Neuroscience Flashcards
Neurons have a resting potential of
-60 to -70mV
Intracellular concentration of K
140mM
Highest in the cell
Charge of the cell
The inside of the cell is relatively negatively charged compared to the exterior environment. In addition, K+ is more abundant inside the cell
Stage of action potential
1, Na+ condinctance increases in repsosne to a local depolarization of the membrane, leading to an inward flux of Na
- The membrane potential rises steeply, resulting in a self reinforcing cascade whereby more Na channels open
- Vm, the membrane potential, peaks at approximately 40mV
- At this stage, K+ conductance increases, meaning that K+ readily exits the cell. This resutls in the inactivation of Na+ channels
- Membrane potential now falls quickly and briefly overshoots the original. That is, the membrane becomes mroe negative than at its resting stage; hyperpolarization
Cascade of a synapse
- AP occurs at cell A
- Ca2+ permeability of the membrane increases and Ca enters into call A
- cell A releases small vesicles filled with NT
- NT diffuses across synaptic cleft
- NT binds to receptors on the surface of cell B
- the binding results in a post synaptic current (called EPSP or IPSP, depending on whether the current is excitatory or inhibitory) in cell B. Such a current will lead to a change in Vm in cell B
- multiple PSPs falling within small time periods and over small areas are combined. That is, the effects from many PSPs at different locations and times are added together into an aggregate response
- as a result, a new local membrane potential is reached
- if this new Vm exceeds threshold, a new AP will happen in cell B
GABA
Inhibitory
Glycine
Inhibitory
-brainstem, spinal cord, retina
At an electrical synapse, communication occurs via direct electrical contact between cells. This is called
Gap junction
Nuclei
Collections of neurons
The CNS analog of ganglia
Cortex
Sheet like layers of cells
Frontal lobe
Premotor cortex
Personality
Broca’s area (speech production)
Personality
Planning
Production of speech
Parietal lobe
Sensory activity and recognition
Purists
Temporal lobe
Hippocampus-memory
Wernickes=speech recognition (wordy speech)
Gray matter
Butterfly shape region of the spinal cord. Cell bodies and unmyelainted axons, dorsal root (sensory) and ventral root neurons (motor)
White matter
Bundles of myelinated ax’s on (called fasciculi or tracts)
White matter sections into three fiber divisions
Posterior funiculis
Lateral funiculis
Anterior funiculis
Ascending pathway
1st order: soma to DRG
2nd order: connects 1st and 3rd neuron
3rd order: cell body in thalamus, projects to the cortex
Descending pathways
Carry motor impulses from the brain to the muscles
Hoe many pairs of spinal nerves
31
Cervical spine
C1-C8
1-4: neck
5-8: upper extremities
Thoracic spine
T1-T12
Upper extremities
Lumbar spine
L1-L5
1-4: thigh
4-5: thigh, leg, foot
Sacral spine
S1-S5
1-3: thigh, leg, foot
2-4: pelvis
Coccygeal spine
One nerve
Brainstem
Medulla
Pons
Midbrain
Medulla
Autonomic functions (HR, digestion, breathing0
Pons
Coordinates movement related information transfer between the central hemisphere and the cerebellum
Midbrain
Array ofsenaroy and motor functions including coordination of eye movements and visual reflexes
Upper medulla
Pyramids and medial lemniscus
Medial lemnisucs made up of gracilis and cuneate fasciculi, which carry info about lower body and trunk respectively
MLF relays vestibular info to exterior eye muscles and coordinates the VOR
Lower/middle medulla
Denotes the location of the vestibular nuclei as well as the olivary nucleus, which are assocaited with learning and memory in cerebellar functions. Finally, we see the large motor tracts of the pyramids
Pons
Relays info between the midbrain and the medulla. It is the location of the pontine nuclei, which serve as relay stations for motion related information transferred between cortex and the cerebellum. The pons is also involved in the control of respiration and sleep, and is the location of the nuclie for CN V-VIII
Upper midbrain
Superior colliculus
-motor neurons controlling orientation of the head/eyes.
