Unit 5: Tutoring Flashcards
Layers Protecting the Brain
SCALP
- Skin
- subcutaneous Connective tissue
- galea Aponeurotica
- Loose areolar connective tissue
- Pericraneium (periosteum)
Meninges
“PAD” the brain
- Pia Mater
- Arachnoid Mater
- Dura Mater
Dura Mater
-Outermost
-Thickest/Toughest Membrane
-Means “Tough Mother”
-Peforated for cranial Nerves/Blood Vessels
Two Layers
-Periosteal: External
-Meningeal: Internal
Dural Inflodings
-Falx Cerebri
-Tentorium Cerebelli
(Both made from meningeal layer)
Falx Cerebri
Fold that extends into the longitudinal fissure (separates R/L hemispheres)
Tentorium Cereeblli
(in the back) fold that divides the occipital lobe from the cerebellum (separates cerebral hemispheres)
-Tentorial Notch: Opening in tentorium that the midbrain passes through
Separation of the dura layers
Dural Venous SInuses which mainly drain blood via the sigmoid sinus into the internal jugular vein
These folds can cause damage to the brain during high velocity impact
Falx Cerebri: Damage to the Corpus Callosum
Tentorium Cerebelli: Damage to midbrain, vessels, CN3
Epidural Space
- Epi= Above (btw skull and dura)
- Contains: Middle Meningeal Artery
- If ruptured: Epidural Hematoma (result of temporal bone fracture)
Epidural Hematoma
- Result of temporal bone fracture
- Initially asymptomatic but within hours: Increased ICP, herniation, death
Middle Meningeal Artery (Epidural Space)
-Branches odd the external carotid artery
Enters space through the foramen spinosum
-Supplies the dura
Subdural Space
- Sub=Below (btw dura and arachnoid)
- Contains: Bridging veins (susceptible to shearing forces bc brain moves; crescent shaped
- Bridging Veins: Cross the subdural space and drain into venous sinuses
- If ruptured: Subdural hematoma
Subdural Hematoma
-Chronic (elderly, shrinking brain) and acute (high velocity impacts/trauma)
Arachnoid Mater
- Delicate membrane lying between pia (internally) and dura (externally)
- Adheres to dura mater
- Arachnoid granulations
- Impermeable (doesn’t allow fluid to pass)
- Perforated to allow CN & BV to pass-through
Arachnoid Granulations
Serve as one way valve to the dural sinus
Subarachnoid Space
- Between the Arachnoid and Pia Mater
- Has trabeculae that suspend the brain
- CSF Circulation
- Contains major arteries of the brain
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
-Buildup of blood into the CSF
-Cause severe headaches
Hemorrhages can be:
-Traumatic: Ruptured vessels that bleed in the space (more common, no vasospasm seen)
-Non-traumatic: (spintaneous) Arterial aneurysm that bleeds in the space
Non-Tramatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Spontaneous
- Arterial aneurysm that bleeds in the space
- A-comm=30%, P-comm= 25%, MCA= 20%
- Atroveneous malformation 4-5% of cases
- Sudden headache
- Delayed cerebral vasospasm: arteries realize they’re bleeding and constrict too much leading to ishemic stroke (if not monitored could lead to infarct)
Pia Mater
- Thinnest/most delicate
- Highly vascular; impermeable
- Adheres to brain tissue (contours of the brain)/spinal cord
- Extends out from spinal cord to help anchor it to the dura by dentate ligaments
What can happen when we get hemorrhages in the brain?
Herniations
Herniation
When mass effect is severe enough to push intracranial strictures from one compartment to another Types: -Subfalcine Herniation -Central Herniation -Transtentorial Herniation -Tonsillar Herniation
Subfalcine Herniation
Cingulate gyrus gets pushed under the falx cerebri
-Usually from unilateral pressure
Central Herniation
Central downward displacement of the brainstem
Uncal Transtentorial Herniation
Medial aspect of the temporal lobe (uncus) is pushed inferiorly against tentorium cerebelli
Tonsillar Herniation
Cerebellar tonsils get pushed down into foramen magnum
-Life threatening because it compresses the brainstem (regulates respirations and BP)