A/P Unit 3 Flashcards
What are the arteries that supply the brain?
The internal carotids (2) and the vertebral arteries (2)
What, other than the brain, does the internal carotid perfuse?
Top of the head, top of the forehead
What does the term “a very protected system” indicate for the internal carotid artery?
It gets what it wants, meaning if it wants more blood flow, it will get it. It can “override” other bodily demands for blood
What is the range for brain blood flow? Typical resting number?
750 - 900 ml/min, resting is 750 mmHg
What percentage of CO does the brain consume?
15%
How is the energy divvied up between white/grey matter?
Grey matter = 80%
White matter = 20%
What is the vast majority of energy spent doing?
Ion movement, running the pumps, or use the term “electrophysiology”
What is the process of brain blood flow changing in response to MAP?
Autoregulation
What is the usual set point, LLA and ULA of BBF, also define those terms.
set point = 100 mmHg
LLA = lower limit of autoregulation
ULA = upper limit of autoregulation
BBF = brain blood flow
the range is 65 - 150 mmHG
What happens as map decreases, what is the relationship if you go past LLA?
Cranial vessels dilate to allow more blood to flow in. If you go past LLA, there is a linear relationship to BBF and Map (both go down on a linear rate)
What happens as map increases, what is the relationship if you go past ULA?
Cranial vessels constrict to limit blood flow. If you go past ULA, there is a linear relationship to BBF and Map (both go up on a linear rate)
Why is having a chronic setpoint of 120 mmHg bad?
Because LLA increases (now 85 instead of 65) meaning if something catastrophic happens (such as an MI) the blood vessels can’t relax as much as they should, which will limit BBF
What other tissues than the brain exhibit autoregulation?
Spinal cord, kidneys
What circulation has no adrenergic receptors?
Cerebral circulation
What is the term for blood vessels constricting in response to changes in MAP independent of neurotransmitters?
Myogenic constriction
Give a basic description of the circle of willis
It is a circle that allows several arteries in the brain to “communicate” with each other. Its a kind of fail safe system, if something goes wrong, then the collateral circulation can pick up the slack until the problem gets fixed.
What artery provides the greatest portion of blood to the brain?
MCA
What are the 3 main cerebral arteries?
Anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery and posterior cerebral artery (ACA, MCA, and PCA)
What artery eventually turns into the MCA? Where are they in terms of the circle of willis?
Internal carotids, roughly the “middle” of the circle
Describe nomenclature for circle of willis arteries
1 means pre-communicating, 2 means post communicating (communicating meaning before the little bridges that complete the circle). So the anterior cerebral artery, A1 = pre communicating, A2 = post communicating. For the posterior, P1 = pre communicating, P2 = post communicating. The MCA does not have any special nomenclature.
When is an artery no longer a part of the circle of willis?
When it becomes post-communicating
What are the 3 main blood vessels feeding into (but not a part of) the circle of willis?
The basilar artery and the internal carotids (2).
What are the 3 main arteries of the cerebellum?
The superior cerebellar artery, the anteroinferior cerebellar artery, and the posteroinferior cerebellar artery
What artery is the progenitor of the superior and anteroinferior cerebellar arteries?
The basilar artery
What artery is the progenitor of the posteroinferior artery?
The vertebral arteries
What is CPP? How does it impact blood flow to the head?
Cerebral perfusion pressure, and a high CCP will decrease how much blood gets up to the head.
What is the formula to calculate CPP?
Map - ICP, so for example, 100 - 10 = 90, which would be the cerebral perfusion pressure
What is CRMO? What is its relationship to BBF?
Cerebral metabolic rate, generally a direct relationship. If CRMO goes up, generally, BBF does as well to provide nutrients
How does a CO2 increase affect BBF?
It increases it, CO2 disassociates into bicarb and protons this increase in waste products will increase CRMO and BBF
What is a way to decrease CRMO?
