CH 10 Pathology Flashcards
hydrocephaly
abnormal accumulation of fluid CSF in the brain
spina bifida
congenital defects in the lumbar spinal column caused by imperfect union of vertebral parts (neural tube defect)
spina bifida occulta
the vertebral defect is covered over with skin and evident only on an xray or other imaging
spina bifida cystica
more severe with cyst-like protrusions
meningocele
the meninges protrude to the outside of the body
myelomeningocele (meningomyelocele)
both the spinal cord and meninges protrude
Alzheimers disease (AD)
brain disorder marked by gradual and progressive mental and deterioration, dementia, personality changes, and impairment of daily functioning
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
degenerative disorder of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. lou gerig disease.
epilepsy
chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizure activity
tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal or ictal events)
loss of consciousness, falling down, and then tonic contractions, stiffening, and then clonic contractions such as twitching and jerking, usually preceeded by an aura
absense seizure
consists of momentary clouding of consciousness and loss of awareness of the person’s surroundings, thes einclude petit mal seizures in children
postictal events
neurological symptoms that persist after a seizure, such as weakness
temporal lobe epilepsy
seizures begin in the temporal lobe, most common is the complex partial seizure which causes a person to pause and become confused and forgetful
huntingtons disease
hereditary disorder marked by degenerative changes in the cerebrum leading to abrupt involuntary movements and mental deterioration. dance-like movements; also called huntington chorea
multiple sclerosis (MS)
destruction of myelin sheath on neurons in the CNS and its replacement by plaques of sclerotic (hard) tissue
demyelination
loss of myelin insulation along nerves in MS
myasthenia gravis (MG)
autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by weakness of voluntary muscles. chronic autoimmune disorder. drugs and thymectomy are useful treatments.
palsy
paralysis- partial or complete loss of motor function.
cerebral palsy
partial paralysis and lack of muscular coordination caused by loss of oxygen (hypoxia) or blood flow to the cerebrum during pregnancy or in the perinatal period
bell palsy
paralysis on one side of the face. likely from viral infection, treated with antivirals and corticosteroids
parkinsons disease
degeneration of the neurons in the basal ganglia, occurring later in life and leading to tremors, weakness of muscles, and slowness of movement (bradykinesia). caused by a lack of dopamine. treatment is palliative, meaning it treats symptoms but does not cure.
tourette syndrome
involuntary spasmodic twitching movements; uncontrollable vocal sounds; inappropriate words and actions. these actions are called tics. cause unknown.
herpes zoster (shingles)
viral infection affecting the peripheral nerves. blisters and pain along the peripheral nerves, the varicella virus which also causes chicken pox. there is a vaccine for people over 50.
meningitis
inflammation of the meninges; leptomeningitis. caused by bacteria (pyogenic meningitis) or virus (aseptic meningitis). meningeal irritation such as headache, photophobia (sensitivity to light), stiff neck.
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encephalopathy
brain disease and dementia occurring with AIDS. some also develop brain tumors and other infections.
neoplastic
relating to a neoplasm or neoplasia.
brain tumor
abnormal growth of brain tissue and meninges, most arise from glial cells (gliomas) or meninges (meningiomas). can be an astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and ependymoma. most malignant form of astrocytes and are glioblastoma multiforme. these tumors cause swelling, headache, seizures and visual. chemo and radiotherapy. most start elsewhere and travel to brain.
cerebral contusion
type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head. may be no sign or symptoms. rest is needed for the brain to heal.
cerebral contusion
bruising of the brain tissue resulting from direct traumato the head. may have edema, interacranial pressure, skull fracture and also hematomas can occur causing permanent brain damage.
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
disruption in the normal blood supply to the brain; stroke. also known as cerebral infarction. impaired oxygen supply to the brain.
thrombotic stroke
blood clot; thrombus in the arteries leading to the brain resulting in blocking/occlusion. plaque build-up in veins. may experience TIA’s (transient ischemic attacks) as a precursor.
embolic stroke
an embolus, which is a dislodged thrombus, travels to cerebral arteries and occludes a vessel. is very sudden.
hemorrhagic stroke
a cerebral artery breaks and bleeding occurs. can be fatal.
aneurysm
enlarged, weakened area in an arterial wall which may rupture leading to hemorrhage and CVA stroke
stroke risks
hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and heart disease, obesity, substance abuse and cholesterol levels, and in the case of aneurysm in younger people head trauma.
tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
may be started after a stroke
migraine
severe, recurring, unilateral, vascular headache. may be associated with an aura and photophobia and visual and sensory disturbances. sensitivity to sound (phonophobia). etiology unknown. medication may help reduce inflammation and restrict dilation of blood vessels.
