Week 2 Flashcards
Explain how sound travels through the periphery…
high versus low frequencies
Peripheral: Sound waves enter external ear canal → TM → ossicles → oval window → vibrations hit perilymph in inner ear → hair cells → cochlear n.
- High frequencies activate proximal hair cells
- Low frequencies activate distal hair cells
explain how sound thravels through the CNS
Central: Cochlear n. → ipsilateral cochlear nuclei @ ponto-medullary junction → bilateral superior olives @ ponto-medullary junction → ascend to bilateral inferior colliculi @ mid brain → ascend to bilateral medial geniculate nuclei @ thalamus → synapses at primary auditory cortices
what is Conductive deafness
etiology
Conductive deafness – loss caused by the conduction system of ear (external auditory canal, TM, middle ear)
Etiology: structural issues (ear wax), infection, ruptured TM, ischemia, Meinere syndrome (obstructed reabsorption of the endolymph)
what is sensineuronal deafness
pheripheral versus cenetral damage
- Peripheral damage: conditions that damage the delicate hair cells of the Organ of Corti or the auditory component of CN VIII due to exposure of loud noises
- Central damage:
- Cochlear nuclei damage: unilateral hearing loss
- Damage beyond cochlear nuclei: bilateral hearing loss
- Damage to CNS: inability to localize sound
Tinnitus
etiology?
Tinnitus – ringing or buzzing in the ears
Etiology: damage to hair cells due to excessive sound exposure, inner ear/CN VIII damage, turbulent blood flow through carotid, aspirin, tumors
what are exams for hearing
screening tools?
- Weber test (tuning fork on head):
- Sensineuronal deafness: localizes to unaffected ear
- Conductive deafness: localizes to affected ear
- Rinne (tuning fork next to ear)
- Sensineuronal deafness: normal (air > bone)
- Condcutve deafness: abnormal (bone > air)
- Screen: watch test or rustling of fingers next ears
tx of hearing loss
Treatments for hearing loss: cochlear implant (captures sound and stimulates cochlear n.), hearing aid (amplifies sound), masking device (white noise generator)
function and antaomy of vestibula system
Function: vestibular apparatus of the inner ear is specialized to detect movement of the head and, to a lesser extent, position in space; stabilization of eyes.
Anatomy: vestibular system, located in your inner ear consists of the saccule and utricle (otolith – senses gravity and liner acceleration), and three semicircular canals.
explain the vestibular pathway
- Pathway: endolymph flows and pushes on cupula → activates CN VIII (vestibular n.) → vestibular complex @ pontomedullary junction AND vestibulocerebellum @ cerebellum → VP nucleus of thalamus
- Disruption of this pathway result in vertigo
what is the Vestibular Ocular Reflex (VOR)
fxn, pathway
- Function: stabilizes eyes while moving head
- Pathway: movement of head to right → information sent to vestibular n. → Scarpa’a ganglion → vestibular nucleus → contralateral abducens nucleus → activation of left lateral rectus and right medial nucleus
explain VOR testing
- Head thrust – testing if VOR is working
- Caloric testing: test function of inner ear on either side (COWS)
- Cold Opposite: The cold irrigant provokes a response with fast phases away from the irrigated ear – normal response
- Warm Same: the warm irrigant provokes a nystagmus response with fast phases towards the irrigated ear – normal response
what is…
benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
labyrinthitis
vestibular neuronitis
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) - most common form
- Sx: short, frequent bouts of vertigo; head movements trigger BPPV.
- Labyrinthitis
- Sx: dizziness or a feeling that you are moving when you are not
- Etiology: inner ear infection such as a cold or flu (bacterial or viral).
- Vestibular Neuronitis: aka vestibular neuritis.
- Sx: sudden onset and may cause unsteadiness, earache, nausea, and vomiting.
- Etiology: viral infection, such as a cold or flu.
what is…
Acoustic neuroma: (or neurolemmoma)
Ménière’s Disease:
- Acoustic neuroma: (or neurolemmoma)
- Etiology: tumor that grows on the vestibular nerve.
- Sx: Slow growth rarely causes vertigo due to ample time for compensation of deficits.
- Ménière’s Disease:
- Sx: sudden vertigo less than 24 hours, N/V, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and a feeling of fullness in the ears.
