ITE CA-2 Neuro Flashcards
What potentials are affected by volatiles and which one is least affected?
SSEPs (somatosensory evoked potentials), MEPs (motor evoked potentials), EEG, and VEPs (visual evoked potentials - most sensitive) are all affected in a dose-dependent manner by inhaled anesthetics. Auditory evoked potentials are minimally affected by volatile anesthetics.
In a patient who is normotensive, the most effective way to quickly reduce ICP is
In a patient who is normotensive, the most effective way to quickly reduce ICP is a propofol bolus.
SSEPs
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) involve stimulation of the peripheral sensory nerve followed by measurement of that response somewhere along the sensory pathway, most commonly in the cerebral cortex. SSEPs measure the cortical, subcortical, spinal, and peripheral components. The most frequently stimulated peripheral nerves are the median, ulnar, or posterior tibial. SSEPs test primarily the dorsal column of the spinal cord (the posterior segments). SSEPs can be used for a variety of surgeries although most commonly they are used for intracranial, spinal, and vascular surgery. What constitutes a meaningful change in waveform is not standard and may be up to the physician monitoring them. Additionally, many of the studies that helped to identify meaningful changes in SSEP were performed in animals.
SSEP use during surgery does not guarantee nerve injury is not occurring because SSEPs monitor the posterior spinal columns only. If monitoring of the anterior columns is not concurrently being performed, profound deficits can occur without a change in SSEP signals. Proper planning and determining what types of evoked potential to monitor based on patient and surgical characteristics is vital.
Things that alter evoked potentials
Since nerves are reliant on oxygen for metabolism, anything that alters the delivery of oxygen to the tissue will result in ischemia and the potential to cause changes in the evoked potentials.
Depending on the site of monitoring and patient conditions, this can occur secondary to
hypotension,
decreased hemoglobin concentration causing a decline in oxygen-carrying capacity,
increased intracranial pressure prohibiting adequate perfusion, and
regional changes altering oxygen delivery.
Temperature changes may also alter evoked potentials.
The effects of hypothermia on SSEPs are complicated and depend on the degree of temperature change. Hypothermia may not be deleterious to the nervous system but may mimic changes in SSEPs including decreased amplitude and increased latency when temperatures reach 32 degrees Celsius. Hypocapnia to a level of 20-25 mmHg did not compromise SSEP monitoring, however, did result in a small degree of shortened latency which may be secondary to changes in pH. Hypercapnia to a level of 50 mmHg has no effect on SSEPs.
Pharmacologic agents can have a profound effect on evoked potentials. Volatile anesthetics have an inhibitory effect on neurotransmission, producing a dose-dependent increase in SSEP latency and decreased amplitude. There are marked changes when minimum alveolar concentrations exceed 0.5. The major intravenous anesthetic agents affect SSEPs in variable ways depending on the specific agent used. Most barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and propofol cause a dose-dependent increase in latency and decreased amplitude. Opioids tend to have less effect except when given in bolus doses. Etomidate and ketamine tend to increase amplitude; thus ketamine may be useful to improve neuromonitoring conditions acutely. Use of neuromuscular blocking drugs is not prohibited with SSEP monitoring. It is most important when performing SSEP monitoring to try and maintain a stable anesthetic concentration so if changes are noted they can be attributed to factors outside the anesthetic.
Motor evoked potentials
Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are most often used during spinal and vascular surgery; however, they can also be useful in cortical surgery. MEPs have better correlation with postoperative outcome since they are inherently more sensitive to ischemic vascular insults. Electrical stimulation in the motor cortex via electrodes placed on the scalp starts the signal and the response is recorded in the extremities. MEPs monitor the anterior spinal cord pathways which is an earlier predictor of impeding damage to the spinal cord due to the more precarious blood supply (when compared with SSEPs). Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitors the cortex only, thus it cannot provide information about any other pathways. This is why SSEPs may be used during carotid endarterectomy to monitor for subcortical ischemia.
level for autonomica hyper reflexia
T6 or higher
myasthenia sx can be precipitated by
pregnancy, stress, hypokalemia
mutated voltage gated calcium channels
hypokalemic periodic paralysis
treatment for myasthenia
steroids and or immunotherapy
a-1 activation effect on bladder
contraction
alpha 1 activation effect on liver glycogenolysis
increased
myasthenia gravis
autoimmune disorder, igG antibodies, post-synaptic acetylcholine receptor dysfunction
which has normal reflexes?
myasthenia or lambert eaton
myasthenia
lambert eaton has absent or decreased reflexes
achondroplasia effect non-depolarizing NMBDs dose
no change
proximal muscle weakness
lambert eaton
lambert eaton
paraneoplastic syndrome, antibodies to pre-synaptic calcium channels
alpha 1 activation effect on uterus
contraction
beta 1 activation effect on cAMP production
increase
treatment of acute exacerbation parkinsons
atropine and diphenhydramine
neuro disorder ass’d with small cell lung cancer
lambert eaton
treatment for cholinergic crisis
atropine and pralidoxime
pralidoxime
treatment for organophosphate poisoning
reactivates cholinesterase
duration of sux in heterozygous variation of plasma cholinesterase?
20 min
what amine crosses BBB
physostigmine