Neuro Exam (Lectures) Flashcards
ependyma
thin epithelium-like lining of the ventricular system and central canal
some develop into the choroid plexus
oligodendrocytes
surround and insulate some CNS nerve processes
can simultaneously myelinate MANY axons
astrocytes
wrap around capillaries and neurons to provide structural support, repair processes, facilitate metabolic exchange between blood and neurons, and help form the BBB
microglia
resident immune cells of the nervous system
resting membrane potential
what does it result from?
1) selective permeability
2) differential ionic concentrations across the plasma membrane
maintained by active ion transport Na/K pump
signal transduction
chemical, temperature, pH, mechanical > electrical > chemical (NTs/peptides)
shape of an action potential
1) Na+ channels open, Na+ enters cell
K+ channels open, K+ begins to leave cell
2) Na+ channels close
K+ leaves cell
3) K+ channels close
Excess K+ outside diffuses away
action potential properties
1) All or none
2) AP amplitudes can differ across neurons and neuron types but are a FIXED property of a given neuron
3) frequency of firing encoding information
Where are Na+ and K+ channels concentrated on an axon?
Nodes of Ranvier
benefits of myelin
1) decrease capacitance
2) increase membrane resistance
together this increases conduction velocity
3) less biological demand on the neuron
> less channels/pumps expressed
> less energy demand to maintain membrane potential
Proteins involved in vesicular release?
v-SNAREs and t-SNAREs
botulinum and tetanus toxins are zinc-dependent proteases that cleave VAMP
mechanisms for removing neurotransmitter from synaptic cleft
1) degradation
2) reuptake
2) diffusion
degradation example
acetylcholinesterase cleaves ACh into choline and acetate
note: edrophonium short-acting AChE inhibitor used to distinguish clinical btwn MG and Lambert-Eaton syndrome
reuptake example
monoamines (serotonin, dopamine, glutamine)
note: SSRIs work by inhibiting this mechanism!
postsynaptic response
1) receptors
2) synaptic integration
3) modulation
ionotropic receptors
RAPID/TRANSIENT
Nicotinic ACh
NMDA
AMPA
GABAa
metabotropic receptors
SLOW/SUSTAINED
G-protein coupled
mGlu
GABAb
Muscarinic ACh
B-adrenergic
AMPA
major mediator of EXCITATORY synaptic transmission
NMDA
conducts Na+ and Ca2+
Mg2+ blocks the channel and cannot pass current even when NT bound to the receptor
what factors influence summation?
1) spatial distribution of inputs
2) temporal nature of the inputs
endocannabinoid modulation
endocannabinoid allows for communication from the post-synaptic cell to the pre-synaptic cell
NMJ vs. CNS
INPUTS
NMJ: one
CNS: many
NMJ vs. CNS
NT
NMJ: ACh
CNS: many
NMJ vs. CNS
TRANSMITTER REMOVAL
NMJ: AChE
CNS: high affinity transporters
NMJ vs. CNS
POST-SYNAPTIC RECEPTOR
NMJ: nicotinic ACh receptor
CNS: metabotropic and ionotropic receptors
NMJ vs. CNS
SAFETY FACTOR
NMJ: very high
CNS: relatively low
NMJ vs. CNS
SYNAPTIC EFFICACY
NMJ: high
CNS: low
NMJ vs. CNS
excitatory vs. inhibitory
NMJ: excitatory only
CNS: both
10 Functional Components of Nervous System
- lateral corticospinal
- DCML
- anterolateral
- basal ganglia
- cerebellar
- visual
- cranial nerves
- limbic
- diffuse
- cerebral cortex
specific afferent fibers for sensory detection of fast, well-localized pain
A-delta fibers
specific afferent fibers for sensory detection of slow, diffuse pain
C-fibers
specific afferent fibers for sensory detection pleasurable touch
A-beta fibers
allodynia
pain from a stimulus that does not normally evoke pain
hyperalgesia
exaggerated response to a normally painful stimulus
taxonomy of pain
nociceptive
inflammatory
neuropathic
dysfunctional
nociceptive
no pathology
requires ongoing noxious stimulus
evoked by HIGH-intensity stimuli
inflammatory
tissue injury w/inflammation
allodynia, hyperalgesia and spontaneous pain
evoked by LOW and HIGH-intensity stimuli
neuropathic
PNS or CNS lesions
allodynia, hyperalgesia, spontaneous pain
sensory amplification
evoked by LOW and HIGH-intensity stimuli
dysfunctional (centralized)
altered CNS function (no known lesion/no peripheral pathology)
allodynia, hyperalgesia, spontaneous pain
Somatosensory
specialized receptors
pacinian corpuscles
