15) Disorders that cause homeostatic imbalances in the nervous system

Question 1

What is an autoimmune disease that causes progressive destruction of myelin sheaths surrounding neurons in the CNS?

Answer 1

multiple sclerosis (MS)

Question 2

What is a disease characterized by short, recurrent attacks of motor, sensory, or psychological malfunction?

Answer 2

epilepsy

Question 3

T/F

Epilepsy affects motor, sensory, psychological, and intelligence functions

Answer 3

False -

Epilepsy affects all of these except intelligence (almost never impacts intelligence)

Question 4

What is the cause of MS?

Answer 4

Unclear. May be genetic susceptibility and environmental factors

Question 5

What are some causes of epilepsy?

Answer 5

• brain damage at birth
• metabolic disturbances (hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, uremia, hypoxia)
• infections (encephalitis, meningitis)
• toxins (ETOH, tranqs, hallucinogens)
• vascular disturbances (hemorrhage, hypotension)
• head injuries
• tumors and abcesses in brain
• fever (most common in children under 2)

Question 6

T/F

Most epileptic seizures have no demonstrable cause

Answer 6

True

Question 7

What is the most common cause of epilepsy?

Answer 7

brain damage at birth

Question 8

What causes epilepsy?

Answer 8

initiated by abnormal, synchronous electrical discharges from millions of neurons in the brain

Question 9

T/F

Epilepsy is initiated by abnormal, asynchronous electrical discharges from millions of neurons in the brain.

Answer 9

False - SYNCHRONOUS

Question 10

T/F

Epilepsy may be caused by abnormal reverberating circuits

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Why do skeletal muscles contract involuntary in epilepsy, and why can people sense light, noise, or smells with the eyes, ears and nose when they haven’t been stimualted?

Answer 11

Because the abnormal, synchronous electrical discharges from millions of neurons in the brain stimulate many neurons to send nerve impulses over their pathways

Question 12

Describe the difference between partial and generalized seizures

Answer 12

Partial seizures begin in small area on one side of brain and produce milder symptoms

Generalized seizures involve larger areas on both sides of brain and loss of consciousness

Question 13

What type of seizure, generalized or partial, results in the loss of consciousness?

Answer 13

Generalzied

Question 14

T/F

Partial seizures result in the loss of consciousnessa

Answer 14

False - generalized

Question 15

What happens in MS?

Answer 15

In multiple regions, the myelin sheaths deteriorate to scleroses, which are hardened scars or plaques. The destruction of myelin sheath slows and then short-circuits propagation of nerve impulses