Lecture 13: Miscellaneous Neuro Disorders Flashcards
What are the 4 characteristics of Multiple Sclerosis? (MS)
- Chronic inflammation
- Demyelination
- Gliosis (plaques/scarring)
- Neuronal loss
What is the hypothetical etiology of MS?
Environmental agent/event occurs in a patient with genetic predisposition to immune dysfunction, resulting in autoimmune attack on CNS
What exactly happens in MS?
- Breakdown of myelin
- Unsuccessful attempt at remyelination resulting in plaques/sclerosis
What are the autoreactive lymphocytes that break down myelin?
- Inflammatory T cells
- B cells
- Macrophages
Who is MS MC in?
- Females
- Caucasians and Northern US
For men, MS occurs later in life as well.
What MS version occurs earlier?
Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS)
What are the primary RFs for MS?
- First-degree relative 7x risk
- Hypovitaminosis D
- EBV
- Smoking
Identical twin adds the most risk
How does MS present?
- Abrupt or insidious
- Asymptomatic to severe
- Episodes can be very far apart in time and location
- Uhthoff phenomenon: Symptoms worsen by body temp increases
What are the sensory symptoms associated with MS?
- Paresthesias
- Hypesthesia
- Unpleasant sensations
- Pain (neuropathic and MSK)
- Lhermitte’s symptoms (shock-like sensation down legs)
What happens to the eyes in MS?
- Optic neuritis (usually unilateral)
- Blurred vision
- EOM pain
- Central field visual changes
- RAPD (swinging light test)
- Optic disc changes like atrophy post optic neuritis.
What are the motor symptoms associated with MS?
- Weakness worsened by exercise
- Bell’s palsy-like weakness
- Diplopia with EOM
- Spasticity
- Hyperreflexia
- Babinski
- Intention tremor
- Dysarthria
Suggestive of UMN changes
What CNs are involved in MS?
- TN (CN V), but presents bilaterally and before age 50
- Facial Myokymia (CN VII): Involuntary twitching of facial muscles
- Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (CN IX): Shock-like pain in posterior pharynx/tongue/ear when swallowing or without warning
5, 7, 9
What happens to the bladder in MS?
- Detrusor hyperreflexia
- Detrusor sphincter dyssynergia
What GU symptoms are present in MS?
- Loss of detrusor control
- Bowel changes (constipation)
- Sexual dysfunction
What mental changes occur in MS patients?
- Mild cognitive dysfunction
- Depression
- Fatigue (90% of pts)
- Vertigo
How do neurological symptoms occur in terms of timing in MS?
- 10-120s at a time
- 5-40x a day
Thought to be due to spontaneous discharges from neurons at the end.
Usually self-limiting.
What neurological symptoms occur in MS?
- Lhermitte’s
- Tonic contractions
- Dysarthria
- Ataxia
- Sensory disturbances
What is clinically isolated syndrome for MS?
- First MS attack
- Must last 24 hrs and characteristic of MS but doesn’t meet full criteria
What is the MC type of MS?
Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)
How does RRMS tend to present?
- Disecrete relapses/attacks that evolve over time. (Relapse: days to weeks)
- Periods of partial/complete recovery in between (Remission: weeks to months)
- In between attacks, patients are neurologically stable
How does secondary progressive MS tend to present?
RRMS that involves deterioration in function separate from attacks
How does primary progressive MS tend to present?
Steady decline from the onset.
No remission or relapse.
How is MS diagnosed?
- 2+ episodes of both signs and symptoms that reflect different areas anatomically, via MRI lesions or visualized
- Symptoms >24h and separated by 1 month in recurrence
- MRI Brain with gadolinium showing either acute MS lesions (large with ill-defined margins) or chronic lesions (small with well-defined margins)
When is evoked potential testing indicated for MS?
- Asymptomatic patients
- Should show a marked delay in latency, which is diagnostic even in an asymptomatic patient
When is CSF analysis used to diagnose MS and what is a positive finding?
- Anyone with CIS or atypical presentation, aka MRI non-diagnostic.
- Oligoclonal bands (OGB) should be seen, representing the disease-causing antibodies
- Increased intrathecal synthesized IgG
- Mild WBC elevation
- Normal-mild elevated proteins
What are considered red flags/atypical presentations of MS?