Red nucleus
-movement of the arms and the oculomotor nuclei
EW nucleus contribute to the parasympathetic innervation of the iris
Lesion to the oculomotor or EW nucleus
Results in a loss of innervation to all EOMs except for the SO and LR
Lower midbrain
Inferior colliculus -reflex responses of head and neck to sound CN IV nucleus -info to the contralateral SO Cerebellar peduncle
Forebrain gives rise to
Diencephalon and the cerebral hemisphere
Diecenphalon
Epithalamus
Thalamus
Subthalamuc
Hypothalamus
Eyes
Epithalamus
Pineal gland
Thalamus
Relays sensory input to the cortex and includes nucliei for voluntary motor root
Subthalamus
Communicates with the basal ganglia to help control muscle movement
Hypothalamus
Regulates body temperature, eating, and sleeping behavior
Cerebral hemispheres
High level processing related to sensory input, motor control, intelligence, emotion. The dominant hemisphere is more in control of understanding and processing language, intermediate and long term memory, word retrieval, and emotional stability. The non dominant hemisphere is more responsible for recognizing facial expression and vocal intonation, and for music and visual learning
Cerebellum
Fine motor movements, posture, and balance
What two sets of arteries is the brain primarily supplied through
Internal carotids and the vertebral arteries
Vertebral arteries
Arise from the subclavian Artie’s and provide blood supply to the spinal cord. The right and left vertebral join together to form the basilar artery at the brainstem. The basal artery then joined the ICA to form the circle of Willis
Internal cartoons
Arise from the common carotid arteries in the neck. The left common carotid branches off of the aortic arch while the right common carotid artery branches off the brachiocephalic trunk. They branch into the anterior and middle cerebral arteries and supply blood to the forebrain
Circle of Willis
The meeting loop for the basilar artery, the internal carotids, and the anteiror and posterior communicating arteries, which are small arteries bridging the basilar and ICAs. The circle of Willis forms an arterial circle beneath the brain stem and distributes blood supply to many parts of the brain
Arteries that form the circle of Willis
Posterior cerebral arteries Posterior communicating arteries ICAs Anterior cerebral arteries Anterior communicating arteries
Health ONH
Distinct disc margins
Health rim tissue (coloration and structure)
Absence of hemorrhages and RNFL elevation
Pressure gradient in health optic nerve
Pressure gradient between the eye and brain; pressure is higher in the eye compared to the brain, allowing axoplasmic flow to occur in an orthograde (towards the brain) direction
If the pressure gradient is reversed in the eye and brain: anterior the optic chiasm
Pressure towards the brain is higher than the eye
Retrograde axoplasmic flow occurs causing unilateral disc edema
If the pressure gradient is reversed posterior to the optic chiasm (due to increased ICP)
Retrograde axoplasmic flow will occur in both eyes, resulting in papilledema
Pupil testing and the ONH
Can determine whether optic nerve damage is present
The brightness comparison test and red cap desaturation test can also be used ro confirm optic nerve damage. Recall that the photostress test is used to evaluate the macula for damage
What are the different appearances of an unhealthy ONH
Edematous
Atrophic
Normal
In what ways can the ONH be atrophic
Excavated
Pallid: primary optic atrophy (not previously edematous) and secondary optic atrophy (previously edematous)
A normal looking ONH that is unhealthy
Retrobulbar optic neuritis, posterior ischemic optic neuritis
What will be abnornal in someone with a normal looking unhealthy ONH
Pupil testing
What is unilateral disc edema caused by
Pre-chiasmal disruption in axoplamic flow
Patient presentation of unilateral disc edema
Decreased VA
APD
VF defect
Rim tissue and RNFL elevation
Optic nerve edema may also be accompanied by hemorrhages and CWS on the rim tissue or near the disc margin
What helps to rule out optic disc edema
Presence of a SVP
- an absent SVP does not help to diagnose optic nerve edema
- 10-15% of the population does not have an SVP
The most common causes of unilateral optic disc edema include
Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AAION/NAION)
Ophthalmic causes (CRVO, hypotony, disc drusen, uveitis)
Inflammtory causes
Optic neuritis
Compressive lesion anterior to the chiasm
What are the anterior ischemic optic neuropathy assoc with unilateral optic disc edema
AAION (secondary to GCA)
NAION (includes diabetic papillopathy)
What are the ophthalmic causes of unilateral disc edema
CRVO
Hypotony
Optic disc drusen
Uveitis
What are the non-infectious inflammatory causes of unilateral optic disc edema
Sarcoidosis
Collagen-vascular disease
Papilophlebitis
What are the infectious inflammatory causes of unilateral optic disc edema
Syphilis
TB
Neuroretinitis
What are the compressive lesions anterior the optic chiasm that can cause unilateral optic nerve edema
Thyroid eye disease
Optic nerve glioma
Optic nerve sheath meningioma
Orbital cavernous hemangioma
Epidemiology/Hx of AAION
Usually >55 years
Pathophysiology of AAION
Secondary to occlusion of the SPCA, resulting in decreased perfusion to the anterior optic nerve; the most common cause if GCA, a systemic vasculitis of the medium and large blood vessels
