Additional Clinical Correlates of the Basal Ganglia

Question 1

What does the term Parkinsonisms mean??

Answer 1

describes symptoms involving any combination of resting tremor, muscular rigidity, bradykinesia and impaired postural reflexes

Question 2

What are some examples of Parkinsonisms?

Answer 2

1) Drug Induced Parkinsonism (block D2 receptors or depletes dopamine stores)
2) Vascular Parkinsonism (Strokes affecting the basal ganglia)
3) Repetitive Head Trauma-Dementia Pugilistica ( boxing like injury)
4) Postencephalitic Parkinsonism ( virally-induced degeneration of SNc)

Question 3

Types of Choreas??

Answer 3

1) Sydenham’s Chorea (autoimmune) –> inflammation of the basal ganglia several months after rheumatic fever
2) Drug Induced Chorea –> L-dopa, anticonvulsants or antipsychotics
enhance dopaminergic transmission

Question 4

There are six types of drugs for parkinsons disease, each card will go through one. 1 —>

Answer 4

1) L-dopa –> increases the rate of dopamine synthesis in the remaining neurons of the SNc

Question 5

2nd type of drug for parkinsons disease?

Answer 5

2) Dopamine Agonists —> most common include Bromocriptine and Pergolide

Question 6

3rd type of drug for parkinsons disease?

Answer 6

3) Dugs that enhance Dopamine Release –> be careful this can cause psychiatric side effects

Question 7

4th type of drug for parkinsons disease?

Answer 7

4) MAO inhibitors —> blocks dopamine breakdown

Question 8

5th type of drug for parkinsons disease?

Answer 8

5) COMT inhibitors —>inhibit the breakdown of dopamine

Question 9

6th type of drug for parkinsons disease?

Answer 9

6) Anticholinergic Drugs –> Stimulates cholinergic interneurons found between the SNc neurons and the Striatum.

Question 10

what are some surgical options for parkinsons?

Answer 10

Bilateral stereotaxic surgical lesion of STN
Bilateral Stereotaxic surgical lesion of GPi
Stereotaxic surgical lesion of the thalamus
deep brain stimulation (decrease GPi inhibitory influence on the thalamus)