Week 1 Flashcards
Function of neurons?
- Function: transmits electrical via APs and chemical signals via NTs
Define functions of dendrites, cell body, and axon
- Morphological features:
- Dendrites: diverse structured (inputs)
- Cell body: protein synthesis occurs
- Axon: transport signals with Bi-directional transport of proteins
What are the function of glia cells and name the 4 types (differntiate PNS vs CNS)?
- Function: provide metabolic and structural support, respond to infection or damage, or regulate local metabolism
- Types
- Astrocytes (CNS) or Satellite cells (PNS) – most numerous cell type in CNS
- Oligodendrocytes (CNS) or Schwann cells (PNS)
- Microglia (CNS)
- Ependymal cells (CNS) - Ciliated barrier between CSF and brain
For: Astrocytes (CNS) or Satellite cells (PNS) – most numerous cell type in CNS
- What is the structure?
- Function (4)?
- Astrocytes (CNS) or Satellite cells (PNS) – most numerous cell type in CNS
- Structure: star like filament processes made from GFAP
- Function:
- homeostasis (glycogen energy storage, regulation of vasculature via endfeet)
- neurotransmission (NT metabolism/reuptake i.e. glutamate)
- development/plasticity
- response to injury/infection (via IL-1 → formation of glial scar)
What are 3 associated diseases with astrocyte function and how do they occur?
- Associated Diseases:
- Alzheimer’s disease ( increased astrocyte activity → toxic)
- Huntington’s disease (defective astrocyte function)
- Parkinson’s disease (Alpha-synuclein accumulates in astrocytes leading to neuronal excitotoxicity)
- For: Oligodendrocytes (CNS) or Schwann cells (PNS)
- What is the function?
- Compare Oligodendrocytes (CNS) and Schwann cells (PNS)
- cell body location
- embryoloical origin
- how many cells per axon?
- Oligodendrocytes (CNS) or Schwann cells (PNS)
- Function: produce myelin (protects and support axon, increases transmissions speeds)
- Myelin on axon separated by nodes of Ranvier – increases transmission via saltatory conduction
- Function: produce myelin (protects and support axon, increases transmissions speeds)
What are two associated diseases of the oligodendrocytes?
- Associated disease:
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome – inflammatory demyelination of PNS
- Multiple Sclerosis – autoimmune demyelination of CNS
- For Microglia (CNS)
- Description?
- MOA/Phases?
- Microglia (CNS)
- Description: resident immune cells derived from macrophages
- MOA: quiescent phase → activated by injury/disease → phagocytic phase → release of cytokines, ROS
What are 3 diseases associated with microglia? How do they occur?
- Associated Diseases:
- Alzheimer’s disease ( increased microglia release of amyloid and IL-1)
- Parkinson’s disease (Increased microglia → dopamine neuron loss)
- Neuropathic pain (spinal cord injury)
What are the ependymal cells?
- Ependymal cells (CNS) - Ciliated barrier between CSF and brain
What are the 4 functions of the blood brain barrier?
- Isolate and protect the CNS
- Fluctuations in nutrients, hormones, metabolites, chemical compounds, etc.
- Allows for optimum neuronal transmission
- Deliver nutrients, remove metabolites
- Barrier for ionic currents and hydrophilic compounds
- Regulates access to drugs
What are three main cellular componenets of the BBB?
- Endothelial Cells (EC)
- Astrocytes
- Pericytes
Identify the three cells in this pic at the BBB
- Endothelial Cells (EC) – purple
- Astrocytes – yellow
- Pericytes – green
What are the characteristics of endothelial cells at the BBB? How do they differ from peripheral endothelial cells?
- Endothelial Cells (EC) – purple
- Different than peripheral
- Tight Junctions
- Lack pinocytic vacuoles
- High number of mitochondria
- Lack fenestrations
- Selective permeability for lipophilic molecules
- Different than peripheral
Characterstics of astrocytes?
What are end feet?
What do they play a major role in?
- Astrocytes – yellow
- Attach neurons to blood vessels
- End feet contain Aquaporin 4 (water channel) and a K+ channel
- Major role in neuronal metabolism, nutrition, and elimination of used substrates
What are pericytes? What do they do? Structurally, where are they located?