Less common causes of AAION (besides GCA)
Polyarteritis nodosa, SLE, herpes zoster
Ocular Symptoms of AAION
History of amaurosis fugax and sudden loss of vision in the affected eye
Systemic symptoms os AAION
If assocaited with GCA
- temporal headaches
- jaw claudication
- neck pain
- anorexia
- tender or nodular temporal artery
- fever, myalgia, and scalp tenderness
GCA patients and frequency of symptoms
1 out of 5 will not have systemic symptoms. A Dx of GCA cannot be ruled out based on the absence of systemic symptoms
Signs of AAION
Unilateral disc edema with an associated APD and decreased vision in the affected eye
Diagnosis of AAION
Evaluate STAT for elevated platelets, ESR, and CRP
What is considered an elevated ESR
> age/2 in men, >(age+10)/2 in women
Elevated CRP
> 2.45mg/dL
Elevated platelets
> 400,000
What is the most specific test for GCA
elevated ESR and CRP
97%
Temporal artery biopsy and GCA
May be indicated to confirm the presence of granulomatous inflammation within the blood vessel if blood tests are equivocal or the clinical picture is unclear. Skip lesions on temporal artery biopsies may lead to false negative results, although the incidence is low as long as an adequate length of the artery is biopsies
AAION due to GCA is considered
An ocular emergency due to risk of sudden vision loss in the fellow eye within 2 weeks
Epidemiology/Hx of NAION
Patients over 50
History of HTN, DM, and/or HLD
90% of patients with NAION have a small, crowded optic nerve with a CD ratio of <0.3 (disk at risk)
What is a disc at risk
In NAION if a patient has a small, crowded optic nerve with a CD ratio of <0.3
Pathophysiology of NAION
Secondary to irreversible ischemia of the anterior optic nerve due to an unknown etiology, nocturnal hypotension resulting in poor perfusion to the optic nerve may contribute to the development of NAION
NAION and possible associations
Sleep apnea, and possibly viagra, although not definitive
Symptoms of NAION
Sudden, painless, typically nonprogressive unilateral vision loss that most often occurs upon awakening. Vision rarely improves after the initial onset of NAION
Signs of NAION
Decreased vision, APD, unilateral optic disc edema, and VF loss (inferior altitudinal defect is most common)
Diagnosis of NAION
Is NOT associated with systemic symptoms that are seen in patients with AAION secondary to GCA. Patients will have a normal CRP, ESR, and platelet count.
How do you diagnose NAION
Diagnosis of exclusion
-patients should be thoroughly investigated for possible GCA by a careful case history, fundoscopic exam (disk at risk), and blood work before making the diagnosis of NAION
Why is it important to correctly diagnose AAION due to GCA
Prompt treatment is necessary to prevent vision loss in the fellow eye. It is equally important to correctly diagnose NAION to avoid overtreatment with high doses of oral steroids that may cause complications in elderly patients (esp if they have HTN or DM)
Epidemiology/Hx of diabetic papillopathy
Most commonly occurs in young (<50) patients with type I DM; however the condition may also occur in the elderly patients and patients with type II DM
Pathophysiology of Diabetic papillopathy
Mild form of NAION with REVERSIBLE ISCHEMIA of the anterior optic nerve from an unknown etiology
What is the difference between NAOIN and diabetic papillopathy
Diabetic is REVERSIBLE ISCHEMIA
Symptoms of diabetic papillopathy
Rarely present with loss of visual function; the most common reported symptoms include blurry vision or distorted vision
Signs of diabetic papillopathy
Mild to no decrease in vision, only a mild APD, optic disc edema, and only mild depression on VF. DR is present at the time of diagnosis in more than 80%. Similar to NAION, the fellow optic nerve is small and crowded (disc at risk)
Diagnosis of diabetic papillopathy
Similar to NAION, diabetic papillopathy is a diagnosis of exclusion; patients should be investigated for possible AAION (in cases of unilateral disc edema), or for causes of papilledema (in cases of bilateral disc edema), including malignant HTN
Disc edema and CRVO
May present with unilateral disc edema due to ischemia and decreased perfusion of the anterior optic nerve, most commonly due to thrombus just posterior it the optic nerve head. Patients will also present with intraretinal hemorrhages in all 4 quadrants, CWS, and dilated and tortuous retinal veins
Epidemiology/HX of hypotony
History of trabeculectomy, blunt ocular trauma, cyclodestruction procedures, and/or intraocular inflammation
Pathophysiology of hypotony
Defined as an IOP at which the eye anatomically and pjhysiologically changes
- usually occurs IOP < 6mmHg (varies with each patient though depending on scleral rigidity)
- elderly patients with more rigid scleras are often able to tolerate lower IOPs compared to younger patients with less rigid scleras
Hypotony causes
May occur due to an over filtering bleb dollying trabeculectomy, wound leak, cyclodialysis cleft, iridocyclitis, CB detachement, RD, or ocular hypoperfusion
Which is worse for visually significant hypotony, trabeculectomy with or without MMC
With MMC
Symptoms and signs of hypotony
Decreased vision and pain, especially in the presence of ocular inflammation. Signs include folds within descemets membrane, corneal edema, a shallow AC, cataract formation, hypotony maculopathy, chorioretinal folds, and optic disc edema in the presence of low IOP