Neuro Flashcards
Pancoast tumors and Horner’s syndrome
Among other symptoms, Pancoast tumors can lead to Horner’s syndrome due to involvement of the cervical sympathetic ganglia.
Neural Tube Defects
- Pathophysiology
- Presentation
- Dx
- NTDs occur due to failure of fusion of the neural tube during the 4th week of development. This leaves an opening between the neurotube and the amniotic cavity.
- Can present with encephalocele (herniation), anencephaly (no brain), or the spina bifadas
- Leakage of alpha-fetpoprotein and AchE occurs, allowing for prenatal diagnosis
Name the microscopic and macroscopic changes associated with Ischemic Brain Injury, during the following times after injury:
- 12-24 hours
- 24-72 hours
- 3-7 days
- 1-2 weeks
- >2 weeks
What does the radial nerve do? Damage to it may result in what?
- Innervation to the skin of the posterior arm, forearm, and dorsal lateral hand
- Motor innervation to all of the extensors of the upper limb (below the shoulder)
Damage leads to wrist drop
What artery is responsible for supplying the occipital lobe?
Posterior Cerebral Artery
What is Vernet syndrome?
It is when you have lesions of the jugular foramen, thus leading to CN Ix, X, and XI dysfunction
Meningiomas
- Pathophysiology?
- Who is usually affected?
- Where do these tumors occur?
- Presentation?
- Common, slow-growing (benign), intracranial tumors
- Typically adults
- Arise in regions of dural reflection (falx cerenri, tentorium cerebelli, etc.)
- Patients are often asymptomatic but may present w/ HA, seizure or focal neurologic deficits depending on size/ location of tumor
Role of the musculocutaneous nerve (2)
- Innervates the major forearm flexors and the coracobrachialis
- Provides sensory innervation to the lateral forearm
What are the (3) main dopaminergic systems? What are their functions? What diseases are they associated with?
How can severe chronic rheumatoid arthritis lead to spinal cord injury?
It can cause joint destruction with verterbal malalignment (subluxation), particularly at C1. Extension of neck (particularly during ET placement), can worsen the subluxation, leading to acute compression of the spinal cord and/or vertebral arteries
Intraventricular Hemorrhage
- Most frequent occurance is in what population?
- Pathology?
- Presentation?
- Usually in infants born before 32 weeks gestation or with a low birth weight
- IVH in premies usually originates in germinal matrix, where neurons and glial cells migrate out during brain development
- Clinically silent or present with altered level of conciousness, hypotonia, and decreased movement. Symptoms of catstrophic bleeding are the same as those of increased ICP.
What is Kinesin and what does it do?
A microtubule-associated, ATP-powered motor protein that facilitates the anterograde transport of neurotranmsitter-containing secretory vesicles down axons to synaptic terminals.
IV Benzodiazepines
- Main one
- Indication
- MOA
- Lorazepam
- Intitial drug of choice for status epilepticus
- They work by enhancing the effect of GABA at GABA -A receptor, leading to increased chloride influx and suppression of AP firing
Why doesn’t Wallerian degeneration occur in the CNS?
Due to the persistence of myelin debris, secretion of neuronal inhibitory factors, and development of dense glial scarring.
Germinoma
- What type of mass is it?
- Classical manifestations (2) and the Sx associated with each (3)
- Dx
- Pineal gland mass
- (1) Obstructive hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis - Sx: papilledema, HA, vomiting (2) Dorsal midbrain (Parinaud) syndrome due to direct compression of the pretectal region of the midbrain- Sx: paralysis of upward gaze, ptosis, pupillary abnormalities
- Dx via MRI
“Red ragged” muscle fibers on Gomori trichome are seen in what kinds of disease…?
Mitochondrial diseases
The mitochondria accumulate under sarcolemma
Diabetic Mononeuropathy
- Usually involves which CN?
- Pathology
- Sx (3)
- CN III is most commonly involved
- Caused predominantly by central ischemia
- Sx: ptosis, “down and out” gaze, normal light/accomodation reflexes
POMC, a polypeptide precursor, goes through enzymatic cleavage and modification to produce what (3) proteins?
