Neuro Questions Flashcards
what is multiple sclerosis?
- chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the CNS
- results in degeneration of axons in the brain and spinal cord
What are the 3 different classifications of MS
- relapsing-remitting MS → 90%
- Primary progressive MS → 10%
- Secondary progressive MS → RR-MS that becomes progressive
What are modifiable risk factors for MS?
- smoking
- vitamin D def
- obesity at a young age
- EBV infection
What is the pathophysiology of MS?
Broadly: autoimmune reaction results in inflammation within the CNS causing demyelination and axonal degeneration
- autoreactive T cells → inflammation and focal demyelinations of axons (acute plaques) → loss of axons and atrophy of oligodendrocytes (chronic plaques) → inadequate remyelination
What is Ihermitte sign?
- Shooting sensation down the spine on flexion of the neck
what are signs of MS on examination?
- INO → ipsilateral medial rectus weakness, disconjugate lateral gaze, nystagmus in contralateral eye
- Spinal cord tract demyelination signs
- spasticity, +ve babinskis, hyperreflexia,
- loss of senosory modalities
- senosry ataxia
- cerebellar lesion signs (charcot triad)
- nystagmus
- intention tremour
- scanning speech
- Cranial nerve palsies
- autonomic dysfunction
- lhermitte sign
- shooting sensation down the spine on flexion of the neck
What are symptoms of MS?
- fatigue
- Headache
- optic neuritis
- depression
- memory deficits
What are the symptoms of optic neuritis?
impaired vision and colour blindness, usually unilateral, may be associated with pain
What is Uhthoff phenomenon?
- reversible exacerbation of neurological symptoms following increase in body temperature
- after bath or shower, physical exertion, fever
what are DDx for MS?
- peripheral neuropathy → sensation and reflexes in limbs
- ischaemic stroke
- fibromyalgis
- other causes of spinal cord dysfunction → cervical spondylosis, transverse myelitis
- other autoimmune demyelinating disorders → guillain barre syndrome, Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders
What are the two categories of clinical features that are used to diagnose MS?
- Disseminated in TIME (DIT)
- appearence of new lesions over time
- associated new exacerbations
- Disseminated in SPACE (DIS)
- presence of lesions in different regions of the CNS
What is the investigation of choice for MS diagnosis and what are the findings on this test?
- MRI brain and spine
- MS plaques
- located in periventricular white matter with finger like projections
- hypointense in T1 MRI
- Hyperintense in T2 MRI
- MS plaques
- LP and CSF examination
- lymphocytosis
- increased myelin basic protein
- presence of oligoclonal bands of igG in CSF
how do you treat acute exacerbations of MS?
- high dose corticosteroid therapy
2. plasmapheresis → basically removes plasma (containing Autoantibodies) and replaces it with colloid fluid
what drugs are used to reduce frequency of exacerbations?
- DMARDS
- interferon beta
- monoclonal antibodies etc
what are 4 sequelae of MS?
- autonomic dysfunction → ED, Urinary retention, increased UTI risk
- osteopaenia/osteoporosis
- visual impairment
- depression