Week 3 Tumours, regeneration

Question 1

What is a brain tumour?

Answer 1

Growth of abnormal cell inside the skull cavity

Question 2

What are the two types of Intracranial tumours and give some examples

Answer 2

Metastatic - lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma

Primary (originate in brain) - astrocyoma

Question 3

What are the most common form of tumour in childhood?

Answer 3

Brain tumour

Question 4

What is a Glioma?

Answer 4

CNS primary tumour, derived from cells that form the glia, infiltrative, poor response to surgery e.g. astrocytoma

Question 5

Explain the purpose and mechanisms of the ventricular system

Answer 5

Purposes: Protection, buoyancy, excretion, transportation of hormones
Mechanisms: CSF produced by choroid plexus, flows through ventricles and subarachnoid space, then absorbed into bloodstream when pressure is greater in CSF

Question 6

What are some possible consequences of increased ICP?

Answer 6

Increased pressure on brain tissue - agitation, decreased response, confusion, and coma

Question 7

What are some symptoms of increased ICP?

Answer 7

headache, vomitting, papilliodema (swelling of optic disk)

Question 8

What is the most common modes of onset of symptoms of a brain tuma?

Answer 8

Increased ICP, seizure activity, destruction of brain tissue, alteration of hormone secretion/function, mental/personality changes

Question 9

Symptoms of a prefrontal tuma?

Answer 9

heachache, mental symptoms, convulsions, dysphasia if broca area affected, unilateral grasp reflex, hard to lacalise,

Question 10

Pre central tuma symptoms?

Answer 10

motor cortex affected, motor weakness

Question 11

Temporal lobe symptoms?

Answer 11

Temporal epilepsey, visual defect, auditary hallucinations, aphasia (on left)

Question 12

Parietal lobe symptoms?

Answer 12

Sensory disturbances, homonymnous defect of visual field, visual and sensory inattention, If left: dyslexia, dysgraphia, finger agnosia, dycalculia

Question 13

Occipital lobe symptoms?

Answer 13

rare, convulsion common, visual field defects

Question 14

Corpus collusum symptoms?

Answer 14

rare, apathy, drowniness, memory impairment, epilipsey, apraxia

Question 15

Third ventricle symptoms?

Answer 15

sever headhache, coma

Question 16

describe a grade 1 tumour

Answer 16

e.g. meningioma - benign, slow growing, encapsulated, don’t reoccur

Question 17

Describe a grade 2 tumour

Answer 17

e.g. oligastrocytoma- slow growing, encapsulated, can reoccur

Question 18

Describe a grade 3 tumour

Answer 18

malignant, rapid growning, high proliferation potential, usually reoccur, typical treatment is surgery plus radio/chemotherapy

Question 19

Describe a grade 4 tumour

Answer 19

malignant, rapid growning, high proliferation potential, usually reoccur, typical treatment is surgery plus radio/chemotherapy, multiple areas of brain

Question 20

What are some of the cognitive effects of radiotherapy?

Answer 20

necrosis of white matter, cognitive impairment, memory loss, vascular damage

Question 21

Define cerebral plasticity

Answer 21

The ability of the brain to change in response to chemicals, activity or experience - in response to internal and external events - capacity to alter function in response to environmental diversity

Question 22

Explain the differences in brain when raised in a diverse vs a limited environment

Answer 22

Experience changes the structure of the neurons. Complex environments result in larger neurons with more synapses as a result of increased sensory stimulation

Question 23

Increase in brain volume post-natally comes as a result of increased neurons T/F

Answer 23

F - increased myelination, increased formation of new synapses, increase branching of dendrites is responsible