Y3 AFT 1 Flashcards
What are the main types of MND?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Primary lateral sclerosis
Progressive bulbar palsy
Progressive muscular atrophy
Progressive pseudobulbar palsy
What clinical features contribute to LMN signs?
Muscle fasciculations and weakness.
What clinical features contribute to UMN signs?
Increased tone and brisk reflexes
What is the most common type of MND? Does this have upper or lower motor nuerone signs?
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) which is characterised by a combination of upper and lower motor neurone signs.
What is ALS associated with and what feature of the hands would raise suspicion for having ALS?
ALS is also associated with frontotemporal dementia and should be highly suspected in those with thenar atrophy.
Progressive muscular atrophy presents only with LMN signs. True/false?
True
Primary lateral sclerosis presents only with LMN signs. True/false?
False
Presents with ONLY UMN signs
What is the cause of progressive bulbar palsy and pseudobulbar palsy and how do the effects differ?
Caused by damage to cranial nerves 9,10 and 12 and presents with dysphagia.
Bulbar palsy causes reduced jaw and gag reflexes and tongue fasciculations.
Pseudobulbar palsy causes slow speech and brisk jaw reflex.
What is the cause of vascular parkinsonism?
Caused by small strokes and infarcts which could have gone by unnoticed and untreated if patient lives alone.
Usually comes on slowly
What does a poor response to levodopa indicate?
Multiple system atrophy
What are some symptoms that can be seen in multiple system atrophy?
Erectile dysfunction, constipation or postural symptoms
How does drug-induced parkinsonism present itself?
Tends to occur a few weeks after starting one of the following medications:
Chlorpromazine, haloperidol, lithium, valproic acid, metoclopramide.
If patient has been taking 1 of these medications for a while, it is unlikely to be the cause.
What is metabolic syndrome?
A condition that includes a cluster of risk factors specific for cardiovascular disease.
The cluster of metabolic factors include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, impaired fasting glucose, high triglyceride levels, and low HDL cholesterol levels.
What group of medications leads to metabolic syndrome (risk factors for CVD)?
Atypical (2nd gen) antipsychotics
What is akathisia?
Restlessness, particularly in the legs.
What are acute dystonic reactions?
Acute dystonic reactions are involuntary spasms that begin early after exposure to antipsychotics (hours to days).
What features does a total anterior circulation stroke require for diagnosis?
A total anterior circulation stroke requires all of the following for diagnosis:
- Unilateral weakness +/ sensory deficit of face, arm and leg
- Homogenous hemianopia
- Higher cerebral dysfunction (dysphagia - difficulty swallowing)
What features does a partial anterior circulation stroke require for diagnosis?
A partial anterior circulation stroke requires 2/3 of the following for diagnosis:
- Unilateral weakness +/ sensory deficit of face, arm and leg
- Homogenous hemianopia
- Higher cerebral dysfunction (dysphagia- difficulty swallowing)
What are the features required for a posterior circulation stroke?
A posterior circulation syndrome stroke requires one of the following:
- Cranial nerve palsy and contralateral motor/sensory deficit
- Bilateral motor/sensory deficits
- Eye movement disorder
- Cerebellar dysfunction
- Isolated homonymous hemianopia
What are the features required for a lacunar stroke?
A lacunar syndrome stroke requires one of the following:
- Pure sensory stroke
- Pure motor stroke
- Ataxic hemiparesis
- Sensorymotor stroke
What are the features of a lacunar stroke?
present with either isolated hemiparesis, hemisensory loss or hemiparesis with limb ataxia
strong association with hypertension
common sites include the basal ganglia, thalamus and internal capsule
What is isolated hemiparesis?
Isolated hemiparesis refers to weakness or partial paralysis affecting one side of the body, typically involving the arm, leg, and sometimes the face, on the same side.
Isolated hemiparesis means that weakness is the primary symptom, without other significant neurological deficits such as sensory loss, visual disturbances, or altered mental status.
What is ataxic hemiparesis?
Ataxic hemiparesis is a condition characterized by weakness on one side of the body combined with incoordination of movements, resulting in difficulties with walking, balance, and fine motor tasks.
Features of a pure sensory stroke?
Primary Symptom: Loss or impairment of sensation.
Motor Function: Remains intact; no weakness or paralysis.
Cause: Typically due to ischemia affecting sensory pathways or cortex.
Presentation: Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation on one side of the body.
Common Associated Stroke Type: Lacunar stroke (small vessel infarction).
Features of pure motor stroke?
Primary Symptom: Weakness or paralysis.
Sensory Function: Remains intact; no loss of sensation.
Cause: Usually caused by ischemia affecting motor pathways or cortex.
Presentation: Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, often affecting face, arm, and/or leg.
Common Associated Stroke Type: Large vessel stroke (occlusion of major cerebral artery).
What muscles of the hand are supplied by the median nerve (Mnemonic: LOAF)?
Lateral two lumbricals
Opponens pollicis
Abductor pollicis brevis
Flexor pollicis brevis
What is the main presentation for oligodendrocytoma?
Seizures
Also present with headaches and blurred vision (from raised ICP).
