Movement Disorders Flashcards
- What are movement disorders caused by? 2
2. What modulates motor cortical activity but also the activity of the association cortex, in the frontal lobes?
- extrapyramidal (basal ganglia)
- cerebellar dysfunction.
- Basal ganglia
Huntington’s Disease
- How is it acquired?
- What does it affect? 3
- Mean onset is at what age?
- What is the mean duration of illness?
- Progressive autosomal dominant
- Affects
- motor function
- cognition
- behavior - Mean onset is age 40
- Mean duration of illness is 20 years
- Huntington’s Disease Pathophysiology?
2. Where is the disease at? 2
- brain cells are wasting away/localized cell death
- Decrease of GABA and GABA receptors in the basal ganglia
- cauda nucleus/putemen of basal ganglia
What is Huntingtons disease characterized by?
3
- Chronic progressive chorea
- Psychological changes
- Dementia
Decrease of GABA and GABA receptors in the basal ganglia is part of the pathophysiology of Huntington’s. What does this cause and why?
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. So without the GABA theres nothing to stop movement = chorea.
Huntington’s adult onset clinical presentations? 6
Juvenile onset? 4
- Chorea affects the limbs and trunk
- Dystonia- twisting and loss of movement
- Rigidity
- Postural instability
- Myoclonus
- Nystagmus
- Very rare
- Bradykinesia
- Rigidity
- Quicker progression
Early psychological manifestations of Huntington’s Disease?
10
1. Depression Personality changes 2. Memory loss 3. Impulsive behavior- too much 4. dopamine 5. Moodiness 6. Antisocial behavior 7. Emotional outbursts 8. Lack of initiative 9. Loss of spontaneity 10. Inability to concentrate
Early physical signs of Huntingtons? 2
Lateral physical signs of Huntingtons? 5
Early physical signs:
- Fidgeting
- Restlessness
Later physical signs:
- Chorea
- Dystonic posturing
- Progressive rigidity
- Akinesia
- Dementia
Diagnostic Studies for Huntingtons?
- MRI
- PET
- Genetic testing
Huntington’s Disease
What would the following show?
1. MRI?
2. PET?
MRI
1. Caudate atrophy
PET
2. Abnormal metabolic changes in the caudate
Huntington’s Treatment?
3
Treatment of symptoms only, no medication will change the course of Huntington’s
- Tetrabenazine (VAMT Inhibitor)
- Antidopaminergic agents (Phenothiazine, Haloperidol)
- Antipsychotics (Resperidone, Olanzapine)
What is tetrabenazine used to treat in parkinson’s?
dyskinesia
- In Huntingtons what are we mostly treating?
2. What other things are we treating?
- Chorea
- Postural instability
- Rigidity worsen
- Treatment of depression
- Psychosis
- What are the anticonvulsants used for Huntington’s? 2
- What are the antipsychotics used for Huntington’s? 2
- What are the antidepressants used for Huntington’s? 3
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Valproic Acid (Depakote)
- Resperidone (Resperdal)
- Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Sertraline (Zoloft)
- Nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor)- Tricyclic antidepressant
What is the risk of TCAs?
2
suicide risk and also really dangerous in a overdose.
Side effects from many of the drugs used to treat the symptoms of Huntington’s disease may include what?
3
- hyper-excitability,
- fatigue
- restlessness.
Antipsychotic drugs may cause side effects that mimic the signs of what disease?
Parkinson’s disease, including involuntary twitching in the face and body (tardive dyskinesia).
What is the most common cause of tremors?
Essential tremors
Essential Tremors
- How is it acquired?
- What are the ranges of presentation?
- Unilateral or Bilateral?
- More prominent with action or with rest?
- Describe the frequency of the tremor?
- Inherited
- Ranges from cosmetic to disabling
- Affect both sides of the body symmetrically**
- More prominent with action than rest**
- Frequency of tremor is constant***