Lecture 1 Flashcards
Which 2 structures are the most tube-like parts of the nervous system?
The spinal cord and mid brain
What are the 4 methods of studying neuroscience?
Anatomy (sliver staining), recording (squid used to record all or nothing action potential), stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation or electrical stimulation) and lesions.
If patient presents with one leg weak and one leg numb, what would be the most appropriate diagnosis?
Brown-Séquard syndrome
What causes Brown-Séquard syndrome?
Hemicord lesion on the side of the weakness. UMN-type weakness below the lesion is a result of damage to the corticospinal tract (ipsilateral to the lesion) and the loss of sensation is a result of damage to the spinothalamic tract (contralateral to the lesion).
Where does the corticospinal tract decussate?
Medulla
Where does the spinothalamic tract decussate?
The level of the spinal cord
If a patient presents with eyelid droop and an inability to close their eyes what is the most likely diagnosis?
Eyelid droop is usually due to weakness in levator palpebrae superioris (muscle which lifts the eyelid). Inability to close the eyes is due to weakness in orbicularis oculi. These muscles have different nerve supplies (III and VII respectively). Therefore a single nerve lesion will not explain this presentation. More diffuse problem; myasthenia gravis is a likely example!
What is ptosis?
Drooping of the upper eyelid.
What type of disease is myasthenia gravis?
Long-term neuromuscular disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. Autoimmune disease which blocks nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the NMJ.
What symptoms might you expect in a patient with myasthenia gravis?
Most commonly affects muscles of the eyes, face and swallowing. May lead to ptosis, diplopia, dysphagia, facial weakness, dysarthria and hypophonia.
If a patient presents with slowness of movement in both hands what is the most likely diagnosis?
Slowness of movement is localised to basal ganglia. The involvement of both hands implied disease to the basal ganglia bilaterally indicating it cannot be a focal lesion.Therefore it is more likely to be a neurodegenerative disease process with a predilection for the nigrostriatal projections in the basal ganglia –> Parkinson’s disease
What are the 3 spatial types of neurological disease?
- A focal lesion (at a particular site).
- A diffuse disease affecting one type of tissue.
- A disease of a neural system or of multiple neural systems (i.e. degenerative diseases).
Name 5 types of disease in neurology.
Any of there • Traumatic/toxic
• Vascular (stroke)
• Infective (meningitis)
• Inflammatory/immune (myasthenia gravis)
• Developmental
• Neoplastic (swelling/squeezing the brain)
• Degenerative (especially common in the nervous system)
• Congenital
Name a type of neurological disease which occurs suddenly, chronically and intermittently.
Sudden –> Vascular/trauma
Chronic –> Degenerative/neoplasia
Intermittent –> epilepsy/headaches
