Neuro Step 1 Flashcards
In what disorders are dopamine levels increased?
schizophrenia
In what disorders are dopamine levels decreased?
depression & Parkinson disease
What are the four major dopaminergic pathways?
Mesocortical pathway, mesolimbic pathway, nigrostriatal pathway, tuberoinfundibulnar pathway
Describe the mesocortical pathway. What is the result of blocking this?
Ventral tegmental of the midbrain -> cortex
increased negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Describe the mesolimbic pathway. What is the result of blocking this?
Ventral tegmental of midbrain -> limbic system
Relieves positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Describe the nigrostriatal pathway. What is the result of blocking this?
Substantia nigra pars compacta -> neostriatum
Parkinson Disease
Describe the tuberoinfundibular pathway. What is the result of blocking this?
Arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus -> pituitary
Increased release of prolactin from anterior pituitary (hypogonadism, which manifests as amenorrhea in women and decreased libido in men)
In what disorders are norepinephrine levels increased?
anxiety/mania
In what disorders are norepinephrine levels decreased? Where is NEpi produced?
depression
locus ceruleus
In what disorders are serotonin levels decreased? Where is serotonin produced?
anxiety and depression
Raphe nucleus
What disorder is associated with decreased levels of ACh? Degeneration of what structure would be found?
Alzheimer’s Disease
basal nucleus of Meynert
In what disorders are GABA levels decreased? Where is it produced?
anxiety & Huntington's disease nucleus accumbens (produced from glutamate and VitB6)
Forebrain (prosencephalon) develops into what?
Telencephalon -> cerebral hemispheres, basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala
Diencephalon -> thalamus, hypothalamus, optic nerves, and tracts
Midbrain (mesencephalon) develops into what?
Mesencephalon -> midbrain
Hindbrain (rhombencephalon) develops into what?
Mesencephalon -> Cerebellum & pons
Myelencephalon -> medulla
What cartilage, muscle, and nerve structures develop from the first pharyngeal arch?
M&T structures Cartilage - Meckel's cartilage - mandibular ligament - mandible - malleus & incus Muscle - Muscles of Mastication - masseter - medial pterygoid and lateral pterygoid muscles - temporalis mylohyoid tensor tympani tensor veli palatini Anterior 2/3 of tongue Nerves Mandibular & Maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve
What disorder happens if neural crest cells fail to migrate to the 1st pharyngeal arch?
Treacher Collins syndrome
What cartilage, muscle, and nerve structures develop from the second pharyngeal arch?
S structures Cartilage - Stapes Styloid process Stylohyoid ligament Lesser horn of the hyoid Muscle - Muscles of facial expression Stapedius Stylohyoid Nerve - CN Seven (innervates the muscle of facial expression)
What cartilage, muscle, and nerve structures develop from the third pharyngeal arch?
"pharyngeal" Muscle - stylopharyngeus Nerves - Glossopharyngeal (CN IX)
What cartilage, muscle, and nerve structures develop from the fourth and sixth pharyngeal arches?
“cricothyroid & larynx”
Cartilage -
cricoid cartilage, thyroid cartilage, cartilage of the larynx
Muscles -
cricothyroid muscle (4th)
pharyngeal muscles (swallowing) (4th)
rest of the laryngeal mm. (speech) (6th)
Nerves -
CN X
superior laryngeal (swallowing and cricothyroid m)
recurrent laryngeal nerve (6th arch) (speech)
Forebrain anomalies
meroencephaly anencephaly meroanencephaly - incompatible with life holoprosencephaly -> hemispheres of the brain fail to separate at midline
What causes cycloplegia and cleft lip & palate?
sonic hedgehog gene mutations
severe fetal alcohol syndrome
patau syndrome (trisomy 13)
What is Dandy Walker syndrome?
enlarged posterior fossa
cerebellar vermis fails to develop
Dilation of the 4th ventricle
associated with hydrocephalus & spina bifida
What are Chiari malformations?
Hindbrain abnormality -> part of the cerebellum herniates downward through foramen magnum
Chiari I - mildest; only tonsils herniate; may cause syringomyelia
Chiari II - lombosacrale myelomeningocele, more significant herniation of tonsils and vermis; can have hydrocephalus
What germ layers come from the pharyngeal arches, pouches, and clefts?
arches - mesoderm
clefts - ectoderm
pouches - endoderm
What forms from the 1st pharyngeal pouch?
Eustachian tubes, middle ear cavity, mastoid air cells
What forms from the 2nd pharyngeal pouch?
epithelial lining of the tonsils
What forms from the 3rd pharyngeal pouch?
inferior parathyroid glands and thymus
What forms from the 4th pharyngeal pouch?
superior parathyroid glands
What forms from the 1st pharyngeal cleft?
external auditory meatus
What forms from the 2nd-4th pharyngeal clefts?
temporary cervical sinuses
If one does not obliterate, patient will have a pharyngeal cleft cyst in the lateral neck
What makes a thyroglossal duct cyst?
failure of thyroglossal duct to be obliterated
will be found midline and will move when swallowed
What is DiGeorge Syndrome?
22q11 deletion
abnormal development of the 3rd and 4th pharyngeal pouches -> absent thymus and parathyroid glands
immunodeficient and hypocalcemic
What does the premotor cortex do?
planning & guiding movement based on sensory input
What does the arcuate fasciculus do?