- Pericytes – green
- Associated with small vessels
- Separated from EC by the basement membrane
- Gap junctions allow for contact spots with EC
- Regulate activity of EC, mediate inflammation, control capillary diameter
What are the three mechanisms of diffusion across the BBB?
Simple diffusion, transcytosis, transport proteins
What are the two methods of simple diffusion? How do they work?
- Diffusion
- Paracellular
- Between tight junctions of EC’s
- Allows transport of small water-soluble molecules and ions
- Transcellular
- Lipophilic molecules pass freely into out of the EC’s
- Paracellular
How does transcytosis across BBB work? Where does it occur and what is it used for?
- Transcytosis
- Occurs in EC’s
- For macromolecules
- Uses pinocytic/endocytic vacuoles
- Far downregulated compared to systemic EC’s
Name some transport proteins located on the BBB
- Transport Proteins
- ATP-binding cassette Group
- Solute Carrier Group
- Efflux of anions
- Amino Acid Transport
- Neurotransmitter Transport
- Energy Transport
- GLUT-1 – Brain cannot store glucose
- CRT – Brain stores Creatinine 180x serum concentration
What is the function of the BBB?
What can the regulation be disrupted by?
How does the BBB affect the administration of brain-targeted drugs?
- The BBB protects the CNS from foreign substances (xenobiotics).
- The regulation of the BBB can be disrupted by trauma, infection, stroke, systemic disease, tumors, etc.
- Delivery of drugs into the CNS is made difficult by the BBB
- Intrathecal drug administration
- Transport (efflux) inhibition
What are 7 locations outside the BBB?
- Locations outside of BBB
- Direct Secretion into circulation
- Pineal Gland: Melatonin
- Posterior Pituitary: oxytocin, vasopressin
- Median Eminence of Hypothalmus: pituitary hormones
- Detection of toxins
- Area postrema
- Structural Integrity
- Subcommisural Organ (SCO)
- Maintains patency of Sylvian Aqueduct and electrolyte balance
- Subfornicular Organ (SFO)
- Maintains osmoregulation, cardiovascular regulation and energy homeostasis
- Vascular Organ of the Lamina terminalis (OVLT)
- Osmoregulation
- Subcommisural Organ (SCO)
- Direct Secretion into circulation
Define localization in terms of clinical neuro? What are the 7 parts to a neuro exam?
- Localization is the process of using knowledge of neuroanatomy and the patient’s presentation) to figure out where the symptom is coming from in the nervous system
- 7 Parts to the Neurological Exam: MS, CNs, Motor, Sensory, Reflexes, Coordination, Gait
Define CNS vs PNS
- CNS vs. PNS
- CNS: brain and spinal cord
- PNS: cranial nerves/ganglia, spinal nerves/dorsal root ganglia, para/sympathetic nerves/ganglia, and enteric nervous system
What is part of each of these: cerebral hemisphere, diencephalon, brainstem, cerebellum?
- Cerebral hemispheres: cerebral cortex and basal ganglia (motor control)
- Limbic system: emotion, memory, behavior, homeostasis
- Diencephalon: thalamus (sensory relay) and hypothalamus
- Brainstem: midbrain (mickey mouse ears), pons, medulla (4 leaf clover shaped)
- Cerebellum
What does the corticospinal tract do? Basic understanding (more later!)
- Corticospinal Tract: efferent tract for voluntary motor activity
- UMN starts at primary motor cortex → decussates in medulla → lateral motor nuclei → LMN synapses at anterior horn of spinal cord
What dos the dorsal column medial lemniscal pathway do? Basic level, more on this later!
- Dorsal Column Medial Lemniscal Sensory Pathway: afferent tract for vibration, joint position sense, and fine touch
- Afferent nerve fibers synapses at dorsal column → decussates at caudal medulla → travels to thalamus → synapses at primary somatosensory cortex
What does the anterolateral (spinothalamic) tract do? Basic understanding, more on this later!
- Anterolateral (Spinothalamic) Sensory Pathway: afferent tract for pain, temperature, and crude touch
- Afferent nerve fibers synapses at dorsal horn → decussate immediately at spinal cord → travels to thalamus → synapses at primary somatosensory cortex
When would you want to use a CT vs MRI for brain stuff?
What kind of membane does the neuron have? What is the function of this? How do ions diffuse?
