Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Med Term Final Exam > L13 Nervous System and Mental Health > Flashcards

L13 Nervous System and Mental Health Flashcards

1
Q

What two systems work together to control homeostasis and most of our hormonal control and electrical impulse control in the body?

A
  1. Nervous
  2. Endocrine
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What system is the pituitary gland, part of?

A

Nervous and endocrine

  • The nervous system signals the endocrine system when to release hormones from the endocrine glands
  • Nervous or electrical impulse control is primarily a function of the nervous system
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How many parts are in the nervous system?

A

two

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the 2 parts are in the nervous system

A
  1. Central
  2. Peripheral
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What makes up the “central” nervous system?

A
  1. brain
  2. spinal cord
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What makes up the “peripheral” nervous system?

A
  1. everything that comes from the spinal cord

Periphery refers to the outer area of the body i.e. arms, legs, and organs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Autonomic Nervous System

  • Sometimes referred to as the visceral nervous system.
  • Mostly falls under involuntary controls.
  • This includes smooth muscle control such as in the digestive system, respiratory system, urinary system, and the female reproductive system
  • Additionally, the cardiac or cardiorespiratory system (heartbeat).
A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Somatic Nervous System

  • Soma meaning body would include all of the skeletal muscle in the body.
  • Primarily under volitional control, this would control bodily movements such as bicep flexing.
  • Neurons are a basic functional unit in the system.
  • Neuroglia are support cells.
A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

True or False: The central nervous system is everything in the center of the body, brain, and spinal cord.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

True or False: The peripheral nervous system is everything coming off of the central nervous system, such as the cranial nerves.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How many pairs of cranial nerves come off the brain?

A

12

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How many pairs of spinal nerves come off the spinal cord?

A

31

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How many cervical spinal nerves are there?

A

8

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How many thoracic spinal nerves are there?

A

12

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How many lumbar spinal nerves are there?

A

5

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How many sacral spinal nerves are there?

A

5

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How many coccyx nerves?

A

1

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

The autonomic nervous system is most of what happens involuntarily or voluntary?

A

Involuntary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

The autonomic nervous system has sensory or motor functions?

A

Both

  • Think of smooth muscle compared to a cardiac muscle that contracts much slower and is under the autonomic control of the nervous system. Then the somatic nervous system, is what we primarily have volitional control over what we call voluntary control. This is also both sensory and motor. And we have receptors in the skin, the muscle, and the joints, we also have our senses, vision, hearing, taste, and smell. And all of those are part of the somatic nervous system.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the body of the neuron called?

A

Soma

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the center of a neuron called?

A

Nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

True or False: The main axon comes down the cell body.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the two main parts of the neuron?

A
  1. dendrites
  2. axon
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What do “dendrites” do?

A

Carry electrical impulses toward the cell body

  • there’s at least one dendrite but most of our neurons have more than that.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What do “axons” do?

A

Carries impulses away from the cell body

  • only one per neuron
  • some axons are myelinated which means that they have a fatty material around them that helps insulate them
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

These are areas in the body where fast nervous system or muscular contraction is required and those are the neurons that tend to be myelinated. In skeletal muscle, most of the axons are myelinated. When thinking of something like digestion, and urination, those are slower processes, so those axons are typically myelinated. When thinking of neurons in the body, we can describe them as afferent or efferent.

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Afferent means _____ the nervous system.

A

Towards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Efferent means _____ the nervous system.

A

Away

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

If you were to touch a hot stove, that will stimulate sensory neurons in the muscles of your hand, which will send an afferent signal toward the nervous system. Once that signal is processed (very, very quickly) it’s going to send an efferent signal back down the nervous system towards that muscle causing you to lift your hand up. This is an efferent loop, sometimes known as the sensory-motor loop, which happens very, very quickly (milliseconds) in the body.

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What are “interneurons”?

A

Usually smaller neurons, that connect two or more neurons together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is a “synapse”?

A

Whenever we have electrical transmission between neurons, or between a neuron and a muscle

-when there is a synapse, there’s some type of neurotransmitter present that passes energy to the cell so that that contraction or nerve, a nervous impulse action potential can occur

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is the main neurotransmitter?

