SB2f - Brain And Spinal Cord Problems Flashcards
What is the function of the spinal cord?
Transfers signals between the brain and the rest of the nervous system
What is the spinal cord mainly made of?
Nerves
When your skin is damaged, what cells produce the new cells that repair the damage?
Adult stem cells
Give the advantages of a CT scan instead of electrodes in the brain?
Allows scientists to look deeper into the brain than surgery and allows the study of a healthy individual without risking brain damage
What does a CT scan do?
Shows the shapes of structures in the brain
How can you see a brain tumour in a CT scan?
Denser materials absorb more X-rays and so look whiter
How is the whole brain seen through a CT scan?
A computer is able to build up a view of the inside of the body as a series of ’slices’
How does a CT scan work?
An X-ray beam moves around the head in a circle and detectors measure X-ray absorption
What does a PET scan show?
Brain activity
Why is a patient injected with radioactive glucose in a PET scan?
As more active cells take in more glucose than less active ones and are radioactive as they cause gamma rays which the scanner can detect
How does a PET scanner allow you to see how active parts of the brain are?
Because more gamma rays will come from parts containing more active cells
What does damage to the spinal cord do?
Reduces the flow of information between the brain and parts of the body
What is quadriplegia and how can it be caused?
Loss of use by both arms and legs due to damage in the neck
What can nerve damage in the lower spinal cord cause?
Loss of feeling in the legs and loss of use in the legs
Why can your spinal cord not repair its self?
There are no adult stem cells that can differentiate into neurones
What kind of treatment can currently be given to patients suffering spinal cord damage?
Wires to electrically stimulate nerves and muscles below the damage but the patient still won’t regain full movement or feelingly
What treatments for spinal cord damage are being developed?
Treatments using stem cell injections
How can a brain tumour be treated?
Cut out, killing the cells using radiotherapy or chemotherapy to actively kill dividing cells
Give disadvantages of current brain tumour treatments
The brain can be damaged or chemotherapy may not work due to the blood - brain barrier
What is the blood - brain barrier?
A natural filter that only lets certain substances get from the blood to the brain
