Chapter 14: Nervous System Flashcards
cerebrum
largest section of the human brain
cerebral cortex
controls thinking, analysis, association of ideas, judgement, emotions, memory, interprets sensory info, voluntary muscle movement, balance
brainstem
controls HR, breathing, swallowing, coughing, vomiting, closing/opening of blood vessels
cranial nerves
some bring info from sense organs to brain; some control muscles; others are connected to glands/organs
12 pairs
spinal nerves
used to communicated w/ most of the body
31 pairs
sclera
outer part of the eye; appears white
cornea
clear part that lies over the iris
retina
back of the eye; responds to light and sends info to brain where the image is interpreted
outer ear (auricle, pinna)
guides sound waves into the auditory canal
what is the eardrum called
tympanic membrane
what does the middle ear contain
eustachian tube and 3 ossicles
inner ear
contains fluid that carries sound waves from the middle ear to the auditory nerve; helps maintain balance
CVA
when blood supply to the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks or ruptures in the brain
effects: paralysis, weakness, inability to speak or understand words, trouble swallowing, loss of bowel/bladder control
Treatment: need ROM exercises
parkinson’s disease
progressive, incurable disease that causes a section of the brain to degenerate
cause: breakdown of dopamine neurotransmitters
effects: stiffening of muscles, stooped posture, shuffling gait, pill-rolling
S/S: tremors, slurred speech, soft monotoned voice
notes: fall-risk, ROM to prevent contractures
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
progressive disease where the myelin sheaths and white matter of the brain breaks down
S/S: blurred vision, fatigue, tremors, poor balance, trouble walking, weakness, numbness, tingling, incontinence
effects: blindness, contractures, loss of arm and leg function
contusion
bruise
hematoma
bleeding in the brain that forms a clot
paresis
loss of muscle function in 1 part of the body
paraplegia
loss of function of the lower body and legs
quadriplegia
loss of function in the legs, trunk, and arms
how do you prevent UTIs in pts with head and spinal cord injuries
high intake of fluids
dementia
serious loss of mental abilities such as thinking, remembering, reasoning, communication
causes: Alzheimer’s, Multi-Infarct/vascular detention, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
progressive, degenerative, irreversible disease that causes tangled nerve fibers and protein deposits to form in the brain
S/S: memory loss; disoriented; confusion; loss of ability to read, write, speak, or understand
sundowning
wandering and agitation in the late afternoon and evening
alzheimer pts
perseverating
pt who repeats words, phrases, ?s, or activities over and over again
cataract
when the lends of the eye becomes cloudy, prevents light from entering the eye
glaucoma
intraocular pressure increases which damages the retina and the optic nerve
effects: blindness
S/S; severe pain, N/V, blurred vision, tunnel vision, blue-green halo s around lights
diabetic retinopathy
complication of diabetes caused by damage to the retina
S/S: spots, blurred vision, difficulty seeing well @ night
effect: potentially blindness
risk factors: mismanaged diabetes, high BP, high cholesterol, tobacco use
treatment: laser treatment, surgery, injection of meds in the eye
age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
condition that usually affects older adults; the macula gradually deteriorates to eventually cause vision loss and the inability to recognize faces, drive, read, and write (doesn’t affect peripheral vision)
S/S: dark/blurred areas in center of vision, objects appear less bright
2 types: wet and dry; dry is more common
risk factors: age, smoking, gender, race (white more likely), family history
treatment: zinc and antioxidants may slow dry AMD, injections and laser surgery for wet AMD
presbycusis
age-related hearing loss; happens as the bones of the middle ear harden (conductive hearing loss)
sensorineural hearing loss
cochlea is damaged
tympanostomy tubes
small tubes that improve air flow to treat conductive hearing loss
cochlear implant
used to treat sensorineural hearing loss