A

Acetylcholine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

True or False: The nervous system causes the endocrine glands to secrete hormones

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

True or False: The autonomic nervous system is split into the sympathetic and the parasympathetic divisions

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

The sympathetic division is typically thought of as our ____ response.

A

Fight or Flight

  • When the body is under a stressful situation it responds in ways that are faster and stronger than it does normally
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

The parasympathetic division is typically thought of as our ____ response.

A

Slower

  • Consider maintenance activities like sleeping and digestion, things that happen a little bit slower in the body. They are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

True or False: The spinal cord runs from the medulla oblongata, so from the bottom of the brainstem and it stops at the second lumbar vertebrae.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Once the spinal cord breaks at the lumbar vertebrae, it’s going to branch and first terminate into ______ and _____.

A

Conus Medullaris and Caude Equina

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

True or False: Coming off of the spinal cord there are 30 pairs of spinal nerves.

A

False
- 31

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Using the same example as before, you touch a hot stove and the receptors in your hand are going to send an afferent signal toward the central nervous system that’s going to be processed in the spinal cord. And then the spinal cord is going to send an efferent signal towards the muscles in your hand, causing you to lift your hand up off that stove. A sensory or efferent signal, that signal is processed quickly. Then a motor or efferent signal is sent back down towards the hand, causing you to lift your hand up off that stove. This is a ganglion, so a collection of cell bodies along the pathway.

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

True or False: The nerves don’t carry both sensory and motor pathways or functions.

A

False

  • DO
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What is a “Mixed nerve”?

A

Every nerve that comes off the spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What does having a “mixed nerve” mean?

A

Means there’s a dorsal root and a ventral root

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

The dorsal root is where our sensory signals are sent toward or away from the central nervous system?

A

Towards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

The ventral route is where motor signals are sent away from or to the central nervous system?

A

Away from

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

When a muscle is stretched (1), muscle spindles (2) send information to the spinal cord (3) where it synapses on motor neurons of the same muscle (4) causing it to contract (5). At the same time, stimulation of an inhibitory interneuron (6) prevents contraction of the antagonistic muscle (7 and 8).

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

How many divisions are in the brain?

A

4

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

How many lobes of the brain?

A

4

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

What is the largest part of the brain?

A

Cerebrum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

How many hemispheres in the cerebrum aka brain?

A

2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

What two things make up the brain?

A
  1. Sulci
  2. Gyri
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

What three things make up the diencephalon?

A
  1. Thalamus
  2. Hypothalamus
  3. Pituitary gland
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

True or False: The diencephalon is the control region of the brain because it’s controlling everything that happens through homeostasis.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

Where is the brain stem located?

A

Back of the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

What makes up the brainstem?

A
  1. midbrain
  2. pons
  3. medulla oblongata
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

What is located and happens in the brainstem?

A

Where our sensory actions happen the control of heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, vision, and hearing as examples.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

What is the most posterior aspect of the brain is called the?

A

Cerebellum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

Be mindful not to get the cerebellum confused with the occipital lobe or any of the other lobes of the brain. The lobes of the brain are part of the cerebrum, they are separate from the cerebellum.

A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

Inside the brain, if we were to take the brain and split it or open it up, we would find cavities that we called ____

A

Ventricles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

What is inside the ventricles?

A

Cerebrospinal fluid

  • stored and produced.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

Mater means _____ in latin.

A

mother

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

Meninges are three layers that protect the outer layer or inner layer of the brain?

A

Outer

-the skin, scalp, and bone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

How many layers of the ‘duramater’ are there?

A

2

  • most superficial
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

True or False: Arachnoid Mater is in the middle

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

True or False: Pia Mater is the layer that is closest to the cerebral cortex

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

“neuro” means

A
  1. nervous system
  2. nervous tissue
  3. nerve
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

“glio” means?

A

neuroglia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

“ganglio” means?

A

ganglion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

“meningo” means?

A

meninges

70
Q

“myelo” means?

A
  1. spinal cord
  2. bone marrow
71
Q

“radiculo” means?

A

spinal nerve

72
Q

“encephalo” means?

A

brain

73
Q

“cerebro” means?

A

cerebrum

74
Q

“cortico” means?

A

cerebral cortex

75
Q

“cerebello” means?

A

cerebellum

76
Q

“thalamo” means?

A

thalamus

77
Q

“ventriculo” means?

