Degenerative Flashcards
What areas of the brain are affected by alZiehmers?
Hippocampus, partial and frontal lobe white and gray matter loss. Ventriulomegaly seen, sulcal enlargement and gyri atrophy.
What is the most common neurodegenerative disease of familial origin?
Parkinson’s
What is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly?
AlZiehmers
What is the 2nd most common neuro degenerative disease?
Parkinsons
What are the risk factors for parkinsons?
Family history Male Head injury Exposure to well water Exposure to pesticide Rural living
What are the 3 cardinal signs of Parkinson’s
Tremor, Rigidity(leadpipe, cogwheel), Bradykinesia
Which portion of the brain is affected in Parkinson’s
Substantia nigra and nigrostriatal fibers of basal ganglia (loss of dopaminergic neurons)
What is the treatment for Alziehmer’s
Cholinesterase inhibitors, Antioxidants, Anti-inflammatory. SSRI’s for depression and Anti-convulsants for seizures.
What is the pharmaceutical treatment for Parkinson’s?
Levodopa and dopaminergic agonists
What are surgical options for treating Parkinson’s?
Thalamotomy or pallidotomy or neurotransplantation
What is the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s?
chaperone protein alpha synuclein only in brain builds up in Lewy bodies of remaining dopaminergic neurons. Oxidative stress causes dopaminergic neruon loss.
What is the etiology of Alzheimers?
Age related and Genetic .
presilin gene on chrom 1 and 14 (early onset) and Long arm of chrom 21
What pathology would you see in Alzeihmer’s brain?
Imaging early on may show nothing.
Later on ventricularmegaly and hippocampal atrophy and sulcal enlargement.
What is the pathophysiology of Alzheimers?
Beta amyloid gene produces amyloid precursor protein
Abeta amyloid extracellular senile/neuritic plaques accumulate in arterial walls.
Neruofibrillary tangles of tau protein intracellularly.
Neuronal loss of white and gray matter in Hippocampus and basal ganglia
What is the age of onset for Alziehmer’s?
60-80 but there is an early onset form. one of leading causes of death in US
What is the age of onset for Parkinson’s?
0-45 years old
What is the prevalence of Alziehmer’s?
17/1000
What is the incidence of Parkinson’s in individuals over 65?
increase incidence with age 1/1000
prevalence is .7/1000 over 65
what differentiates ALS from multiple level peripheral nerve compression by spondylosis arthritis?
ALS has no sensory symptoms because only VH damage. ALS also involves damage to bulbar nuclei so tounge is affected.
What is the pathophysiology of ALS?
astrocytes dont remove glutamate from synaptic cleft resulting in continual MN excitation and oxidative stress. Superoxide dismutase fails and cell death of VH MN and BS bulbar nuclei and Corticospinal tract neurons. Skeletal muscle is den nervated causing weakness and atrophy.
What are the symptoms and causes of ALS?
weakness and fasciculation: loss of LMN from VH
weakness and spasticity: loss of corticospinal fibers
tounge weakness and fasiculations: loss of hypoglossal nuclei in BS
what is the initial presentation of ALS?
assymetric weakness in one extremity, muscle cramping
progress to bilateral
What is the most common progressive motor disease?
ALS