Class 1 - Infectious Pathologies Flashcards
What are Nissl bodies, what are they important for?
they are pieces of rough endoplasmic reticulum which produces neurotransmitters
Schwann cells are found in which part of the nervous system?
PNS
Where are the cell bodies of afferent neurons found?
in the dorsal root ganglion of spinal nerve roots
Where are the cell bodies of efferent neurons found?
in the ventral grey horn of the spinal cord
Where are the cell bodies of interneurons found?
in the dorsal grey horn of the spinal cord
Where do UMN’s synapse with LMN?
spinal cord
Upper motor neuron damage can be identified by what characteristics?
hypertonic muscles, exaggerated reflexes, spastic muscle paralysis, presence of pathological reflexes
Your patient has spastic muscle paralysis on the left side of their body. What might you suspect?
upper motor neuron damage in the right brain
Your patient has atonic forearm muscles on the right side of their body. There is no ability for voluntary muscle contraction and reflexes cannot be triggered. What might you suspect?
lower motor neuron damage on the right side of the body/spinal cord
Which type of meningitis takes the longest to develop?
fungal and tuberculosis meningitis
What is the most serious/deadly form of meningitis?
bacterial
What is Kernig’s sign?
if you flex the patient’s hip to 90 degrees and try to extend their knee, it will cause pain due to severe stiffness of the hamstrings
What is Brudzinski’s sign?
flexing the patient’s neck causes flexion of the hips and knees as well
What is the main cause of encephalitis?
2/3s of the time it cannot be determined
Which viruses are most commonly associated with encephalitis?
West Nile, Herpes, St. Louis encephalitis, california virus, eastern/western equine encephalitis
40% of cases of viral meningitis in people age 30-60 come from…
enteroviruses such as HSV-2, EBV, or childhood viruses like measles, rubella, CMV
What is meningitis? What tissues does it affect?
inflammation of the meninges - can involve all 3 layers, and usually extends into 1st and 2nd layers of the cortex
What are possible complications of meningitis?
infarction due to production of thrombosis of cortical veins
hydrocephalus due to scar tissue restricting CSF flow
seizures, coma, nerve palsies, deafness
What has dramatically decreased the incidence of meningitis?
Hib vaccine
What are possible causes of bacterial meningitis?
upper respiratory mucosal viruses (Hib, pneumococcus, group B strep, meningococcus)
E. coli or listeria from birth canal
for older adults: group B strep, Neisseria meningitides
Where does bacterial meningitis usually originate?
in the subarachnoid space, before spreading to the brain
At least one complication develops in how many of bacterial meningitis cases?
75%
What is the mortality rate of meningitis?
5-25%
What are possible complications of bacterial meningitis?
systemic CVS issues (40% of cases) neuron damage impairment of consciousness seizures focal neurological abnormalities