A
  1. ventricle
  2. cavity
78
Q

“medullo” means?

A

medulla oblongata

79
Q

“psycho” means?

A

mind

80
Q

“narco” means?

A

stupor

81
Q

“somno” means?

A

sleep

82
Q

“-phasia” means?

A

speech

83
Q

“-lalia” means?

A

speech

84
Q

“-lexia” means?

A

reading

85
Q

“-plegia” means?

A

paralysis

86
Q

“-paresis” means?

A
  1. partial
  2. paralysis
  3. weakness
87
Q

“-lepsy” means?

A

seizure

88
Q

“-phobia” means?

A

persistent irrational fear

89
Q

“-mania” means?

A
  1. excited state
  2. obsession
90
Q

What is “cerebrovascular accident” or “stroke”?

A

This is any occurrence that deprives the brain of oxygen.

91
Q

What causes CBAS/stroke?

A

1.By a rupture of a vessel inside the brain
2. a rupture of a vessel leading to the brain
3. blockage of a vessel inside the brain or leading up to the brain

  • For example, the carotid arteries which run on either side of the neck, supply the brain with blood from the heart. If either of those becomes blocked, and the brain doesn’t get blood or oxygen, a cerebrovascular accident can occur.
92
Q

Symptoms of a stroke are?

A

FAST is an acronym used to prompt focus on the signs and symptoms of a stroke.

  • Face

Dysarthria is when somebody loses the ability to speak or has slurred speech.

Hemiplegia is paralysis on one side of the body.

Hemiparalysis is a loss of sensation on one side of the body.

Ask the patient to smile.

If they are having a stroke, a lot of times what happens when they smile, the side of their face that is not paralyzed, will smile up and the other side remains the same.

  • Arms

Have the patient raise both arms from their waist to shoulder height.

Typically, the side that they’re experiencing symptoms on will not raise so they have Hemiplegia on one side of the body.

  • Speech

Ask simple questions. What is your name? What day of the week is it? Who’s the president? What year is it? Not only checking memory but checking for their responses. Are they speaking slowly? Is their speech slurred?

  • Timing

The signs and symptoms of a stroke happen quickly and can progressively get worse. Calling 911 as soon as possible is vital to getting that person the help that they need.

93
Q

What is “Dysarthria”?

A

When somebody loses the ability to speak or has slurred speech

94
Q

What is “hemiplegia”?

A

Paralysis on one side of the body

95
Q

What is “Hemiparalysis”?

A

Loss of sensation on one side of the body

96
Q

What are some risk factors of stoke?

A
  1. coronary artery disease
  2. atherosclerosis
  3. hypertension
  4. genetics
  5. diabetes
  6. anyone that smoke
97
Q

What is “thrombosis”?

A

Is a blood clot in any vessel

-Focusing on the example above, a blood clot in the carotid artery deprives the brain of blood flow which then deprives it of oxygen.

98
Q

What is an “embolism”?

A

Either a blood clot, an air bubble, a piece of bacteria, or a piece of plaque

  • An embolism is something that is moving through the circulatory system and blocks itself so that blood cannot flow from the heart to the brain
99
Q

What is an “aneurysm”?

A

When a blood vessel balloons out usually due to high blood pressure

  • The aneurysm can rupture and cause widespread hemorrhage
  • If there is an artery inside the brain or leading up to the brain that ruptures, the blood typically pools within the cerebral hemispheres of the brain.
100
Q

What is “Contracoup”?

A

This is a French word that refers to an opposite-side injury.

So, for instance if somebody is hit, let’s say they’re hit with a baseball bat on the left side of their head, their brain could be injured on the left, but when you’ve hit on one side, the brain tends to move to the opposite side of the skull.

It’s not uncommon for somebody to be hit on the left side of their head, but then their brain is soft and moves to the right side of the skull.

101
Q

What does “mechanism” mean?

A

As you consider different types of injuries, the mechanism is going to be really important. A mechanism could be a motor vehicle, it could be whiplash, it could be a fall from a height, or it could be two athletes running into each other.

The mechanism itself is endless. It is important to always consider the mechanism when evaluating the injury.

102
Q

What is a “cerebral contusion”?

