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Year 3 MedEd > Neuro1 > Flashcards

Flashcards in Neuro1 Deck (87)
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1
Q

What is multiple sclerosis?

A

A chronic inflammatory multifocal, demyelinating disease of the CNS with unknown cause, leading to loss of myelin, and oligodendroglial and axonal pathology

2
Q

What are the symptoms of MS?

A

Optic neuritis
Motor weakness
Sensory disturbances
Fatigue

Depends on the location of demyelination

3
Q

What are the signs of MS?

A
Retrobulbar neuritis
Papillitis
Diplopia
Nystagmus
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia
Intention tremor/ataxia/dysmetria
Lhermitte's sign
4
Q

What are the features of retrobulbar neuritis?

A

Pt reports blindness
Fundoscopy shows no abnormality
(Pt sees nothing, Dr sees nothing)

5
Q

What are the features of papillitis?

A

Hyperaemia and oedema of the optic disc

6
Q

What are the features of internuclear ophthalmoplegia

A

The affected eye has an inability to adduct and the contralateral eye can abduct, but with nystagmus
Pt will complain of horizontal diplopia

7
Q

What is Lhermitte’s sign?

A

Shock radiating down spine upon neck flexion

8
Q

What is the epidemiology of MS?

A

Latitude effect (more prevalent in higher latitude)

9
Q

What are the risk factors of MS?

A

Psoriasis/AI conditions

HLA DLR B1*15

10
Q

What are the types of MS?

A

Relapsing-remitting MS
Primary progressive MS
Secondary progressive MS

11
Q

What is relapsing-remitting MS?

A

The patient will have symptomatic episodes of MS, whilst feeling fine between relapses

12
Q

What is primary progressive MS?

A

There is a constant progression of worsening symptoms

13
Q

What is secondary progressive MS?

A

The Pt starts off as RRMS, but developings into PPMS

14
Q

What are the investigations for MS?

A

Clinical Hx/Exam
MRI
CSF
VEPs

15
Q

How is MS diagnosed?

A

Need to tick the following:

  • absence of alternative diagnosis
  • disseminated in time
  • disseminated in space
16
Q

Which contrast is beneficial for an MRI scan of a MS Pt?

A

Gadolinium

17
Q

What should you expect to find in the CSF for MS?

A

Oligoclonal bands in the CSF, but not in the serum

18
Q

What is myasthenia gravis?

A

Antibodies in the neuromuscular junction, preventing the binding of ACh to its receptor

19
Q

What are the 2 common types of myasthenia gravis antibodies?

A

AChR antibody

MuSK antibody

20
Q

What are the symptoms of myasthenia gravis?

A
Muscles fatigue with use
Ptosis
Diplopia
Dysarthria
Dysphagia
SOB
21
Q

What are the signs of myasthenia gravis?

A

Fatiguable muscles

Normal reflexes

22
Q

What is the epidemiology of myasthenia gravis?

A

Common in women<40 and men>60

23
Q

What are the investigations of myasthenia gravis?

A

Bloods: anti-AChR, anti-MuSK
EMG
CT/MRI (for thyoma)

24
Q

What are the complications of myasthenia gravis?

A

Thymic hyperplasia- 70%

Thyoma- 10%

25
Q

What is Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome?

A

Muscle weakness with improvement on use

26
Q

What are the symptoms of LEMS?

A

Difficulty walking
Weakness in upper arm/shoulder
Similar to MG symptoms
Dry mouth, constipation, incontinence (autonomic)

27
Q

What are the signs of LEMS?

A

Muscles get better with use

Hyporeflexia

28
Q

What pathologies are associated with LEMS?

A

Small cell lung cancer- LEMS can be a paraneoplastic syndrome
Autoimmune conditions

29
Q

What are the investigations for LEMS?

A

Bloods: anti-VGCC
EMG
CT/MRI

30
Q

What is motor neurone disease (AKA amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)?

A

Chronic neurodegenerative condition causing muscle wasting, paralysis, and death

31
Q

What are the symptoms of MND?

A

Progressive muscle weakness
Impaired swallowing and speech (bulbar signs)
Spastic weakness and paralysis in skeletal muscle
Respiratory failure (weak intercostals)
Sparing of the oculomotor, sensory, and autonomic function (aka bowel, bladder, sexual function intact)

32
Q

Does MND present with UMN or LMN signs?

A

Both UMN and LMN signs

33
Q

What are the signs of MND?

A

UMN signs
LMN signs
Wasting of thenar muscles
Wasting of bulbar muscles of the tongue

34
Q

What is the cause of MND?

