Week 3 Tumours, regeneration Flashcards
What is a brain tumour?
Growth of abnormal cell inside the skull cavity
What are the two types of Intracranial tumours and give some examples
Metastatic - lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma
Primary (originate in brain) - astrocyoma
What are the most common form of tumour in childhood?
Brain tumour
What is a Glioma?
CNS primary tumour, derived from cells that form the glia, infiltrative, poor response to surgery e.g. astrocytoma
Explain the purpose and mechanisms of the ventricular system
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
What are some possible consequences of increased ICP?
Increased pressure on brain tissue - agitation, decreased response, confusion, and coma
What are some symptoms of increased ICP?
headache, vomitting, papilliodema (swelling of optic disk)
What is the most common modes of onset of symptoms of a brain tuma?
Increased ICP, seizure activity, destruction of brain tissue, alteration of hormone secretion/function, mental/personality changes
Symptoms of a prefrontal tuma?
heachache, mental symptoms, convulsions, dysphasia if broca area affected, unilateral grasp reflex, hard to lacalise,
Pre central tuma symptoms?
motor cortex affected, motor weakness
Temporal lobe symptoms?
Temporal epilepsey, visual defect, auditary hallucinations, aphasia (on left)
Parietal lobe symptoms?
Sensory disturbances, homonymnous defect of visual field, visual and sensory inattention, If left: dyslexia, dysgraphia, finger agnosia, dycalculia
Occipital lobe symptoms?
rare, convulsion common, visual field defects
Corpus collusum symptoms?
rare, apathy, drowniness, memory impairment, epilipsey, apraxia
Third ventricle symptoms?
sever headhache, coma
describe a grade 1 tumour
e.g. meningioma - benign, slow growing, encapsulated, don’t reoccur
Describe a grade 2 tumour
e.g. oligastrocytoma- slow growing, encapsulated, can reoccur
Describe a grade 3 tumour
malignant, rapid growning, high proliferation potential, usually reoccur, typical treatment is surgery plus radio/chemotherapy
Describe a grade 4 tumour
malignant, rapid growning, high proliferation potential, usually reoccur, typical treatment is surgery plus radio/chemotherapy, multiple areas of brain
What are some of the cognitive effects of radiotherapy?
necrosis of white matter, cognitive impairment, memory loss, vascular damage
Define cerebral plasticity
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
Explain the differences in brain when raised in a diverse vs a limited environment
Experience changes the structure of the neurons. Complex environments result in larger neurons with more synapses as a result of increased sensory stimulation
Increase in brain volume post-natally comes as a result of increased neurons T/F
F - increased myelination, increased formation of new synapses, increase branching of dendrites is responsible