Lecture 17: Cortical Electrical Recordings Flashcards
What is idiopathic epilepsy
Seizures as a result of an unknown cause
What is primary epilepsy
Genetic
What is symptomatic epilepsy
Known, underlying cause: developmental, degenerative, inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, and traumatic
What is reactive epilepsy
Metabolic, nutritional or toxic cause
What is reflex epilepsy
Sensory stimuli triggers an episode
What is a seizure
Physical findings and/or changes in behavior that result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain. May include motor, sensory, autonomic or psychic effects
What is epilepsy
Abnormal activity in the cerebral cortex that results in a seizure. A epileptic seizure is a clinical sign of an abnormal forebrain disorder
What is status epilepticus
A seizure that lasts for 5 minutes or longer or multiple seizures within a 5 minute period
What are cluster seizures
Increased frequency of seizures within a few days or 2 seizures within 24 hours
What are the three phases of a seizure
- Pro-dromal
- Citrus
- Post-ictal
What is the prodromal phase
Pre-octal period, abnormal behavior that may occur hours before ictus
What is ictus
Seizure lasting 1-2 minutes, characterized by the loss of consciousness and alteration of muscle tone, repetitive movements
What is “aura”
Onset of ictus
What is the post-octal period
Return to normal or altered behavior, recovery period
What do EEG’s measure
Collective electrical activity neurons in the cortex
What layer of the cortex is made of glia cells and dendrites of neurons in lower layers
Layer 1
What layers of the cortex contain Stellate cells that receive afferents from brainstem; pyramidal cells send axons to other parts of the cortex
Layers 2-6
What layer receives thalamic inputs
Layer 4
What layer is the motor efferent neurons to the spinal cord
Layer 5
What layer of the cortex has projections to basal ganglia and thalamus
Layer 6
What are the major cell types in the cortex
- Pyramidal neurons- Long distance excitatory
- Stellate neurons- local excitatory and inhibitory
- Glial cells
What are focal seizures
Partial, originates in a localized portion of the cortex=seizure focus
What is a generalized seizure
Involves both hemispheres of the brain, originates in the thalamus with abnormal activity in thalamocortical circuit
What is a secondary generalized seizure
When a focal seizure starts locally and spread to the rest of the cortex, creating a generalized seizure
What what two ion channels are responsible for inhibitory or excitatory activity
- Voltage gated channels
- Ligand gated channels