Basal Ganglia Flashcards
Signs and symptoms associated with lesions to basal ganglia
Akinesia, bradykinesia, rigidity, abnormal postural adjustments, dyskinesia
Types of dyskinesia
Tremor Correa Hemiballismus Athetosis Dystonia Myoclonus Tics
Akinesia
Hesitancy in initiating a movement
Bradykinesia
Slow less with which the movement is executed
Rigidity
Tone in all muscles acting on a joint is increased
Not velocity dependent
Lead pipe or cogwheel
Tremors
Rhythmic, involuntary oscillatory movements at rest
Chorea
Rapid, irregular muscle jerks that occur involuntarily and unpredictably
Hemiballosmus
Violent, flailing movements on one side
Athetosis
Abnormally slow, sinuous, writhing
Dystonia
Persistent posture of a body part
Myoclonus
Sudden, rapid, twitch like contractions
Tic
Sudden, recurrent, coordinated abnormal movements (verbal, motor)
Hyperkinetic disorders
Impairment to excitatory effect exhibited by STN
Hypokinetic disorders
Increase inhibition of thalamus
Can be by decrease of dopamine in striatum
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Degeneration of the dopamine neurons in the SN resulting in an increase in the output of the BG to the thalamus leading to tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia
Parkinson Disease Symptoms
- resting tremor
- rigidity
- akinesia
- bradykinesia
- makes facial expression
- ambulation- stooped/flexed posture, shuffling, lack of arm swing, may festinate
Huntingtons disease
Degeneration of striata neurons
Inherited
Progressive
Causes of Huntington Disease
Loss of specific sets of cholinergic and GABAergic neurons in the striatum
Inherited
Cognitive dysfunction and eventual dementia may be due to cortical neuron damage or cognitive portions of BG
Symptoms of huntingtons disease
- first signs can be absent mindedness, irritability, depression
- uncontrolled movements gradually increase until the person is confined to bed or wheelchair
- speech is slurred at first then incomprehensible then stops
- cognitive functions deteriorate and eventually the ability to reason disappears
