Module 8 Flashcards
- Not just medical, but literary, philosophic and psychologic
- The state of the patient’s awareness of self and environment and his responsiveness to external stimulation and inner need
- it is operational; you have to do something to detemine it.
consciousness
how to know if the patient is conscious?
- observe the patient
2. talk to the patient and see if he/she is responsive
2 components/ dimensions of consciousness
- content/cognition - what the patient knows
2. arousal - level of wakefulness; may be elevated or depressed
Elevation of Arousal
- Insomnia
- Euphoria
- Mania
- Hallucinations
- Convulsions
Depression (Level of Arousal)
- Normal Sleep
- Somnolence
- Stupor
- Semicoma
- Complete Coma
States of Normal and Impaired Consciousness
- Normal Consciousness
- Confusion
- Drowsiness/ Somnolence - patient drifts to sleep but easily be aroused by light tapping or name calling
- Stupor - patient drifting to sleep but can only be aroused by vigorous tapping; patient should respond after stimulating
- Coma – light (semicoma) or deep coma
Deep coma- absence or brain reflex
Structures necessary for consciousness
- Rostral pontine tegmentum
- Midbrain tegmentum
- Diencephalon
- Caudate-putamen (striatum)
- Medial hemispheric wall
- One cerebral hemisphere (esp. the cortex) and corresponding deep white matter
What is in the tegmentum that is necessary for the wakefulness?
- In the Tegmentum, you see The Ascending Reticular Activating System (RAS)
What is in The Ascending Reticular Activating System (RAS)?
- loosely organized group of neurons; no distinct borders; seen in the tegmentum
- consists of neurons that uses different neurotransmitters (cholinergic, histaminic, serotonergic) that are part of the reticular activating system
- they send projection to the thalamus as well as cingulate gyrus and diffusely to other parts of the cerebral hemisphere.
- also accepts information from the sensory pathway (from spinothalamic tract and tigeminothalamic tracts)
Reticular Activating System (RAS) stimulation and disruption
Stimulation: transient arousal
Disruption: depression of consciousness/coma
Metabolic Mechanisms that Disturb Consciousness (1)
- Reduction in blood flow (eg shock, low BP, arrest)
- Reduction in cerebral metabolism (hypoglyceima)
- Toxins – endogenous toxins (hepatic encephalopathy - hyperammonemia; kidney problems - increase creatinine); hypoNatremia (blood will be hypotonic causing shifting of fluids inside the neuron that will cause swelling); direct effect on neuronal membranes in the cerebrum, RAS, neurotransmitters and their receptors
Metabolic Mechanisms that Disturb Consciousness (2)
- Sudden and excessive neuronal discharges – as that which occur in seizures (particularly generalized seizures)
- Concussion - brought about by tremendous pressure; shearing forces from trauma/accident; can be temporary
Pathologic Anatomy of Coma (Structural Causes of Coma)
- Discernible mass lesions (if the mass is large, it can cause increase pressure in the brain leading to brain herniation)
- Destructive lesions in the midbrain or thalamus
- Widespread bilateral damage to the cortex, cerebral white matter
- a displacement/dislocation of brain tissue from one compartment to another
- name based on the structure that is traversed or part that is herniating
Herniation
Schematic Depiction of brain herniations (Cerebral hemispheric subcortical white matter)
- Transfalcine or subfalcinar lesion - herniation under the falx cerebri
- Transtentorial Herniation or Uncal Herniation - downward displacement and it passes through the tentorium cerebelli
- Cerebellar Tonsillar Herniation/Transforaminal Herniation - passage of the cerebral tissue to the foramen magnum
- Kernohan-Woltman Notch/Phenomenon - not a herniation but occurs in uncal herniation
Types of Transtentorial Herniation
- Uncal Herniation Syndrome - medial portion of the temporal lobe herniate
- Central Herniation Syndrome - entire brain that is displaced downward so there is lateral involvment
- follows a rostro-caudal sequence (confusion, apathy, drowsiness) then sensorial change
- may notice Cheyne-stokes respiration
- pupils are small which reach sluggishly to light»_space; bilateral decerebration»_space; loss of caloric responses»_space; irregular breathing»_space; death
Central Syndrome
• Preceded by a unilateral pupillary dilatation (because of impingement of Cranial Nerve III which emeges from the midbrain; malapit na sa tentorium cerebelli kaya pagnaherniate na ang uncus, madali syang maimpinge)
Uncal Syndrome
Pathologic Changes in uncal herniation:
- Injury to outer fibers of ipsilateral CN III
- Creasing of contralateral cerebral peduncle (Kernohan’s notch)
- Duret hemorrhages
- Unilateral or bilateral infarction of the occipital lobes - there might be impingement of the arteries (posterior cerebral artery causing secondary strokes)
- Rising ICP and hydrocephalus (accumulation of CSF due to obstruction in the aqueduct of sylvius; hydrocephalus will be more seen in the lateral ventricle)
Clinical Manifestation of the Creasing Contralateral Cerbral Peduncle (Kernohan Notch)
Crushing of the cerebral peduncle which contains the corticospinal fibers (Contralateral to kernohan’s notch weakness and extensor problem
- small hemorrhages in the midbrain brought about by small torn arteries
Duret hemorrhage
- Impaired consciousness
- Neck rigidity
- Opisthotonus and decerebrate rigidity
- Irregular respiration
- Apnea that can lead to respiratory arrest
- Bradycardia
Cerebellar tonsillar herniation
Posturing (reason of rostrocaudal sequence in Central Herniation)
- Supratentorial Lesion - weakness contralaterally
- Upper midbrain damage - decorticate posturing (abduction of the upper extremity, flexion of the wrist, stiffening of bilateral lower extremities)
- Upper pontine damage - decerebrate (extended Upper extremities and externally rotated, Lower extremities stiffened
Respiratory and autonomic effects of brainstem lesions and transtentorial herniation
- Supratentorial lesion - apnea then increase respiration then apnea (Cheyne-Stoke respiration: earliest sign that you’ll know that there’s something happening in the brain but not all the time neurologic)
- Upper midbrain lesion - rapid inspiration and expiration (Central Neurogenic Hyperventilation; can be seen also in acidotic patients and pneumonia)
- Pons lesion - inspiration, pause, apnea (Apneustic Breathing; not a good type of respiratory breathing)
- Caudal Pons lesion - irregular, no characteristics - can be shallow, deep then periods of apnea (Ataxic Breathing/ Biot breathing/agonal type of respiration); usually poor prognosis
- Medulla - apnea (no breathing)