Central Nervous System 2 Flashcards
What is incorporated into cerebrovascular disease?
Stroke
Transient ischaemic attack
Intracerebral haemorrhage
When blood flow is reduced in the brain, tissue survival depends on what 3 things?
Collateral circulation
Duration of ischaemia
Magnitude/rapidity of flow reduction
Global hypoperfusion can result in what?
Generalised neuronal dysfunction
What is a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Bleed in the space between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater
What is the most common cause of a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Rupture of saccular aneurysms
What are the presenting signs of a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Thunderclap headache
Meningitis like
What is a subdural haemorrhage?
Bleeding from bridging veins between cortex and venous sinuses causes blood between dura and arachnoid
What is the main cause of subdural haemorrhage in the elderly?
Minor trauma
What type of drug are those who suffer a subdural haemorrhage often taking?
Anticoaguants
What is an extradural haemorrhage?
A bleed between the dura mater and the skull
What is the common cause of an extradural haemorrhage?
Head injury
What areas of the skull and brain are usually involved in an extradural haemorrhage?
Temporal/parietal bone
Middle meningeal artery
What are the top 3 types of dementia?
Alzheimer’s
Vascular
Lewy bodies
In dementia, what types of dysfunction is the frontal lobe associated with?
Behaviour Mood Motivation Judgement Planning Reasoning Appetite Continence Inhibition
In dementia, what types of dysfunction is the temporal lobe associated with?
Memory
In dementia, what types of dysfunction is the parietal lobe associated with?
Dysphasia
Dyspraxia (coordination)
In dementia, what types of dysfunction is the subcortical lobe associated with?
Thought process
What assessments can be done for dementia?
Thyroid stimulating hormone CT scan Vitamin B12 Thiamine Alcoholism
What causes alzheimer’s?
Accumulation of AB amyloid, tau-neurofibrillary tangles and plaques
Loss of neurones and synapses
What does alzheimer’s cause defects in?
Visual-spatial skills
Memory
Cognition
Ansognosia (awareness)
What can be used to treat alzheimer’s?
Cholinesterase inhibitors e.g. rivastigmine
What can cause epileptic seizures?
Space occupying lesions
Stroke
Alcohol withdrawal
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Triggers?
What are examples of drugs used to manage epilepsy?
Sodium valproate
Carbamazepine
Phenytoin
Lamotragine
What is a serious side effect of epilepsy drugs?
Teratogenic (disturb development of pregnancy)
Is meningitis a diffuse or focal infection?
Diffuse
Is an abscess a diffuse of focal infection?
Focal
What are the 3 types of bacterial meningitis?
Neisseria meningitidis
Pneumococcus
Meningocossus
What can a brain abscess present as?
Headaches
Seizures
Temperature
How can a brain abscess be transmitted?
Blood
What are the 2 subtypes of parkinson’s disease?
Sporadic
Familial
What are the presentations of tumours?
Headaches Seizures Cognitive/behavioural changes Vomiting Altered consciousness
What are meningiomas?
Benign tumours that can be removed surgically
What is an astrocytoma?
Cancer of the brain
How are astrocytomas graded?
I-IV
What is a glioblastoma?
Grade 4 (most agressive) brain cancer, usually fatal
How are pituitary tumours removed?
Transphenoidally (through the nose)
