Neurology Flashcards
The notochord induces the overlying ___ to differentiate into ___ and form ___.
Ectoderm; neuroectoderm; neural plate
The neural plate gives rise to the ___ and ___.
Neural tube; neural crest cells
List the three primary vesicles of the developing brain.
- Forebrain (prosencephalon)
- Midbrain (mesencephalon)
- Hindbrain (rhombencephalon)
List the five secondary vesicles of the developing brain and their origins.
- Telencephalon (forebrain)
- Diencephalon (forebrain)
- Mesencephalon (midbrain)
- Metencephalon (hindbrain)
- Myelencephalon (hindbrain)
What are the adult derivatives of the telencephalon?
Cerebral hemispheres and lateral ventricles
What are the adult derivatives of the diencephalon?
Thalamus, hypothalamus, and third ventricle
What are the adult derivatives of the mesencephalon?
Midbrain and aqueduct
What are the adult derivatives of the metencephalon?
Pons and cerebellum, upper part of the fourth ventricle
What are the adult derivatives of the myelencephalon?
Medulla, lower part of the 4th ventricle
Explain motor innervation to the tongue.
CN X to palatoglossus (elevates posterior tongue during swallowing)
CN XII to hyoglossus (retracts and depresses tongue), genioglossus (protrudes tongue), and styloglossus (draws sides of tongue upward to create a trough for swallowing)
Where is RER not present in neurons and thus not seen on Nissle staining?
RER is not present in the axon
What is Wallerian degeneration?
Caused by injury to an axon; degeneration of axon distal to the site of injury and axonal retraction proximally; allows for potential regeneration of the axon if in the PNS
Involves chromatolysis
Function of astrocytes?
Physical support, repair, extracellular K+ buffer, removal of excess neurotransmitter, component of BBB, glycogen fuel reserve buffer; reactive gliosis in response to neural injury
Astrocyte staining marker?
GFAP
What happens to HIV-infected microglia?
They fuse to form multinucleated giant cells in the CNS
Function of myelin?
Increases conduction velocity of signals transmitted down axons; wraps and insulates axons
How does myelin increase conduction velocity?
Decreases membrane capacitance by decreasing stored charge and increases resistance by decreasing charge leakage; increases the space constant and decreases the time constant to increase the conduction velocity
What synthesizes myelin?
Oligodendrocytes in the CNS, Schwann cells in the PNS
How do oligodendrocytes appear histologically?
Fried egg appearance
In what neural pathologies are oligodendrocytes injured?
MS, PML, leukodystrophies
List the 5 sensory receptors in the nervous system.
- Free nerve endings
- Meissner corpuscles
- Pacinian corpuscles
- Merkel discs
- Ruffini corpuscles
Which type of sensory neuron fiber is found in free nerve endings?
C - slow, unmyelinated fibers
A(delta) - fast, myelinated fibers
Which type of sensory neuron fiber is found in Meissner corpuscles?
Large, myelinated fibers; adapt quickly
Which type of sensory neuron fiber is found in Pacinian corpuscles?
Large, myelinated fibers; adapt quickly
Which type of sensory neuron fiber is found in Merkel discs?
Large, myelinated fibers; adapt slowly
Which type of sensory neuron fiber is found in Ruffini corpuscles?
Dendritic endings with capsule; adapt slowly
Where are free nerve endings located and what senses do they carry?
All skin, epidermis, some viscera; pain and temperature
Where are Meissner corpuscles located and what senses do they carry?
Glabrous (hairless) skin; dynamic, fine/light touch, position sense
Where are Pacinian corpuscles located and what senses do they carry?
Deeps kin layers, ligaments, joints; vibration and pressure
Where are Merkel discs located and what senses do they carry?
Finger tips, superficial skin (basal layer of the epidermis); pressure, deep static touch (eg, shapes, edges), position sense
Where are Ruffini corpuscles located and what senses do they carry?
Finger tips, joints; pressure, slippage of objects along surface of skin, joint angle change
Describe the structure of peripheral nerves.
- Endoneurium - inner layer that invests single nerve fiber layers
- Perineurium - surrounds a fascicle of nerve fibers; blood-nerve permeability barrier
- Epineurium - dense connective tissue that surrounds the entire nerve (fascicles and blood vessels)
What is chromatolysis?
The reaction of neuronal cell bodies to axonal injury; changes reflect increased protein synthesis in an effort to repair the damaged axon
Describe the appearance of chromatolysis on H&E.
Round cellular swelling, displacement of the nucleus to the periphery, dispersion of Nissl substance throughout the cytoplasm
List the 5 major neurotransmitters affected in diseases like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease.
- ACh
- Dopamine
- GABA
- NE
- 5-HT
Where is ACh synthesized?
Basal nucleus of Meynert
Where is dopamine synthesized?
Ventral tegmentum, SNc
Where is GABA synthesized?
Nucleus accumbens
Where is NE synthesized?
Locus ceruleus
Where is 5-HT synthesized?
Raphe nucleus
What neurotransmitters change in anxiety?
Decreased GABA, 5-HT
Increased NE
What neurotransmitters change in depression?
Decreased dopamine, NE, 5-HT
What neurotransmitters change in schizophrenia?
Increased dopamine
What neurotransmitters change in Huntington disease?
Decreased ACh, GABA
Increased dopamine
What neurotransmitters change in Parkinson disease?
Increased ACh
Decreased dopamine, 5-HT
Which diseases involve affected ACh?
Decreased - Alzheimer disease and Huntington disease
Increased - Parkinson disease
Which diseases involve affected dopamine?
Decreased - depression, Parkinson disease
Increased - schizophrenia, Huntington disease
What diseases involve affected GABA?
Decreased - anxiety, Huntington disease
What diseases involve affected NE?
Increased - anxiety
Decreased - depression
What diseases involve affected 5-HT?
Decreased - anxiety, depression, Parkinson disease
Compare the embryologic origin of the meningeal layers.
Dura - mesoderm
Arachnoid and pia - neural crest
Where does CSF flow?
Subarachnoid space (between arcahnoid and pia)
What structures form the BBB?
- Tight junctions (transmembrane claudins and occludins that associate with actin filaments) between nonfenestrated capillary endothelial cells
- Basement membrane
- Astrocyte foot processes
What can cross the BBB?
- Glucose and amino acids - carrier-mediated transport (slow)
- Nonpolar/lipid-soluble substances - diffusion (rapid)
Which specialized brain structures have fenestrated capillaries and no BBB?
- Area postrema - medulla (vomiting after chemo)
- OVLT, aka organum vasculosum lamina terminalis (osmotic sensing)
- Neurohypophysis (allows neurosecretory products to enter circulation)
What causes vasogenic edema?
Destruction of endothelial cell tight junctions by infarction and/or neoplasm
What is the purpose of the hypothalmus?
Maintain homeostasis via regulation of: Thirst and water balance Adenohypophysis (AP) Neurohypophysis (PP) Hunger ANS Temperature Sexual urges TAN HATS
List the 6 major components of the hypothalamus.
- Lateral area
- Ventromedial area
- Anterior hypothalamus
- Posterior hypothalamus
- Suprachiasmatic nucleus
- Supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei
What does the lateral area control?
Hunger (destruction -> anorexia, failure to thrive in infants)
Stimulated by ghrelin, inhibited by leptin
“If you zap your lateral area, you shrink laterally”