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P2 Head, Neck and Neuro > Brain, head injury and adjustment to chronic disability > Flashcards

Brain, head injury and adjustment to chronic disability Flashcards

1
Q

What are the functions of the frontal lobe?

A

Movement

Decision-making, Problem-solving

Concentration, Learning, Intellect

Language, Word associations

Memory for habits and activities

Abstract reasoning and planning

Control over emotional response

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2
Q

What are the main divisions of the frontal lobe?

A

Prefrontal cortex - planning of complex cognitive behaviours, personality expression

Premotor cortex

Primary motor cortex

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3
Q

What are the functions of parietal lobe?

A

Tactile sensory information

Somatosensory cortex

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4
Q

What are the functions of the occipital lone?

A

Visual processing and perception

Primary visual cortex

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5
Q

What are the functions of the temporal lobe?

A

Structures of the limbic system - olfactory cortex, amygdala and the hippocampus, organisation of sensory input, auditory perception, language and speech production, memory association and formation, sense of identity, behaviour

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6
Q

What are the compartments of brainstem?

A
  • Medulla oblongata
  • Pons
  • Midbrain
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7
Q

Describe thalamus

A

Dual lobed mass of grey matter buried under the cerebral cortex

Connection between brainstem and cerebral cortex

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8
Q

Describe hypothalamus

A

Control centre for autonomic functions of the PNS

Connects to the endocrine NS

Directly influences the pituitary gland

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9
Q

What are the functions of the cerebellum and where is it located?

A

Regulation and coordination of movement, posture, muscle tone and balance

In inferior cranial fossa

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10
Q

What structures does the Tentorium Cerebelli divide?

A

Occipital lobes and cerebellum from the rest of the brain

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11
Q

What does the Falx Cerebri divide?

A

The cerebral hemispheres

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12
Q

Describe amygdala and its location

A

Almond-shaped groups of neurones located deep within the medial temporal lobes - processing memory of emotional reactions

Part of the limbic system - emotion, behaviour, long-term memory

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13
Q

What is the relation of the middle meningeal artery to the meningeal layers?

A

Found between dura and the skull - travels close by the the pterion is often damaged in skull fractures

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14
Q

What is the relationship of the cerebral arteries to the meningeal layers and spaces?

A

In the subarachnoid space

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15
Q

Describe the circle of Willis starting with the vertebral arteries?

A

The two vertebral arteries fuse to form the basilar artery - basilar artery branches: pontine a, superior cerebellar, posterior cerebral, anterior inferior cerebellar

Splits into 2 posterior communicating a - into these feed, the internal carotid a - gives of middle cerebral and anterior cerebral

The anterior cerebral arteries are connected by the anterior communicating artery

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16
Q

What is the relations of the venous sinuses to the meninges and spaces?

A

Venous sinuses are found between the 2 layers of dura: the endosteal layer and the meningeal layer

They are found in the sulci of the brain

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17
Q

How would the blood drain from the superficial prefrontal cortex?

A

To one of superior cerebral veins –> superior sagittal sinus –> transverse sinus –> sigmoid sinus –> internal jugular vain

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18
Q

How would the blood drain from deep parietal lobe?

A

Into inferior sagittal sinus –> straight sinus –> transverse sinus –> sigmoid –> internal jugular v

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19
Q

What is the Great cerebral vein (of Galen) and where does it drain?

A

Deep within the brain - close to the basal ganglia

Drains into the straight sinus

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20
Q

What is the cavernous sinus, what it contains, where it drains to and how many are they?

A

Sinus deep within the brain, drains the eyes, temporal lobes etc.

Contains some of the cranial nerves - I, III, IV, V

Drains to sigmoid sinus 2 - one in each hemisphere

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21
Q

Define the pterion

A

Common site of injury to the middle meningeal artery

The site of connection of the parietal, frontal, squamous temporal bone and greater wing of sphenoid

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22
Q

What are the 3 types of Intracranial Hematoma?

