Random Associations from all of the Lectures Flashcards
If someone has a few episodes of “dark shade lowering in one eye”, what is this a warning sign for? What is the “dark shade” called?
Amaurosis Fugax
This is a symptoms of a TIA in the internal carotid territory. Warning signs that the ipsilateral internal carotid artery is at risk for a full on stroke.
What symptoms of a TIA indicate the vertebrobasilar artery is at risk of a stroke?
Brainstem or cerebellar syndromes (ataxia, diplopia), visual cortex involvement such as homonymous hemianopsia
Dominant (left) sided infarcts leads to which hemispheric disorder?
Aphasia- inability to communicate
Non-dominant (right) sided infarcts leads to which hemispheric disorders?
hemineglect and anosognosia
Differentiate causes of large vessel vs small vessel infarctions
Large vessel: either thrombotic or embolic–> hemispheric syndromes
Small vessel: only thrombotic (HTN) –> lacunar syndrome
When would you perform a carotid endarterectomy?
for SYMPTOMATIC flow-limiting cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis of 70% to 99%
No symptoms, no surgery necessary
What is the most common cause of cerebral hemorrhage?
Hypertension
What are typical bleeding sites of cerebral hemorrhage?
Thalamus, basal ganglia
`Cause of epidural bleeds?
Trauma to middle meningeal artery
Cause of subdural bleeds?
Trauma –> tearing of bridging veins
Cause of SAH?
Non-traumatic: berry aneurysm rupture
Traumatic is the most common cause overall–>
Cause of intraparenchymal bleeds?
HTN, AVM
Consequences of subfalcine herniation?
Rupture of ACA
Consequence of uncal herniation?
Duret hemorrhage (due to rupture of paramedian artery), compression of CN III, compression of PCA
Consequence of tonsillar herniation?
compression of brainstem –> cardiopulmonary arrest
What parts of the brain are involved in a coma?
Cerebral cortex is not functioning
Reflexes from the brainstem will be intact
If reflexes are gone, you’re braindead.
Withdrawl to painful stimuli on exam requires some function of what part of the brain?
The cortex
Differentiate the location of lesions leading to decorticate and decerebrate posturing
Decorticate: cerebral lesion
Decerebrate: lesion at midbrain (red nucleus)
How do breathing patterns localize to CNS lesions?
They don’t- they can’t precisely predict brain/brain stem infarctions
Which reflex is preserved in a metabolic coma even when the other reflexes are lost?
The pupillary light reflex
What is indicated by a large, fixed, “blown” pupil?
Uncal herniation and CN III compression. This is a neurologic emergency
What is the oculocephalic reflex?
“doll’s eyes” reflex: normally the eyes will passively move opposite to the direction of the head
Checks to make sure the brainstem is intact
What is required as a confirmatory test for brain death?
1) no brainstem reflexes can be present
2) absent cerebral blood flow over a 10 minute period of time on radioisotope brain scan
What is the general relationship between the basal ganglia, thalamus, and motor cortex?
Basal ganglia inhibits the thalamus
Thalamus stimulates the cortex
Cortex stimulates the basal ganglia
How does Parkinson’s disease lead to a hypokinesia?
Loss of dopamine leads to a net decrease in stimulation of the GPm.
Net stimulation of GPm leads to increased inhibition of the thalamus, and less stimulation of the cortex
What causes hyperkinesia with hemiballismus?
Lesions of the SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEI lessons stimulation of the GPm.
Less stimulation of GPm leads to less inhibition of the VL of the thalamus and over stimulation of the cortex
How does Huntington’s disease lead to hyperkinesia?
Destruction of the caudate –> loss of the indirect pathway and less stimulation of GPm.
Less stimulation of GPm leads to less inhibition of the VL of the thalamus and over stimulation of the cortex
Infarcts, hemorrhages, or tumors of the striatum or STN leads to what movement disorders?
Contralateral choreoathetosis or hemiballismus
Dopamine agonists lead to what types of movement disorders?
Hyperkinesia: chorea or dystonia
What generally causes asterixis?
Metabolic disorders
What are the 4 motor disturbances in parkinsons?
Pill rolling resting tremor
Cogwheel rigidity
Loss of postural reflexes –> falls
Bradykinesia
Exposure to what two toxins can lead to parkinsonian motor disorders?
Manganese
CO
…also dopamine antagonists like Haloperidol