Causes of Brain Dysfunction Flashcards
Explain the layout of the major cerebral arteries
Anterior Cerebral Artery: midline & top of brain
Middle Cerebral Artery: outer sides of brain
Posterior Cerebral Artery: back & bottom sides of brain
What is a Ischemic stroke?
blockage of a blood vessel
What is a hemorrhagic stroke?
bleeding from torn vessel
What are the 6 risk factors for stroke?
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- diabetes
- smoking
- cardiovascular conditions
- psychosocial stress (lack of food, inadequate health ed)
What are the 3 types of ischemic stroke?
- Thrombosis
- Embolism
- Arteriosclerosis
What is Thrombosis (ischemic stroke)?
blockage due to blood clot or other substance
What is Embolism (ischemic stroke)?
results from a moving thrombus
What is Asteriosclerosis (ischemic stroke)?
thickening/hardening/narrowing of arteries due to fatty plague build up
What are the 3 features of ischemic stroke damage?
- takes a while to develop (hours to days)
- some brain areas more vulnerable (hippocampus)
- multiple mechanisms of damage
What are the 4 mechanisms of damage of an ischemic stroke?
- excitotoxicity (excessive glutamate release)
- cell death signaling
- neuroinflammation (break down BBB)
- oxidative stress
What is an aneurysm?
weakened vessel wall (from birth or develop from high blood pressure/accumulated damage)
What are 2 aneurysm treatments?
- clipping (use titanium metal clip to completely shut off blood flow to aneurysm)
- coiling (platinum coils fill up aneurysm -> blood to clot inside & seal off further blood flow)
What is an ENCAPSULATED tumour?
grow within their own membrane
What is an INFILTRATING tumour?
not self-contained, difficult to remove/destroy
What is an BENIGN tumour?
surgically removeable w/ little risk of further growth in body
What is an MALIGNANT tumour?
tending to grow & spread, sometimes due to metastasis
What are 2 neurotoxins?
Mercury & Lead
What are the 3 types of brain infections?
- bacterial infections (Meningitis - inflammation)
- viral infections (COVID-19 - can all cause encephalitis, inflammation)
- parasitic infections (tapeworms in brain)
What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
brain injury caused by an outside force
What are some common causes of TBIs?
Open-head / Close-head injuries
What is CONTUSION?
“bruise” on brain from slamming skull
What is HEMORRHAGING?
damage to brain’s vasculature by stretching/tearing
What is HEMATOMA?
pooling of blood after hemorrhaging
What is a SUBDURAL hematoma?
pooling blood b/w skull & brain
