Neuropathology

Question 1

what are the 9 main causes of CNS diseases

Answer 1

congenital, inflammatory, neurodegenerative, vascular, tumours, metabolic, immune, traumatic, toxic

Question 2

immune cause of CNS disease

Answer 2

multiple sclerosis

Question 3

congenital causes of CNS diseases

Answer 3

malformations, hydrocephalus

Question 4

function of the cortex

Answer 4

cognitive

Question 5

function of the basal ganglia

Answer 5

movement

Question 6

function of the brainstem

Answer 6

cranial nerve function, cardiac/respiratory control

Question 7

function of the cerebellum

Answer 7

balance, smoothness of movement

Question 8

function of the spinal cord

Answer 8

motor supply to limbs, sensory relay to brain

Question 9

what is the composition of the brain

Answer 9

white matter and grey matter

Question 10

what is grey matter composed of

Answer 10

neurons, glia, blood vessels

Question 11

what is white matter composed of

Answer 11

CNS axons, myelin, glial cells, blood vessels

Question 12

what is dementia

Answer 12

acquired global impairment of intellect, personality and memory without impairment of consciousness

Question 13

neurodegenerative diseases

Answer 13

alzheimers, fronto temporal lobar degeneration, parkinsons, motorneurone, huntingtons chorea, prion disease

Question 14

clinical signs of alzheimers disease

Answer 14

memory loss, language difficulty, general tasks

Question 15

survival of alzheimers

Answer 15

8 years on average, death from bronchopneumonia/ inanition

Question 16

alzheimer disease pathology

Answer 16

atropy, thin cortex, dilated ventricles, neuritic plaques

Question 17

microscopic pathology of alzheimers disease

Answer 17

amyloid deposits in grey matter as plaques, also arteries of cerebral cortex
neuritic plaques made up of degenerated neuritic dendites
neurofibrillary tangles

Question 18

pathogenesis of alzheimers

Answer 18

autosomal dominant in 10%
Chr 21 - mutation in amyloid precursor protein gene
Chr 14 - mutation in presenilin 1 gene

Question 19

who is most affected by fronto temporal lobar degeneration

Answer 19

all ages, often younger adults

Question 20

symptoms of FTLD

Answer 20

personality change, behavioral disorder, speech and movement disorder, intellectual deterioration

Question 21

what is parkinsons disease

Answer 21

degeneration of dopaminergic system

Question 22

pathology of parkinsons

Answer 22

loss of pigmented cells in S Nigra, Lewy bodies in SN neurones

Question 23

pathology of parkinsons

Answer 23

loss of pigmented cells in S Nigra, Lewy bodies in SN neurones

Question 24

treatment of parkinsons

Answer 24

L dopa improves symptoms

Question 25

how is spongiform encephalopathy safety precaution

Answer 25

prolonged autoclaving under high pressure and temperature, disposable instruments, surfaces treated with hypochlorite

Question 26

what are some prion disorders

Answer 26

CJD - sporadic, familial, variant,
GSS disease, Kuru
fatal insomnia - sporadic and familial

Question 27

pathology of prion diseases

Answer 27

spongiform vacuolar change in grey matter, gliosis, neuronal loss with abnormal folded prion protein, astrocyte proliferation

Question 28

what are the neuromuscular disorders

Answer 28

congenital myopathies, muscular dystrophies, inflammatory muscle diseases, neurogenic diseases, drug induced or metabolic

Question 29

how are muscle biopsies divided

Answer 29

1. frozen in isopentane, cooled in liquid nitrogen
2. frozen for DNA studies
3. fixed in glutaraldehyde for EM
4. fixed in formalin for paraffin sections

Question 30

what are the inflammatory myopathies

Answer 30

polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis

Question 31

what is polymyositis

Answer 31

proximal painful weakness eg SLE

Question 32

what is dermatomyositis

Answer 32

facial rash associated with malignancy in 15% of cases

Question 33

what are the most common primary CNS tumour in adults

Answer 33

gliomas followed by meningiomas

Question 34

do CNS tumours metastasise to other organs

Answer 34

almost never

Question 35

what are oligodendrogliomas

Answer 35

slow growing neoplasms, cause epileptic seizures and headache