A

Bruise to the brain

  • because soft tissue
103
Q

The brain sits inside the skull as an egg sits inside its shell. The outer portion is hard and the brain on the inside is soft. If the brain gets shaken around, the brain is soft so when it hits the inside of the skull, it can certainly cause a bruise.

A
104
Q

What is a “hematoma”?

A

Collection of blood

105
Q

What is an “Epidural hematoma”?

A

Collection of blood on top of the dura mater, between the skull and the dura

  • are usually an arterial bleed, and arteries bleed fast and hard
106
Q

Symptoms of “epidural hematoma” are?

A

Bleeding occurs very quickly

107
Q

What is a “subdural hematoma”?

A

That occurs right under the dura mater

  • It is venous bleeding that occurs underneath or below the dura

-Subdural hematomas are usually a venous bleed, and veins bleed slow and low

108
Q

What are symptoms or a “subdural hematoma”?

A

Bleeding might not occur or be apparent until the next day after injury

109
Q

True or False: The main difference between confusion and coma is that if somebody is confused, that’s a state of reduced comprehension, but they are conscious.

A

True

110
Q

True or False: When somebody is in a coma, that is a state of unconsciousness

A

True

111
Q

If you can assess confusion, that means that they are conscious.

If you cannot assess it because they’re unconscious, then they’re in a state of coma.

Both of these can be caused by many different things, including: injury, drug toxicity, surgeries, organ failures, infections, epilepsy, metabolic imbalances, and degenerative diseases.

A
112
Q

The mechanism can cause either. Somebody getting hit hard on the head can cause some people to be confused, some people will slip into a coma, and other people might not have any signs or symptoms. When considering the mechanism of injury think about what caused the head injury and think about how the person may present.

A
113
Q

What is a “concussion”?

A

Transient loss of brain function and by definition, transient loss means temporary.

114
Q

What are symptoms of “concussion”?

A
  1. Lose consciousness
  2. Headache
  3. Dizziness
  4. Loss of vision
  5. Double vision
  6. Blurry vision
  7. Heart rate
  8. Respiratory rate
  9. Endocrine functions
  10. Speech
  11. Memory (memories of both before the incident and after the incident)
  12. Concentration
  13. Issues with senses
115
Q

What is “meningitis”?

A

Inflammation of the meninges in the brain

116
Q

What can cause “meningitis”?

A
  1. bacterial (common)
  2. viral infection
117
Q

True or False: They are more commonly caused by bacteria getting in through an orifice such as the mouth, the nose, the ears, or a skull fracture

A

True

118
Q

What are symtoms of “meningitis”?

A
  1. Inflammation of either the dura, the arachnoid, or the pia mater, or all three of them
  2. Posterior cervical pain
  3. Posterior neck pain

A quick test is to ask the patient to take their chin and touch it to their chest. A patient with meningitis will generally experience an intense amount of posterior neck pain. so that’s one of the telltale symptoms that it might be meningitis (If there’s inflammation between your meninges as soon as you go into neck flexion, that’s closing off the space between the meninges even more, and remember, the meninges are also part of the nervous system down into the spinal cord.)

  1. Infection symptoms: Headache, fever, swelling
119
Q

What is “encephalitis”?

A

Inflammation of the brain most often in the cerebral hemispheres caused by viruses

120
Q

What viruses can cause “meningitis”?

A
  1. tuberculosis
  2. syphilis
  3. polio
  4. rabies
    5 HIV
  5. West Nile virus
121
Q

What is “shingles”?

A

Smetimes referred to as the adult form of the chickenpox virus because it’s the same virus that causes chickenpox.

The Herpes Zoster virus in adults can cause shingles and the main difference in kids that develop chicken pox is they usually end up with a red rash all over their body that rash is itchy.

122
Q

What are symptoms of “shingles”?

A
  1. Adults, also get a rash, but that rash tends to be in almost a belt around their torso (upper shoulders right below their neck to lower chest and lower back).
  2. In adults, the virus lies dormant in the peripheral nervous system. So when a patient has an infectious virus or bacteria in the peripheral nervous system, unlike itchiness that happens in the skin, it is usually very painful.
123
Q

What are treatment options for shingles?

A

The varicella vaccine
- This vaccine is received by children to
protect against chickenpox

 - For adults, there is also a vaccine that 
  prevents shingles. Given to older adults 
  even if vaccinated against chickenpox
124
Q

What are “neoplasms”?

