Neuro pt. 2 Flashcards
What is a vegetative state?
like a coma, but with return of some circadian rhythm that causes periods of eye opening, roving eye movements, autonomic changes typically seen with sleep/wake cycling, etc but with no evidence of awareness of self or the environment
often occurs after a coma within 10-30 days
What neurons promote non-REM sleep? How do they do it?
neurons of the venterolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO)
they release GABA and galanin at their sites of projection to inhibit wake-producing cholinergic and aminergic regions
What sleep stage is associated with alpha waves?
not sleep - relaxed wakefullness
What are the possible causes of nutritional deficiencies?
alcoholism
poor intake (GI disorders, hyperemesis gravidarum, post-bariatric surgery, anorexia)
malabsorption (gastric or intestinal resection, autoimmune disease)
What is “locked in” syndrome?
A syndrome caused by injury to the pons that impairs facial movements, eye movements, and interrupts the corticospinal tract (causing quadriplegia)
patients are conscious but unable to effectuate muscle movements
What are the causes of niacin deficiency?
malnourished alcoholics
seen in populations that eat maize rather than enriched wheat (which has added niacin)
What treatments for MS are used during pregnancy?
usually none (not needed because of reduced flairs during pregnancy)
if necessary, glatimer acetate canbe used
What is an advanced sleep-wake phase disorder?
a disorder that causes patients to exhibit a stable sleep-wake cycle that is several hours earlier than the conventional time
going to bed early, waking up early
What parasomnias are associated with non-REM sleep?
disorders of arousal
confusional arousals, sleep terrors, sleep-related eating disorder, sleep walking
What types of contraceptives are most effective for women with neurological conditions generally?
IUDs, implants, and depo-provera are generally most effective
some medications can interfere with combined oral contraceptives
Where is norepinephrine produced?
Locus coeruleus
What is the relationship between attention and arousal?
There isn’t any direct relationship - you can have high attentionand low arousal or low attention and high arousal
both will fluctuate throughout the day
both are needed to complete a cognitive task
What muscle tone is associated with non-REM sleep? REM sleep?
non-REM sleep: reduced
REM sleep: absent/atonic (but cansee phasic muscle twitches)
When is seizure frequency lowest in all forms of catamenial epilepsy?
between days 4 to 10-14 of the menstrual cycle
What symptoms besides the diagnostic criteria can be associated with delirium?
speech impairment
illusions or hallucinations
emotional dysregulation
sleep-wake cycle impairment
What are the main symptoms of folate deficiency?
peripheral neuropathy
in pregnancy: linked to neural tube defects
What is the normal function of vitamin B6?
involved in ATP production, glucose synthesis, neurotransmitter synthesis, and conversion of homocysteine to cystathionine
What is the cause of narcolepsy?
loss of hypocretin/orexin-containing neurons
What is a jet-lag disorder?
a disorder caused by a temporary mismatch between the timing of the sleep and wake cycle and the external environment (secondary to travel over at least two time zones)
What NT is produced in the locus coeruleus?
Norepinephrine
What is the relationship between pregnancy and MS attacks? Post-partum?
pregnancy: significantly decreased, especially during the third trimester
* hypothesized to be due to a hormonally mediated switch in immune profile from Th1 to Th2*
post-partum: significantly increased risk of flairs
What is akinetic mutism?
an extreme form of abulia (apathetic state with cognitive and behavioral slowing), typically caused by bilateral basal-medial frontal lobe injuries, often also involving the hypothalamus
What respiratory and heart rate is associated with non-REM sleep? REM sleep?
non-REM sleep: regular
REM sleep: irregular
What is the treatment for thiamine/B1 deficiency?
medical emergency
high doses of thiamine (must be given before glucose if giving glucose)
What specific cognitive testing tool should be used to evaluate for delirium?
Confusion Assessment Method (CAM or CAM-ICU)
What is the relationship between seizure freqency and pregnancy?
variable - best predicted by seizure frequency one year prior to surgery
What are possible causes of bilateral thalamic dysfunction?
rare strokes, rare viral infections
What is the primary treatment for delirium?
Identify and treat underlying cause
What factors in the brain promote wakefullness?
ascending aminergic (histamine, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) and cholinergic (acetylcholine) projections
hypocretin/orexin system
What MS drug is the worst for pregnancy?
teriflunomide
it can get into sperm too and also stays in the body for up to 2 years
What is the function of PER and CRY proteins in the circadian system?
They dimerize and get phosphorylated to create a negative feedback loop to inhibit expression of clock and BMAL1 genes
What is a parasomnia?
unpleasant or undesirable behavioral or experiential phenomena that occurs predominantly or exclusively during the sleep period
What types of cells provide light information to the primary circadian pacemaker?
melanopsin containing retinal ganglion cells via the retinohypothalamic tract
What changes in migraine frequency typically occur during pregnancy?
reduced frequency (estrogen levels are high and maintained)
post-partum period has higher frequency as estrogen levels rapidly decline
When are neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) of the pons and basal forebrain most active?
during wake and REM sleep
these neurons produce acetylcholine
Which of the following migraine medications should be avoided in women of childbearing age due to significant risk of teratogenesis?
