Neurological Disorders Flashcards
tumors
a mass of cells whose growth is uncontrolled and that severs no useful fx
can be malignant or benign
which is more common (malignant or beign)
Benign more common in women
Malignant more common in men
tumors damage brain tissue by
compression
infiltration
(malignant can compress and infiltrate)
(benign tend to only compress)
Primary brain tumors
starts in CNS
most commonly seen in those under 15 and above 65
secondary brain tumors
metastasize to brain
most commonly from lung and breast cancer
grade 1 CNS tumors
low proliferative potential
possibility of cure after surgical resection
grade 4 CNS tumor
histological evidence of malignancy
mitotically active
prone to necrosis
associated with rapid preoperative and postoperative disease progression and fatal outcome
Most common primary brain tumors
gliomas
astrocytoma
meningioma
Gliomas
Most common primary brain tumor (33%)
tumor of the glial cells
astrocytoma
tumor of the astrocytes
can be low or high grade
glioblastoma multiforme
most aggressive turmor
average survival rate ~ 2 years
meningioma
tumor of the meninges
usually benign and slow growing
encapsulated
main treatments for tumors
surgical resection
radiation
chemotherapy
seizure
a period of sudden excessive activity of cerebral neurons
epilepsy chronic d/o of recurrent seizures
can be partial/focal or generalized
partial/focal types (seizures)
“simple partial” no major change in consciousness
“complex partial” causes a loss of consciousness
generalized types (seizures)
tonic-clonic (grand mal)
absence (petit mal)
atonic
tonic clonic/grand mal seizures
most severe form of seizure
include convulsions
tonic - stiffening
clonic - jerking or twitching
aura, tonic, clonic postictal stage
absence “petite mal”
sudden lapse in consciousness (staring blankly into space, eyes fluttering, lip smacking, hand movements)
~15 seconds
atonic seizures
“drop seizures”
sudden loss of muscle control = collapse or fall to the floor
challenges with seizures
50% show damage to hippocampus
falling
drowning
car accidents
pregnancy complications
emotional health issues (ADHD, anxiety, aggression)
seizure first aid
stay - stay with person until they are awake
safe - keep the person safe, move or guide away from harm
side - turn person onto side keep airways clear
DO NOT:
restrain
put objects in mouth
Prion disease (neurodegenerative disorder)
occur when prion protein found throughout the body begins folding into abnormal 3D shapes
destroys brain cells
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
most common
“mad cow” disease
sporadic or familial
causes severe mental deterioration and dementia
~8 months
Kuru Disease
from eating contaminated human brain tissue
10-50 year incubation period
Fore people of Papa New Guinea
Parkinson’s Disease
caused by the degeneration of dopamine-secreting neurons in the substantia nigra that send axon to the basal ganglia
deficiency of automatic, habitual motor response
95% of cases are sporadic
symptoms:
dystonia
bradyskinesia and slowed reaction time (falls)
shuffling gait
face masking
tremors (pill rolling)
Parkinson’s Tx
L-dopa
deep brain stimulation
intentional lesioning of the pathway
Huntington’s Disease
inherited disease resulting in degeneration of the basal ganglia
typical onset: btw 30-50
results:
chorea (involuntary jerking movement)
dystonia
slurred speech and swallowing difficulties
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
degenerative disorder that attacks spinal cord and cranial nerve motor neurons; brain and muscle connection loss
average onset ~50s
ALS symptoms
progressive weakness and muscular atrophy - eventual loss of speech, swallow w/ paralysis
eye movement spared
death typically caused by respiratory failure
Riluzole
only current pharmacological tx extends life by ~2 months
Multiple sclerosis
autoimmune demyelinating disease
scattered locations within the CNS
sclerotic plaques
hard patches of debris left behind when the person’s immune system attacks myelin sheaths
risk factors for MS
females > males
living far from the equator
black or white race
smoking
MS symptoms
fatigue
vision problems
bladder/bowel dysfunction
spasms
slowed processing speeds
Meningitis
inflammation of the meninges caused by viruses or bacteria
meningitis symptoms
stiff neck
headaches
AMS
fever
photophobia
convulsions, loss of consciousness, death (sometimes)
meningitis etiology
spread of middle-ear infection to the brain
head injury
embolus that has dislodged from bacterial infection in the heart
