Basal Ganglia Flashcards
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by abnormal tone and posture including choreoathetoid movements?
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by early onset gait unsteadiness, axial rigidity, freezing of gait, a tendency to fall backwards, and inability to control gaze (particularly vertical gaze)?
Progressive supranuclear palsy
Basal Ganglia Loops:
Goal-Directed Behavior
What does it regulate?
- decision making
- planning
- choosing actions in context
Dystonia:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hyperkinetic
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by hypokinesia affecting the upper body combined with rigidity and/or resting tremor, and possibly eventual unsteadiness, freezing of gait, and mask-like facial expression?
Parkinson’s disease
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by early cognitive decline, visual hallucinations, rigidity, shuffling gait, tremors, apathy, and depression?
Lewy body dementia
(Note: these symptoms may all be present with Parkinson’s disease, with the primary difference being they occur earlier with Lewy body dementia, later with Parkinson’s.)
Progressive supranuclear palsy:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hypokinetic
Which basal ganglia loop regulates:
- decision making
- planning
- choosing actions in context
Goal-Directed Bahavior Loop
Lewy body dementia:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hypokinetic
Basal Ganglia Loops:
Oculomotor Loop
What does it regulate?
- visuospatial awareness/attention
- eye movements
(think of reflexive prosaccades,
directing the eyes to quickly move
across words on a page)
Huntington’s Disease:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hyperkinetic
Deficits in which basal ganglia loop could lead to
facial masking and flat affect?
Emotion/Limbic Loop
Which basal ganglia loop regulates:
- social approval recognition
- self-regulation
- maintenance of attention
- stimulus-response learning (perform a particular behavior when a certain stimulus is present)
Social Behavior Loop
Basal Ganglia Loops:
Motor Loop
What does it regulate?
(The Four M’s)
- Muscle contraction
- Muscle force
- Multi-joint movement
- Movement sequencing
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hyperkinetic
Basal Ganglia Loops:
Emotion/Limbic
What does it regulate?
- reward-seeking
- addictive behaviors
- integrating emotions and facial expression
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by abrupt, repetitive, stereotyped movement including vocal and motor tics?
Tourette syndrome
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by involuntary sustained muscle contractions that cause abnormal postures or twisting and/or repetitive movements?
Dystonia
Tourette syndrome:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hyperkinetic
Multiple system atrophy:
Hypokinetic or Hyperkinetic?
Hypokinetic
Which basal ganglia loop regulates:
- reward-seeking
- addictive behaviors
- integration of emotions and facial expression
Emotion/Limbic Loop
Basal Ganglia Loops:
Social Behavior
What does it regulate?
- social approval recognition
- self-regulation
- maintenance of attention
- stimulus-response learning (perform a particular behavior when a certain stimulus is present)
Which basal ganglia disorder is characterized by akinesia/hypokinesia, rigidity, dysarthria, truncal and gait ataxia (narrow based), and autonomic dysfunction?
Multiple System Atrophy
(Note: this is distinguished from Parkinson’s by the presence of cerebellar signs - dysarthria typified by a quivering voice, ataxia - and a more rapid progression of the disease. Autonomic dysfunction may include orthostatic hypotension, erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, occurring earlier in cases of MSA than with PD.)
Deficits in which basal ganglia loop could lead to problems with distractibility, poor concentration, and poor short term memory?
Goal-Directed Behavior Loop
Deficits in which basal ganglia loop could lead to
impulsivity and poor judgement?
Social Behavior Loop