Connection between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas
What do the frontal eye fields do?
eye movements and scanning
What structures are contained inside the carotid sheath?
common carotid artery, jugular vein, vagus n
What is expressive dysprosody?
inability to express emotion or inflection in speech
non dominant cortical lesion corresponding to broca’s area
What is receptive dysprosody?
inability to comprehend emotion or inflection in speech
Nondominant cortical lesion corresponding to Wernicke’s area
What is Gerstmann syndrome?
lesion of the dominant angular gyrus (usually left) (parietal lobe just posterior/superior to Wernicke’s area), resulting in:
agraphia - inability to write
acalculia - inability to do mathematical calculations
right-left disorientation
finger agnosia - inability to distinguish fingers
What is hemispatial neglect syndrome?
lesion of the non dominant angular gyrus (usually right side)
results in neglect of the body or surrounding contralateral to the lesion
What artery is damaged in Broca’s or Wernicke’s aphasia?
MCA
What artery is damaged in lower extremity sensory and/or motor loss?
ACA
What artery is damaged in unilateral sensory and/or motor loss in the face and arm?
MCA
What are the areas of the brain most susceptible to damage?
cerebellum, neocortex, hippocampus, watershed areas
What disorders are berry aneurysms associated with?
Ehlers Danlos and ADPKD
Where is the most common site for berry aneurysms?
junction of anterior communicating and ACA
What drug is used in a subarachnoid hemorrhage to prevent vasospasm?
nimodipine
What occurs with bilateral lesions of the hippocampus?
anterograde amnesia - inability to make new memories
What occurs with bilateral lesions of the mammillary bodies?
wernicke-korsakoff syndrome - confusion, ataxia, nystagmus, ophthalmoplegia, memory loss (anterograde and retrograde amnesia), confabulation, personality changes
can occur with alcoholics deficient in thiamine (Vit B1)
What occurs with bilateral lesions of the amygdala?
kluver-bucy syndrome - disinhibited behavior (hyperphagia, hypersexuality, hyperorality) - lose fear response
can occur with HSV-1 encephalitis
What is intraventricular hemorrhage in the newborn?
hemorrhage into the ventricular system
most common in premature/very low birth weight infants (<32 weeks, <1500g) within the first 72 hours of life
originates from the germinal matrix in the subependymal, sub ventricular zone that gives rise to neurons and glia during development
What cranial nerve deficit is associated with an epidural hematoma?
CN III palsy -> down and out pupil
Which crosses suture lines: epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, or subarachnoid hemorrhage?
subdural hematoma -> subdural snakes along the skull
You see bloody CSF on lumbar puncture. What is it?
subarachnoid hemorrhage
What artery is commonly damaged in an epidural hematoma?
middle meningeal artery
What are the nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus?
Anterior, suprachiasmatic, preoptic, supraoptic, paraventricular
What is the function of the anterior nucleus of the hypothalamus? What happens with damage to it?
thermoregulation (AC = anterior cooling); damage causes hyperthermia
What is the function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus? Where does it receive input from?
Circadian rhythms; retina
What is the function of the prepoptic area of the hypothalamus?
Secretes GnRH
What is the function of the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus? What happens with damage to it?
Secretes ADH (stored in posterior pituitary); damage causes central diabetes insipidus
What is the function of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus?
Secretes oxytocin (stored in posterior pituitary), secretes CRH, secretes TRH
What are the nuclei of the tuberal hypothalamus?
Arcuate, lateral, ventromedial, dorsomedial
What is the function of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus?
Secretes GHRH, secretes dopamine, pulsatile GnRH secretion, regulates appetite
What is the function of the lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus? What happens with damage to it?
regulates hunger; inhibited by leptin; damage leads to anorexia and weight loss
What is the function of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus? What happens with damage to it?
Regulates satiety; stimulated by leptin; damage leads to obesity and savage behavior
What is the function of the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus? What occurs with stimulation of it?
regulates hunger; stimulation leads to obesity and savage behavior
What are the nuclei of the posterior hypothalamus?
posterior and mammillary
What is the function of the posterior nucleus of the hypothalamus? What happens with damage to it?
Thermoregulation (warming); damage causes hypothermia
What is the function of the mammillary nucleus of the hypothalamus? What happens with damage to it?
Memory; damage causes Wernicke-Korsakoff
What structure secretes melatonin?
secreted by pineal gland; produced in darkness; secretion follows circadian rhythm
What structures make up the limbic system?
cingulate gyrus, fornix, hippocampus (memory), septal nucleus, mammillary bodies, amygdala (summation of signals)
Deficiency of what nutrient causes damage to the mammillary bodies?
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
What are the responsibilities of the limbic system?
Feeding, Fleeing, Fighting, Feeling, and Sex
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the cribriform plate?
CN I
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the optic canal?
CN II (along with the ophthalmic artery)
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the superior orbital fissure?
CN III, CN IV, CN VI, CN V1
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the foramen rotundum?
CN V2
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the foramen ovale?
CN V3
What structure exits the skull at the foramen spinousum?
middle meningeal artery
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the internal auditory meatus?
CN VII, CN VIII
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the jugular foramen?
CN IX, CN X, CN XI, and the jugular vein
What cranial nerve exits the skull at the hypoglossal canal?
CN XII
What structure go through the foramen magnum?
vertebral arteries & spinal root of CN XI (enters the skull to exit through the jugular foramen)
What conditions can result in facial nerve palsy?
Lovely Bella Had An STD (Lyme, Bell’s palsy, HSV/Zoster (#1 cause), AIDS, Sarcoidosis, Tumors, Diabetes
Facial nerve/nucleus lesion leads to:
paralysis of ipsilateral side of entire face
Facial motor cortex lesion leads to:
paralysis of contralateral side of lower face
What are the vagal nuclei?
nucleus solitarius, nucleus ambiguus, dorsal motor nucleus