Neurology Flashcards
What substances are hypoattenuating on CT scan?
Air
Fat
Fluid
Oedema
What substances are hyperattenuating on CT scan?
Bleeds
Bone
Mineralisation
What is used for CT contrast dye?
Iodine- hyperattenuating
What is used for MRI contrast dye?
Gadolinium
What are the risks with angiography?
Stroke
Vascular damage
Give examples of nuclear medicine scans
PET-CT Scan
DAT Scan for Parkinsons
What are the signs of UMN lesion?
- Hyperreflexia: reflexes brisk
- Hypertonia: the faster you move the patient’s muscle, the greater the resistance, until giving way (clasp knife)
- Spasticity in strong muscle groups (arm flexors and leg extensors)
- Upgoing plantars (positive Babinski)
- Loss of skilled fine finger movements
Where do UMN lesions impact?
Anywhere along the pyramidal (corticospinal) tracts
Ie. Between the precentral gyrus of frontal cortex to the anterior horn cells in spinal cord
Arm- extensors affected
Leg- flexors affected
Where do LMN lesions impact?
Anywhere from anterior horn cell distally, to nerve plexuses and peripheral nerves.
What are the signs of a LMN lesion?
- Hyporeflexia: reflexes reduced or absent
- Hypotonia: limbs feel soft and floppy
- Fasciculations: spontaneous involuntary twitching
- Plantars remain flexor
What is the function of the dorsal columns?
Vibration
Proprioception
What is the function of the Lateral spinothalamic tract?
Pain
Temperature
What is the normal intracranial pressure?
7-15mmHG
Which drug decreases the activity of histamine?
Cyclizine
Which drugs are agonists/ increase the activity of dopamine?
Levodopa Pramipexole (dopamine agonist) Cabergoline (hyperprolactinaemia, acromegaly)
Which drugs are dopamine antagonists?
Chlorpromazine (schizophrenia)
Metoclopramide (nausea)
Which drugs are agonists of serotonin?
Lithium (mood)
Fluoxetine and Sertraline (SSRIs)
Sumatriptan (migraine)
Which drugs are antagonists of Serotonin?
Clozapine, Olanzapine (Schizophrenia)
Where does the anterior cerebral artery supply?
Front and mid cerebrum
Where does the middle cerebral artery supply?
Lateral cerebrum
Where does the posterior cerebral artery supply?
Occipital lobe
What are the 2 types of oedema?
- Cytotoxic- ischemia, cell damage
2. Vasogenic- abnormal vessels lead to fluid leakage. Caused by tumours (angiogenesis), infection, inflammation
What are the risks of using contrast?
Contrast reaction
Acute renal failure
Diabetic lactic acidosis
Extravasation
What primary events can occur following head injury?
- Contusions
- Traumatic axonal injury
- Haemorrhage
What secondary events can occur following head injury?
- Ischemia
- Raised intrcranial pressure
- Infection
- Post traumatic epilepsy
- Chronic traumatic encepalopathy
What is the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s?
- Accumulation of B-amyloid peptide
- Progressive neuronal damage
- Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)
- Increased amyloid plaques
- Loss of Ach neurotransmitter
Which brain parts are most affected by Alzheimer’s?
Basal nuclei
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Temporal neocortex
What are the risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s?
Age Head injury 1st degree relative with Alzheimer's Down Syndrome Homozygous for ApoE4 allele Mutation in BAPP gene Smoking Vascular risk factors
The Apolioprotein E4 allele increases the risk of which condition?
Alzheimer’s
What is vascular dementia?
Dementia due to cumulative effect of multiple small infarcts
Sudden onset dementia and stepwise deterioration
Grey matter loss
What is Lewy body dementia?
Lewy bodies of alpha synuclein which are eosinophilic in the brainstem and neocortex
Often in Parkinsons
What are the key signs of Lewy body dementia?
Visual hallucinations
Parkinsonism
Fluctuating cognitive impairment
Which medications should be avoided in Lewy body dementia?
Antipsychotics
What are the key signs of fronto temporal dementia?
Personality changes Behavioural changes Emotional unconcern Disinhibition Memory preserved until later stages
What is Pick’s disease?
A subtype of fronto temporal dementia
Tau positive
PIck bodies on histology
What is delerium?
Acute confusion: hours- days
Memory loss
Global cognitive deficit
Reversal of sleep-wake cycle
What is uncal herniation?
Type of supratentorial herniation
Temporal lobe moves towards tentorium and puts pressure on brainstem
What are the clinical features of uncal herniation?
Compression of cranial nerve 3: Mydriasis (dilated pupil) Diplopia Ptosis (drooping eyelid) Eye displaced and turned out
Ipsilateral hemiparesis
What is tonsillar herniation?
Cerebellar tonsils move downward through the foramen magnum, and may compress the brainstem and cervical spine
What are the features of tonsillar herniation?
Headache
Headtilt
Decreased consciousness
Respiratory dysfunction
What are the signs of a venous sinus thrombosis?
Headache Stroke symptoms One sided weakness Difficulty speaking Seizures Abnormal vision
What are the risk factors for a venous sinus thrombosis?
Women age 20-35 Pregnancy Combined oral contraceptive Nephrotic syndrome Thrombophilia Inflammatory diseases
What is the most aggressive type of brain tumour?
Glioblastoma- originates from glial cells, astrocytes
Which cancers most commonly metastasize to the brain?
Lung
Breast
Skin
Kidney
What is the most common paediatric brain tumour?
Medulloblastoma
Originates in the 4th ventricle
Which bacteria most commonly cause meningitis in ADULTS?
Strep pneumoniae
Neisseria meningitidis
What are the clinical signs/ symptoms of meningitis?
Fever >38 or hypothermia Photophobia Neck stiffness Headache May have altered consciousness Kernig's sign- painful to extend the leg towards head when laid supine Lymphadenopathy Rash
Which antibiotics can treat bacterial meningitis?
Cephalosporins
Vancomycin and or Rifampicin for penicillin resistant
What are the complications of meningitis?
Seizures Raised intracranial pressure Infarction Venous sinus thrombosis Cerebral oedema Hearing loss
Which bacteria may cause meningitis following travel?
Tuberculous meningitis
How is tuberculous meningitis treated?
Rifampicin
Isoniazid
Pyrazinamide
Ethambutol
Which viruses can cause viral meningitis?
HIV
Enterovirus
MMR
HSV1 and 2
Which organisms cause fungal meningitis?
Candida
Cryptococcus
How is cryptococcal (fungal) meningitis treated?
Fluconazole
Amphotericin B
What is encephalitis?
Inflammation of the brain parenchyma
Which virus causes 90% of encephalitis?
HSV1
How does HSV1 infect the brain parenchyma to cause encephalitis?
Oral mucosa infection, spread along CNV to the trigeminal ganglion