Degenerative Disorders Flashcards
Alzheimer’s is defined by 3 main symptoms, what are they?
Reduced cognitive function, memory loss and dementia
What two characteristics must a disease posses in order to be neurodegenerative?
It must be progressive and irreversible
What are the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
Short term memory loss, clumsiness, dyspraxia, disorientation and reduced visuospatial orientation
Alzheimer’s has later onset symptoms, where are?
Reduced social skills, psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, bradykinesia and incontinence
If an Alzheimer’s patient is improperly cared for, what could be their cause if death?
Starvation or infection due to bed sores
What are the structural differences on an AD patients brain?
Smaller and lighter with decreased gyri and increased sulci and ventricles
What brain regions are first affected by the AD?
The entominal cortex, which is connected to the hippocampus
What are the implications of hippocampal damage in AD?
Contributes to memory loss
What occurs in the temporal regions of an AD patients brain?
A reduction in metabolism
Extra cellular plaques in the brain are caused by and lead to what in an AD patient?
Caused by amyloid beta protein build up, causing cholinergic neuronal loss and shrinkage
A build up of a certain protein within nerve cells cause what during AD?
Hyperphosphorylated tau protein leads to neurofibrillary tangles
Current AD treatments focus on what mechanism?
The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in order to increase available acetylcholine
What results from an increase in acetylcholine in an AD patient?
Reduced progression and increased cognition
Multiple sclerosis symptoms can be categorised into 3 subsets, these are?
Motor changes, sensory changes and cognitive changes
MS motor changes include what symptoms?
Tingling extremities, tiredness and pain
MS sensory changes result in…?
Muscle weakness, lack of coordination, reduced balance and incontinence
Cognitive changes that occur during MS are?
Reduced speech ability, personality changes, mood swings, and depression
When MS displays a steady decline with superimposed attacks, what type of progression is this?
Progressive-relapsing MS
A steady increase in disability associated with MS is described as what?
Primary progressive MS
When unpredictable attacks occur during the decline in mental function of MS, it is known as?
Relapse-remitting MS
If MS begins with attacks, which then become absent with just an increase in disability, the disease is described as what?
Secondary progressive MS
What changes occur to brain structure in MS patients?
There is a loss in neural tissue and decrease in overall brain size, as the lateral ventricles enlarge
What is the main cause if brain changes in MS?
The autoimmune destruction if oligodendrocytes
What is the initial characteristic of Parkinson’s disease?
A tremor in distal limbs
What are the progressive symptoms of PD?
Loss of movement, increased muscle tone, micrographics and akinesia
Which functional brain region is affected in PD?
Substantia nigra
What aspects if the CNS are affected in PD patients?
Astorocytes die and there is an increase in micro glia activation
Which is the main secretory cells affected by PD?
The dopamine pathway, due to a decrease in DA producing cells
What treatments are available for PD?
Levodopa is used to increase dopamine
Which 5 major pathways are affected in PD?
Motor, oculomotor, associative, Limbic and orbitofrontal circuits
How is Huntington’s disease acquired?
It is an inherited, autosomal dominant disorder
What is the cause of Huntington’s disease?
A mutation leading to a polyglutamine (CAG) repeat in the gene coding for the protein huntingin
What affect does the HD mutation have on the brain?
Reduces neurones in the cerebral cortex and the corpus striatum
Which neurotransmitter pathways are affected by HD?
Gabaergic and cholinergic pathways
What are the symptoms associated with HD?
Irritability, moodiness, antisocial behaviour, dementia, fidgeting and gross choreiform movements
