Brain damage and neurodegeneration Flashcards
(20 cards)
List some types of brain injury
Congenital and acquired
Traumatic versus non traumatic
Closed vs open head
Discuss congenital brain injuries
Born with these conditions.
Usually genetic factors - e.g pre natal / birth related
Discuss acquired injuries
Things that we do that cause brain injury
Can be traumatic or non traumatic.
What is a non traumatic
Happens over a eriod of time, not sudden. Can be a short or long period of time.
What is a traumatic brain injury
Occurs suddenly
What are two of the causes of stroke
- cerebreal haemorrhage
-cerebral ischaemia
What is cerebral haemorrhage
-blood comes in contact with neurons, which is bas because its toxic to neural tissue
-results from an aneurism
what is cerebral ischaemia
due to lack of oxygen and/or glucose
-leads to excitotoxicity and neuronal cell death
-cause by interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain due to blockage of a blood vessel
What is a closed head injury
No penetration to the skull
What is an open head injury
Refers to when the skull does not remain intact
Objects penetrating the skull enter the brain
E.g Phinneas Gage
Give examples of neurodegenerative brain disease
parkinson’s disease, alzheimer’s, dementia
Give a brief overview of Alzheimer’s disease
-diffuse changes in brain structure and volume associated with widespread neuronal loss
Predominantly cognitive symptoms
Associated with the loss of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Briefly discuss parkinson’s disease
Loss of a single type of neuron in a specific brain region
Predominantly motor symptoms
Associated with the loss of the neurotransmitter dopamine
Summarise some common symptoms of parkinsons
paucity of spotaneous movement
bradykinesia (slow)
akinesia - no movement
increased muscle tone/ridgity
Resting temir
Shuffling gate and flexed posture
Impaired balance
Why do the symptoms of parkinson’s occur?
Deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine
Deficiency of dopamine in the striatum/basal ganlglia
Inhibits motor control.
Boost of dopamine is stopped in parkinsons
Excessive inhibitory output causes parkinson’s symptoms
Treatments of Parkinsons
-replace the lost dopamine
-e.g levo dopa, apomorphine, deprenyl, cannabis
-lesion
-deep brain stimulation
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Memory loss, selective decline, deficits in attention and personality changes, confusion, anxiety and irritability, swallowing and bladder control
Neuropathology of Alzheimer’s
Accumalation of protein called amyloid.
Enzymes break off amyloid
Becomes beta-amyloid plaque
Neurofibrillary tangles
Protein called tau, helps to support microtubules. Tau can get in muddle/tangled
Genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s
Chromosome 21
Apolipoprotein
3 common alleles: E2, E3, E4