A
  • Epidural Haematoma
  • Subdural Haematoma
  • Intracerebral Haematoma
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23
Q

Describe the ventricles of the brain superior to inferior

A

Anterior horns of lateral ventricles –> right and left lateral ventricles –> posterior horns of lateral ventricles –> temporal/inferior horn of lateral ventricle 3rd ventricle connects the lateral ventricles anteriorly and posteriorly

Connected to 4th ventricle by the aqueduct of the midbrain

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24
Q

What are the types of traumatic brain injury?

A

Primary and secondary –> primary usually leads to secondary

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25
Q

What is the difference between a primary and secondary head injury? - list types of each

A

Primary

  • caused by the impact
  • diffuse axonal injury
  • focal lesions like lacerations, contusions and haemorrhage

Secondary

  • an injury resulting from a process started by an impact
  • infection
  • hypoxia
  • cerebral swelling
  • ischemia
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26
Q

What are the types of primary brain injury?

A

Focal injuries (haematomas and contusion) Diffuse injuries

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27
Q

What are the common characteristics of intracranial Haematomas?

A

Slowly or rapidly progressing Progressively compressing brain structures and increasing ICP

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28
Q

What are the common signs and symptoms of focal injuries?

A

Localised to the site of impact Extent of damage is variable Symptoms: dependent on the area affected - weakness, headache

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29
Q

Describe the hallmarks of epidural haematoma

A

Collections of blood in the epidural space between cranium and the dura mater Vessels are susceptible to injury in skull fractures Mostly arterial bleeding - rapid and deterioration of function

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30
Q

Describe the hallmarks of subdural haematoma

A

Between dura and arachnoid mater Bridging vessels damaged Slower rate of formation (venous)

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31
Q

Describe the hallmarks of intracerebral haematoma

A

Within the brain matter and ventricles Common signs: severe headache followed by vomiting, collapse and coma

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32
Q

What are the characteristic distributions for cerebral contusions/polar injuries?

A
  • Orbital surface of the frontal lobes
  • Frontal poles
  • Around the lateral sulcus
  • Tips and inferior aspects of the temporal lobes
  • Occipital poles and the cerebellum
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33
Q

What is a cerebral contusion?

A

Focal brain damage resulting from contact between bony protuberances of the skull base - brain moves within the skull and crashes into the bone

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34
Q

What is concussion?

A

Temporary disturbance in brain function as a result of trauma

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35
Q

What are the signs and symptoms of concussion?

A

Symptoms; headache, dizziness, memory disturbance, balance problems Signs: loss of consciousness, seizure activity, irritability and poor performance

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36
Q

Describe diffuse injuries

A

Movement within the cranial cavity causes widespread neuronal damage - mostly as diffuse axonal injury

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37
Q

Describe diffuse axonal injury

A
  • Associated with coma - caused by stretching of axonal white matter resulting in function disruption - mostly microscopic damage caused by rotational acceleration of the brain - Axons, blood vessels, dendrites and glial cells are damaged
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38
Q

What are the changes caused by diffuse axonal injury on molecular level

A

Increased membrane permeability, marked influx of calcium, swelling of mitochondria, disruption of microtubules, alterations in axonal transport and accumulations of cytoskeletal components and membranous organelles –> axonal swelling within 3-6 hours

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39
Q

What is the subclassification of secondary brain injury?

A

Ischaemia, increased ICP and altered vascualar regulation, cerebral sweeping and infection - damage usually exceeds that of primary injury

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40
Q

What are the neurochemical changes caused by secondary brain injury?

A

Transient cell membrane disruption leading to a redistribution of ions and neurotransmitters - in acute phase there is release of glutamate from presynaptic terminal

Accumulation of intracellular Ca2+ which activates mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake –> oxidative stress and impair mitochondrial function

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41
Q

Describe the prevalence and symptoms of extradural haematoma

A
  • Young adults
  • Lucid interval
  • Deterioration
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42
Q

What is the fatality in subdural haematomas and what is the determinant?

