sensory and cognition

Question 1

what happens if intracranial pressure is not relieved?

Answer 1

Blood pressure rises to perfuse the brain under pressure. ​
Heart rate slows because blood pressure is increased.​
Respirations decrease.​
Pulse pressure widens (the difference between the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure)​.

Question 2

High brain pressure also leads to the following signs:​

Answer 2

Level of consciousness changes: Pressure is on the cerebral cortex.​
Increased blood pressure: Vasoconstriction caused by cerebral ischemia.​
Slow pulse: Compensating for increased blood pressure.​
Papilledema: Swelling of the optic disc.​
Pupils fixed/dilated: Pressure in Cranial Nerve III causes these changes.

Question 3

Common causes of an acute symptomatic seizure include:

Answer 3

Immediately after a traumatic brain injury
Infection within the neurological system (e.g., meningitis)
Electrolyte imbalances (common with severe hyponatremia)
Severe hypoglycemia (especially after an insulin overdose)
Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol
Brain hemorrhage or tumor
Toxins and medications (including drug to drug interactions)
Hypoxia

Question 4

Focal seizures

Answer 4

start in one small area of the brain and affect one or more parts of the body, but not the entire body. During focal seizures, the client is usually conscious, but may not always be aware. ​

Question 5

General seizures

Answer 5

occur on both sides of the brain and affect the entire body. The client loses consciousness when these occur, and they are not aware until the seizure is done. Often there is a period of confusion after the seizure is complete. This is called a post-ictal period and can last minutes.​

Question 6

absence seizures

Answer 6

These seizures were once called petit mal seizures, and they often can go unnoticed. The person may stare and become unresponsive for a short period of time (usually for a few seconds). These seizures are considered a generalized seizure because there is a loss of consciousness, though not always atonicity.​

Question 7

tonic-clonic seizures

Answer 7

These seizures refer to both sudden cyclic tightening and loosening of all major muscle groups​. They are also known as grand mal seizures or convulsions. This type of seizure involves a loss of consciousness and can result in an injury if the person is standing or operating equipment when the seizure occurs. All extremities appear to tighten then loosen in a rhythmic fashion.​

Question 8

simple focal seizures

Answer 8

These affect a very small area of the brain and can be a twitch in an extremity or a change in sensation.​

Question 9

complex focal seizures

Answer 9

This has a muscle or nerve reaction, but also causes the person to be confused or disoriented. There is no loss of consciousness with this.​

Question 10

secondary generalized seizures

Answer 10

This starts as a focal seizure that then spreads to both sides of the brain and becomes a generalized seizure.​

Question 11

seizure prevention

Answer 11

Close management of diabetes and insulin​
Avoiding medication combinations that increase the risk of seizures​
Wearing protective equipment when handling toxins that are known to cause seizures​
Head injury prevention (helmets, safety equipment)​
Understanding and avoiding seizure triggers​
Immediate moving to a safe position if an aura is experienced ​

Question 12

Glutamate and aspartate:

Answer 12

involved with pain, memory, and learning​

Question 13

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA):

Answer 13

an inhibitory neurotransmitter​
Increased levels can cause sedation or sleepiness. This is usually caused by medication effects.​
Decreased levels can cause anxiety, stress, or worry. It is thought this could also lead to alcohol misuse.

Question 14

Serotonin:

Answer 14

involved in mood, emotions, and sleep​

Question 15

Acetylcholine:

Answer 15

common autonomic nervous system neurotransmitter​.
Increased levels can cause cholinergic toxicity including increased temperature, salivation, dehydration and weakness.​
Decreased levels can lead to constipation, memory problems, or weakness.

Question 16

Dopamine:

Answer 16

plays a role in reward-motivated behavior and movement​. Increased levels can cause insomnia, mania, or anxiety.​
Decreased levels can cause reduced motivation, depression, and are thought to be a cause of psychosis and schizophrenia.

Question 17

Norepinephrine:

Answer 17

stimulates the sympathetic system​

Question 18

Endorphins and enkephalins:

Answer 18

responsible for reducing pain or stress​

Question 19

Histamine:

Answer 19

involved in regulation of body temperature and water balance

Question 20

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor

Answer 20

a type of glutamate receptor, sends pain signals. Medication that blocks this receptor can reduce the sensation of pain.

Question 21

abnormal excitation of sensory perception

Answer 21

Fibromyalgia: Over-stimulation of pain, pressure, and temperature receptors causing significant discomfort.

Photophobia: Over-stimulation of the retinal nerve causing discomfort due to too much information being presented.

Phonophobia: Over-stimulation of the auditory nerve causing discomfort due to too much information being presented.

Question 22

abnormal inhibition of sensory perception

Answer 22

Neuropathy: Damage to a peripheral nerve causing inhibition of peripheral pain, pressure, and temperature receptors causing paresthesia. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease (peripheral), or surgery can be a common cause of this.​

Sensorineural hearing loss: Damage to an auditory nerve causing the inhibition of the translation and transfer of sound waves to the brain.​

Retinitis: Visual loss due to retinal inflammation causing inhibition of the translation and transfer of light to the brain. Cerebral vascular accidents (strokes) can also cause reduced vision.​

Spinal cord injury: Damage to the nerve trunk causing loss of sensation, pressure, or temperature below the level of injury (motor nerves preventing movement are also involved).​

Anosmia and/or ageusia: Loss of smell and/or taste caused by nerve inflammation or damage of nerves involved with those senses.

Question 23

causes of neuropathy

Answer 23

diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, trauma

Question 24

medications used to treat neuropathy pain include:​

Answer 24

anti-seizure medications ​
pain medications​
anti-depressants​
topical preparations of lidocaine
anti-inflammatory medications ​

Question 25

which areas of the brain are responsible for cognition?

Answer 25

reticular activating system and the cerebral cortex

Question 26

Many conditions can decrease cognition, like:

Answer 26

hypoglycemia​
drug or alcohol overdose​
infection​
vascular dementia (cerebral vascular disease)​
respiratory failure​
medications
traumatic brain injury (including bleeding)​
brain tumor​
psychological trauma​

Question 27

Changes in which region of the brain result in the deep memory loss associated with dementia?​

Answer 27

hippocampus

Question 28

types of dementia:

Answer 28

alzheimer’s, frontotemporal, lewy body, vascular, mixed, and other diseases (huntingtons, creutzfeldt-jakob, argyrophilic grain, HIV, chronic traumatic encephalopathy)

Question 29

frontotemporal dementia

Answer 29

A rare form of dementia that tends to occur in people younger than 60.

Question 30

lewy body dementia

Answer 30

A form of dementia caused by abnormal deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein.

Question 31

vascular dementia

Answer 31

Dementia is caused by conditions that damage blood vessels in the brain or interrupt the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.

Question 32

Damage in which part of the brain results in a loss of impulse control?​

Answer 32

frontal lobe

Question 33

Wernicke-Korsakoff, a neurological syndrome from chronic alcohol use disorder, is caused when alcohol reduces absorption of which of the following?

Answer 33

thiamine, folic acid

Question 34

When a person is injured, which substances contribute to the pain they experience?

Answer 34

histamine, bradykinin, prostaglandin