Basal Ganglia Disorders Flashcards
1
Q
What causes Parkinson Disease?
A
- neurons from substantia nigra pars compacta do not release enough Dopa onto basal ganglia and die
- idiopathic! (dont know what causes)
- head trauma, encephalitis lethargica
- drug induced (neuroleptics- Dopa blocking)
- Wilson disease
- rigidity plus other deficits in multiple neurodegenerative diseases)
2
Q
Symptoms of Parkinson Disease?
A
- resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia (slow movement) or hypokinesia (decreasing range of movement)
- may affect walking, speech, even facial expression
- visuo perceptive impairments
- postural instability and dementia
- average onset at 60 years
3
Q
Treatment of Parkinson Disease?
A
drugs to increase Dopa levels (or to prevent its breakdown) or removal of part of globus pallidus to slow tremors
4
Q
What causes Huntington’s?
A
- degeneration of neurons in striatum (causate and putamen) and cerebral cortex resulting in decreased GABA
- loss of medium-sized spiny stellate neurons (GABA)
- AD hereditary
- Group A strep! or Lupus erythematous
- drug induced
- thyrotoxicosis
5
Q
What are symptoms of Huntington’s?
A
- average onset at 45 years
- involuntary, jerky, rapid movements and dementia (HYPERkinetic)
- may have increased/decreased muscle tone, unsteady gait, slurred speech, irregular breathing, trouble with tongue protrusion
TX: tetrabenzine (serotonin agonist)
6
Q
Chorea
A
spontaneous, rapid, jerky arrhythmic involuntary movements
7
Q
Athetosis
A
- inability to sustain body part in one position
- movements are writhing or snake-like
8
Q
Ballismus
A
- flailing, flinging movement of whole extremity
- lesions of the contralateral subthalamic nucleus
hemiballismus = 1 side, contralateral of lesion
9
Q
Dystonia
A
persistence or fixing of the posture at the extreme of a movement of either extremities or the trunk
writters cramp = stuck at the end of a movement