A

Ubiquinated proteins in the motor neurons kills the cells
Leads to death of corticospinal tracts
97% of Pts have ubiquitin inclusions positive for TDP-43

35
Q

What are the investigations for MND?

A

Clinical diagnosis
Can do the following:
EMG, CT/MRI, B12/folate, HIV, Lyme disease seroloy
These are done to rule out other causes

36
Q

What are the 4 types of MND?

A

Progressive muscular atrophy
Progressive bulbar palsy
Pseudobulbar palsy
Primary lateral sclerosis

37
Q

Which nerves are affected in progressive muscular atrophy and what is the typical presentation?

A

LMN only

LMN signs only- flail arm/foot syndrome

38
Q

Which nerves are affected in progressive bulbar palsy

and what is the typical presentation?

A

CN XI-XII
Flacid fasciculations of tongue
Absent jaw jerk
Nasal voice (Donald Duck)

39
Q

Which nerves are affected in pseudobulbar palsy

and what is the typical presentation?

A

UMN lesion of CN IX-XII
Slow tongue movements
Hyper-reflexic jaw jerk
“Hot potato” speech

40
Q

Which nerves are affected in primary lateral sclerosis and what is the typical presentation?

A
Loss of Betz cells in motor cortex, mainly UMN
UMN weakness pattern
Brisk reflexes
Extensor plantar respones
No LMN signs
41
Q

What are the types of Parkinsonism?

A

Parkinson’s disease
Drug induced
Atypical Parkinsonisms

42
Q

What is Parkinson’s disease?

A

Loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta in the midbrain

43
Q

What are the clinical features of Parkinson’s?

A

Classic Parkinsonism triad + 6 M’s:

  • Monotonous hypotonic speech
  • Micrographia
  • hypoMimesis
  • March a petit pas
  • Misery- depression
  • Memory loss- dementia

Cogwheel rigidity, postural instability, lack of arm swinging

44
Q

What is the classic Parkinsonism triad?

A

Resting tremor
Bradykinesia
Rigidity

45
Q

What are the causes of drug induced Parkinsonism?

A

Drugs that lower dopamine levels

  • antipsychotics
  • antiemetics
46
Q

What is the cause of Parkinson’s disease?

A

Misfolds of alpha-synuclein accumulate to form Lewy bodies/neurites
This eventually triggers cell death

47
Q

The damage to which pathway causes the motor symptoms in Parkinson’s?

A

Nigrostriatal

The striatum is required for smooth function movement, and inhibition of oppositional movement

48
Q

The damage to which pathway causes the cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s?

A

Mesolimbic and mesocortical

49
Q

What are the risk factors for Parkinson’s?

A

Male 4:1
Aging
FHx

50
Q

What are the types of atypical Parkinsonism’s?

A
Multiple system atrophy
Progressive supranuclear palsy
Corticobasal degeneration
Vascular Parkinson's
Lewy body dementia
51
Q

What is multiple system atrophy?

A

Collective term for 3 conditions
Cerebellar and cortical atrophy
Papp-Lantos bodies

52
Q

What is progressive supranuclear palsy?

A

Early postular instability and vertical gaze palsy

53
Q

What is corticobasal degeneration?

A

Alien limb phenomenon

Pt is unaware of moving their limb

54
Q

What is vascular Parkinson’s?

A

Caused by a stroke
Legs particularly affected
Gait worse than tremor

55
Q

What is Lewy body dementia?

A

Early dementia and visual hallucinations

Due to Lewy body deposition in the cortex

56
Q

What is Parkinson’s disease dementia?

A

Very similar to Lewy body dementia
Differential- dementia develops many years after the onset of motor symptoms

Amnestic, language deficits
Visuospatial dysfunction
Hallucinations
Fluctuations
Aggression/anxiety
57
Q

What is dementia?

A

Severe loss of memory and other cognitive abilities which leads to impaired daily function, regardless of the underlying cause

58
Q

What is the main risk factor for dementia?

A

Age

59
Q

What are the typical signs of Alzheimer’s?

A
Amnesia- remembering
Anomia- naming
Apraxia- doing
Agnosia- recognising
Aphasia- speaking

+/-depression
+/-paranoid delusions

60
Q

What is the main investigation for Alzheimer’s and what will the result be?

A

MRI head

Visual atrophy of the cortex and medial temporal lobes (where the hippocampi are located)

61
Q

What is the cause of Alzheimer’s?

A

Amyloid precursor protein usually spliced by alpha and gamma secretase
In Alzheimers, beta secretase replaces alpha secretase
Product is insoluble (amyloid beta)
Forms beta amyloid plaques, which can impair brain function
Microtubules in the neuron contains Tau
Tau proteins get phosphorylated, clumping together, forming neurofibrillary tangles

62
Q

What may be seen in histology of an Alzheimer’s brain?