meissner’s corpuscles
c fibers
visual
specialized receptors
photosensitive molecules (e.g., rhodopsin) in photoreceptor cells
auditory
specialized receptors
sterocilia on hair cells
Somatosensory
receptive field of first order sensory neurons
a discrete spot on the skin discrete temperature pH taste odor
visual
receptive field of first order sensory neurons
a discrete spot in the visual field (center-surround)
auditory
receptive field of first order sensory neurons
a pure tone (single frequency)
Somatosensory
mechanism of potential change in neurons
physical properties
compression of skin opens FORCE-GATED ion channels
temperature opens THERMAL SENSITIVE channels
visual
mechanism of potential change in neurons
light-activated rhodopsin G-protein mediated effect
auditory
mechanism of potential change in neurons
mechanical displacement of hair cell cilia from sound waves opens FORCE-GATED ion channels
visual adaptation (physical changes in receptors)
tuned for change, ignore “white space”, sense motion
auditory adaptation (physical changes in receptors
accommodate to loud noises, hear a voice over a drone
somatosensory
location of first order neuron
DRG
visual
location of first order neuron
ganglion cells of the retina synapsing with photoreceptors (rods and cones) in retina
auditory
location of first order neuron
spiral ganglion synapsing with hair cells
somatosensory
higher processing in second-order neurons
shapes, edges of objects being touched
visual
higher processing in second-order neurons
orientation/edges of visual stimuli
auditory
higher processing in second-order neurons
localization of stimulus _ tone; focus on individual speakers over a crowd
right-left auditory discrimination
- right-left ear discrimination of TIME LAG
2. right-left ear discrimination of SOUND INTENSITY
up-down auditory discrimination
angle sound hits pinna
common causes of otitis media
H. influenzae
S. pneumo
Moraxella catarrhalis
motor system function: cortex
planning and initiation of voluntary movements and integration of inputs from other brain areas
motor system function: basal ganglia
enforcement of desired movements and suppression of undesired movements
motor system function: cerebellum
timing and precision of fine movements, adjusting ongoing movements, motor learning of skilled tasks
motor system function: brainstem
control of balance and posture, coordination of head, neck and eye movements, motor outflow to cranial nerves
motor system function: spinal cord
spontaneous reflexes, rhythmic movements, motor outflow to the body
motor system function: muscles
movement of body, sensory organs-muscle spindle and golgi tendon organs
motor unit
a single neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates
smallest division that the system can control individually
either SLOW or FAST
innervation ratio
number of muscle fibers per neuron (variable)
eye (low ratio)
quad (high ratio)
slow twitch, type 1
darker
aerobic metabolism
contract more slowly
generates less force
fast twitch, type 2
paler
anaerobic metabolism
contract quicker
generates more force
fast fatigue-resistant
properties that are intermediates between the other two types
what does the muscle spindle sense?
length or stretch
what does the golgi tendon sense?
tension
encapsulated structures mechanically connected in parallel with muscle fibers?
muscle spindles
encapsulated structures mechanically connected in series with muscle fibers?
golgi tendon
three main components of muscle spindle
- intrafusal fibers
- afferent sensory neurons
- efferent motor neurons (gamma neurons)
dynamic bag fibers
respond primarily during CHANGES in the length of the muscle
static bag and nuclear chain fibers
primarily signal the length if the muscle without the phasic changes
types of infrafusal fibers
dynamic bag
static bag
nuclear chain
type of sensory fibers
primary (Type Ia) -terminate on all three types of intrafusal fibers
secondary (Type II)-terminate only on static bag and nuclear chain fibers
Note: cell bodies of sensory afferents in the DRG
function of the gamma motor neurons
cause the polar ends of the intrafusal fibers to contract …maintains the sensitivity of the spindle even when the muscle is shortening