A

Abnormal tissue growth

  1. Glioma
  2. Meningiomas
125
Q

What are the 2 main types of neoplasms?

A
  1. Glioma (3)
  2. Meningiomas
126
Q

What are the 3 types of gliomas?

A
  1. Astrocytomas
  2. Ependymomas
  3. Oligodendrogliomas
127
Q

What are “meningiomas”?

A

Tumor in or around the dura the arachnoid or the pia mater

128
Q

Usually with both of these tumors, the good thing about them is that neither of them tend to metastasize (they don’t spread to other tissues).

A
129
Q

Symptoms of neoplasms?

A
  1. Headache
  2. Vomiting
  3. Weakness
  4. Seizures
  5. Changes in vision, hearing, speech, taste, smell
  6. Hydrocephalus (a connection of fluid collection of fluid in and around the brain)
130
Q

Treatment for neoplasms?

A

A lot of times tumors will get larger and may need to be removed surgically.

Surgery depends on two things.
1. How bad are their symptoms? Are they affecting their activities of daily living?
2. Where exactly the tumor is located? Sometimes neoplasms even though they’re getting larger, sometimes they’re in an area of the brain that they cannot get to without damaging other areas.

Tumors can respond to radiation.

  • If it is a malignant tumor, and most of these are not, sometimes radiation and less frequently, but occasionally, chemotherapy will be used to try to shrink the tumor.
131
Q

What is “multiple sclerosis”?

A

Loss of myelin in the central nervous system

  • Myelin is a fatty sheath that surrounds your axons. Myelinated axons increase the speed of nerve transmission.
132
Q

What are symptoms of MS?

A
  1. things that used to be quick, now are slowed down
  2. differences in coordination
  3. differences in hand movement
  4. differences in hand-eye coordination
  5. differences in gait (typically a stiff gait)
  6. differences in problems with vision
  7. tremors
  8. occasionally because of the muscles that surround the bladder, you can become incontinent
133
Q

What is “parkinson’s disease”?

A

Neurons fail to secrete dopamine

  • Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, so similar to MS, if your body is not secreting dopamine at the neuromuscular junction, there is no neurotransmitter to help speed or smooth out that contraction.
134
Q

Symptoms of PD?

A
  1. Muscular tremor muscular rigidity
  2. Bradykinesia is a common symptom. It is a slowing of movement. A lot of times people with Parkinson’s will be walking and then they actually stop
  3. Shuffled gait
  4. Depression when dopamine levels are low
135
Q

How do you diagnose PD?

A

Complete blood count measuring dopamine levels

136
Q

How do you treat PD?

A

Levodopa injections
- Levodopa is an artificial form of dopamine

No actual cure for MS and PD

137
Q

What is “alzheimers”?

A

Degeneration of the neurons of the cerebral cortex

  • The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres where a lot of our higher-order thinking and memory occur
  • When the neurons in that area are degenerating, memory is one of the things that we see affected most often
138
Q

The mechanism for Alzheimer’s is unknown. There is some evidence out there that it could be a possible chromosomal disorder because we know that people with Down Syndrome (Down Syndrome or Trisomy 21 is a defect in the 21st chromosome) are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s in their 40s. Knowing that indicates there might be a connection between there being some type of genetic or chromosomal abnormality, unfortunately, we just have not found that direct link yet.

A
139
Q

What are symptoms for Alzheimer’s?

A
  1. Memory Loss
  2. Mood changes
  3. Confusion
  4. Sometimes anger, rage, and frustration are also present
140
Q

How do you diagnose Alzheimer’s?

A
  1. MRI
  2. CT scan
  3. Increased amyloid levels - this is done to confirm diagnosis after someone is deceased in an autopsy they will take a sample of tissue from the brain and they look for increases in amyloid levels (amyloid is thought to decrease or to aid in the degeneration of neurons)
141
Q

What is “multi-infarct dementia”?

A

Another form of dementia caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain from multiple small strokes

142
Q

Symptoms of “multi-infarct dementia”?