absence seizure
form of seizure consisting of momentary clouding of consciousness and loss of awareness and surroundings
astrocytoma
malignant brain tumor of astrocytes (glial brain cells)
aura
peculiar symptom or sensation occurring before the onset (prodromal; period between the appearance of symptoms and the onset) of an attack of migraine or an epileptic seizure
dementia
mental decline and deterioration
demyelination
destruction of myelin on axons of neurons as in MS
dopamine
CNS neurotransmitter, deficient in people with parkinsons
embolus
clot of material that travels through the bloodstream and suddenly blocks a vessel
gait
manner of walking
ictal event
pertaining to a sudden, acute onset, as with the convulsions of an epileptic seizure
occlusion
blockage
palliative
relieving symptoms but not curing them
thymectomy
removal of the thymus gland (a lymphocyte producing gland in the chest) used as treatment for myasthenia gravis
TIA
transient ischemic attack, can occur with all 3 types of strokes; thrombolytic, embolic, and hemorrhagic. they are characterized by a limited time course of neurological deficits.
tic
involuntary movement of a small group of muscles, as of the face; characteristic of tourettes syndrome
tonic-clonic seizure
major (grand mal) convulsive seizure marked by a sudden loss of consciousness, stiffening of muscles, and twitching and jerking movements
cerebrospinal fluid analysis
samples of CFS are examined- analyisis measures protein, glucose, RBC and WBC, and other chemicals. can also detect tumors, bacteria and viruses. used to diagnose infections, tumors, and MS.
cerebral angiography
xray imaging of the arterial blood vessels in the brain after injection of contrast material. contrast is injected into the femoral artery in the thigh and recorded by xray. diagnoses vascular disease in the brain such as aneurysm, occusion, and hemorrhage.
CT (computed tomography of the brain)
computerized xray technique that generates multiple images of the brain and spinal cord. contrast used to highlight abnormalities. contrast leaks through the BBB. operations are performed using CT as a road map and are useful for visualizing blood and bone.
MRI magnetic resonance imaging
magnetic field and pulses of radiowave energy create images of the brain and spinal cord. MRI is better at CT at evaluating brain parenchyma. excellent for reviewing brain damage, looks for causes for headaches, stroke, detect bleeding and head injury.
MRA magnetic resonance angiography
produces images of blood vessels using MRI and contrast
positron emission tomography PET scan
(radionuclide study) radioactive glucose is injected and then detected in the brain to image the metabolic activity of cells. PET-CT scanners provide images that pinpoint the location of abnormal activity within the brain.
Doppler ultrasound studies
sound waves detect blood flow in the carotid and intracranial arteries. these studies detect occlusion in blood vessels.
EEG electroencephalography
recording of the electrical activity in the brain
LP lumbar puncture
CSF is withdrawn from between two lumbar vertebrea for analysis. spinal tap. may cause headache after. needle is inserted between the third and fourth or fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae with patient laying down and bent forward to increase the space between discs.
stereostatic radiosurgery
use of a specialized instrument to locate and treat targets in the brain. instrument is fixed onto the skull and guides insertion of a needle by 3-d measurement. a gamma knife, a high energy radiation beam, is used to treat deep intracranial brain tumors and blood vessel masses (arteriovenous malformations) without surgical incision.
proton stereotactic radiosurgery PSRS
delivers a uniform dose of proton radiation to a target and spares surrounding normal tissue. proton beam radiosurgery.
AD
ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
AFP
ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN; ELEVATED LEVELS IN AMNIOTIC FLUID AND MATERNAL BLOOD ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, SUCH AS ANENCHEPHALY AND SPINA BIFIDA
ALS
AMYOTROPIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS- LOU GHERIG DISEASE
AVM
ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION; CONGENITAL TANGLE OF ARTERIES AND VEINS IN THE CEREBRUM
BBB
BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER
CNS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CSF
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
CTE
CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY
CVA
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT- STROKE
EEG
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY
GABA
GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (NEUROTRANSMITTER)
ICP
INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE (NORMAL IS 5 TO 15MM HG)
LP
LUMBAR PUNCTURE
MAC
MONITORED ANESTHETIC CARE
MG
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
MRA
MAGNETIC RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY
MRI
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
MS
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
1/2P
HEMIPARESIS
PCA
PATIENT CONTROLLED ANALGESIA
PET
POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY
PNS
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
PSRS
PROTON STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY
Sz
seizure
TBI
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
TENS
TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION; TECHNIQUE USING A BATTERY-POWERED DEVICE TO RELIEVE ACUTE AND CHRONIC PAIN
TIA
TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK; TEMPORARY INTERFERENCE WITH THE BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE BRAIN
TLE
TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY
tPA
tissue plasminogen activator; a clot-dissolving drug used as therapy for stroke