A

20%

Elderly and coexisting brain swelling

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43
Q

What is the mortality of contusion injuries?

A

High, most common of fatal head injuries

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44
Q

What is the grading of diffuse axonal injuries?

A

Grade I - III

  • Grade I - cannot see anything microscopically
  • Grade III - poor outcome or fatal, had no lucid interval
45
Q

What can be ischaemia result of?

A

Raised ICP, hypoxaemia, reduced cerebral perfusion pressure

46
Q

What are the characteristics of brain swelling?

A
  • Adjacent to contusion
  • One hemisphere in adults
  • Most common to be fatal
  • Oedema - increased water content
  • Congestion - increase in blood volume
47
Q

What is diffuse vascular injury?

A

Multiple small haemorrhages Death within minutes of injury Spreads through white matter

48
Q

What happens in chronic subdural haematoma

A

Symptoms develop weeks after injury More common in older people because brain atrophy causes the brain to shrink away from the dura and stretch fragile bridging veins - These veins rupture, causing slow seepage of blood into the subdural space - Fibroblastic activity causes the haematoma to become capsulated - Sanguineous fluid in this encapsulated area has high osmotic pressure and draws in fluid from the surround subarachnoid space - Mass expands Æ exerts pressure on cranial contents

49
Q

What is the result of cerebral hypoperfusion and hypoxaemia?

A

Lack of O2 and nutrients essential for cellular functioning and survival leading to ischaemic cascade

50
Q

Describe the mechanism of ischaemic cascade

A
  1. Lack of oxygen – lack of ATP 2. Switch to anaerobic respiration producing lactic acid 3. Cell depolarisation 4. Calcium ions flow into cell – levels increase leading to ion pump failure 5. High calcium triggers release of glutamate 6. Glutamate triggers more calcium entry into cells 7. High calcium causes exotoxicity 8. Cell membrane broken down by phospholipases 9. Mitochondria break down 10. Apoptosis cascade initiated 11. Cell death – release of glutamate and toxins which affects nearby neurons Inflammatory response
51
Q

What three things determine intracranial pressure?

A

Pressure-volume relationships with brain tissues, CSF and blood in intracranial cavity Monro-Kellie hypothesis, relates to reciprocal changes among the intracranial volumes Compliance of the brain

52
Q

What are the percentages of brain tissue, blood and CSF within the skull?

A

Brain - 80% CSF- 10% Blood - 10%

53
Q

Define intracranial pressure

A

The pressure exerted by the essentially incompressible tissue and fluid volumes of the three compartments contained within the skull

54
Q

What is the normal intracranial pressure?

A

7 - 15 mmHg

55
Q

Explain the Monroe-Kellie hypothesis

A

Compensatory response, an increase in one component can be offset by a reduction of the other two, it is called compliance as changes in volume are accommodated for without change in pressure - limited due to the rigidity of the skull

56
Q

How does the volume can change to accommodate for increasing pressure?

A

Cerebral blood vessels can reduce volume via vasoconstriction CSF can move to the spinal cord In young children head circumference can increase

57
Q

Define cerebral perfusion pressure

A

CPP = MAP/BP - Intracranial pressure

58
Q

Define what is clouding of consciousness

A

Mild form of altered mental status in which the patient has inattention and reduced wakefulness

59
Q

Define confusional state

A

More profound, disorientation, bewilderment and difficulty following commands

60
Q

Define lethargy

A

Severe drowsiness, can be aroused by moderate stimuli and then drift back to sleep

61
Q

Define obtundation

A

lessened interest in the environment, slowed responses to stimulation, tends to sleep more with drowsiness in between sleep states

62
Q

Define stupor

A

only vigorous and repeated stimuli will arouse the individual, when left undisturbed, the patient will immediately lapse back to the unresponsive state