Where in the brain do oligodendrocytes commonly occur?
Commonly occur in the frontal lobe.
What is the histological appearance for oligodendrocytoma?
A fried egg appearance can be seen on histology (regular cells with spherical nuclei containing finely granular chromatin surrounded by a halo of cytoplasm).
What is the most common brain tumour type?
Astrocytoma
Grade 1 usually affects children
Features of pituitary carcinoma?
Presents with bilateral hemianopia and panhypopituitarism (pale, no axillary hair)
Features of schwannoma?
A schwannoma tends to present with bilateral conductive hearing loss and is associated with the condition neurofibromatosis (specifically neurofibromatosis type 2).
What is seen on histology of myeloma?
Clear cells (the tumour cells contained cytoplasmic vacuoles that produced a clear histologic appearance).
When does brain herniation occur?
Brain herniation occurs when an uncontrolled raised ICP causes brain tissue to shift from its normal position inside the skull.
What can brain herniation lead to?
This can lead to compression of arteries, nerves or key structures depending on where the herniation occurs within the brain.
What is uncal herniation?
When the temporal lobe herniates posteriorly. It can impinge on the 3rd cranial nerve causing 3rd nerve palsy.
An example feature of 3rd nerve palsy is a fixed, dilated pupil known as “blown out pupils”.
What is a subflacine herniation?
Occurs when one half of the cerebrum herniates across the midline.
It can cause compression of the anterior cerebral artery and lead to motor and/or sensory weakness.
What is a cerebellar tonsillar herniation?
Occurs when the cerebellum moves inferiorly and compresses the medulla which can lead to respiratory distress and death.
What is a central herniation?
Occurs when the central part of the brain is inferiorly compressed towards the brainstem.
What is a transcalverial herniation?
Transcalverial herniation is where there is a defect within the skull and a part of the brain herniates out through that opening.
What is first line treatment for an absence seizure?
Usually ethosuximide or sodium valproate.
Sodium valproate usually contraindicated in women of childbearing age during to teratogenic effects.
What is first line treatment for generalised treatment for tonic-clonic seizure?
Sodium valproate or lamotrigine.
Lamotrigine used particularly in women of childbearing age.
What is second line treatment for generalised tonic clonic seizure?
Levetiracetam or topiramate
What is first line treatment for myoclonic seizure?
Sodium valproate
What is second line treatment for myoclonic seizure?
Levetiracetam
What is first line treatment for a focal seizure?
Lamotrigine/carbamazepine
What is second line treatment for a focal seizure?
Sodium valproate if patient is male or is female and unable to have children.
What is a focal seizure?
Partial seizures (or focal seizures) occur in an isolated brain area, often in the temporal lobes.
They affect hearing, speech, memory and emotions.
Patients remain awake during partial seizures.
What is the clinical presentation for a focal seizure?
Varies depending on the location of the abnormal electrical activity:
Déjà vu
Strange smells, tastes, sight or sound sensations
Unusual emotions
Abnormal behaviours
Difference between tonic and atonic seizure?
Tonic seizures involve a sudden onset of increased muscle tone, where the entire body stiffens. This results in a fall if the patient is standing, usually backwards. They last only a few seconds, or at most a few minutes.
Atonic seizures (causing “drop attacks”) involve a sudden loss of muscle tone, often resulting in a fall. They last only briefly, and patients are usually aware during the episodes. They often begin in childhood.
What are the side-effects that could occur with SSRI’s?
Throbbing headache, nausea, and vomiting. Worst in the morning and improved by standing up.
What are some additional side-effects of SSRI’s?
Other side effects include reduces libido, vivid dreams, transient increase in suicidal thoughts and increased anxiety.
What type of drug is mirtazapine?
Atypical antidepressant
Why is mirtazapine sometimes used alongside SSRI’s?
Can be used in addition to SSRIs to block the side effects of SSRIs and therefore is a good additional pharmacological option.
What type of drugs are amitriptyline and imipramine?
Tricyclic antidepressants
Venlafaxine and duloxetine are examples of SSRI’s. True/false?
False
They are SNRI’s (serotonin and noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors).
What type of drug is imipramine and what are some of the side-effects associated with it?
Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant
Has associated anticholinergic side-effects:
Dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, bowel obstruction, dilated pupils, blurred vision, increased heart rate, and decreased sweating
What are some anticholinergic side-effects?
“Can’t pee, can’t see, can’t spit, can’t sh*t”
Urinary retention
Blurred vision
Dry mouth
Constipation
Mirtazapine is an atypical antidepressant, how does it work and what side-effect can it cause?
Acts as an antagonist to the presynaptic alpha-2-adrenergic receptors leading to an increased release of serotonin and norepinephrine.
It does not cause anti-cholinergic side effects but does cause weight gain
What are monoamine oxidase inhibitors?
A class of drugs that inhibit the activity of monoamine oxidase enzymes, which are responsible for breaking down neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) in the brain.
What are the 2 types of monoamine oxidase inhibitors?
Monoamine oxidase A and monoamine oxidase B inhibitors