44 Acute Disorders of Brain Function Flashcards
Mechanisms of Brain Injury
1 Ischemia + Hypoxia 2 Cellular Energy Failure 3 Excitatory Amino Acids 4 Reperfusion Injury 5 Incr Intracranial Pressure [ICP] 6 Brain Compression + Herniation
Ischemia
- decr. blood flow
- results in immediate neurologic dysfunction
- —-due to inability of neurons to generate ATP needed for energy-requiring processes
ischemia + hypoxia
- usually occurs together
- isch is decr bf
- hypox is decr O2 ay cell lvl
Neuronal Tissue
- highly sensitive to O2 deprivation
- has great ATP requirement
- has limited capacity for anaerobic metab during ischemia
Cellular Energy Failure
after 5-10min w/o O2: irreversible brain damage
—bc neuronal tissue is dependent on glucose for ATP production + stores v little glycogen
Cellular Energy Failure
2 mechanisms
1 anaerobic metabolism
2 deterioration of ion gradient
glutamate is an…
excitotoxin aka excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter
—important in learning/memory
Excitatory Amino Acids
brain injury
excessive glutamate may be released bc of impaired membrane integrity
-reuptake mechanism fail to remove excess glutamate bc they are energy-dependant process
excess glutamate/excitatory amino acid
effect
excess stimulates nearby neurons that then take up large amounts of injurious Ca ions
-causes Ca overload injury
Ca overload injury
cytotoxic edema + swelling
–due to excess glutamate
Reperfusion Injury
when O2 re-enters cells, can produce reactive O2 products that act as free radicals
free radical examples
hydroxyl radicals
superoxide
peroxide
in brain cell injury, ischemia leads to…
1 hypoxia>mitochondrial failure>decr ATP>Ca overload>free radical>cell death
2 reperfusion injury>immune cells> cell death
3 glutamate release> open NMDA channels> Ca overload> free rad> cell death
Volume of Cranium
3 components
1 brain tissue
2 cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]
3 blood
NORMAL Intracranial Pressure [ICP]
0-15 mmHg
Increased ICP can occur w…
1 space-occupying lesions
2 vasogenic or cytotoxic edema
3 obstruction of CSF
4 excessive production of CSF
3 types of Increased ICP causes
1 INCR brain tissue vol
2 INCR CSF vol
3 INCR blood vol
papilledema
edema of optic disk
-may occur due to INCR ICP
Increased ICP
s/s
- headache
- altered lvl of consciousness/drowsiness
- vomit
- blurry vision
- papilledema
as ICP rises…
- compression of neural tissue + blood vessels
- DECR lvl of consciousness
- IMPAIRED pupil responsiveness to light
- altered resp patterns
- unresponsive to stimuli
- unable to move, verbalize, or open eyes
Herniation
protrusion of brain tissue thry an opening in the supporting dura of the brain
–deadly
Level of Consciousness [LOC]
state of alertness + attentiveness to one’s enviro + situation
-change in LOC is most sensitive indicator of altered brain function
most sensitive indicator of altered brain function
LOC
-may fluctuate so important to monitor + treat changes
Coma
complete loss of consciousness
Glasgow Coma Scale
standardized tool for assessing LOC in acutely brain-injured persons
-numeric scores given to arousal-directed responses of eye opening, verbal utterance, + motor rxn
Glasgow Coma Scale
mild, moderate, severe
mild: >12
mod: 9-12
sevr: <8
Glasgow Coma Scale
motor responses
-most powerful predictor of patient outcome based on: -decorticate posturing -abnormal flexor -decerebrate posturing -abnormal extension
Pupil Reflex
indicates function of brainstem + CN II + III
-change in size, shape, + reactivity of pupil is early indicator of ICP + possible brain herniation
Oculovestibular Reflex
- doll’s eyes maneuver entails rotating the patients head fr side to side
- —NORMALLY eyes turn in the opposite direction of head rotation
- impaired reflex implies brainstem dysfunction
leading cause of death + disability in U.S.
traumatic brain injury [TBI]
how are most head injuries incurred?
- transportation-related accidents
- falls
- fire
- arms
- sports accidents