Nystagmus
Nystagmus: is a vision condition in which the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements
Types: horizontal and vertical (brainstem issue)
peripheral versus central vertigo
etiology and sx
- Peripheral – dysfunction of vestibular apparatus in inner ear or CN VIII
- Etiology: described above
- SX: sudden onset, intermittent severe symptoms, affected by head position, N/V severe, motor fxn, gait and coordination intact
- Central – dysfunction of connection from vestibular apparatus to vestibular nuclei
- Etiology: trauma to brainstem/vestibulocerebellum, stroke, isolated hemorrhage in cerebellum, tumors, inflammatory diseases (MS)
- SX: gradual onset, constant milder symptoms, unaffected by head position, N/V less predictable, motor fxn, gait and coordination deficits
hearing loss
If lesion is in the CNS (nucleus), the hearing loss will be bilateral
If lesion is in the PNS (after nucleus), the hearing loss will be unilateral
hypothalamus
function (TANHATS) and causes of dysfunction
- Functions: homeostasis (maintains homeostasis by integrating signals from environment, other brain areas, and peripheral organs)
- Thirst and water balance, Adenohypohysis, Neurohypohysis,Hunger,Autonomic function,Temperature,Sexual behavior/emotions, memory, circadian rhythm (TANHATS)
- Causes of hypothalamic damage/dysfunction: tumors, inflammatory conditions, brain injury, genetic (i.e. Prader-Willi)
hypothalamus
where is it located
inputs and outputs
- Location: part of diencephalon, located inferior to thalamus, forms walls and floor of the third ventricle, sits below optic tract
- Inputs:
- Areas that are not protected by blood-barrier (i.e organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis – OVLT, subfornical organ – SFO)
- Allows for neurons to detect circulating hormones, proteins, etc.
- Area postrema @ medulla: response to emetics
- Areas that are not protected by blood-barrier (i.e organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis – OVLT, subfornical organ – SFO)
- Outputs: widespread projections to autonomic areas for cardiovascular regulation
hypothalamus
explian these nuclei
supraoptic, paraventricular, lateral, ventromedial
- Supraoptic – makes vasopressin
- Paraventricular – makes oxytocin
- Lateral area – hunger (if you zap, you shrink laterally)
- Ventromedial – satiety (if you zap you grown ventrally and medially)
hypothalamus
explian these nuclei
ant, post, suprachiasmatic
- Anterior – cooling (A/C; parasympathetic)
- Posterior – heating (get fired up; sympathetic)
- Suprachiasmatic – circadian rhythm (need sleep to be charismatic)
HPA axis
explain it
- Hypothalamus is linked to the pituitary gland via the infundibulum (contains the hypothalamic-hypophyseal tract)
- Pituitary gland:
- Anterior (parvocellular pathways) – from oral ectoderm
- Physiology: hypothalamus synthesizes releasing hormones → sent to median eminence → produces secondary hormones (GH, TSH, PRL, ACTH, FSH/LH) → enters systemic circulation
- Posterior (magnocellular pathways) – from neural nectoderm
- Physiology: releases vasopressin and oxytocin synthesized in the hypothalamus
- Anterior (parvocellular pathways) – from oral ectoderm
Hypothalamic Lesions
what is it, what happens
- Hypothalamic Lesions (e.g. tumors, trauma)
- Dysregulation of autonomic and endocrine system, damage to optic tract
- Example: Hypothalamic hamartoma (benign congenital malformation of ectopic neuronal tissue)
- Sx: precocious puberty, epilepsy, neurobehavioral sx
Pituitary Tumors
- Enlargement may damage regions of hypothalamus
- Dysregulation of pituitary hormones
Role of Hypothalamus in Eating Behavior
- Lateral hypothalamus (hunger center) – lesion causes anorexia
- Ventromedial hypothalamus (satiety center) – lesion causes obesity
Arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus
what is this? what does it do?
- Arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus – senses systemic hormones via fenestrated capillary → provides input to lateral and ventromedial hypothalamus
- Fed: senses leptin (from adipose tissue) and insulin → activates POMC neuron → satiety
- Fasting: senses ghrelin (from stomach) and fatty acids → activates AgRP/NPY neurons → hunger
what is thirst
Thirst is a sensation to maintain body fluid homeostasis via ADH release → promote drinking behavior
Osmometric thirst
pathway
- Pathway: osmolarity change → osmoreceptor neurons and circumventricular organs (SFO and OVLT) activate → neurons to hypothalamus →
- Activates paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus → release of ADH
- Activates median preoptic nucleus → promotes drinking behavior
Volumetric thirst
pathway - what does it activate
- Pathway: hypovolemic state → decreased BP →
- Activation of RAAS → angiotensin II activates neurons in SFO → neurons to hypothalamus →
- Activates paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus → release of ADH
- Activates median preoptic nucleus → promotes drinking behavior
- Activation of cardiac and arterial baroreceptors in heart → vagus n. → NTS in medulla → neurons to hypothalamus → median preoptic nucleus → promotes drinking behavior
- Activation of RAAS → angiotensin II activates neurons in SFO → neurons to hypothalamus →
what is gustation
Sensation via: chemical substances → taste receptors → taste buds (made of taste cells)