63
Q

Define coma

A

state of unarousable unresponsiveness

64
Q

What is the maximum scale in Glasgow Coma scale

A

15

65
Q

What are the areas of assessment in GCS

A

Eye opening Best motor response Best verbal response

66
Q

What are the grades in eye opening

A

4 - opens eyes spontaneously 3 - opens eyes to voice 2 - opens eyes to pain 1 - no eye opening

67
Q

What are the grades in best motor response

A

6 - obeys command 5 - localizes to pain 4 - withdraws to pain 3 - abnormal flexor response 2 - abnormal extensor response 1 - no movement

68
Q

What are the grades for best verbal response in GCS

A

5 - appropriate and oriented 4 - confused conversation 3 - inappropriate words 2 - incomprehensible sounds 1 - no sounds

69
Q

Define the classifications of results of GCS

A
  • Mild/Minor TBI: GCS 13-15; mortality 0.1% - Moderate TBI: GCS 9-12; mortality 10% - Severe TBI: GCS < 9; mortality 40%
70
Q

What is the acute management of head injury

A
  • Cardiopulmonary stabilisation is the first priory (Airway, Breathing, Circulation). Attention to the airway is vital, especially if there is potential damage to the respiratory centres in the medulla. - Check Disability - neurological examination → use GCS - Radiological screening (CT, MRI) must be quickly carried to find surgically correctable lesions. - Surgical intervention for depressed skull fractures, bleeding vessels and haematomas. - Management of ICP - craniectomy, CSF drainage devices. - Further therapy is individualised, seeking to maintain ICP, cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen utilisation within optimal ranges.
71
Q

If neurons don’t regenerate easily - how does almost complete recovery occur in most brain injury patients?

A

Neuronal plasticity - recovery of tissue that has only been partially damaged - adaptation of uninjured tissue to undertake some of the function of the damaged tissue

72
Q

What are the abilities of CNS for recovery?

A

Adult CNS neurones have limited ability to regenerate in contrast to PNS neurones → due to lack of factors which facilitate growth in the CNS and to the presence of factors which actively inhibit growth

73
Q

What does neural plasticity involve?

A

Rewiring of existing neurones into new functional networks and the addition of new formed neurones

74
Q

What are the long term outcomes of brain injury

A
  • TBIs are major causes of morbidity and disability, having severe psychosocial factors. Disability and longterm neurologic function depends on the severity and location of trauma. Possible consequences: - Cognitive impairment - Hemiparesis - weakness on entire left or right side of the body. - Epilepsy - neurological disorder characterised by sudden, recurrent sensory disturbances, loss of consciousness and convulsions, associated with abnormal electrical activity of the brain. - Post-Traumatic Syndrome - this describes the vague complaints of headache, - Chronic Subdural Haematoma - Hydrocephalus - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
75
Q

What can cause olfactory nerve dysfunction?

A

Neurological lesion - commonly trauma - fracture passing through ethmoid bone

76
Q

How do you test the optic nerve function?

A

Test for visual acuity, check visual fields and inspect optic disks Inspect size and shape of pupils - compare both sides - test reactions to light

77
Q

What are the different results you can get in a Weber’s test - and what do they mean.

A

Equal sound in both ears - normal hearing Sound louder in right - left sensorineural problem Sound louder in left - right sensorineural problem

78
Q

Does someone with an epidural heamatoma have a lucid period?

A

After the initial unconsciousness from the injury, they have a lucid period in which consciousness is regained.

79
Q

What happens after the lucid interval in an epidural heamatoma?

A

Rapidly developing unconsciousness and focal symptoms related to the area of brain involved

80
Q

Why are epidural haemorrhages more common in young people?

A

Because the dura mater is less firmly attached to the skull - so is more easily separated from the inner surface, allowing expansion of the heamatoma

81
Q

What are the symptoms of an epidural heamatoma?

