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PSYCHIATRY > Neurobiology of Cognition > Flashcards

Neurobiology of Cognition Flashcards

1
Q

What functions are thought to be specific to the mind rather than the brain?

A

Higher level thinking:

  • memory
  • judgement
  • social communication
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2
Q

What is Mind-Body dualism?

A

Philosophical view that mind/mental phenomena are non-physical

OR that mind and body are distinct and separable.

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3
Q

What is meant by substance dualism?

A

Philosophical view that two sorts of substances exist: the mental and the physical.

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4
Q

What is known as semantic memory?

A

Remembering factual information

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5
Q

What test can be completed to check that patients with Dementia still have the cognitive ability to drive?

A

Divided Attention Test

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6
Q

What part of driving do patients with dementia often struggle with?

A

Unfamiliar situations
=> procedural memory is usually intact, but they have difficulty reacting when presented with something they weren’t expecting

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7
Q

How did Aristotle first describe a memory?

A

Holding a perceived experience in mind and recognising that you have seen it externally in the past (i.e. it is not an internal thought)

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8
Q

What did Galen propose about the brain?

A

That it was the source of mental activity

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9
Q

Most functions are coordinated by multiple areas of the brain. TRUE/FALSE?

A

TRUE

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10
Q

Where is Broca’s area located?

A

Posterior inferior frontal gyrus

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11
Q

What does a lesion in Broca’s area cause?

A

Broca’s dysphasia - Patient an comprehend others but has difficulty forming words and fluent speech

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12
Q

Where is Wernicke’s area located?

A

Superior Temporal gyrus

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13
Q

What does a lesion in Wernicke’s Area cause?

A

Receptive dysphasia
=> patient can comprehend language
=> speech is fluent, but often does not make much sense as they do not understand what they are saying

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14
Q

What are Brodmann’s Areas and in which area is the Primary Motor Cortex located?

A

cerebral cortex classified into areas by its cyto-architecture
i.e. histological structure and cellular organisation

Primary Motor Cortex = Brodmann’s Area 4

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15
Q

What scan can be used to identify which areas increase in activity during certain tasks?

A

Functional MRI

- shows increase in blood flow in certain areas

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16
Q

Briefly explain the multi-store model of memory

A

Sensory memory -> pay attention to it -> Moves to Short term Memory -> Rehearsal -> Long term Memory

Retrieval of memory from long term to short term -> Recall

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17
Q

How long do memories remain in the short term memory for?

A

between 7 secs to 1 min

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18
Q

What part of the brain is responsible for encoding short term memory to become long term memory?

A

Hippocampus

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19
Q

What is the definition of dementia and what else is required for a diagnosis?

A

Progressive global cognitive decline
IRREVERSIBLE

  • must also be at least mild functional impairment present for diagnosis
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20
Q

If patients have a diagnosis of mild dementia and still wish to carry on with work as normal, what support can be put in place?

A
  • Employment adjustments can be made if patient still has decent function
21
Q

Where does Alzheimer’s usually begin in the brain?

A

Mediotemporal lobes (hence why memory is affected early)

22
Q

What are the most common presenting symptoms of Alzheimer’s?

A

Most common - memory problems

May also have word finding difficulty

23
Q

What 3 symptoms are indicative of Alzheimer’s dementia?

A

Dysphasia
Dyspraxia (lack of coordination)
Agnosia (difficulty identifying objects)

24
Q

Name an end stage symptom of Alzheimer’s dementia

A

Loss of swallow

=> dysphagia

25
Q

What is the average life expectancy after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s?

A

7 years

26
Q

What are the histological hallmarks of alzheimers dementia?

A

Amyloid plaques OUTSIDE of cells

Neurofibrillary Tangles INSIDE of cells

27
Q

What forms the intracellular neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer’s dementia?

A

hyperpolarised Tau protein aggregation

28
Q

Which of the two histological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s has a larger link to cognitive impairment?

A

Neurofibrillary tangles

29
Q

What class of drugs is usually used to treat Alzheimer’s disease? Give examples of specific drugs in this class.

A

Cholinesteras inhibitors
=> prevents breakdown of ACh
=> more remains in synaptic cleft

e.g. Rivastigmine, Donepezil

30
Q

Memantine is also used to treat Alzheimer’s Dementia. What class does this drug belong to and what does it aim to do?

A
  • NMDA receptor antagonist
  • Previously was only used in moderate -> severe Alzheimer’s, but now being started when in Mild -> Moderate phase
  • Aims to prevent psychosis and other psychiatric symptoms from developing
31
Q

How does Vascular dementia usually appear on a CT scan?

A

White matter hyperintensities visible

32
Q

What is dyscalculia?

A

problems with maths/ understanding numbers that develops in certain types of dementia

33
Q

What protein aggregates with Ubiquitin in Lewy Body Dementia?

A

Alpha-synuclein

34
Q

What other neural pathology occurs in Lewy Body Dementia and what group of symptoms does this result in?

A

Loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra

=> Parkinsonism symptoms

35
Q

What symptoms of Lewy Body dementia predispose to patients falling?

A

Fluctuating conscious level
Parkinsonism
Hypotension
Visuospatial problems

36
Q

What drugs should be avoided to treat Lewy Body Dementia and why?

A

Dopamine agonists - e.g. SINIMET given in Parkinsons

  • can caused marked abnormal behavioural symptoms
  • can decrease cognition
37
Q

What drugs are commonly used to treat Lewy Body Dementia?

A

Cholinesterase inhibitors

Anti-psychotics can also be useful

38
Q

At what age does Fronto-temporal dementia normally start?

A

55-65 years

=> earlier than other dementias

39
Q

What are the main symptoms of Fronto-temporal dementia?

A

Personality/ behaviour change

- patient becomes disinhibited and has a lack of interest in social acceptance

40
Q

What symptoms are particularly noticeable in the behavioural variant of Fronto-temporal dementia?

A

Non-fluent aphasia - much like Broca’s dysphasia

Semantic Dementia - loss of factual understanding/ understanding of words

41
Q

What is Wernicke’s encephalopathy?

A

Collection of neurological symptoms caused by a deficiency in Vitamin B1 Thiamine

42
Q

What are the main 3 symptoms of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy

A

Ataxia
Confusion
Ophthalmoplegia

43
Q

What other symptoms can patient with Wernicke’s Encephalopathy experience?

A 
Visual OR Hearing impairment
Reduced conscious level
Hypothermia
Lactic acidosis
Circulatory changes
44
Q

How is Thiamine replaced in Wernicke’s Encephalopathy?

A

Pabrinex infusion

45
Q

What are the two most common causes of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy?

A

Overconsumption of Alcohol

Lack of thiamine in diet

46
Q

What is Korsakoff’s syndrome and what causes it?

A

Atrophy of mammillary bodies in the brain (affecting memory)

Caused by leaving Wernicke’s Encephalopathy untreated

47
Q

What symptoms do patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome experience?

A

Antegrade amnesia - inability to learn new information
Confabulation
Retrograde amnesia - forget events which happened in the past before condition began
Telescoping of events - perceive things as more recent than they were

48
Q

What other forms of brain damage can be caused by alcohol?

A

Myelin sheath degradation
Neuroinflammation
Subdural Haematoma (if pt falls)

PSYCHIATRY (35 decks)

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