a) magnesium
b) propranolol
c) sumatriptan
d) valproic acid
d) valproic acid
What sleep stage is associated with sleep spindles and K-complexes?
stage N2 of non-REM sleep
What are the symptoms of B12/cobalamin deficiency?
affects spinal cord, brain, peripheral nerve, and optic nerve
classic syndrome: subacute combined degeneration of the lateral corticospinal tracts and dorsal columns (sensory and motor defects)
can also affect cognitive function
What pharmalogical interventions are available for delirium?
antipsychotics (best quality evidence): haloperidol (big risk of long QT)
alpha-2 agonists (emerging contender)
benzodiazepine (only if delirium is due to alcohol or benzo withdrawal)
What is the relationship between menopause and migraine frequency?
migraines decrease during menopause
What is stupor?
a state between alert and coma where a patient can respond purposefully, but requires constant stimulation to engage
vague term
What is a coma?
a state of unresponsiveness where the patient cannot be stimulated to respond purposefully - there is no evidence of awareness of self or the environment, no eye opening, no evidence of circadian rhythm
Where is hypocretin made?
made by neurons of the lateral hypothalamus
How is B12/cobalamin absorbed?
it is found in meat, fish, dairy
released from food into the stomach
B12 binds to intrinsic factor in the intestine, which allows it to absorb in the ilium
What are the general sex differences in migraines?
much more common in women than in men (43% vs 18% lifetime risk)
Where is acetylcholine produced?
nucleus basalis of meynert
What is a minimally conscious state?
A state of severly impaired consciousness with minimal but definite behavioral evidence of self or environmental awareness
What are the three recognized subtypes of delirium?
hyperactive (picking at clothes, climbing out of bed, combative)
hypoactive (lethargy, stupor, falling asleep, may mimic depression)
mixed (alternating motoric presentations)
mixed is most common
What neurons control REM sleep?
cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine (PPT) and laterodorsal tegmental (LDT) nuclei
What is arousal?
the level of conscious brain activity
What are the types of central sleep apnea?
primary, central sleep apnea with cheyne stokes respiration, central sleep apnea due to high altitude periodic breathing, central sleep apnea due to medication/substance
What are the treatments for a non-24 hours sleep-wake phase disorder?
daily timed doses of melatonin before bedtime (including a synthetic melatonin agonist tasimelteon)
if not blind: stronger entraining (bright light after awakening, melatonin before bedtime, regular schedule of exercise and meals)
What is shift work disorder?
a disorder characterized by complaints of either insomnia or excessive sleepiness resulting from having to work during usual sleep periods
What two stimuli reset the circadian clock?
light and melatonin
What is a delayed sleep-wake phase disorder?
a disorder where patients have a stable sleep-wake cycle that is delayed (avg. 3 hours) compared to the general population
go to bed late, wake up late
What is the physiology of REM sleep?
cholinergic REM-on neurons activate the thalamocortical system leading to a low-voltage fast EEG that resembles waking-state EEG
they also produce atonia through descending projections that reduce motor tone
What conditions are associated with an irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder?
children with developmental delays
elderly institutionalized individuals (without clear daily structure and possible with SCN degeneration)
What is brain death?
irreversible loss of all functions of the brain (including cerebrum, cerebellum, and respiratory function)
What is the mallampati score?
A score of how much can be seen of the back of the throat when a patient’s mouth is open and tongue is out, used to evaluate for obstructive sleep apnea
What is the hypothesized cause of catamenial (hormonally sensitivite) epilepsy?
seizures evoked during periods of increased vulnerability where there is an increased estrogen to progesterone ratio
What is encephalopathy?
any brain dysfunction, generally applied to acute global brain dysfunction
What types of neurological drugs can interfere with combined oral contraceptives?
enzyme-inducing medications that interfere with hepatic metabolism of COCs
What patients are predisposed to a non-24 hour sleep-wake phase disorder?
blind people (especially if lacking the photic input to the SCN through melanopsin retinal ganglion cells)
What are the imaging signs associated with thiamine/B1 deficiency?
mammillary body T1 hyperintensity (pathognomonic, but not always present)
medial thalami T2/FLAIR hyperintensity (characteristic, seen in majority of cases)
periaqueductal gray matter T2/FLAIR hyperintensity
What are the effects of B6/pyridoxine deficiency?
sensory > motor polyneuropathy with paresthesia, pain, weakness, and hyporeflexia
What migraine treatments should be avoided during all parts of pregnancy?
opiates - not effective
ergots - increased miscarriage rate
barbituates - fetal malformations and cognitive deficits
valproic acid and topiramate - class D for pregnancy
What three patterns of brain injury can lead to impairment of arousal?
- injury to ascending reticular activating system of midbrain
- injury to both thalami, which interrupts the transmission of signals from the ascending reticular activating system to the cerebral cortex
- widespread dysfunction of both cerebral hemispheres
Howare circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders clinically evaluated?
sleep logs
actigraphy (fancy fit bit, measures daily activity/light exposure/peripheral temperature)
measuring melatonin through blood, saliva, or urine
What delirium subtype is associated with COVID-19?
hyperactive delirium
What are the treatments for catamenial epilepsy?
anti-epileptics, surgery if intractable
other treatments may help: depo-provera to suppress the menstrual period, chemical menopause induction with GnRH