Neurological problems Flashcards
- Name of phenomenon where arteries develop layer of plaque of cholesterol, fats, calcium and cellular waste
- What artery do these plaques form in and what’s the function of this artery
- Atherosclerosis (precursor of strokes and heart attacks)
- The plaques form in the internal carotid artery, which supplies blood to the cerebral hemispheres
What are angiograms used for & how do they work
They’re used for visualizing atherosclerosis (narrowing of carotid artery). They work by injecting radiopaque dye into the blood & examining the artery with an X-ray
What is hydrocephalus
waterbrain - it’s caused by compression of a tumour & it blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid
What’s the main difference between a hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke
Hemorrhagic stroke - there’s a rupture in a cerebral blood vessel & blood is leaking out
Ischemic stroke - there’s a blockage of the cerebral blood vessel
- What’s the name for the blood clot that forms within a blood vessels?
- What are the 2 ways that it may cause an ischemic stroke?
- Thrombus
- A thrombus either directly causes a stroke or forms an embolus, which is a piece of tissue that dislodges from its site of origin and occludes an artery
What are some drugs given 3-4 hours of an ischemic stroke
Thrombolytics - “clot busting” drugs that dissolve blood clots,
Ex: tPA (tissue pasminogen activator)
What do you administer during a hemorrhagic stroke?
Blood thickeners so blood stops leaking out
REMINDER, not question (flip)
Meningitis and encephalitis are infectious brain diseases
- What are 3 tools used to pull blood clots out of arteries?
- Which artery do we pass these instruments through?
- coil retrievers, aspiration devices and tent retrievers
- They all go through femoral artery
What is metastasis
It’s the process where a cell breaks off from a tumour, travels through the vascular system & grows elsewhere in the body.
How does compression caused by a tumour destroy the brain?
it either directly destroys the brain tissue or causes hydrocephalus (waterbrain)
- What’s the main difference between a benign & malignant tumour?
- Why are malignant tumours so hard to take out?
Benign tumours are encapsulated (there’s a border between the mass & outside): malignant tumours are not encapsulated
2. Because it grows by infiltrating surrounding tissue, so when removed, some cells can be missed & produce new tumours
What’s an example of a harmful benign brain tumour (what is it made of & what problems does it cause)
Meningioma - it’s composed of the same cells as meninge cells (dura matter or arachnoid membrane). It forms between the 2 cerebral hemisphere & causes major damage because it creates a lot of pressure in the brain
What’s an example of a malignant brain tumour (what is it made of & why is it bad)
Gliomas - made of neural stem cells that make glia. They’re bad because they rapidly proliferate and they’re more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation than most tumours
George has encephalitis.
1. What can it be caused by
2. What symptoms is he likely experiencing
- It’s either caused by infection, toxic chemicals or an allergic reaction
- His brain is enflamed - he probably has a headache, a fever and nausea.
- What is meningitis
- What is it caused by
- What are the first symptoms
- It’s inflammation of the meninges
- Caused by viruses or bacteria
- Headaches & stiff neck are the first symptoms
What do polio, rabies and herpes simplex have in common
they’re all brain viruses
True or false: mild traumatic brain injuries have no impact on one’s chance to develop Alzheimer’s
FALSE - even mild, undiagnosed TBIs greatly increase risk of developing Alzheimers/brain problems later in life
True or false: all seizures involve convulsions
False - only the ones that activate neurons in the motor system
What is the sensation before getting a seizure called
Aura
What are some causes for seizure disorders (omit gene mutation theory)
- Scarring as a result from injury, stroke, tumour, etc
- High fevers (especially in young kids)
- Withdrawal from GABA agonists (like alcohol & barbituates)
It’s hypothesized that certain gene mutations may cause seizure disorders by causing neural network instability. What are the things this gene mutation could affect tocause this neural instability?
- By affecting the amount/function of different ion channels in the brain
- The reciprocal wiring of inhibitory/excitatory neurons
- The rules that govern synaptic plasticity
What is the main difference between a partial (focal) seizure and a generalized seizure
Partial - begins at a focus and remains localized: it doesn’t spread to the rest of the brain
Generalized - involves most of the brain
What are the 2 types of partial seizures; which one causes a loss of consciousness
Simple partial seizure - doesn’t produce a loss of consciousness
Complex partial seizure - causes a loss of consciousness
What are the 3 types of generalized seizures?
Tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal)
Absence seizures (petit mal)
Atonic seizures
What are the phases of a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure
- Aura
- Tonic phase - all skeletal muscles contract
- Rhythmic jerky movements
What happens during an absence seizure (petit mal)
No convulsions involved - Ppl stop what they’re doing, stare into the distance & blink eyes repeatedly - most lass less than 15 seconds
What happens during an atonic seizure
loss of muscle tone and temporary paralysis
What drugs are prescribed for seizures
Anticonvulsant like benzodiazepines - they work by increasing the effectiveness of inhibitory synapses
What are some common causes for developmental disorders (name 1 toxin & 1 virus)
- Impairing of fetal brain development bc of toxins [like organophosphates from insecticides, and heavy metals]
- Viruses [like Zika and rubella virus& drugs
What is fetal alcohol syndrome caused by
Alcohol consumption during the 3rd and 4th week of pregnancy
What is the general cause for inherited metabolic disorders
Errors in metabolism happen when there’s an error in the instructions of a protein, which causes an enzyme to not synthesize
What are the 2 types of inherited metabolic disorder
Phenylketonuria and Tay-Sachs disease
- What is phenylketonuria caused by
- What does it do in the brain
- Caused by the absence of the enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine.
- Causes the accumulation of phenylalanine, which causes brain damage
- What is tay-saschs disease caused by
- What does it do in the brain
- Caused by the absence of an enzyme lysosomes which causes the accumulation of waste in cells
- Causes swelling in the brain. It’s fatal.
True or false: Downs syndrome is always hereditary
False - it’s not necessarily hereditary
REMINDER not question (flip)
ppl who grow up far from the equator are more likely to develop MS - developed hypothesis that childhood disease (more common in cold)
What happens to the brain in multiple sclerosis
Myelin sheaths are attacked by the immune system, which transforms it into sclerotic plaque [hard patches of debris] , preventing action potential to successfully propagate
What are the 2 types of multiple sclerosis
- Remitting-relapsing MS: symptoms go through cycles of flare ups and receding
-Progressive MS: slow, continuous increase in symptoms
What are 2 drugs prescribed to people with MS and what do they do
- Interferon ß drug: protein that modulates immune system activity
- Glatiramer acetate: peptides that mimic myelin & act as a decoy for the immune system
Is multiple sclerosis an autoimmune disease?
yup
