Neuropsych disorders Flashcards
Parkinson’s disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement
Develops gradually with a mild tremor, and progresses to stiff and/or uncontrolled movement
Speech can be slurred or soft
Parkinson’s disease symptoms
Symptoms are caused by reduced dopamine, but exact causes of neural degradation are unknown
Parkinson’s disease treatment
Treatment with levodopa, a compound that is converted to dopamine in the brain, can attenuate symptoms
Animal models
Animal models have made significant progress with knowledge of the disease and pathology
One technique for studying Parkinson’s disease
Using 6-hydroxydopamine lesions (6-OHDA) to remove dopamine and mimic the disease
Classic motor deficits of PD don’t usually appear until…
Later in the progression of the disease
New work with animals shows that…
We may be able to track changes in vocalizations as an earlier marker of PD
MPTP model of Parkinson’s
A group of young drug addicts appeared at a hospital with severe parkinsonism
They had all used a new “synthetic heroin”
MPTP can be given to animal models to recreate many of the symptoms
MPTP model has been very helpful for _________, but can’t tell us about ________
developing treatments, causation
Alzheimer’s disease
Average age of onset is 65, although early onset Alzheimer’s can occur in a person’s 40s or 50s
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and decline in other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life
Alzheimer’s symptoms
Symptoms include memory loss and confusion
Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time
Alzheimer’s prevalence
Accounts for 60-80 percent of dementia cases
One-in-three seniors dies with a form of this disease
Alzheimer’s and the brain: plaques
Deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid that build up in the spaces between nerve cells
Alzheimer’s and the brain: tangles
Twisted fibers of another protein called tau that build up inside cells and disrupts transportation of essential nutrients
Alzheimer’s risk factors
Age, family history, genetics
Alzheimer’s risk genes
Risk genes increase the likelihood of developing the disease, but don’t guarantee it will happen
Alzheimer’s deterministic genes
Directly cause a disease, (amyloid precursor protein, APP; presenilin-1, PS-1)
Called autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease, or familial Alzheimer’s disease; less than 5% of cases
Who is Alzheimer’s most prevalent in
Black and Hispanic adults are at increased risk for developing dementia
Each additional year of education is associated with a decrease in the risk of developing dementia
Much more prevalent in women
Major depressive disorder
A mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities
Unable to “snap out of it”
Causes of depression
- Biological differences
- Brain chemistry
- Hormones
- Inherited traits
Treatments for depression
Medications (SSRIs, SNRIs, NDRIs, MAOIs)
Other treatments include counseling, changes in lifestyle (like diet and exercise), or use of supplements (St. John’s wort, SAMe)
Multiple Sclerosis
A CNS demyelinating disorder characterized by inflammatory plaques in white matter
1 in 3,000 people are diagnosed in at-risk regions and more common in women
Multiple Sclerosis onset
Begins with inflammatory phase where inflammation drives myelin loss
Progression of multiple sclerosis
Neurodegenerative phase follows with chronic axonal degeneration and gliosis
Loss of myelin insulation results in reorganization of ion channels, abnormal electrical conduction
