Strokes and Brain tumors Flashcards
what are neurological disorders?
Diseases of the nervous system that affects the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves
Cerebrovascular disorders
a group of conditions that affect blood vessels and blood flow in the brain
Cerebrovascular system
blood is supplied by 2 arteries
Cerebrovascular system: anterior blood supply
Supplied by intracarotid arteries (ICA)
Anterior cerebral arteries (ACA)
Middle cerebral arteries (MCA)
Cerebrovascular system: posterior blood supply
Supplied by vertebral arteries which join to form the basilar artery
cerebellar artery
posterior cerebral artery (PCA)
creates circle of Willis
Watershed zones
regions between or further away from major cerebral arterial territories
blood supply is decreased in these regions
more vulnerable to infarcts here
Infarcts
tissue death/necrosis
Stroke
cerebrovascular disorder of sudden onset
cased by hemorrhages or bursting of aneurysms
results in death of brain tissue
Types of strokes
ischemic and hemorrhagic
Stroke symptoms
sudden onset of trouble with limb weakness, numbness/tingling, confusion, trouble speaking/comprehending, etc
Ischemic Stroke
(85%) results from an obstruction of blood flow from a thrombosis (blood clot w/in blood vessel) or embolus (blood clot travels from body) to an artery supplying the brain
Factors contributing to a blockage: Atherosclerosis
narrowing artery from plaque backup
Factors contributing to a blockage: Arteriosclerosis
stiffening/hardening of artery wall
Hemorrhagic stroke
(15%) caused by rupture of cerebral blood vessel
Mortality of hemorrhagic stroke
32-52% die within the first 30 days
Intracranial hemorrhagic
bleed under skull, often due to trauma
typically used for strokes in meninges
Intraventricular hemorrhagic
bleed in ventricular system
Intracerebral hemorrhagic (Primary&secondary)
bleed in brain tissue (2/3 of H strokes)
primary: (spontaneous) rupture of small vessels due to damage (hypertension)
Secondary: when associated with a precipitating event (aneurysm or trauma)
Transient Ischemic attack (TIA)
symptoms similar to a stroke (mini-stroke)
results in no neuroimaging evidence or resolves within 24hrs
majority last less than an hour and dont leave tissue death
warning sign of future stroke
TIA mechanism
brief blocking of a cerebral vessel caused by narrowing or form embolus
Stroke treatments
a surgery to remove obstructions, blood thinners, platelet anticoagulants, rehab to restore cog/behavioral functions or to compensate, adapt or to make accommodations.
role of neuropsych: identify deficits, quantify severity, and dev rehab
Brain tumors
growth of abnormal cells in brain
2 origins: metastatic and primary
2 types: malignant and benign
metastatic tumor
originated in the body and spreads to brain through blood cells and lymph channels
Primary tumor
originates in the brain
Malignant tumor
cancerous, no border b/t tumor and tissue, cant be removed easily, fast, invasive
Benign tumor
non-cancerous, distinct borders b/t tumor and tissue, removed easily, slow, non-invasive
Signs and symptoms of a tumor
varies depending on type/location, usually caused by increased intracranial pressure
headaches, seizures, vomiting, loss of appetite, personality/mood changes, vertigo, fatigue, cog impairment
Left hemisphere tumor lesions
language
Right hemisphere tumor lesions
visual-perceptual/spatial
thalamic tumor lesions
contralateral sensory loss, weakness on 1/2 of body, aphasias
Cerebellar tumor lesions
gait/coordination
temporal tumor lesions
memory
Tumor diagnosis
need to rule out other conditions
-brain biopsy required to confirm
-CT and MRI used for screening and differential diagnosis
-PET provides info about blood flow, metabolism, and physiology of tumors
-fMRI for mapping
Tumor treatments
surgery: remove as much as pos without damage
radiation therapy: kill cancer cells
whole brain radiation therapy
common
side effects: weight loss, nausea, verbal mem, executive functioning, processing speed
Gamma knife radiation
focused gamma radiation to a small area
general better cog outcomes
Chemotherapy
kill cancer to disrupt cell proliferation
cog impairments possible
