Neurological diseases Flashcards
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a sudden brain injury caused by a disruption in blood flow, leading to loss of brain function. Most strokes are ischemic (87%), while 13% are hemorrhagic strokes.
What are the main risk factors for stroke?
Age, sex, race, prior stroke, family history, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, cardiac disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypercoagulopathy, obesity, and inactivity.
What is the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke?
Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot obstructs blood flow to the brain, causing oxygen and nutrient deprivation, leading to brain cell damage or death.
What are the clinical manifestations of a stroke?
Sudden-onset weakness, paralysis, sensory disturbances, speech difficulties, vision loss, dizziness, and altered consciousness. Severe cases may include seizures, vomiting, and headaches.
What is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)?
A TIA is a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain with symptoms similar to a stroke, but they resolve within 24 hours without permanent brain damage.
What causes Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)?
It is caused by the rupture of a cerebral blood vessel, leading to bleeding in the subarachnoid space, often due to conditions like aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).
What are the clinical manifestations of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?
Sudden severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, altered mental status, and possibly seizures or loss of consciousness.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain.
What causes epilepsy?
It can be caused by genetic predisposition, brain injuries, tumors, infections, or developmental abnormalities.
What is the pathophysiology of a seizure in epilepsy?
Seizures result from abnormal, excessive synchronized neuronal discharges, disrupting normal brain function and leading to altered consciousness, convulsions, and motor control issues.
What are the clinical manifestations of a seizure?
Seizures can cause loss of consciousness, muscle convulsions, altered awareness, sensory or motor disturbances, and sometimes jerking movements.
What causes Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, a region in the brain that controls movement. Lewy bodies are produced inside degenerated neurons in many people with PD or parkinsonism.
What is the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease?
The loss of dopamine in the nigrostriatal pathway leads to motor symptoms, with the accumulation of Lewy bodies in neurons
Explain the etiology of parkinsons
PD is caused by an interaction of environmental and genetic factors. Other factors include pesticides, defective and abnormally folded proteins for destruction.
What are the clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease?
Tremor: visible manifestation of the disorder and affects mainly the hands and feet; head
Rigidity: is the resistance to movement
Bradykinesia: is the slowness in initiating and performing movements
Other manifestations include
postural instability, facial stiffness (Mask face), speech changes, and difficulty with movement.
Can parkinsons be cured?
d) Treatment only manages the symptoms; there is no treatment that will fully prevent disease progression.
What is ALS?
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects both upper and lower motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, atrophy, and eventual paralysis.
What causes ALS?
ALS is thought to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
What is the pathophysiology of ALS?
The degeneration of motor neurons causes muscles to weaken and atrophy due to lack of stimulation, often involving glutamate toxicity.
What are the clinical manifestations of ALS?
Progressive muscle weakness, fasciculations, atrophy, spasticity, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and respiratory failure.
What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
MS is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation and destruction of the CNS myelin, leading to disrupted nerve signaling.
What are the risk factors of MS?
MS occurs more commonly in people of Northern European ancestry.
A person with MS has an increased risk (10% to 20% chance) of having a family member with MS.
What is the pathophysiology of MS, and explain the two stages?
MS lesions are formed due to demyelination in the CNS, leading to nerve dysfunction and affecting various brain and spinal cord areas.
the lesions of MS may occur in two stages:
1. First Stage: Small lesions of inflammation start to form
2. second stage: The inflammation spreads, and damage to the protective nerve coating (demyelination) occurs, followed by scar tissue formation (gliosis).
What are the clinical manifestations of MS?
Symptoms include vision problems, muscle weakness, difficulty with coordination and gait, speech difficulties, and sensory disturbances.
What does MS progress?
The course of the disease may fall into (one of four) categories depending on characteristics of acute worsening, recovery and/or gradual worsening of symptoms.
What is spinal cord injury (SCI)?
SCI is caused by trauma to the vertebral column, leading to sensory and motor function loss below the level of injury.
What are the stages of spinal cord injury pathophysiology?
Primary injury is irreversible, causing hemorrhage and necrosis. Secondary injury includes vascular lesions, ischemia, and delayed neural tissue damage.
What are the clinical manifestations of spinal cord injury?
Flaccid paralysis, sensory loss, bowel and bladder dysfunction, chronic pain, muscle spasticity, respiratory issues, and cardiovascular complications.
What is hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus is a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, leading to increased pressure on the brain.
What causes hydrocephalus?
Causes include obstruction of CSF flow, impaired absorption, or overproduction, leading to noncommunicating or communicating types.
What are the clinical manifestations of hydrocephalus?
Gait problems, headache, nausea, vomiting, and in infants, head enlargement.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges (pia mater, arachnoid, and CSF spaces), often caused by infections like bacteria or viruses.
What causes bacterial meningitis?
It is commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, or E. coli, and can be more severe with rapid progression.
What are the clinical manifestations of bacterial meningitis?
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, seizures, and in severe cases, rash.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a syndrome characterized by cognitive decline affecting memory, mood, decision-making, and daily activities.
What are the risk factors for Alzheimers disease?
The risk of development of AD increases with age, and genetic factors.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s is atrophy and loss of neurons in the brain and is caused by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, leading to neuron dysfunction and death.
What are the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease?
Memory loss, confusion, difficulty with language, decision-making, and personality changes, depression.
What are the stages/progression of the Alzheimers?
AD follow an insidious and progressive course. Various stages of the disease have been recognized.
What is the role of neurotransmission disruption in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer Disease (AD).
Disruption of neurotransmission, particularly involving neurotransmitters like (ACh), (GABA), contributes to cognitive impairments in Alzheimer. Alterations in cholinergic transmission and glutamatergic signaling are associated with synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss, leading to cognitive decline and behavioral symptoms observed in AD patients
What is Myasthenia Gravis?
Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disorder where antibodies attack acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction, leading to muscle weakness.
What are the clinical manifestations of Myasthenia Gravis?
Symptoms include muscle weakness, fatigue, difficulty with eye movements, speech, swallowing, and head drooping.
What is the difference between Upper Motor Neuron (UMN) and Lower Motor Neuron (LMN) lesions?
UMN lesions cause spasticity, hyperreflexia, and weakness, while LMN lesions cause flaccidity, muscle atrophy, and hyporeflexia.
