Pathology of the Nervous system- Part 1

Question 1

What is inflammation?

Answer 1

When your body encounters an offending agent (like viruses, bacteria or toxic chemicals) or suffers an injury, it activates your immune system.

Your immune system sends out its first responders: inflammatory cells and cytokines (substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells).

• The four cardinal signs of inflammation are redness (Latin rubor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor), and pain (dolor). Redness is caused by the dilation of small blood vessels in the area of injury.

Question 2

What are the types of inflammation?

Answer 2

Acute inflammation: The response to sudden body damage, such as cutting your finger. To heal the cut, your body sends inflammatory cells to the injury.

Chronic inflammation: Your body continues sending inflammatory cells even when there is no outside danger.

• Granulomatous inflammation may be defined as a type of chronic inflammation in which a compact collection of cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system 37, chiefly activated macrophages and cells derived from them are predominant

Question 3

What are some examples of inflammatory diseases of the CNS?

Answer 3

• Meningitis
• Encephalitis

Inflammation within the CNS is part of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

These diseases are prone to exacerbation as a result of increased inflammation within the CNS following peripheral insult.

Question 4

What are degenerative and demyelinating diseases?

Answer 4

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Creutzfeld- Jacob’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis

Question 5

What is found in normal brain histology?

Answer 5

• Normal cells of the brain include neurons, glia, and microglia, as well as endothelial and perivascular cells, leptomeningeal cells, melanocytes, and choroid plexus.
• oligodendrocytes
• ependymal cells
• astrocytes

Question 6

What are glial cells ?

Answer 6

• 4 types of glia in CNS
• astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells.
• Some of these cells can be further subdivided based on their embryology
• These cells have the responsibility of maintaining a homeostatic balance, myelinating neurons, providing structural support for neurons, as well as protecting them throughout the nervous system.