Hypothermia
How much does therapeutic hypothermia decrease O2 demand?
6 - 7% per 1 degree drop in Celsius
What is the relationship of BBF and dissolved CO2 (PaCO2)? What actually drives the change in BBF?
Generally direct. While the trend does follow the change in PaCO2 (both go up or both go down) it is actually the protons that drive the change
How much does BBF change to each 1 mmHg change in PaCO2?
2 - 4% in either direction
What is a temporary measure to reduce ICP? How long does it last?
Hyperventilate, 6 hours
What drugs mentioned in lecture can increase BBF?
NO, ketamine
Describe the relationship of volatile anesthetics to BBF/CRMO, why is the net change negligible?
So they are potent vasodilators (which would increase BBF), but at the same time, the decrease CRMO. This combination of effects kind of neutralize each other. However, at high doses, the vasodilatory effect wins
Give examples of cerebral vasoconstrictors
Serotonin, Propofol, barbiturates, hyperthermia
How much blood flow does the anterior spinal artery take? The posterior spinal arteries?
75%, and 12.5% each for a total of 25%
What is the name for arteries that run in-between the ribs? What is their purpose?
Intercostal arteries, and to feed into the posterior/anterior spinal arteries.
Describe what happens to the intercostal artery coming off the thoracic aorta
It extends towards the back, then splits. One goes towards anterior/posterior spinal artery, the other becomes the dorsal branch (perfuses the back), which can then split into the spinal branch
Where does the spinal branch artery terminate? What happens after termination?
Generally in the dorsal root ganglion, however from this point it can split and extend into the spinal cord, making them radicular arteries
Describe the general occurrence per level in the spinal cord, of feed arteries
You may have one on the left or right side, but they rarely occur on both sides of a level at the same time.
Give the common term used in lecture to describe feed arteries
Radicular arteries
What is the most important feed artery?
The artery of Adamkiewicz, or the GRA (great radicular artery)
What is the primary function of the GRA?
Provides blood supply for the bottom 2/3 of the cord, primarily the anterior cord
How long can the cord survive occlusion of the GRA? What is the most likely outcome if this timeframe is exceeded?
30 minutes, and motor paralysis
What procedure puts you at risk for motor paralysis due to intentional GRA occlusion?
Aortic aneurysm repair
In general, where are the locations for feed arteries?
C3/4, C5/6, C7/T1, T3/4, T11/12
Why is there minimal chance of paralysis of the upper extremities if you clamp the aorta?
Because you have feed arteries coming off the vertebral arteries that should be able to keep perfusing the top 1/3 of the cord
What is the range of vertebrae that the GRA can enter? What is the most common range in the population, and what percentage of them fall within the common range?
Total range: T5 - L5
Common range: T9 - T12
Common range occurrence: 75%
What is the origin for the posterior spinal arteries?
The vertebral arteries and the posteroinferior cerebellar artery and the radicular arteries
What is the origin for the anterior spinal artery?
The vertebral arteries and radicular arteries
What would be a good target map to try and over perfuse when the aorta is clamped?
150 mmHg
What arm will you place an art-line for any case that involves aortic clamping?
Right arm
What are the ULA and LLA for the spinal cord?
50 - 125 mmHg
What determines flow rate in the spinal cord?
Distal aortic pressure - CSF pressure
What could you do to improve spinal cord perfusion without changing BP?
Decrease CSF
What does CSF spike up to during an aortic aneurysm repair?
20
Why do you overperfuse the cord during cross clamp?
The goal is that the high map will hopefully get down to the radicular arteries and provide collateral circulation while the aorta is clamped
Why are sensory cell bodies easier to perfuse than motor?
Sensory cell bodies are outside of the cord in ganglia, motor cell bodies are physically inside the cord
Describe what happens during reperfusion injury
Cells that have been hypoxic suddenly get oxygen again. The problem is the cell isn’t ready to handle the sudden influx, and oxygen is a potent oxidation agent. This can actually harm the inside of the cell and cause damage.
