Head Trauma/ Diseases Flashcards
What is a concussion?
- A brief disruption of a level of consciousness and amnesia due to head trauma.
- Probably microscopic changes to neurons and neuroglia.
- Full recovery is expected, although recurrent concussion can cause permanent damage.
What is a contusion?
- Bruising/ bleeding on the brain which is visible through imaging.
- Brain cells will die.
- Affects depending on what area has been damaged.
- Full recovery may NOT occur.
What are the signs and symptoms of increasing cranial pressure?
- Increased blood pressure
- Decreased heart rate and pulse
- Decreased pupillary response
- Decreased level of consciousness
- Increased temperature
- Odd posture
What is crushings reflex?
- Increased blood pressure
- Decreased heart rate
What is tentorial herniation?
- Fold in the dura mater which separates the cerebrum and cerebellum.
- With herniation, increased pressure forces part of the temporal lobe through the tentorial opening, squeezing brain stem and damaging blood supply which affects the reticular formation and results in a coma.
What does the brain stem do?
-Allows breathing, heart rate, swallowing, consciousness, and vomiting.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
- Progressive, degenerative and neurocognitive disorder.
- Brain cells and connections degenerate and die, destroying memory and mental function.
What is the hippocampus?
- Impaired memory and learning.
- Deep in core/temporal lobe of the brain.
What is the Amygdala?
- Inappropriate emotions and anxiety.
- Located deep in the brains medial temporal lobe.
What occurs in the frontal lobe with Alzheimer’s?
-Impaired speech, reasoning and personality.
What are the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
- Short term memory loss.
- Impaired thinking/ planning processes.
What are some tests used to diagnose Alzheimer’s?
- Mini-mental state examination
- General practioner assessment of cognition
- Monteral cognitive assessment scale
What needs to be excluded before diagnosing Alzheimer’s?
- Medication
- Brain injury
- Sensory impairment (hearing/vision)
- Urinary tract infection.
- Anaemic
- Low red blood cells.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
-Progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons from substantia nigra.
Primary motor symptoms of Parkinson’s?
Tremor= One-sided begins and rest. Rigidity= Led pipe (rigid all the way) or cogwheel Bradykinesia= Slow movement.
Frequent falls because of:
- Stride length
- Stooped posture
- Dystonia
- Slow
- Decreased postural reflexes.
Non-Motor symptoms of Parkinson’s?
- Constipation
- Drooling
- Dysphagia
- Reduced smell
- Depression
What are the pharmacological treatments of Parkinson’s and what is the goal?
- Levodopa and carbidopa.
- Increase dopamine levels in the brain.
Why Levodopa and Carbidopa to treat Parkinson’s?
- Use levodopa as it can pass through the blood-brain barrier where it is then converted to dopamine.
- Use Carbidopa as well as it blocks the conversion of levodopa to dopamine from occurring too early to ensure it all reaches the brain.
Why is dopamine not effective when treating Parkinson’s?
-Because it is too large to cross the blood-brain barrier (doesn’t reach the brain)
What is Huntington’s disease?
- It is autosomal dominant
- A progressive loss of neurons in the basal ganglia.
- Personality+ cognitive changes occur later in life.
- Usually diagnosed between 20-50yrs.
What is multiple sclerosis?
- Autoimmune, Progressive and demyelination.
- Usually diagnosed between 20-40 yrs.
What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
- Motor (limb weakness)
- Sensory (numbness, pain)
- Visual (double/ loss of)
- Cognitive (thinking)
What are the 4 types of epilepsy?
- Tonic/clonic
- Grandmal
- Petitmal
- Temporal lobe
What is epilepsy?
-A neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
