessing,andprocessingsensoryinformation.Thecerebralcortexisdividedintofourlobesbasedonthegyriandsulciwhichhelpmarktheselobes:frontal,parietal,temporal,andoccipitallobes.Specifically,thefrontallobesplayfunctionalrolesinvoluntarybehaviorsuchasdecision-making,problem-solving,andthinking.Similarly,itisessentialforcognition,intelligence,attention,andvoluntarymotorcontrol.Theparietallobeshaveassociatedfunctionsinperceptionandtheintegrationofsomatosensoryinformation,visuospatialprocessing,spatialattention,spatialmapping,andnumberrepresentation.Temporallobesareessentialforfunctionssuchasthecomprehensionoflanguage,perceptionthroughhearing,vision,andsmell,recognition,learningandmemory.Theoccipitallobe’sfunctionisprimarilyrelatedtovisionsuchasencodingcolor,orientation,andmotion. Withinthecerebralcortex,therearealsospecificsensoryandmotorareas.Theseincludetheprimarymotorcortexandpremotorcortexwhichregulatevoluntarymovement,thevisualcortexoftheoccipitallobewhichprocessesvisualinformation,andthesomatosensorycortexoftheparietallobewhichprocessestactileinformationsuchastouch,pressure,temperature,andpain.Thegreymatterinthecerebellumisrelatedtomotorcontrol,balance,coordination,andautomaticmovements.Thethreesectionsofgreymatterinthespinalcordallalsoservetheirownfunctions.Theanteriorgreycolumninthespinalcordisimportantforallmotormovementsasitconnectstothebrainthroughapathwaycalledthepyramidaltractwhichoriginatesinthecerebralcortex.Theposteriorgreycolumnofthespinalcordplaysanimportantfunctioninreceivingsensorysignals,allowingfortheconstantinteractionbetweentheenvironmentandthebody.Theposteriorgreycolumnislocatedproximatetothesurfaceofthespinewhichmakesiteasierfornervestosendsignals.Thelateralgreycolumnofthespinalcord,whichisfoundinthemiddleofthegreymatterofthespinalcord,isimportantforregulatingtheautonomicnervoussystemthroughitsroleinactivatingthesympatheticnervoussystem.Thismeansithelpstostimulatethebody’sinvoluntaryresponsestostressfulsituationssuchasacceleratingheartrateandsendingextrabloodtothemuscles.GreyMatterDisordersAsgreymattercoversmanyareasofthecentralnervoussystemandistheoutermostlayertothebrainspecifically,thismakesitsusceptibletobeingdamaged.Oneofthemostprevalentmedicalproblemsinvolvinggreymatteroccurswhenthereisaplaquebuildupinoneormoreareasofthegreymatterinthebrain.Thisplaquetakesupthespacethatwouldhavebeenwheretherewasoncegreymatter,meaningtherewouldbeadecreaseinhigherfunctioningasaresult.Iftheplaquecontinuestogrow,thiscancauseasignificantdeclineincognitivefunctionsandalossofmemory,knownasAlzheimer’sdisease. Asidefromalossincognitivefunctioning,greymatterdeclinecanleadtomotorfunctionissuessuchaslosingcontroloffinemotorskills.ThedecreaseinmotorfunctioncouldcontributetotheuncontrollableshakingthatisasymptomofParkinson’sDisease.Thesediseasesthatcausealossofneuronswhichmakeupthegreymatterarecalledneurodegenerativediseases.Traumatothecentralnervoussystemcouldalsoplayaroleincreatingissuesthatstemfromgreymatter.Asthecellsinthegreymatterrequireaconstanthighstreamofoxygentofunctionnormally,anytraumasuchasfallingandhittingtheheadatforcecouldcutoffthissupplyofoxygen.Ifthereisnooxygenreachingthegreymatter,thiscancausethecellstodieandresultinirreversiblebraindamageandlossoffunction. Damagetothecerebralcortexingeneralcanresultinavarietyofsymptomsdependingontheareathatdamageoccurs.Damagetotheparietallobecouldresultindifficultieswritingorbeingunabletowritealtogether