Describe the rate of oxygen delivery to an average cell.
The delivery is generally the same as the rate of consumption
What is lateral inhibition?
The ability of a neuron to affect their neighbor, even if its a different kind of neuron
Give an example of lateral inhibition
You injure a body part, this causes pain. When you apply pressure, the pressure neurons can “turn off” nearby pain neurons. This is why we reflexively try to grab at an injured body part, because we instinctively know that pressure could help reduce the pain.
What homeotherapy is based off the principles of lateral inhibition?
Acupuncture
What tract does pain run parallel to?
The DCML pathway
During lateral inhibition, what type of fiber inhibits the pain fiber?
A-beta fibers
Why is a laminectomy a temporary fix? How does it create a vicious cycle?
Because eventually the loss of bone creates instability in the spine, and will require fusion. The problem with fusion, is that the vertebrae just above/below the fusion will wear down, and they themselves will eventually need fusion. Generally, each surgery is good for 5 - 10 years.
According to Dr. Schmidt, who should you see to have a back surgery done?
A neurosurgeon rather than an ortho one.
What stretches are good to help promote lower spine stability?
Hamstring stretches
Which reflexes are localized to one side of the spinal cord?
Stretch, tendon and withdrawal reflexes
Which reflex involves both sides of the cord?
Crossed extensor reflexes
Which reflex relies on direct connections only?
Stretch reflexes
Which reflexes rely on interneurons?
Tendon, withdrawal and crossed extensor reflexes
Which reflex is the most complex?
Crossed extensor
What reflex makes use of information gathered by the golgi bodies and muscle spindles?
The stretch reflex
Describe the goal/process of the stretch reflex
Its goal is to keep the muscles at a constant length. It can manipulate extending/relaxing muscle groups to accomplish this. If someone pushes you off balance, the quads to stretch, in response this reflex would try to get the quads to contract or relax to keep them at the same length
Describe what happens to the quads and the antagonistic muscle if the quads are contracting
The quads contract in response to a stimulus. To augment this, we can have the antagonistic muscle do the opposite, which would be the hamstrings relaxing
What is the goal of the tendon reflex?
To prevent injury, keep tendons attached to their insertion points
What happens during the tendon reflex if tensions gets to dangerous levels?
In the emergency situation, these reflexes will do everything they can to get the muscle to relax to prevent injury. It would accomplish this using an inhibitory interneuron. So step 1: get the quad to relax. Step 2:, get the antagonistic muscle to contract (hamstring).
What is a unique feature that withdrawal and crossed extensor reflexes share?
The ability of pain signals to go up/down levels in the spinal cord via the tract of Lissauer
Describe what happens during the withdrawal reflex
You have an unpleasant stimuli and want to pull your foot away. The quad relaxed and the hamstrings flex to pull the foot away.
Why is it advantageous for pain information to go up/down levels via the tract of Lissauer?
This allows a single stimuli (such as pain) to recruit numerous muscles to participate in a reflex in a short period of time
Describe what happens during a crossed extensor reflex?
So you have a painful stimuli mid stride and the body wants to stabilize itself. It pulls the right leg away (relaxing extensors and exciting flexors) and extending the left leg for stabilization (exciting extensors, relaxing flexors).
Where do neurons cross over during a crossed extensor reflex?
Lamina X
What is a pain receptor called?
A nocioceptor
What senses (other than pain) are sensed by free nerve endings?
Crude pressure and temperature
Describe how cellular death could elicit a pain response
The cell dies and releases all of its intracellular contents. There is a lot of K in the cell. This massive release of K could raise the Vrm of nearby pain sensors, making it easier to send of pain APs
Per lecture, why would a dialysis pt be more likely to report pain?
They have a buildup of inflammatory markers and waste products. So if K and acids are hanging around, they can elicit pain signals.