- Beta-endorphins (endogenous opioid peptide)
- ACTH
- MSH
Length constant
(How is it affected by myelination?)
A measure of how far along an axon an electrical impulse can propagate. Myelination increases this constant.
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
- Inheritance?
- Presentation?
- Pathology?
- The [] of what enzyme increases as a result?
- X-linked recessive
- Presentation: self-mutilation, hyperuricemia, dystonia, and choreoathetosis in the first few years of life
- Pathology: HGPRT deficiency (used in purine salvage pathway). Leads to degradation of hypoxanthine bases into uric acid.
- Increased demand for de novo purine synthesis leads to increased PRPP activity
Tabes Dorsalis
- Epidemiology?
- Pathogenesis?
- Clinical findings?
- Epidemiology: Increased incidence of syphilis in MSM/ HIV-infected patients
- Pathology: Treponema pallidum spirochetes directly damage the dorsal sensory roots
- Clinical findings: sensory ataxia, lancinating pains, neurogenic urinary incontinence, Argyll Robertson pupils
Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD)
- Pathology
- Presentation
- Treatment
4.
- Path: defect in a-keto dehydrogenase, leading to inability to degrade branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) beyond deaminated a-keto acid state
- Sx: Dystonia; poor feeding; maple syrup scent urine in first few days of life
- Tx: Dietary restriction of branched-chain AA’s
Causes of oral thrush (3 main)
- Candida albicans
- Albuterol inhaler
- HIV
Vitamin A toxicity
- Acute affects (3)
- Chronic affects (5)
- Teratogenic affects (3)
- Acute: N/V, vertigo, blurred vision
- Chronic: alopecia, dry skin, hyperlipidemia, hepatotoxicity/ hepatosplenomegaly, and visual difficulties
- Teratogenic: Microcephaly, cardiac anomalies, fetal death
What time interval is the key difference between PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder?
Acute stress disorder
What are the main effects of a glossopharyngeal nerve lesion?
- Loss of gag reflex
- Loss of general sensation of the upper pharynx, posterior tongue, tonsils and middle ear cavity
- Loss of taste on posterior third of tongue
Which neural structure is most affected by the thiamine deficiency associated with Wernicke encephalopathy?
Mamillary bodies
First generation anti-histamines
- Name them
- In addition to blocking histamine receptors, what other affects?
- How can the eye be affected?
- Ex. Chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine
- Also have antimuscarinic, anti-alpha adrenergic, and anti-serotonergic properties
- Anticholinergic effects on occular ciliary muscles impair accomdation and cause blurring of vision for close obects
The anterior cerebral arteries supply which portions of the brain? (2)
What is the affect that occlusion can have?
- They supply the medial portions of the 2 hemispheres (frontal and parietal)
- Occlusion can cause contralateral motor and sensory deficits of the lower extremities, behavorial changes, and urinary incontinence
- Peroxisomes are responsible for metabolizing what?
- What does Peroxisomal disease commonly lead to?
- Metabolizes very long chain fatty acids or fatty acids with branch points at odd-numbered carbons since they cannot undergo mitochondrial beta-oxidation
- Can lead to neurologic defects from improper CNS myelination
Injury to the lower trunk of the brachial plexus
- What mechanism of injury which causes this?
- Consequence of this injury?
- Result of sudden upward jerking of the arm at the shoulder
- May causes paralysis of all intrinsic hand muscles (Klumpke’s palsy) w/ sparing to the extensors, leading to total claw hand deformity. Can also see sensory loss and weakness.
When providing a nerve block of the brachial plexus between scalene muscles, what must you be weary of?
Transient ipsilateral diaphragmatic paralysis due to involvement of the phrenic nerve roots as they pass through the interscalene sheath.
Serotonin syndrome
- How do we get this syndrome?
- Sx (3)
- What is the antidote?
- What is the precursor to serotonin?
- The result of either serotonin overdose or co-prescription with an MAOI or triptan
- (1) neuromuscular excitation, (2) autonomic stimulation, (3) altered mental status
- Antidote- Cyproheptadine ( a first generation histamine antagonist)
- Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin