Lecture: Forebrain disease Flashcards
1
Q
Lesion localization (test question)
A
- Intracranial
- C1-C5
- C6-T2
- T3-L3
- L4-S3
- Lower motor Neuron
2
Q
Forebrain disease
Hallmark clinical signs
A
- Seizures (always come from forebrain)
- Altered mentation, behavoiral change, dementia, loss of training
- Pacing, wandering, wide circles towards lesion
- Head turn towards lesion
- Postural reaction deficits opposite side
- proprioceptive pathways cross over
- Blindness opposite side
- visual pathways cross over
- Head pressing, star gazing, fly biting
- Possible hemiparesis opposite side of lesion
- Proprioceptive deficits
3
Q
Motor tracts in veterinary species
A
- midbrain
- brainstem
4
Q
Other clinical signs forebrain dz
A
- Hemi-inattention/hemi-neglect
- thalamus damage inhibiting perception of pain
- Brain pain
- stretching of meninges
- OR brain perceives pain that is not there
- May look like neck pain, IS NOT NECK PAIN
5
Q
Ataxia
A
- three types
- cerebellar
- proprioceptive/sensory
- vestibular
- NOT ASSOCIATED WITH FOREBRAIN DZ
- dogs with forebrain dz usually have NORMAL GAIT
6
Q
Clinical signs NOT associate with forebrain dz
A
- Head tilt-vestibular
- Nystagmus-vestibular
- Stupor, coma-midbrain/brainstem involvement
- Ataxia
- Abnormal spinal reflexes
- Significant cranial nerve deficits
- Intention tremors
7
Q
Cranial nerves associated with forebrain
A
CN I, II
8
Q
Location of lesion if there is a visual deficit
A
Opposite from the eye with the visual deficit
9
Q
DX workup for forebrain dz (7)
A
- GOOD HISTORY
- Neuro exam
- Minimum database (CBC, chem, UA)
- Abdominal and thoracic imaging
- MRI
- requires general anesthesia
- expensive
- CSF analysis
- Infectious dz testing if indicated
- short list of dz that cross BBB
10
Q
Causes of forebrain dz
Degenerative
A
- Lysosomal storage dz
- genetic and breed specific, young animal
- untreatable
- Leukodystrophy
- white matter dz (abnormal myelinated tracts)
- rare
- untreatable
- Cognitive dysfunction
- model for human alzheimers, accumulation of beta amyloid
- dx of exclusion (MRI shrunken brain)
- seleginline, antianxiety meds
11
Q
Cognitive dysfunction
CS
A
- progressive cognitive impairment
- inactivity, abnormal sleep/wake cycle
- wandering/pacing
- dementia, urinary/fecal incontinence
- anxiety
- decreased interaction
- hearing loss, vocalization
- cats may develop aggression
12
Q
Cognitive dysfunction
Diagnosis
A
- HX, CS, exclusion of other causes
- +/- brain abnormalities on MRI
- atrophy
- ventricular enlargement
- microhemorrhages and infarcts
- small interthalamic adhesion
13
Q
Cognitive dysfunction
Treatment
A
- No known cure
- MAOI therapy - selegeline
- SAM-e
- Holistic
- anti-anxiety meds
14
Q
Causes of forebrain dz
Anomalous
A
- Congenital Hydrocephalus
- toy and brachycephalic breeds: chihuahua
- excessive CSF in ventricular system: white matter damage
- many animals can be asymptomatic
- If progressive, can cause dysfuntion from compression/stretching of brain parenchyma
- Primary epilepsy
- typically pure-breed dogs 1-5 years old
- documented in cats
15
Q
Congenital Hydrocephalus
General exam findings
A
- dome-shaped head
- open fontanelle or calvarial defect: skull sutures don’t close
- sun-set sign (ventrolateral strabismus) from orbital malformation
16
Q
Congenital Hydrocephalus
Neurologic exam findings
A
- typically apparent by 6 months old
- behavoir change, obtundation, dementia, circling
- innapropriate aggression
- blindness, seizures