What determines and influences membrane potential? What is the membrane potential?
- Bilipid membrane layer
- Acts as a diffusion barrier, regulates movement of solutes
- Ions diffuse across the membrane via ion channels
- Number and selectivity of ion channels determines the membrane potential
- Membrane potential ~ - 60 to - 70 mV
- Heavily influenced by potassium leak channels
What are 2 types of electrical signals?
- Electrical signals
- Receptor potentials: activation of sensory neurons by external stimuli
- Synaptic potentials: transmission of information between neurons
- Inputs can summate
How is an AP formed? Know all the steps! 5 steps! This includes knowing when activation and inactivation gates close and open!
- Action potentials result from the coordinated activity of voltage gated Na+ and K+ channels
- Voltage-gated Na+ channels activation gate closed. Most K+ channels closed
- Membrane depolarization opens voltage-gated Na+ channels
- Na+ channels inactivate (time-dependent) by closing inactivation gate. Voltage-gated K+ channels open
- Inactivation of voltage-gated Na+ channels removed
- Baseline state is reached
Where is an AP propagated? How? What allows for the unidirectionality?
- An action potential is propagated along the axon
- Na+ enters through voltage-gated Na+ channels and passively diffuses through the axoplasm → depolarizes neighboring membrane → opening adjacent voltage-gated Na channels
- Directionality of AP is due to refractory period caused by inactivated Na channels
What two things can increase propagation speeds? What is the function of the nodes of ranvier?
- AP propagation
- Increased in diameter of axon correlates with increased speed of conduction
- Increased myelin sheath correlates with increased speed of conduction
- Nodes of Ranvier: APs jump from node to node, “saltatory conductance”
- Able to regenerate APs here because high concentration of Na channels
Explain the following three disorders (including etiology/cause of each!)
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis
- Experimental allergic neuritis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome: viral exposure → damage to myelin of peripheral nerves, mainly motor nerves
- Multiple sclerosis: genetic predisposition, environmental exposure → multiple plaques of demyelinated CNS white matter (commonly optic nerve, deep cerebral white matter)
- Experimental allergic neuritis: lysis of myelin lamellae → gap in myelin sheath → macrophages penetrate the sheath and strip myelin from axon
What are the general concentrations (extra/intracellular) and nernst potentials of each of the four ions?
For electrical synapses:
- What is the structure? What forms it?
- Characteristics?
- Advantages?
- Sites in body
- Disorders associated
- Electrical synapses – gap junctions allow electrical coupling between cells
- Structure: cylindrical assemblies of 6 transmembrane proteins (connexins) to form connexons
- Characteristics: low resistance, instantaneous transmission
- Advantages: guaranteed transmission of signals, coordinated activity
- Sites: retina, glial cells, astrocytes
- Disorders: deafness, cataracts, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
What are the advantages of chemical synapse?
- Chemical synapses
- Advantages: signal is amplified, can be excitatory/inhibitory, can be manipulated pharmacologically
How does chemical synapse work? Provide in depth process!
- Synthesis of neurotransmitter
- Concentration and packaging of neurotransmitter in the presynaptic terminal
- Release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic terminal (Ca dependent process)
- Binding of neurotransmitter to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, located directly across the synaptic cleft. This allows for very rapid effect (<200msec)
- Termination of neurotransmitter action
How is calcium involved in chemical synapse?
- An action potential invades the presynaptic terminal → opening voltage-gated Ca2+ channels
- Vesicles fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft
- Vesicles are recycled in the synaptic terminal
What are the methods of termination for NT action?
- Neurotransmitter binds to the receptor while other mechanisms compete to remove it from the synaptic cleft, including:
- Reuptake into the presynaptic terminal
- Uptake into the postsynaptic terminal
- Uptake into nearby glial cells
- Enzymatic inactivation of neurotransmitter
- Diffusion out of synaptic cleft
What are the two main families of NT receptors? Which one is faster?
- Ligand-gated ion channel – fast synaptic transmission
- G-protein-coupled receptors – slower synaptic transmission
Describe the neuromuscular junction
What is the MOA?
