Neuro pathophys Flashcards
What does multiple sclerosis do to the nerve cells?
inflames and damages the myelin sheath (protective covering around the nerve fibres)
This damage can disrupt the __________ between the brain and the rest of the _____, leading to a variety of symptoms
- communication
- body
Name 5 symptoms of MS
Fatigue, walking difficulty, blurred vision, numbness in different parts of the body, muscle stiffness and spasms, issues with balance and coordination.
Name 5 risk factors of MS
Genetics, vitamin D deficiency, cig smoking, diet and obesity early in life, women twice as likely to be affected, epstein barr virus.
What happens in Parkinson’s disease?
there is a dopamine deficiency due to the cells in the brain (substantia nigra) not functioning correctly
What does the nigrostriatal dopamine system control?
motor control
What does the mesolimbic dopamine system control?
emotional reward
Name 4 symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
tremor, rigidity, postural instability, bradykinesia (difficulty with movement)
What is Cauda Equina Syndrome?
when an injury compresses the nerve roots at the bottom of the spinal cord.
Name 5 symptoms of Cauda Equina syndrome
Urinary retention, incontinence, sciatica, weakness or numbness in legs, sexual dysfunction, saddle syndrome (loss of feeling in areas that would touch a saddle)
What occurs in motor-neuron disease?
motor neurons degenerate and die, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy.
What is retrograde amnesia?
losing past memories
What is anterograde amnesia?
lose the ability to form new memories
What is a seizure?
malfunction in how brain cells send and relay electrical signals. seizures cause affected neurons to fire electrical signals uncontrollably to other nearby neurons, causing malfunction to spread.
What is Grand Mal Epilepsy?
Tonic-clonic, muscle spasms, 1-2 convulsions, muscles contract and relax, rhythmic contractions. Both sides of the brain involved.
What is a Petit Mal seizure?
absence of seizure, sudden lapse of consciousness, both sides of the brain involved, lip smacking, eyelids fluttering, chewing motions, small movements of both hands.
What are focal seizures?
partial seizures, seizures that happen in a specific part of your brain. e.g febrile seizures in childhood, strokes, brain tumours. often affect face, hands and toes on one side.
Name 5 causes of seizures
- low BM
- traumatic brain injury
- infections- Menny G/ HIV
- genetic
- alcohol withdrawal, drug intoxication or withdrawal- sudden electrical surge in the brain.
- developmental conditions- autism