,oraninabilitytodiscriminatebetweensensoryinformation.Damagetothetemporallobesmayresultindifficultieswithcomprehendingspeech,aggression,ormemoryloss.Damagetotheoccipitallobescouldresultinproblemswithsight,inabilitytoseecolour,orcausehallucinations.Damagetothefrontallobescouldresultinpersonalitychanges,attentionalproblems,andhasbeenlinkedtodepressivedisorders.Damagetothegreymatterofthecerebellumcouldresultincoordinationdifficulties,issueswithbalance,andbeingunabletoperformvoluntarymovementssmoothly.HowtoStrengthenGreyMatterForthosewhohaveexperienceddamagetotheirgreymater,perhapsfromtrauma,younginfantsandchildrenoftenhavethebetteroutcomesthanadults.Thisisbecausetheirneuralsystemsarestilldevelopingandaremoreadaptablethanadult’s.AlthoughtheremaynotbeanyproventreatmentsforgreymatterdiseasessuchasAlzheimer’sandParkinson’sdisease,therearesomelifestylechangesthatcouldbeadoptedtohelpkeepgreymatterstrengthenedandpotentiallylowertheriskofdevelopingneurodegenerativediseases:Meditationandmindfulness Physicalactivity,specificallyaerobicexerciseGameswhichcanstimulateproblem-solving,attentionandcreativityMaintaininganuninterruptedsleepingpatternEatingahealthydietwithplentyofvitaminsAvoidingalcoholandothermind-alteringsubstancesWearingahelmetwhencompletingactivitiessuchascyclingsoastoavoiddamagetothebrainHobbieswhichcantrainfinemotorskillssuchascalligraphy,knitting,orpaintingLearningnewskillsorlearningnewinformationtostimulatethemindInterestingly,therehavebeenagrowingnumberofstudieswhichhavesuggestedthatelectroconvulsivetherapy(ECT)maystimulateneuroplasticeffectsongreymatter.Specifically,inastudybyCamillerietal.(2020),theydetectedgreymattervolumeincreasesinthemedialtemporallobeaftertreatmentofECThadfinished.Thiscouldbeapossibletreatmentinthefutureforthosewhohavesufferedlossordegenerationofgreymatterbutrequiresfurtherresearch.AbouttheAuthorOliviaGuy-EvansobtainedherundergraduatedegreeinEducationalPsychologyatEdgeHillUniversityin2015.Shethenreceivedhermaster’sdegreeinPsychologyofEducationfromtheUniversityofBristolin2019.OliviahasbeenworkingasasupportworkerforadultswithlearningdisabilitiesinBristolforthelastfouryears.Howtoreferencethisarticle:Howtoreferencethisarticle:Guy-Evans,O.(2021,Oct11).Greymatterinthebrain.SimplyPsychology.www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-grey-matter-in-the-brain.htmlReferencesCamilleri,J.A.,Hoffstaedter,F.,Zavorotny,M.,Zöllner,R.,Wolf,R.C.,Thomann,P.,Redlich,R.,Opel,N.,Dannlowski,U.,Grozinger,M.,Demirakca,T.,Sartorius,A.,Eickhoff,S.B.&Nickl-Jockschat,T.(2020).Electroconvulsivetherapymodulatesgreymatterincreaseinahubofanaffectprocessingnetwork.NeuroImage:Clinical,25,102114.Mercadante,A.A.,&Tadi,P.(2020).Neuroanatomy,GrayMatter.HydrocephalusAssociation.(2015,January29).What’stheMatter?https://www.hydroassoc.org/whats-the-matter/Robertson,Sally.(2018,August23).WhatisGreyMatter?.News-Medical.RetrievedonSeptember01,2021fromhttps://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Grey-Matter.aspx.Bailey,R.(2020,February5).WhatDoestheBrain’sCerebralCortexDo?ThoughtCo.https://www.thoughtco.com/anatomy-of-the-brain-cerebral-cortex-373217RelatedArticlesCentralNervousSystem Schmahmann,J.D.,&Pandya,D.N.(2007).Cerebralwhitematter—historicalevolutionoffactsandnotionsconcerningtheorganizationofthefiberpathwaysofthebrain.JournaloftheHistoryoftheNeurosciences,16(3),237-267. 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