Peds Neuro - Embryogenesis Flashcards
What is the rhombencephalon?
Metencephalon: Pons, Cerebellum
Myelencephalon: medulla
What is the most common cause of mental retardation? What is it associated with?
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Associated with microcephaly, congenital heart disease, most severe form = holoprosencephaly
What are examples of neuralation failure? (4)
Anencephaly (failure of anterior neural tube closure)
Encephalocele (herniation of brain tissue into open space typically occipital, restricted failure of anterior neural tube closure)
Spina Bifida
Chairi Malformation
What kind of receptors are Meisnner’s Corpsule? Pacinian Corpuscles?
Meisnner’s: Touch
Pacinian: Vibration
Define the difference between Chairi Types 1-4
Chiari Type I: Displacement of cerebellar tonsils through foramen magnum >5mm; Syringomyelia
Chiari Type 2: Displacement of medulla, 4th ventricle and vermis through foremen magnum, associated with peaked tectum and lumbar myelomeningocele, +Hydrocephalus from cerebral aqueduct stenosis
Chiari Type 3: Similar to Chiari Type w/ occipital encephalocele, hydrocephalus
Chiari Type IV: Cerbellar hypoplasia (now called primary cerebellar agenesis)
What are the 3 areas of the brain that contain no BBB?
Subfornical Organ
Area Postrema
Neurohypophysis
Describe holoprosencephaly: appearance, mutation
Failure of the prosencephalon development (forebrain) resulting in failure to divide into two hemispheres.
Mutation: Sonic HedgeHog
Describe the 3 subtypes of Holoprosencephaly?
- Alobar: Severe, hemispheres fail to separate resulting in cyclopia
- Semilobar: Incomplete separation
- Lobar: Inter-hemispheric fissure is complete, thalami separated, frontal horns of lateral ventricles are fused, septum pellucidum is absent
Why can a tethered spinal cord occur? What diseases is it associated with?
Stretching of spinal cord from strong film terminals or lipoma causing ischemia
Associated with Chiari Type 1, Trisomy 13/18, DiGeorge Syndrome
What is the difference between porencephaly vs schizencephaly?
Porencephaly: cleft or cyst in cerebral hemisphere, NOT lined with grey matter; Likely from in utereo injury, Can cause hydrocephalus
Schizencephaly: cleft lined with grey matter connecting the ventricle to the plural surface of the brain
Describe the difference between schizencephaly: open vs closed lip?
Open lip: cleft walls are separated and filled with CSF
Closed lip: cleft walls are in apposition (no separation)
What disease is associated with semilobar prosencephaly?
Septo-optic Dysplasia (mutation: HESX-1>Sonic Hedgehog)
- Hypothalamic hamartomas leading to panhypopituitarism
- Agenesis of cerebellar vermis
- Absence of septum pullicidum
- Optic nerve hypoplasia
- Fusion of the dentate (ataxia)
What is the difference between simple vs complex craniosynostosis?
Simple : early closure of one or more skull sutures but do not cause hydrocephalus or symptoms
Complex: Several syndromes (Crouzon, Alpert = most high yield)
What are the examples of neuronal migration? (4)
- Schizencephaly
- Lissencephaly
- Polymicrogyria
- Neuronal heterotopia
What are examples of neuronal proliferation (3rd month of gestation)?
Microcephaly
- Syndromic (trisomy 13/18, TORCH, metabolic-toxic)
- Familial genetic (fragile x, tuberous sclerosis)
What is the pathophysiology of caudal regression syndrome/sacral agenesis?
- Degeneration of the coccyx and sacral vertebrae/spinal cord secondary to decreased sonic hedgehog expression at the caudal end of the neural tube
- Atrophy of lower extremities & malformations of rectum/GU system