Key concepts week 3

Question 1

FASD

Answer 1

• spectrum of disorders from prenatal alcohol exposure
• smaller brain
• learning difficulties, low IQ, hyperactivity, social difficulties
• severity depends on timing, amount and pattern of intake
• Alcohol inhibits potassium channel Kir2.1

Question 2

MS

Answer 2

• autoimmune demyelinating disease = motor/sensory dysfunction
• symptom: loss of sensation, blurred vision etc.
• causes: viral, bacterial, genetics
• norther europe - vitamin d deficiency

Question 3

Motor disorders

Motor disorders

Answer 3

Basal ganglia dysfunction

Question 4

Motor disorders

Hyperkinetic disorders: Huntington’s

Answer 4

• autosomal dominant
• chorea, cognitive and psychiatric decline
• GABA and ACh neuron loss

Question 5

Motor disorders

Hyperkinetic disorders: Tourette’s

Answer 5

• motor and vocal tics (echolalia, coprolalia)

Question 6

Motor disorders

Hypokinetic disorder: Parkinson’s

Answer 6

• positive symptoms = tremor at rest, muscular rigidity, involuntary movements
• negative symptoms = postural/righting/locomotive disorders, speech disturbances and akinesia
• dopamine loss
• causes: drug-induced, toxins etc.
• cognitive and psychological symptoms like dementia

Question 7

Alzheimers

Answer 7

• neocortical atrophy
• Amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, dendritic loss
• Symptoms: early = memory loss, later = recognition, orientation etc.
• Early age = diffuse atrophy, less hippocampal damage.
• Later age = more hippocampal damage