Clinical Boxes In Reading

Question 1

Excess Glutamate levels pathology

Answer 1

1. Can happen after a stroke
2. Cerebral artery occlusion
   Can create ischemia and cell death.

Excess Na+ prevent astrocytes from clearing the glutamate from penumbra.

This can contribute to ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.

Question 2

Lambert-Eaton Syndrome (LEMS)

Answer 2

Muscle weakness caused by an auto-immune attack against a voltage gated Ca2+ channel at the NMJ.
Primarily the proximal muscles of lower extremities are affected. Causes waddling gait, and difficulty raising the arms.

Question 3

Mysasthenia Gravis

Answer 3

Skeletal muscles are weak and tire easily. Occurs in 25-125 of every one million people. Caused by circulating antibodies to the skeletal muscle type of nicotinic cholinergic receptors.

(Antibodies destroy receptors. Treated with Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and immunosuppressant like prednisone)

Question 4

Long QT Syndrome

Answer 4

Can lead to irregular heartbeats, fainting, seizure, cardiac arrest and even death. Caused mostly by mutations in cardiac expressed voltage gated K+ genes and Na+ genes.