Neurology Flashcards
what are the types of stroke?
ischemic 85%
haemorragic 15%
transient ischemic attack
what is Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)?
- “mini-stroke”
- stroke symptoms but temporary, last minutes to hours
- importan warning sign to developing future strokes
- preventative measures need to be established eg antiplatelets/anticoagulants, managing BP etc.
what techinque is used to diagnose/differentiate strokes?
MRI/CT
what can cause an ischaemic stroke?
Interruption of cerebral blood supply:
Embolism
Thrombosis
Systemic hypoperfusion
what is the Oxford Community Stroke Project (OCSP) Classification (Bamford et al)?
classification of stroke
- Anterior Circulation Infarction - Partial (PACI), Total (TACI)
- Posterior Circulation Infarction (POCI)
- Lacunar Infarction (LACI)
what are signs of Anterior Circulation Infarction?
(middle/anterior cereberal arteries)
Contralateral weakness
Contralateral sensory loss/sensory inattention
Dysarthria
Dysphasia (receptive, expressive)
Homonymous Hemianopia/visual inattention
Higher cortical dysfunction
what are signs of Posterior Circulation Infarction ?
- cranial nerve damage
- cerebellar dysfunction
- Conjugate eye movement disorder (e.g. horizontal gaze palsy)
- Isolated homonymous hemianopia
what is Lacunar Infarction ?
- Occlusion of deep penetrating arteries
- affects small volume of subcortical white matter
- doesn not present with cortical features eg dysphasia, visual field loss
- pure sensory/motor stroke
what tests investigations are required for stroke?
- CT head
- bloods - BM, LFTs, CRP
- BP - if over 180 thrombolysis not given due to bleeding risk
- Carotid Doppler USS (carotid stenosis)
- echo/ECG - endocarditis/thrombus
- NIHSS - severity of stroke
what are modfifiable risk factors for stroke?
- high BP
- smoking
- diabetes
- high cholesterol levels
- heavy alcohol consumption
- obesity
- physical inactivity.
what are non-modifiable risk factors for stroke?
- Age
- family history
- race (African Americans)
- sex (men)
what are symptoms of a stroke?
- numbness/weakness in face, arm, leg, often one-sided
- Confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
- Severe headache
what is Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score?
- segments brain into parts and score based on areas affected
- 10 is normal - going down
what is given if ischaemic stroke is suspected?
thrombolysis
what is the definition of a stroke?
- rapidly developing clinical signs of focal disturbance of cerebral function
- lasting more than 24 hours or leading to death
- no apparent cause other than a vascular origin
what is another treatment for stroke other than medication?
- Mechanical Thrombectomy - catheter that removes blood clot
what is Ischaemic Penumbra?
- reverisble area of damage around the core (irreverable damage)
what is the management of a stroke?
- preventing complication (infection, pressure sores, depression etc.)
- secondary prevention - lifestyle etc.
- rehabilitation - physio, occupational therapy, speech/language
what is the ABCD2 score for stroke?
Estimates the risk of stroke after a suspected transient ischemic attack (TIA)
A - age over 60
B - over 140/90
C - clinical features - speach/weakness
D - duration ie over 60 mins
D - diabetes
what are Pathological subtypes of ischaemic stroke ?
- Large vessel disease (50%)
- Small vessel disease (25%)
- Cardioembolic (20%)
- Unknown (cryptogenic) (3%)
- Rare causes (2%) e.g. dissection, CVST, vasculitis
what are secondary preventative measures for stroke?
- antiplatelets - aspirin/clopidogrel
- anticoagulation
- hypertension management
- cholesterol management - statins
what is the surgical management for stroke?
- Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting - for Carotid Stenosis - prevetative
- Decompressive hemicraniectomy - part of skull removed if stroke is very large/swelling
what are the risks of Posterior circulation infarction?
- hydrocephalus
- treated with EVD/posterior fossa decompression
how are brain tumours graded?
- WHO classification – histology (cell type), molecular markers and genetic factors (not tumour-node-metastasis)
- 1 = non-malignant
- 2 = cytological atypia
- 3 = anaplasia and mitotic activity
- 4 = Anaplasia, mitotic activity with microvascular proliferation, and/or necrosis - v aggressive malignant
what are prognostic factors of brain tumours?
Histology type
Age *
Size of tumour *
Rate of growth
Location *
Cross midline
Presenting features
Performance status
what are the main types of gliomas?
- Astrocytomas - Glioblastoma (GBM) v aggressive
- Oligodendrogliomas - more responsive to treatment
- Ependymomas - easier to surgicallly remove
- mixed
what are symptoms of brain tumour?
- headache
- seziures
- motor loss
- confusion/weakness/memory loss
what are the presentations of a headache with brain tumours?
Woken by headache,
worse in the morning,
worse lying down,
associated with N&V,
exacerbated by coughing, sneezing, drowsiness
what are causes/risk factors of brain tumours?
mostly no causes found
risk factors/association
- ionising radiation exposure
- family history
- Immunosuppression (CNS lymphoma)
what is Papilloedema?
- swelling of the optic disc due to elevated intracranial pressure (ICP)
- seen with brain tumours
what are signs of raised intracranial pressure?
- VIth nerve palsy - hearing loss one sided
- papilloedema
what are the investigations for brain tumours?
- CT/MRI
- brain biopsy
what is the treatment of high grade glioma?
- Steroids – reduce oedema
- surgery - to relieve IC, survival prolongation
- chemo/radio
(non curative but prolongs survival)
what is the treatment of low grade glioma?
