Nervous System Pathophysiology Flashcards
Transient loss of consciousness is caused by what?
inadequate cerebral perfusion, vasovagal syncope (fainting), exercise related syncope, epilepsy.
What is epilepsy caused by?
A disturbance of the electrical activity in the brain. It results from transient uncontrolled paroxysmal
discharges of nerve tissue within the brain.
What needs to happen to get an epilepsy diagnosis?
recurrent attacks
epilepsy is the symptomatic manifestation of…
many illnesses
How many people have epilepsy in the UK?
600,000
What % of seizures stop within 10 minutes?
80%
sudden unexpected death can occur in how many people per year from epilepsy?
500
What can lower the potencial threshold for seizures?
fever
What is the idiopathic causes of epilepsy
genetics.
What are the 6 symptomatic causes of epilepsy?
head injury, following infection, brain underdeveloped, stroke, scaring, tumours.
Name as many seizure causes as you can.
infection, electric shock, fever, drug abuse, heat related illness, poisoning, stroke, pregnancy (eclampsia), head injury, toxin build up in the body, withdrawal from medication or alcohol.
Three types of seizures
focal (partial), generalised, status epilepticus.
What are the types of focal seizures?
simple, complex
What are the generalised seizures
absence seizures, tonic, atonic, clonic, myoclonic, tonic-clonic.
simple focal:temporal lobe
deja vu- unusual smell or taste, sudden intense feeling of fear or joy.
simple focal: frontal lobe
stiffness or twitching in part of the body.
simple focal: parietal lobe
feeling of numbness or tingling
simple focal: occipital lobe
visual disterbance or hallucinations
complex focal
15-30 seconds, usually temporal lobe, repetitive movement such as fiddling with clothing, chewing or lip smacking, muttering or repeting nonsense words, wandering round in a confused way, loss of consciousness or confusion.
What is a secondary generalised seizure?
when a focal seizure starts affecting the other hemisphere of the brain.
absent seizures are more common in…
children
How often do absent seizures usually last
a few seconds
characteristics of absent seizure
Usually remain conscious but not aware of surroundings. Eyelids often flicker.
Are absent seizures frequent or infrequent?
frequent
What are absent seizures aka
petit mal
characteristics of tonic seizures
Person becomes rigid and usually falls over. Injuries are common. Usually brief and occur without warning.
Atonic seizure characteristics
Complete and sudden loss of muscle tone. Often called a “drop attack”. May result in injuries. Last a few seconds.
*Recovery usually quick.
Myoclonic seizure characteristics.
Muscle jerking. Patient remains conscious. Usually has other generalised forms of epilepsy. Often occurs in clusters but are relatively short-lived.
Tonic clonic seizure characteristics
The person becomes unconscious. Body goes stiff and they usually fall backwards (Tonic). They may cry out. They may bite their tongue or cheek. They jerk and shake (convulse) as their muscles relax and tighten
rhythmically. Breathing might be affected and become difficult or sound noisy. Pallor or cyanosis. Incontinence.
After the seizure, breathing and colour return to normal and they may feel tired, confused, have a headache or want to sleep (Post Ictal).
Clonic seizure characteristics
similar to tonic clonic but patient does not go rigid at start.
Status epilepticus characteristics.
Convulsions lasting greater than 30 minutes. Repeated seizures for over 30 minutes with no recovery in
between. Potentially life threatening.