- Neuromuscular Junctions
- Description: Active zones of synaptic boutons positioned over junctional folds
- Junctional folds contain receptors for neurotransmitter
- MOA: ACh released by presynaptic terminal activates nicotinic receptors, ligand-gated cation channels, on the postsynaptic membrane → Ion channel allows influx of Na, efflux of K → Triggers depolarization termed the end plate potential (70mV) → Opens voltage-gated Na channels in junctional folds and trigger action potential
- Description: Active zones of synaptic boutons positioned over junctional folds
What is this showing?
NMJ
What is the green blood supply? The yellow? What tracts are affected with each?
- Green: posterior spinal artery (dorsal column)
- Yellow: anterior spinal artery (corticospinal and spinothalamic tract)
- Appreciate the location of the following tracts/nuclei on this pic:
- Fasiculus cuneatus/gracilis (dorsal column)
- Lateral corticospinal tract
- Lateral spinothalamic tract
Memorized?
- What would you expect in a UMN vs LMN lesion for the following:
- Weakness
- Atrophy
- Fasiculation
- Reflexes (Why does this occur?)
- Tone
- Plantar Response
- What is a caveat?
*When a lesion in a UMN pathway occurs there is a loss of inhibition to the LMN which gives rise to characteristic clinical findings
- With acute UMN lesion (i.e. stroke), reflexes may initially be decreased or absent
Provide the following for the doral/posterior column:
- Function
- Decussation
- Lesion at spinal cord causes what?
- Blood supply?
- Function: Pressure, Vibration, Fine Touch, Proprioception
- Decussation: caudal medulla
- Lesion at spinal cord causes what
- At spinal cord: ipsilateral loss of dorsal column function distal to lesion
- Blood supply: posterior spinal a
Provide the following for the spinothalamic tract
- Function
- Decussation
- Lesion at spinal cord causes what?
- Blood supply?
- Function: Pain, Temperature, Crude Touch
- Decussation: Immediately at spinal cord 1-2 segments above/below @ anterior commissure
- Lesion at spinal cord causes what: At spinal cord: contralateral loss of function 1-2 segment below lesion
- Blood supply: anterior spinal artery
Provide the following for the corticospinal tract
- Function
- Decussation
- Lesion at spinal cord causes what?
- Blood supply?
- Function: voluntary movement
- Decussation: Medullary Pyramids @ Caudal Medulla
- Lesion at spinal cord causes what: At spinal cord: ipsilateral loss of function distal to lesion
- Blood supply: anterior spinal artery
For dorsal column, provide the following:
- First order neuron (type)
- First synapse
- Second order neuron
- Second synapse
- Third order neuron (if applicable)
- Target
For spinothalamic tract, provide the following:
- First order neuron (type)
- First synapse
- Second order neuron
- Second synapse
- Third order neuron (if applicable)
- Target
For corticospinal tract, provide the following:
- First order neuron (type)
- First synapse
- Second order neuron
- Second synapse
- Third order neuron (if applicable)
- Target
What occurs in 2nd and 3rd weeks for neuroembryology?
Gastrulation:
- Primitive streak (PS) appears at caudal end of embryo → elongates toward cranial end → regresses back to caudal end of embryo → formation of Hensen’s node at cranial end of the PS
- In the cross-section: endoderm and mesoderm cells move towards midline; remaining epiblast cells become ectoderm
- Lateral ectoderm: skin; medial ectoderm: CNS
- Prospective notocordal cells migrate from Hensen’s node inwards to create an invagination→ formation of notochord → formation of nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs
- In the cross-section: endoderm and mesoderm cells move towards midline; remaining epiblast cells become ectoderm
What occurs in the 3rd and 4th weeks of neuroembryology? BE SPECIFIC.
Name specific cells that form and spaces that form.
What part of the spinal cord do these tissues form?
Primary Neurulation (3rd and 4th weeks) – Tissues from C1 to S2
- Neural plate (pseudostratified columnar epithelium) is attached at cutaneous ends of ectoderm and lie above notochord
- Formation of neural tube: notochord causes differentiation of neural plates → formation of neural folds/crest cells → convergence of neural folds → apposition and fusion of neural folds → neural tube
- Neural crest cells: cells between ectoderm and neural tube that migrate during neurulation
- Contribute to: DRG, autonomic ganglia, Schwann cells, melanocytes, adrenal medulla
- Neuropores: spaces between the newly-formed neural tube where the neural plate has yet to converge and fuse
- Closure occurs in multiple waves
- Last sites to close: cranial neuropore, caudal neuropore
What occurs towards the end of week 4? Be specific.