A
  1. Memory Loss
  2. Mood changes
  3. Confusion
  4. Sometimes anger, rage, and frustration are also present
143
Q

The same signs and symptoms as Alzheimer’s but the difference is what’s causing this dementia are progressive strokes or progressive small strokes that interrupt blood flow to the brain. A CVA cerebrovascular accident or a stroke is a disruption in blood flow to the brain. If any of these occur over the course of a lifetime the brain doesn’t get a blood supply and it doesn’t get oxygen. If the brain doesn’t have oxygen, part of the brain tissue can die.

Alzheimer’s & Multi-Infarct Dementia are similar, they are caused by different things, but they both present with memory loss.

A
144
Q

What is “epilepsy”?

A

Seizure disorder brought on by abnormal electrical activity in the brain

  • the cause of epileptic seizures is unknown.
145
Q

Many different things can cause a seizure. You can get a seizure from a fever, we call those febrile seizures. You can have a traumatic seizure where somebody gets hit on the head, and you have a seizure, you can have a seizure as a side effect from a medication or a side effect from a virus or bacterial infection. In those cases, we know what caused the seizure. If an infant has a febrile seizure, we know that the seizure was caused by a high fever.

A
146
Q

In epilepsy, the fevers are of unknown origin so the seizures are not caused by fevers. They’re not caused by injury. They’re not caused by disease. We don’t know what causes the seizures that are found in people that are epileptic.

A
147
Q

How do you diagnose “epilepsy”?

A
  1. Seizures - A patient is not diagnosed with epilepsy after having one seizure. In order to get the diagnosis of epilepsy, you need to have two or more seizures of unknown origin within the same year.
  2. Electroencephalogram to measure brain activity and brainwaves - interestingly, if you do an electroencephalogram on somebody after a seizure, that EEG is going to be normal. Trying to catch somebody having a seizure with epilepsy is a difficult task. Most of the time people that are diagnosed with epilepsy, somebody else is reporting that they had a seizure.
148
Q

Seizures can be categorized into mild seizures and major seizures.

A

Mild seizures are called petite mol or absence seizures. Generally, they are brief (usually last 30 seconds or less) and sometimes described as mild signs and symptoms. Often a person has a blank look on their face. They’re not convulsing, they’re not on the ground, they don’t lose consciousness, but they’re sitting quietly with their eyes open, and they’re not moving. If you go in front of them, you can look into their eyes, and they cannot focus on you, in other words, when you’re looking at their eyes open, it almost looks like they’re looking right through you. Someone with epilepsy occasionally can have mild seizures.

Grand mal seizures are the major seizure we typically think of when we hear of somebody lying on the ground having a tonic-clonic contraction, where all four of their extremities are contracting. Sometimes in these grand mal seizures eyes roll to the back of their head, they could drool. Sometimes they bite their tongue so you might see blood in the mouth. Oftentimes, they will lose bladder control or bowel control. I’ve seen vomiting happen after a grand mal seizure. But these are ones that usually occur for longer than 30 seconds. And people that have epilepsy that are having regular seizures, so three to five a day 10 to 15, a week.

149
Q

How do you treat “epilepsy”?

A
  1. Medication - anti-epileptic drugs, and anti-convulsive drugs, most of these fall into the sedative category
  2. Surgery - there’s one in particular, where they cut the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is the structure that connects the right hemisphere to the left hemisphere. So, if you severed the connection, they can no longer have a seizure between the right and left side. In other words, just by cutting that connection between the right and left brain, you essentially are reducing the seizure activity by 50%. Again, not a cure for epilepsy, but it is certainly something that they do to help control seizure activity.
150
Q

What is “insomnia”?

A

You have insufficient sleep

  • Lack of sleep is usually caused by something. Perhaps somebody died, you’re worried about a test, or some other type of emotional upset.
  • Medications, for example, steroids commonly will cause insomnia, especially if they’re taken late at night.
151
Q

What is “narcolepsy”?

A

Condition where you have uncontrolled attacks of sleep during the day

  • For patients that have narcolepsy, a big thing is that most of them don’t have driver’s licenses because they can fall asleep at any time and for any amount of time.
152
Q

What are treatments for “narcolepsy”?

A
  1. Stimulant medications
  2. Concentration strategies to help regulate sleep
  3. Regulating the time that they’re asleep during the day so they’re not sleeping multiple times
153
Q

What is “sleep apnea”?

A

Failure to breathe for times or multiple times during rapid eye movement or non-rapid eye movement sleep.

