Neuropathology Flashcards
what are the 9 main causes of CNS diseases
congenital, inflammatory, neurodegenerative, vascular, tumours, metabolic, immune, traumatic, toxic
immune cause of CNS disease
multiple sclerosis
congenital causes of CNS diseases
malformations, hydrocephalus
function of the cortex
cognitive
function of the basal ganglia
movement
function of the brainstem
cranial nerve function, cardiac/respiratory control
function of the cerebellum
balance, smoothness of movement
function of the spinal cord
motor supply to limbs, sensory relay to brain
what is the composition of the brain
white matter and grey matter
what is grey matter composed of
neurons, glia, blood vessels
what is white matter composed of
CNS axons, myelin, glial cells, blood vessels
what is dementia
acquired global impairment of intellect, personality and memory without impairment of consciousness
neurodegenerative diseases
alzheimers, fronto temporal lobar degeneration, parkinsons, motorneurone, huntingtons chorea, prion disease
clinical signs of alzheimers disease
memory loss, language difficulty, general tasks
survival of alzheimers
8 years on average, death from bronchopneumonia/ inanition
alzheimer disease pathology
atropy, thin cortex, dilated ventricles, neuritic plaques
microscopic pathology of alzheimers disease
amyloid deposits in grey matter as plaques, also arteries of cerebral cortex
neuritic plaques made up of degenerated neuritic dendites
neurofibrillary tangles
pathogenesis of alzheimers
autosomal dominant in 10%
Chr 21 - mutation in amyloid precursor protein gene
Chr 14 - mutation in presenilin 1 gene
who is most affected by fronto temporal lobar degeneration
all ages, often younger adults
symptoms of FTLD
personality change, behavioral disorder, speech and movement disorder, intellectual deterioration
what is parkinsons disease
degeneration of dopaminergic system
pathology of parkinsons
loss of pigmented cells in S Nigra, Lewy bodies in SN neurones
pathology of parkinsons
loss of pigmented cells in S Nigra, Lewy bodies in SN neurones
treatment of parkinsons
L dopa improves symptoms
how is spongiform encephalopathy safety precaution
prolonged autoclaving under high pressure and temperature, disposable instruments, surfaces treated with hypochlorite
what are some prion disorders
CJD - sporadic, familial, variant,
GSS disease, Kuru
fatal insomnia - sporadic and familial
pathology of prion diseases
spongiform vacuolar change in grey matter, gliosis, neuronal loss with abnormal folded prion protein, astrocyte proliferation
what are the neuromuscular disorders
congenital myopathies, muscular dystrophies, inflammatory muscle diseases, neurogenic diseases, drug induced or metabolic
how are muscle biopsies divided
- frozen in isopentane, cooled in liquid nitrogen
- frozen for DNA studies
- fixed in glutaraldehyde for EM
- fixed in formalin for paraffin sections
what are the inflammatory myopathies
polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis
what is polymyositis
proximal painful weakness eg SLE
what is dermatomyositis
facial rash associated with malignancy in 15% of cases
what are the most common primary CNS tumour in adults
gliomas followed by meningiomas
do CNS tumours metastasise to other organs
almost never
what are oligodendrogliomas
slow growing neoplasms, cause epileptic seizures and headache
