Epilepsy (Physiology) - Block 1 Flashcards
How many lobes are in the brain?
5: frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, insula
What is cerebral white matter?
Myelinated fibers bundled into large tracts
What is the decussation of the pyramids?
Where fibers cross over to the opposite side before contnuing into the spinal cord which is the crossover point
* Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body
What is an ambulatory EEG?
Records brain waves continuously for up to 72 hrs
What is a seizure?
Discrete clinical event of abnormal electrical discharge from neurons in the cerebral cotex leading to involuntary movement and/or behavior and sensory alterations
What age group are seizures more common?
Children
* first seizure is expereinced before 20 for most people
What is epilepsy?
Chronic disorder of recurrent discharges from neurons due to a CNS disorder/disruption
How are seizure classified?
- Clinical sx
- EEG activity
What are the 2 classes of seizure disorders?
Focal (partial): Limited to 1 hemisphere and discretely localized or widely discributed
Generalized: Bilaterally distributed networks
Epileptic spasms
What is an idiopathic seizure?
Cause is unknown
What are some known causes of seizures?
- Metabolic derangement
- Infection
- Tumors
- Drug abuse
- Vascular lesions
- Congenital deformities
- Brain injury
List some of the theories that can cause abnormal brain activity?
- Alterations in cell permeability or distribution of ions
- Decreased inhibion of cortical or thalamic neuronal activity (excitiability of neurons)
- Neurotransmitter imbalances
- Genetic mutations (channelopathy)
- Immunopathogenesi
Describe some of the neurotrasmitter imbalances associated wit seizures?
What is the normal function of VGNCs?
- Progresses from closed to open states
- Largetransient Ns influx (INaP)
- Small percentage of Na influx persists at steady state
What is channelopathy?
Point mutation that impairs inactivatio of the VGNC -> increased INaP and excessive sodium influx at steady state
Describe the 5 anticonvulsant targets?
- Enhance GABAergic neural activity (Na+ channel inactivation)
- Inhibit glutamatergic neural activity (Cl- channel activation)
- Inhibition of Ca2+ current (Ca2+ channel inhibition)
- Potentiate GABAergic signaling at inhibitory presynaptic nerve terminals (Promotes IPSPs)
- Inhibit glutamate signaling at excitatory presynaptic nerve terminals (Prevents EPSPs)
WHat is the most common type of seizure among newly diagnosed cases?
Focal (partial)
Describe the Immunopathogenesis of seizure disorders?
- Elevated levels of immune mediators
- Neurons, glia, and endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) take part in inflammatory processes
- Elevated cytokine levels in serum and brain tisse
- IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a are most common