neuro AATBS outline flashcards
Neuroimaging Techniques
Structural
Strucutral Techniques:
(1) Computed Tomograph (CT): same as CAT scan, uses X rays to get horizontal images/slices of the brain; diagnoses tumors, blood clots, MS
(2) MRI: uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce cross sectional images of the brain. proides clearer images than CT scan
Neuroimaging Techniques
Functional
Functional - to watch blood flow
PET
SPECT
fMRI - to watch changes, very clear view, 3D, layers, more rapid than MRI
Neurotransmitters
1) Acetylcholine (ACh
(1) ACh - regulates voluntary movement, sleep wake cycle and memory (low levels contribute to memory loss associated with alzheimer’s dementia.
Neurotransmitters:
Catecholomines:
(1) Dopamine
(2) Norepinephrine
(3) Epinephrine
(1) Dopamine - involved in voluntary movement and mood. Excessive levels are associated with schizophrenia (“dopamine hypothesis”), Tourette’s disorder and substance addiction; low levels with depression and Parkinson’s disease, Huntingtons, tartive diskinesia
(2) Norepinephrine - mediates fight or flight response and involved in mana, depression (“catecholomine hypothesis”) and schizophrenia; chemical name for adrenelin; too little=depressed; too much=mania; involved in mood, sleep and pain
(3) Epinephrine - adrenergic system, involved in fight or flight
Neurotransmitters
(1) Serotonin
(2) GABA
(1) Serotonin - (5-HT)=5 F’s; regulates hunger and thirst, sexual behavior, sleep and mood; elevated levels=schizophrenia, anorexia and autism; low levels=depression, suicide and OCD, bulimia.
(2) GABA - plays sa role in sleep, eating, seizure and anxiety disorders and Huntingotns; inhibitory, puts a lid on neurochatter
(3) Glutamate
(4) Endorphins
(3) Glutamate - mediates learning and memory; excessive levels (“excitotoxicity”) may contribute to seizures, stroke, Huntington’s, and Alzheimers,. Too much = generalized anxiety disorder
(4) Endorphins - mediate analgesic effects, pleasureable experiences (runners high), emotions, learning and memory, sexual behavior
Overview of the nervous system:
Two parts of the CNS
(1) Brain
(2) Spinal Cord - cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal; paraplegic=pair=2; quadraplegic=4=all limbs
Overview of Nervous System:
Peripheral Nervous System - 2 parts
(1) Somatic NS - soma=body; sends and retrieves motor activity to periphery; lots of ACh here; contains sensory and motor neurons that link the CNS to the skepetal muscles
(2) Autonomic NS - sutomatic/autopilot; consists of sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS with the smooth muscles of the internal organs and glands
Autonomic NS has 2 branches. what are they?
Autonomic NS is broken down into:
(1) sympathetic - responding to the situation at hand; mediates the fight or flight response and energy output; Carmel fell of her bike and I went crazy
(2) parasympathtic - parametics come to slow you down and get you back to normal; relaxation, recuperation and energy conservation; I saw that she was ok and I calmed down
Hindbrain and Midbrain
Hindbrain: (1) Medulla (2) Cerebellum
Midbrain
Hindbrain:
(1) Medulla - controls important reflexes (coughing and swallowing) and regulates breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital functions
(2) Cerebellum - involved in posture and balance, coordinates voluntary movements and plays a role in motor learning (riding a bike). Damage and cause ataxia (loss of balance, slurred speech, tremors)
Midbrain: includes the reticular formation which is involved in sleep and wakefulness, motor movements, pain perception, and some reflexes. contains the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS), which is responsible for awareness, arousal and attention (ascends up spinal column)
Things to remember about forebrain structures:
(1) ___ contains the suprachiasmatic nucleus which controls circadian and seasonal cycles and the mammillary bodies which pay a role in memory
(2) The basal ganglia includes what 3 structures?
(3) septum
(1) hypothalamus - core of brain, invovled in coure functions; 5 F’s
(2) the basal ganglia include the caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus. they are improtant in organizing and coordinating voluntary movements. (parkinsons, ADHD, tourettes, huntingons, parkingsons); brain based motor movement; dopamine
(3) puts a lid on emotion; stops your road range with a middle finger; septal rage - no septum= rage; when titalated=pleasure
Things to remember:
(1) Wernickes Area is located?
(2) Where is Brocas Area?
(1) Wernickes area = left temporal lobe, decodes sound into language; no comprehension, speech production is good but they are not making sense/a word salad (receptive speech)
(2) Left Frontal; broken expressive speech (expressive speech)
Selye’s Stress/General Adaptation Syndrome
What are the 3 phases
(1) Alarm Reaction - the hypothalamus activates the adrenal medulla to increase its release of epinephrine. bodys energy level is increased
(2) Resistance - if stress persists, breathing and heart rate return to normal but the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to release ACTH
(3) Exhaustion - with prolonged stress, the pituitary glad and adrenal cortex lose their ability to maintain elevated hormone levels and physiological processes begin to break down; fatigue, dperession and illness or death may occur
Disorders of Movement:
(1) Parkingson’s Disease
(2) Huntington’s Disease
(1) Parkingson’s Disease - LOW DOPAMINE in the SUBSTANTIA NIGRA; tremor, muscle rigidity, akathesia, bradykindesia, loss of coordination and cognitive impairment; can treat wtih L dopa
(2) Huntington’s Disease - TOO MUCH DOPAMINE, fatal inherited disease, affective cognitive and motor symptoms. Early symtpoms include DEPRESSION AND APATHY, forgetfulness, and fidgeting; then atheotosis and chorea. linked to GABA, dopamine and glutamate abnormalities in the BASAL GANGLIA
Seizure Disorders:
(1) Generalized Seizures
(a) tonic clonic
(b) absence seizures
(2) Partial Seizures
(1) Generalized Seizures - affect both hemispheres from their outset; TOO MUCH GLUTAMATE
(a) tonic-clonic / grand mal - muscles contract and body stiffens and a clonic stage that involves rhythmic shaking of the limbs; loss of consciousness and include a tonic stage when muscles contract
(b) absence/petit mal - absence seizures are brief and involve a loss of consciousness without prominent motor symptoms
(2) Partial Seizures - begin in one side of the brain and at least initially, affect only one side of the body. simple partial seizures do not involve a loss of consciousness, while complex partial seizures entail some alteration in consciousness.
