Neurological Flashcards
What are some examples of neurological conditions?
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), epilepsy, headaches, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, sleep disorders (narcolepsy and insomnia)
What is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
An injury that affects brain function by directly damaging the brain, causing a long-term reduction in brain activity.
Car accidents are the most common cause of TBIs
Causes damage by changes in blood supply, cranial pressure and brain swelling
What is an open head injury?
An injury where the skull is penetrated or when bone fragments penetrate the brain (e.g., gunshot injury). They tend to produce symptoms that undergo rapid and spontaneous recovery, including neurological deficits, cognitive changes, and personality changes.
What is a closed head injury?
An injury from a blow to the head which can result in damage at the site of the blow, pressure, brain movement/twisting, brain bruising, and/or edema. It can produce both discrete impairment of specific functions mediated by the cortex and generalized impairments from widespread trauma.
- Coup = initial damage at site of the blow/impact
Counter-coup = damage at the opposite side - Generalized impairments are specific to any location
What are some common effects of closed head injuries?
Intelligence tends to remain normal, but patients report an inability to concentrate and an inability to do things as well as before the accident. Injury to the frontal lobe results in significant changes in personality and social behavior.
Wherever the coup and countercoup happen is where the most damage is
What is Epilepsy?
A brain disorder caused by two or more seizures. Seizures can be due to a specific cause or arise spontaneously.
Seizure: Spontaneous abnormal discharge of brain neurons
What are the three main symptoms of epilepsy?
- Onset of an aura (a subjective sensation, perceptual experience, or motor phenomenon before a seizure).
- Loss of consciousness (ranging from complete collapse to simply staring off in space).
- Movement (motor component involved like shaking).
What are the four commonly recognized types of epilepsy?
Focal seizures, generalized seizures, akinetic seizures, myoclonic spasms.
What are the characteristics of focal seizures?
They begin in one place and then may spread to other areas. The person does not lose consciousness. Focal seizures can be motor, sensory, autonomic, or psychic
What are the characteristics of generalized seizures?
Typically characterized by loss of consciousness and motor activity. They have three stages: tonic stage, clonic stage, and postseizure stage.
What are the characteristics of akinetic seizures?
Normally seen only in children. The child will collapse suddenly without warning. They can be focal or generalized
Akinetic: drop attack
- They lose all muscle tone and as a result collapse without warning
What are the characteristics of myoclonic spasms?
Massive seizures that consist of a sudden extension of the body. They are characterized by brief, jerking spasms of a muscle or muscle group
Myoclonic: does not lose consciousness
- Increase in muscle spasms such as a jolt of electricity
What are headaches?
Can be related to psychological factors, neurological disease, or be a neurological disorder itself. They are produced by several areas in the skull and cranial nerves and are elicited as pressure
What are migraines?
Attacks are often unilateral and associated with nausea and vomiting. Some types of migraines include classic migraine, common migraine, cluster headache, hemiplegic migraine, and ophthalmologic migraine
What are the characteristics of a classic migraine?
Begins with an aura that lasts 20-40 minutes, thought to occur due to narrowing of one or more cerebral arteries. Can last for hours or days
What are the characteristics of a common migraine?
A migraine without an aura. The pain is typically felt on one side of the head, and it starts more slowly than a classic migraine but lasts longer and interferes with more daily activities
Aura: blurry vision, seeing spots or random colours
What are the characteristics of a hemiplegic migraine?
Causes one side of the body to become weak. Symptoms are temporary but weakness can last an hour to days. Head pain can come before or after the weakness.
What are the characteristics of an ophthalmologic migraine?
Causes changes in vision not related to an aura. Symptoms do not last long and are typically in one eye. Head pain can come before or after vision problems.
What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
Produces symptoms that first appear in adulthood, including loss of sensation in the face, limbs, or body, blurring of vision, and loss of sensation and/or control of limbs. The disease can progress rapidly in just a few years. It may be associated with genetics, bacterial infections, environmental factors, and/or an immune response of the CNS.
What brain changes are seen in MS?
● Lesions in the brain form when enough myelin is lost in an area
● People with MS have a higher rate of brain volume loss.
*Large ventricles
What is Huntington’s Disease?
Huntington’s Disease is a disorder that causes the breakdown and death of nerve cells in parts of the brain. The most obvious symptom is motor difficulties, but cognitive changes also occur. People with Huntington’s Disease experience uncontrollable movements and abnormal body postures, as well as changes in behavior, emotion, thinking, and personality. It is typically seen in people between the ages of 30 and 50
What brain changes are associated with Huntington’s Disease
● Cortical thinning and shrinkage
● Significant atrophy and neuronal loss in the basal ganglia.
● Death of GABA and ACh neurons in the basal ganglia.
● Increased dopamine, which causes involuntary movements.
What tool is used to measure sleep disorders?
An EEG is used to record brain waves along with an EMG, EOG, and thermometers. EEGs measure brain waves and can be used to determine sleep states.
What are the two main categories of sleep disorders?
● Narcolepsy
● Insomnia
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by an overwhelming impulse to fall asleep. One type of narcolepsy is genetic while another is due to an autoimmune disorder.
What are the four main symptoms of narcolepsy?
● Sleep attacks
● Cataplexy
● Sleep paralysis
● Hypnagogic hallucinations
Describe sleep attacks in narcolepsy.
Sleep attacks:
● Are irresistible sleep episodes that can occur at any time.
● Are most likely to occur when someone is bored or after eating.
Describe cataplexy in narcolepsy.
Cataplexy:
● Is a sudden loss of muscle tone or paralysis.
● Is most likely to occur during emotional situations.
Describe sleep paralysis in narcolepsy.
Sleep paralysis:
● Occurs when the person is conscious but muscle atonia is still present.
● Happens in the time between wakefulness and sleep.
Describe hypnagogic hallucinations in narcolepsy.
Hypnagogic hallucinations:
● Are episodes of auditory, visual, or tactile hallucinations.
● Occur when falling asleep or waking up.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia occurs when people:
● Do not sleep.
● Do not sleep well.
● Wake up frequently. People with insomnia do not experience the restorative properties of sleep
What are some potential causes of insomnia?
● Anxiety
● Depression
● Fear of sleeping
● Environmental factors
● Jet lag
What are some brain changes seen in sleep disorders?
Sleep disorders can cause:
● Reduction of hypocretin in the hypothalamus
● Progressive cortical thinning
● Alterations in white and gray matter
● Reduced gray volume in some regions
● Compromised connectivity