Surgery – early resection (Awake craniotomy)
radio/chemo
what are types of brain tumours?
- gliomas
- meningomas
- Schwannomas
- pituitary tumours
- Secondary (Metastatic) Brain Tumors
what are the types of traumatic head injury?
- blunt vs penetarting
- focal vs diffuse
- primary vs secondary eg due to poor care
what are diffuse axonal injuries?
- white matter lesions on grey/white margins
- loss of consciousness
- little haemmorage - better seen on MRI not CT
- in high impact/shaking incidents
what are tbi contusions?
- brain tissue injured due to brain/skull collision
what are the types of intracranial bleeds?
- extradural (lemon shaped)
- subdural (banana shaped) - more gradual
- subarachnoid - from aneurysm/trauma
- intracerebral/intraventrcular
what is the management of a head injury?
- CT/MRI
- control seziures if present
- surgical treatment (rarely)
- prophylaxis - due to meningitis risk
what is the glasgow coma scale?
scale for head injury
- includes assesment of eye, verbal and motor response
- low=more severe, coma likely
- 9-12 moderate
what are potenital complications after TBI?
- endocrinopathy - hormone deficiencies etc.
- Post-traumatic epilepsy
- infections
- gi - peptic ulcers, dysphagia
- heterotopic ossification
- congnative changes - memory/personality
what are the typical causes of different bleeds?
Extradural Hematoma - arterial bleeding - skull fracture
Subdural Hematoma - vein rupture - rotational injury
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - rupture of an aneurysm or trauma
Intracerebral Hemorrhage - trauma, hypertension, vascular malformations
what is characteristic of chronic traumatic encephalopathy?
p-tau aggregates
what causes parkinsons disease?
- loss of dopamine producing neurones
- in substantia nigra
- lewy bodies detected
what are symptoms of parkinsons?
- bradykinesia (shuffeling gait, hypomimia)
- resting tremor - asymmetrical
- rigidity
- Postural instability
- sleep disturbances
- Mood/cognitive symptoms
what are types of tremor?
rest
action - postrual, kinetic - intention
essential - inherited
dystonic
cerebellar
functional
how is parkinsons diagnosed?
- clinical - classical motor symptoms
- Datscan
- tests for infections/electrolystes, thyroid
what is the treatment of parkinsons?
- L-dopa
taken with carbidopa to reduce metabolism - MOA-B inhibitors stop breakdown of dopamine
(time sensative medication_
what is a complication of stopping parkinsons medication?
- freezing
- neuroleptic malignant syndrome
what conditions are associated with parkinsons?
- depression/anxiety/psychosis
- dementia
- orthostatic hypotension
how are essential tremors treated?
primidone
beta-blockers
what are the non-infective causes of meningitis
- neoplastic - cancers
- drug induced- NSAIDS
- autoimmune/systemic - SLE
what are symptoms of meningitis?
- fever
- headache
- neck stiffness
- photophobia
what are permenant complications from meningitis?
- skin scars
- amputation
- hearing loss
- seziures
- Hydrocephalus
- motor deficit
investigations for meninigitis
- GCS
- vital signs/glucose levels
- blood culture
- lumbar puncture - definitive
treatment of meningitis
- benzylpenicillin
- supportive treatment - fluids, analgesia
(notify public health)
what are contraidications of lumbar puncture?
- platelet count less than 20,000 mm3or heparin use within 24hr
- vertebral trauma
- infection at LP site
- raised intracranial pressure
what bacteria cuases meningitis?
-ve bacteria
- neisseria meningitidis - young adults
- haemophilis influenza B
- e.coli
+ve bacteria
step.pneumonia
- listeria spp.
- group B step
chronic:
- TB
- syphilis
meningococcal septicaemia symptoms/signs?
- rash: non-blanching, red/brown pin-prick rash then large purple
- nausea/vomiting
- hypotension
- fever
- septic shock
what are differential diagnosis of meningitis?
- subarachnoid haemorrhage - trauma, thunderclap
- flu
- sinusitis
- malaria
- brain abscess
what is encephalitis?
inflammation of brain
what are the symptoms of encephalitis (different to meningitis)?
- confusion
- behaviour changes
- memory loss
- seziures
types of viruses ect.
what are causes of encephalitis?
- herpes simplex
- varicella zoster
- if travelling - ticks, rabies, etc.
- Enteroviruses
- measels
what are investigations for encephalitis?
- MRI
- LP - CSF, viral PCR
what are the main symptoms of huntingtons disease?
- chorea - Uncontrolled movements, poor coordination, speech
- dementia
- psychiatric problems - depression/anxiety/OCD
only start to appear at ages 30-50, then patient starts to deteriorate
what gene is affected in huntingtons disease?
HTT
what is the treatment of huntingtons disease?
- Neuroleptics:
Sulpiride for chorea
haloparidol for psychosis - SSRIs for depression
- Risperidone for aggression
- therapy eg speech, physical, occupational
what is Cerebellar ataxia?
- lack of muscle coordination and control
- originates from the cerebellum
what causes Cerebellar ataxia?
- Genetic disorders: Friedreich’s ataxia, spinocerebellar ataxia
- damage to cerebellum from stroke, MS, tumors, alcohol, infections
- inflammation of cerebllum from autoimmune conditions
- toxins
- E/B12 deficiency
what is Generalized dystonia?
- movement disorder
- twisting, muscle contraction, repetitive movement, abnormal posture
- starts in one limb then effects body