- Posterior fossa/craniocervical junction/spinal cord symptom localization
- Younger than 15 or older than 60
- Progressive from onset
- None of the other symptoms besides neurological
- Atypical diagnostics
Posterior fossa = ataxia, imbalance
CC junction = neck pain, HA, balance, voice, dysphagia, respiratory/OSA, dysarthria
How do labs present in MS initially? What are the labs normally used in workup of MS?
- Normal.
- ESR
- B12
- ANA
- Treponemal antibody (Syphilis)
- Lyme titer
What are the 3 management categories for MS?
- Acute attack
- Disease-modifying
- Symptomatic
When is acute therapy used for MS and what are the treatments?
- Indications: CIS/acute exacerbations.
- Mainstay: Glucocorticoids: methylprednisolone
- Plasma exchange (For pts unresponsive to glucocorticoids)
What is the goal of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in MS?
Reducing frequency of relapses and evolution of new lesions
What should be done prior to DMT for MS?
Screening for Hep ABC and VZV and JC antibodies
What is the BBW of DMT for MS?
Risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy due to JC virus
What are the 3 treatment modalities that fall under DMT for MS?
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Oral therapy
- Platform injection therapy
What is the MOA of monoclonal antibodies in DMT for MS?
Decreasing immune response
Theyre all either monthly, q6monthly, or annually.
Annual: alemtuzumab starts with a for annually :)
What drug classes are part of the oral therapies in DMT for MS?
- Fumarates (antioxidants, BID dosing)
- Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators/S1PRs (preventing lymphocyte release to PNS, QD dosing)
Fumarates end in fumarate
S1PRs end in -imod
What are the 2 drugs for platform injection in DMT for MS?
- Galtiramer acetate (SQ 3x/week or QD)
- Interferon beta (SQ or IM ranging from QOD to biweekly)
How is ataxia/tremor managed in MS?
- Clonazepam
- Propranolol
- Primidone
- Thalatomy/DBS
How are spasticity and spasms managed in MS?
- Avoiding triggers: infection, fecal impaction, bed sores
- PT/exercise
- Baclofen/intrathecal for severe
- Muscle relaxants
When do we treat weakness in MS and with what?
- K+ channel blocker: dalfampridine
- Indication: LE weakness interfering with ambulation
How is pain managed in MS?
- Anticonvulsants
- TCAs
- Pain management if all else fails
How is bladder dysfunction managed in MS?
- Hyperreflexia: Frequent voiding and less intake at night + oxybutynin
- Dyssynergia: Terazosin
- Treat UTIs (esp if pts have post void residuals of > 200mL)
- Self-catheterization
What are the treatments for fatigue in MS?
ALL OFF-LABEL
stimulants and amantadine
What factors suggest a better prognosis for MS?
- Optic neuritis or sensory at onset.
- Less than 2 relapses in the first year
- Minimal impairment after 5 years.
What factors suggest a worse prognosis for MS?
- Truncal ataxia
- Action tremor
- Pyramidal symptoms
- Progressive disease
What are the best patient education tidbits for MS?
- Eat healthy
- Be positive
- Swimming is good
- Go stand in the sun and correct your Vit D deficiency
Define cerebral palsy.
- Group of disorders causing permanent, non-progressive motor dysfunction that affects tone, posture/and or movement
- Often accompanied by sensation, cognition, communication, perception, behavior, or seizure disorders/disturbances
What is the primary cause of cerebral palsy?
Congenital insult to the developing brain within the perinatal/delivery period
What are the modifiable RFs for cerebral palsy?
- Maternal smoking
- Maternal alcohol use
- Maternal obesity
What is the leading cause of childhood disability?
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
What are the protective factors for CP?
- Mg Sulfate
- ABX
- Corticosteroids
Obstetrical care
How does CP present?
- Gross motor delay in year 1
- Hypotonia => spasticity
- Hand preference before 12 mo
- Asymmetric crawling
- Growth disturbances
- Hyperreflexia
- Potentially persistent primitive reflexes
Hand preference early on = red flag for hemiplegia
What is the MC type of CP and how does it present?
- Spastic CP
- Increased tone (Hypertonia)
- Hyperreflexia
- Muscle contractures