-People that have sleep apnea, often don’t ever get into the rapid eye movement cycles because they’re not staying asleep for long enough periods of time.

154
Q

What are the symptoms of “sleep apnea”?

A
  1. Obese
  2. Tend to be people that drink a lot, but not always
  3. Weak throat muscles
  4. Snoring
155
Q

How do you diagnose “sleep apnea”?

A
  1. And if you’re trying to determine whether somebody has sleep apnea, they will go through a normal period of sleep where you can take their respiratory rate, and then all of a sudden, it almost sounds like they take a deep breath and hold their breath. So, it often will sound like snoring or they’ll be making gurgling noises, similar to snoring and then they go into a period of silence. If you have a
  2. Sleep study, which is called polysomnography, measures how long you’re awake, and how long you’re asleep
  3. Measure your non-rapid eye movement, your rapid eye movement, and how you go through those cycles. Typically, the longer you’re asleep, the deeper you go into sleep.
    Tx
156
Q

How do you treat “sleep apnea”?

A
  1. A continuous positive airway pressure machine called the CPAP. These work wonderfully, the biggest problem is, people don’t want to wear them because they’re uncomfortable. If you’ve never seen a CPAP machine, it’s a machine that has a strap that goes over your head, and then a piece that goes inside your mouth, usually on the roof of your mouth, or closing your nose. And the thought is that these machines deliver oxygen at constant, high pressure, and they help you stay asleep for longer periods of time.
  2. There are also surgeries that they can do for sleep apnea. For example, if somebody had sleep apnea due to having large tonsils or adenoids, sometimes they go in and remove that tissue. And just by removing that extra connective tissue in the back lymphoid tissue, you actually can give them more room to breathe, they tend to snore less, and actually sleep for longer periods of time.
157
Q

What is “generalized anxiety disorder”?

A

Chronic excessive and uncontrollable worry

May be accompanied with:
Muscle tensing
Restlessness
Dyspnea
Palpitations
Insomnia
Irritability
Fatigue

158
Q

What is “panic disorder”?

A

A panic disorder is an anxiety with episodes of intense fear

159
Q

What are “phobias”?

A

Phobias are extreme, persistent fears centered around objects or situations

160
Q

What is “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)”?

A

Condition with repetitive behaviors to relieve anxiety

161
Q

What is “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)”?

A

Caused by a highly stressful, catastrophic event. It is often associated with other emotional problems.

162
Q

What is “depression”?

A

Usually coexists with physical or emotional conditions

Feelings of sadness
Hopelessness
Lack of interest
Insomnia
Loss of appetite
Suicidal tendencies

163
Q

What is “dysthymia”?

A

Form of depression triggered by a serious event

164
Q

What is “bipolar disorder”?

A

Depression with episodes of mania

165
Q

What is “psychosis”?

A

Mental state with a gross misperception of reality. Psychosis can be attached to other mental health disorders (Bipolar)

Delusions
Paranoia
Hallucinations

166
Q

What is “schizophrenia”?

A

Form of chronic psychosis

167
Q

What is “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”?

A

Inattention
Hyperactivity
Easy boredom
Impatience
Impulsive behavior

168
Q

How do you treat “ADHD”?

A
  1. Psychotherapy or behavioral therapy
  2. Medications
169
Q

What is “autism”?

A

Complex disorder of unknown cause in which impairments appear early in life and affect social interactions and communication skills. Autistic individuals may be of normal or above-average intelligence or even brilliant

170
Q

Symptoms of austism?

A
  1. Usually appears between ages 2 and 6

Marked by:
Self-absorption
Lack of response to social contact and affection
May have low intelligence
Poor language skills
Overrespond to stimuli
May show self-destructive behavior

171
Q

What are “high functioning autism” symptoms?

A
  1. Often are highly intelligent and verbal
  2. Trouble with social interactions and understanding others’ behaviors
  3. As children may be isolated and bullied
  4. Repetitive behaviours may develop
  5. May develop strong interest in specific topics
172
Q

What are Psychotropic drugs that act on mental states and are used in treatment?

A
  1. Antianxiety (anxiolytics)
  2. Mood stabilizers
  3. Antidepressants
  4. Antipsychotics (neuroleptics)

Med Term Final Exam (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions