Lecture #13

Question 1

how does the weight of the brain change

Answer 1

The brain weighs around 350 g at birth and increases to around 1,375 g by the age of 20.

Question 2

when does the largest increase of brain weight occur

Answer 2

The largest increase in brain weight takes place in the first three years of life

Question 3

when does Brain weight starts to decline ?

Answer 3

Brain weight starts to decline between the ages of 45 - 50

Question 4

by how much does the brain weight decrease

Answer 4

and decreases by around 11 per cent from its maximal weight in young adulthood.

Question 5

what area of the brain do you see the most brain changes

Answer 5

Changes are most prominent in the forebrain and less so in the cerebellum - the area at the back of the brain mainly responsible for balance and movement.

Question 6

what is the ration of grey to white matter in an adult brain

Answer 6

In the young brain the ratio of gray to white matter is 1:28 and this declines to around 1:13 in the brains of people in their sixties.

Question 7

name 2 reasons for brain shrinkage

Answer 7

Mutations and chromosome anomalies accumulate with age.

Errors in the duplication of DNA increases with age.
Because of random damage due to wear and tear, radiation effects, etc..

Question 8

name 3 factors of the brain that are associated with aging

Answer 8

Brain weight may decrease.
Some neurons may reduce in number thr. Cell death.

Enzymes that synthesize transmitters (DA, Ach, NoreEP) decrease with age.

Question 9

what are 2 areas of the brain that shrink

Answer 9

Prefrontal cortex shrinks.

Hippocampus shrinks

Question 10

what can happen if white matter is reduced

Answer 10

In some regions white matter is reduced, degraded. Thus, communication problems might occur

Question 11

T/f blood flow in the brain is associated with aging

Answer 11

We also observe changes in the blood vessels of the brain, blood flow may be reduced

Question 12

does inflammation of the brain increase or decrease during aging

Answer 12

Inflammation increases:

is a process that occurs when the body responds to an injury, disease, and abnormal situation.

Question 13

name this : Clinical syndrome in elderly people that involves loss of memory and cognitive impairments that interferes with social and occupational functioning

Answer 13

Senile Dementia

Question 14

what are the 2 abnormalities that are associated with senile dementia

Answer 14

Two abnormalities: memory loss & impairments cognition;

Question 15

t/f language, problem solving, judgment, attention, calculation, perception are characteristic of senile dementia

Answer 15

true

Question 16

what are the 2 hallmark aspects of alzheimers

Answer 16

Neurofibrillary tangles & senile plagues in the neocortex and hippocampus

Question 17

what is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly?

Answer 17

AD is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.

Question 18

how many people over 65 yrs does alzehiemers affect

Answer 18

It affects ~ 7% of people over 65 yrs

Question 19

how many people over 80 does alzheimers affect

Answer 19

~40% of people over 80 yrs.

Question 20

name 3 areas of the brain that AD affects

Answer 20

: Neocortex,
amygdala,
hippocampus,

Question 21

what cells are most affect in the neocortex and entorhinal area ?

Answer 21

The cells mostly affected are
glutaminergic pyramidal neurons.
In neocortex interneurons are also degenerate.

Question 22

in the hippocampus what cells are damaged

Answer 22

Pyramidal cells in CA1 & CA2 region

are damaged.

Question 23

in affected cells what is altered

Answer 23

In affected cells the cytoskeleton is altered

Question 24

what is tau

Answer 24

tau, a microtubule-binding protein,

Question 25

what can happen if cyto skeleton is messed up

Answer 25

Disturbances in cytoskeleton will impair axonal transport and compromise synaptic input and viability of neurons.

Question 26

what happens to cells whose cytoskeleton is messed up

Answer 26

The affected cells will die and extracellular neurofibrillary are left behind.

Question 27

fun fact 8)

Answer 27

As neurons die, the synaptic input in regions of the brain critical for normal cognitive and memory function are lost.

Question 28

what is responsible for amaloid deposted in the cns

Answer 28

Neuronal APP is the source of Aβ amyloid deposited in the CNS in AD patients

Question 29

where are the 3 places that app is located

Answer 29

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is present in the dendrites, cell bodies, and axons of neurons.

Question 30

what does accumulation of beta amaloid cause

Answer 30

amaloid plaques

Question 31

what does accumulation of hyperphosphoralated tau cause

Answer 31

neurofibrillary tangles

Question 32

t/f traumatic brain injury is associated with alzheimers

Answer 32

true

Question 33

what kind of depression is especially assoicated with alzheimers

Answer 33

early life

Question 34

is anger assoctiated with mild , modertate or severe AD

Answer 34

moderate

Question 35

Difficulty tasks that require multiple steps; getting dressed, making coffee is associated with mild , mod or severe

Answer 35

moderate

Question 36

do ventricles get bigger or smaller in these patients

Answer 36

larger

Question 37

AD patients cannot communicate or recognize family members. | is this mild mod or severe

Answer 37

severe

Question 38

what is the main cause of death

Answer 38

The main cause of death is aspiration pneumonia. | This is developed when a person is not able to swallow properly and takes food or liquid into the lunges instead of air.

Question 39

what is parkinsons disease marked by

Answer 39

is a slowly progressive neurological disorder marked by tremors, rigidity, and unsteadiness,

Question 40

what percent of parkinsons patients get parkinsons

Answer 40

and can cause dementia in 20 to 60 percent of cases.

Question 41

what does hungtingings disease look like

Answer 41

An inherited progressive disease where memory problems worsen over time, along with personality changes, and mood difficulties

Question 42

when does alzheimers tend to occur

Answer 42

Can happen in middles age with early onset., but most cases are after age 65, late onset. and increases with age.

Question 43

what neurotransmitter plays an important role in AD

Answer 43

Glutamate, (main one, DA may also play a role)

Question 44

What is the purpose of cholinesterase inhbitors

Answer 44

Prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for learning and memory.

Question 45

what vitamin is asociated with AD

Answer 45

High doses of Vitamin E in combination with drug to reduce cognitive changes associated with AD

Question 46

what are the 3 cholinesterase inhibotrs

Answer 46

Donepezil, Ricastigmine , Galatamine

Question 47

what med is used for all stages of AD

Answer 47

Donepezil

Question 48

what was the 1st cholesrase inhibitor

Answer 48

tacrine

Question 49

what is the function of memantine

Answer 49

regulates the activity of glutamate

Question 50

what does memantine protect brain cells against

Answer 50

Memantine protects brain cells against excess glutamate, which is released in large amounts by cells damaged by Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.