A

Ipsilateral symptoms - pupil dilation - eyes point down and out Contralateral symptoms - hemiparesis (from uncal herniation) - loss of visual field

82
Q

What is the largest danger with a subdural (venous) heamatoma?

A

Venous blood collects more slowly - and may not be recognised and the patient is sent home

83
Q

Name the time frames of acute, subacute and chronic subdural heamatomas.

A

Acute - symptoms witching 24 hours Subacute - symptoms seen from 2-10 days after injury Chronic -symptoms seen several weeks after injury

84
Q

What’s the main clinical difference between a subdural and an epidural heamatoma.

A

No lucid interval

85
Q

Which factors often lead to a high mortality rate for a heamatoma?

A

Increased ICP Loss of consciousness Delay in surgical removal Oedema Ischaemia

86
Q

Why are subdural heamatomas more common in old people?

A

The brains in older people begin to atrophy causing the brain to shrink away from the dura and stretch the fragile bridge veins

87
Q

What is vasogenic cerebral oedema?

A

Defective blood brain barrier around contusions or heamatomas allows extravasion of water, sodium and protein molecules to enter the brain

88
Q

What is the difference between a missile and non-missile head injury?

A

Missile - open skull fracture Non-missile - base of skull fracture

89
Q

What is the pathology of punch drunk syndrome?

A

Loss of pigment in Substantia Nigra Neurofibrillary tangles Amyloid plaques Cavum septum split

90
Q

How is CPP related to ICP?

A

CPP=MAP-ICP - as ICP rises, the CPP will continually drop until it reaches a critical level - blood flow ceases when ICP reaches MAP

91
Q

What is the minimum CPP required for adequate cerebral function?

A

70mmHg

92
Q

Which three ways can a brain herniate?

A

Under falx cerebri Through tentorial notch Incisura of tentorium cerebelli

93
Q

How does the brain normally compensate for a drop in BP, to keep CPP up?

A

Cerebrovascular autoregulation causes cerebral vasodilation

94
Q

When should surgery be used to manage a haematoma?

A

Mass lesions with a greater than 5mm midline shift Intraparenchymal contusions with raised ICP

95
Q

What is punch drunk syndrome?

A

Consists of cognitive impairment Pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs Little and often head injuries can eventually lead to one giant fuck up

96
Q

Describe post-traumatic syndrome.

A

Describes vague complications of headache, dizziness and malaise Depression is prominent Prolonged symptoms

97
Q

Describe the term sick role

A

A role of sanctioned deviance Rights - exempted from normal social roles, not blamed for illness Responsibilities - try to get better, to seek help and cooperate with help given

98
Q

Describe the term ‘ilnness behaviour’

A

The way in which symptoms are perceived, evaluated, and acted upon by a person who recognises some pain, discomfort or other signs of organic malfunction

99
Q

List 5 elements that have been identified as facilitating successful adjustment to chronic illness

A

Self-management strategies Maintains morale Problem focused Flexible Internal locus control Being able to express emotion Satisfaction and wellbeing in various life domains

100
Q

What are the symptoms induced by cytokines activity in chronic illness?

A

Large number of non-specific symptoms: weakness, fatigue, lethargy, anorexia, psychological symptoms

101
Q

How can interventions target cytokine activity in chronic illness?

A

Graded exercise and activity scheduling

102
Q

What is locus of control?

A

The degree to which the person believes that control to influence events resides with themselves or others

103
Q

What are the characteristics of internal locus of control

A
  • Believe that they have agency in their behaviour and ability to influence the world about them - Better respond and manage their conditions
104
Q

What are the characteristics of external locus of control

A

Believe that they have little control over events and that outcomes will be determined by others or by fate

105
Q

What are the positive experiences of illness?

A

Increasing focus on this - Changed priorities - Improved health - better diet, stop smoking - Reappraising values - Adaptability - Creativity - Changes in life choice and relationships No triumph no tragedy

106
Q

Label

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107
Q

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108
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109
Q

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P2 Head, Neck and Neuro (11 decks)

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