Neurophysiology Flashcards
the brain receives blood from two distinct arteries which are
internal carotid artery (anterior circulation) vertebral arteries (posterior circulation)
blood traveling through the vertebral arteries
branches of subclavian artery, enter base of skull through the foramen magnum and run along the medulla and join in the pons forming the basilar artery which then branches into 2 posterior cerebral arteries
the 2 posterior cerebral arteries primarily supply which lobes of the brain
occipital
blood traveling through the internal carotid branches
enter through base of skull pass through the cavernous sinus and divided into anterior and middle cerebral artery
a major site of aneurysm and atherosclerosis is
middle cerebral artery
cerebral blood flow varies with
metabolic activity 10-300 mL/100g/min
total cerebral blood flow in adults averages
750 mL/min
brain receives ___ of cardiac output
15-20%
average cerebral blood flow to the gray matter is
80 mL/100g/min
average cerebral blood flow to the white matter is
20 mL/100g/min
cerebral impairment occurs when cerebral blood flow is
20-25 mL/100g/min
flat EEG occurs when cerebral blood flow is
15-20 mL/100g/min
irreversible brain damage is associated with cerebral blood flow below
10 mL/100g/min
how can we assess CBF in the clinical setting?
transcranial doppler, brain tissue oximetry, intracerebral microdialysis, and near infrared spectroscopy
near infrared spectroscopy
receptors detect the reflected light from superficial and deep structures
largely reflects the absorption of venous hemoglobin
NOT pulsatile arterial flow
neuro events can occur when rSO2
rSO2 <40% or change in rSO2 of >25% from baseline
CPP =
MAP - ICP
CVP may be substituted for ICP
ICP normal value
< 10-15 mmHg
CPP normal value
80-100 mmHg
CPP < 50 =
slowing eeg
CPP 25 - 40 =
flat eeg
CPP maintained < 25 =
irreversible brain damage
increase in CPP =
cerebral vasoconstriction (limit CBF)
decrease in CPP =
cerebral vasodilation (increase CBF)
myogenic autoregulation
intrinsic response of smooth muscle in cerebral arterioles
metabolic autoregulation
metabolic demands determine arteriolar tone
tissue demand > blood flow
release of tissue metabolites causes
vasodilation = increase flow
CBF remains nearly constant between MAPs of
60-160 mmHg
MAP greater than ____ can disrupt the BBB and may result in ____
150-160 mmHg; cerebral edema and hemorrhage
factors effecting CBF
PaCO2, PaO2, temperature, viscosity, autonomic influences, age
the most important extrinsic influences on CBF are
respiratory gas tensions-particularly PaCO2
CBF directly proportionate to PaCO2 between
tensions 20-80 mmHg
blood flow changes ____ per 1 mmHg change in PaCO2
1-2 mL/100g/min
What happens if you give HCO3?
HCO3 ions do not passively cross BBB so HCO3 doesn’t acutely affect CBF
acute metabolic acidosis has ____ on CBF
little effect
CBF is directly proportional to PaCO2 until PaCO2 is
< 25 mmHg
sensitivity of CBF to changes in PaCO2 is
positively correlated with resting levels of CBF
inhaled anesthetics ___ CBF
increase which increases cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide
marker hyperventilation shifts the oxy-hemoglobin dissociation curve to the ___
left which may result in EEG changes suggestive of cerebral impairment
alkalosis causes ____ affinity of Hgb for O2 and therefore ____ release of O2
increased; decreased
acute restoration of a normal PaCO2 value will result in
a significant CSF acidosis (after sustained period of hyperventilation/hypocapnia)
CSF acidosis results in ___ CBF after surgery
increased which will increase ICP
PaO2 less than ___ rapidly increases CBF
50 mmHg
vasodilation mediated via
release of neuronal nitric oxide, open ATP dependent K+ channels, rostral ventrolateral medulla
CBF changes ___ per 1 degree C
5-7%
CMR decreases by ___ per 1 degree C
6-7%
CMRO2 decreases by ____ per 1 degree C
7%
____ determines viscosity
hematocrit
a decrease in Hct = ____ viscosity and ____ CBF
decrease; increase
optimal cerebral oxygen delivery may occur at Hct of
30%
sympathetic innervation = ____ CBF
decrease
parasympathetic innervation = ____ CBF
increase
how does age affect the brain
progressive loss of neurons = loss of myelinated fibers = loss of white matter = loss of synapses
at age 80 CBF and CMRO2 decrease by
15-20%
the brain normally consumes ___ of total body oxygen
20%
cerebral metabolic rate
3-3.8 mL/100g/min = 50 mL/min
O2 is mostly consumed in the
gray matter
interruption of cerebral perfusion =
unconsciousness in 10 seconds
if O2 is not restored in 3- 8 minutes
depletion of ATP and irreversible cellular injury
which areas are most sensitive to hypoxic injury
hippocampus and cerebellum
brain glucose consumption
5 mg/100g/min
90% is metabolized aerobically
hypoglycemia =
brain injury
hyperglycemia =
exacerbated hypoxic injury
blood brain barrier
lipid soluble substances freely pass, ionized molecules restricted, large molecules restricted
what freely crosses the blood brain barrier
o2, co2, lipid soluble molecules, water
what is restricted through the blood brain barrier
ions, plasma proteins, large molecules
things that could disrupt the blood brain barrier
HTN, tumor, trauma, stroke, infection, marked hypercapnia, hypoxia, and sustained seizure
where is csf formed
in the choroid plexus by ependymal cells
how much csf is produced
21 mL/hr, 500 mL/day
total volume 150 mL
replaced 3-4x per day
role of csf
protect the CNS from trauma
formation of csf
involves active secretion of sodium in the choroid plexuses = isotonic fluid despite lower K+, bicarb, and glucose concentration
csf production is inhibited by
carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (Acetazolamide), corticosteroids, spironolactone, furosemide, isoflurane, and vasoconstrictors
csf absorption
translocation from arachnoid granulations into cerebral sinuses
the monro-kellie hypothesis states that
the cranial compartment is incompressible and the volume inside the cranium is a fixed volume
so any increase in volume of one of the cranial constituents must be compensated by a decrease in volume of another to prevent a rise in ICP
brain composition in the cranial vault
80%
blood composition in the cranial vault
12%
csf composition in the cranial vault
8%
major compensatory mechanisms with intracranial elastance
initial displacement of csf from the cranial to spinal compartment, increase in csf absorption, decrease in csf production, decrease in total cerebral blood volume