Neuroanatomy & Stroke

Question 1

What kind of molecules can pass through the BBB?

Answer 1

Nonpolar, hydrophobic

Question 2

Label the following ventricles

Answer 2

Question 3

What are the arterial blood supplies to the brain?

Answer 3

Anterior Cerebral Artery, Middle cerebral artery, Posterior cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, common carotid artery

Question 4

What are the planes of section? Which ones have symmetry?

Answer 4

Coronal & Horizontal have planes of symmetry

Question 5

What is the forebrain? Midbrain? Hindbrain?

Answer 5

Forebrain= telencephalon +diencephalon 
Midbrain= mesencephalon 
Hindbrain= Pons, medulla, & cerebellum (metencephalon + myelencephalon)

Question 6

What are the structures of the telencephalon?

Answer 6

Cerebral cortex (all the lobes)
Basal ganglia
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Olfactory Bulb

Question 7

What are the structures of the diencephalon?

Answer 7

Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Epithalamus, Retina

Question 8

How does an fMRI work?

Answer 8

detects localized changes in metabolism or cerebral blood flow – active neurons get more blood supply than inactive neurons

Question 9

In the simplest terms, what is a stroke?

Answer 9

Disruption of blood flow to the brain

Question 10

What are the risk factors for stroke?

Answer 10

Age, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, alcohol, previous TIA or stroke

Question 11

What is an ischemic stroke?

Answer 11

Insufficient blood supply cause by a blood clot

Question 12

What is thrombotic?

Answer 12

Buildup in cerebral blood vessel

Question 13

What is an embolus?

Answer 13

A circulating clot that blocks blood from going to the brain

Question 14

What is hyperfusion?

Answer 14

Global decrease in blood due to cardiac arrest

Question 15

What are the 2 pathways that can form clots?

Answer 15

The extrinsic pathway: “bad chloestrol” can trigger plaque formation by inserting into vessel walls
The intrinsic pathway: When blood is exposed to collagen or other damaged surfaces

Question 16

What is a hemorrhagic stroke? What are the consequences?

Answer 16

Bleeding inside the skull due to a rupture in an artery. Results are contralateral paralysis and disruption to white matter

Question 17

How does a hemorrhagic stroke vs. an ischemic stroke appear on a CT scan?

Answer 17

Hemorrhagic stroke large white density, ischemic stroke is darker

Question 18

What is the penumbra?

Answer 18

Region surrounding the core infarct region of the stroke in which some residual blood flows remains. Tissue is still viable and salvageable

Question 19

What is the pathway when blood flow to the brain stops?

Answer 19

Question 20

Why is the role of glia affected during a stroke?

Answer 20

Astrocytes take up glutamate from the synapse, but without any energy the astrocytes can’t take up the extra glutamate which leads to excitotoxcity

Question 21

Why is the brain so vulnerable to injury?

Answer 21

The brain needs a lot of energy, but has no room to store it so it relies on constant input

Question 22

What is tPA?

Answer 22

Protease that cuts fibrin and degrades fibrinogen to dissolve a clot

Question 23

What is the most common type of stroke?

Answer 23

Focal ischemic stroke