Secondary Neurulation (end of week 4) – Tissues from S2 to caudal end
- Multi-potent caudal cell mass from Hensen’s node → formation of spinal cord below S2 and filum terminale
- Secondary neurulation disorders will commonly present with skin attached because secondary neurulation occurs under an intact cutaneous ectoderm
What occurs in the ascent of the conus medullaris? When does this occur?
What are the two processes within this?
Ascent of the conus medullaris (begins at day 42)
- Processes – most ascent is prenatal → ascension to L1-L2 post-natal
- Retrogressive differentiation (until day 53)
- Neural tube becomes thinner
- Differential growth of spinal cord and vertebral column (day 54 and beyond)
- Cells undergo differentiation
- Retrogressive differentiation (until day 53)
How does the development of basal and alar plates occur?
Development of Basal and Alar Plates
- During neural tube formation: basal plate of neural plate forms ventral side of spinal cord (motor) while the alar plate of neural plate forms the dorsal side of the spinal cord (sensory)
- Basal and alar plates are separated by sulcus limitans
- Spinal cord follows this development; brainstem follows this development with modifications
How and when does the development of primary and secondary vesicles occur? Name the primary and secondary vesicles and what makes up each one!!
Development of Primary and Secondary Vesicles
- Day 19: brain is divided into 3 primary vesicles: prosencephalon, mesencephalon, rhombencephalon
- Day 32: further divides into 5 secondary vesicles:
- Prosencephalon: telencephalon (olfactory lobes, hippocampus, cerebrum), diencephalon (optic vesicle, epithalamus, thalamus, hypothalamus)
- Mesencephalon: mesencephalon (midbrain)
- Rhombencephalon: metencephalon (cerebellum, pons), myelencephalon (medulla)
- Development of Flexure (4th and 5th weeks): angulation of neural tube during development → forms the shape of the vesicles
- Mesencephalic flexure (convex dorsally), cervical flexure (convex dorsally), and pontine flexure (convex ventrally)
How does the formation of the pituitary gand occur? What are the two sources?
***VERY IMPORTANT***
Formation of Pituitary Gland
- Pituitary gland derived from two sources
- Outgrowth of diencephalon (ectoderm) to form posterior pituitary (neurophypophysis)
- Upward migration of stomodeum (pharynx, endoderm) to form anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis)
- Infundibular stalk forms from downward migration of neurohypophysis
What happens during modification of the telencephalon?
How does the histogenesis of the nervous system occur? How do cells migrate?
- Modifications of Telencephalon
- Two halves connected by corpus callosum, anterior commissure, and hippocampal commissures
- Telencephalon undergoes explosive growth in the direction of the occipital lobe to ultimately overlie the mesencephalon and cerebellum
- Histogenesis of Nervous System
- Neuroblasts divide in germinal zone → post-mitotic cells (i.e. neurons, glia) migrate outward to mantle zone (gray matter) → axons project even further outward to marginal zone (white matter) → remaining cells form ependyma
When and how are commisural fiber tracts developed?
- Growth of corpus callosum (day 84-115), growth of anterior commissure (begins day 54), growth of hippocampal commissure (begins week 11)
- Corpus callosum develops in a specific temporal order (genu → body → splenium → rostrum (anterior most part – reason unknown)
- Agenesis of CC: spares only anterior CC (exception holoprosencephaly affects ONLY anterior CC)
- Posterior and habenular commissures develop from diencephalon
For tethered cord syndrome: provide, description, etiology, signs/sx
- Tethered cord syndrome
- Description: conus is below middle third of L2
- Etiology: thickened filum due to fat infiltration or congenital tethering (attachment) malformation
- Signs/Sx: Pain (back or leg), weakness/paralysis/gait issues, bowel/bladder issues, scoliosis/orthopedic foot or leg deformities
For myelomeningocele: provide description, signs/sx
- Myelomeningocele
- Description: outpouching of spinal cord and meninges due to failure of primary neurulation
- Signs: exposure of spinal cord with overlying dysplastic skin, possible leakage of CSF