A
Extrcellular plaques (B amyloid)
Neurofibrillary tangles (hyperphosphorylated Tau)
Neuronal and synaptic loss
63
Q

What are the risk factors for Alzheimer’s?

A
Age
DM/BP/dyslipidaemia/diet
Female 2:1
APOE gene
Autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease
Down syndrome
Trauma (chronic traumatic encephalopathy)
64
Q

What are the investigations for Alzheimer’s?

A

Clinical diagnosis
CSF: tau and beta mayloid
Imaging: CT/MRI/PET
Require brain tissue sample for definitive diagnosis

65
Q

What are the risk factors for vascular dementia?

A

Any cardiovascular risk factor:
eg. smoking, exercise etc
Female>male
Elderly

66
Q

What is the presentation of vascular dementia?

A
Sudden onset
Step-wise deterioration
Location specific deficits
Focal neurology
Emotional/personality changes
67
Q

What will an MRI show in a Pt with vascular dementia?

A

Haemosiderin deposition

68
Q

What is Pick’s disease?

A

The most common form of fronto-temporal dementia

Involves Tau but not amyloid beta

69
Q

What is the presentation of Pick’s disease?

A
Personality change
Disinhibition
Overeating, preference for sweet foods
Emotional blunting
Relative preservation of memory
70
Q

What are the risk factors of Pick’s disease?

A

40-60yrs

FHx

71
Q

What is Wernicke’s encephalopathy?

A

Acute presentation of neurocognitive manifestations due to a thiamine/B1 deficiency, commonly due to XS alcohol

72
Q

What is the classic triad of Wernicke’s?

A

Ataxia
Confusion
Eye signs (ophthalmoplegia., nystagmus, diplopia, ptosis)

73
Q

What are the investigations for Wernicke’s?

A

Bloods- albumin, B12
ECG
CT

74
Q

What is the management for Wernicke’s?

A

Pabrinex

75
Q

What are the clinical features of Korsakoff’s psychosis?

A

Chronic presentation
Pt is alert
Amnesia and confabulation

76
Q

What is Huntington’s disease?

A

Autosomal dominant mutation of the Hungtingtin gene (HTT) causing CAG repeats

77
Q

What are the symptoms of Huntington’s?

A

Motor:

  • chorea
  • athetosis (writhing movement of the hands)
  • ataxia
  • dysphagia

Cognitive:

  • lack of concentration
  • depression
  • dementia
  • personality changes, aggression
78
Q

What will you see on an MRI of a Pt with Huntington’s?

A

Global atrophy of the brain

79
Q

How many CAG repeats are needed for a Pt to be guaranteed to develop Huntington’s?

A

40+

80
Q

A 28 year old Norwegian woman presents to A&E after she was unable to feel the hot water on her left leg whilst taking a bath. CSF analysis demonstrated oligoclonal bands that were unmatched with the serum. Which of the following would most likely confirm a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis?

A. Multiple lesions on MRI that all enhanced with gadolinium
B. The patient’s symptoms reoccur 1 year later
C. The patient develops blurry vision in one eye a year later
D. The patient reports blurry vision currently
E. A 1 year follow up finds oligoclonal bands matched with the serum

A

C. The patient develops blurry vision in one eye a year later

81
Q

A 40 year old woman visits her GP complaining of tiredness. On questioning, she reports getting tired when climbing the stairs or during a conversation. She often has to stop what she is doing to regain her energy. The GP asks her to look upwards, and after a few seconds she begins to develop ptosis. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Iron Deficiency Anaemia
B. Myasthenia Gravis
C. Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome
D. Carcinoma 
E. Horner’s Syndrome
A

B. Myasthenia Gravis

82
Q

A 50 year old man visits his GP complaining of weakness in his right arm. He reports the weakness has gradually developed over the last 2 months. On inspection, the GP notices wasting of his tongue and hyper-reflexia. His right arm is rigid. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Stroke
B. Multiple Sclerosis  
C. Parkinson’s disease
D. Motor Neuron Disease
E. Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
A

D. Motor Neuron Disease

83
Q

A 70 year man is referred to a neurologist by his GP. The referral letter notes that the man has slowly been struggling to get around and carry out basic activities like cooking dinner, finding he struggles to initiate movement. The letter also notes that the patient has a resting tremor and rigid upper arms. When the neurologist calls the patient into the room, what gait does he expect the patient to most likely have?

A. Ataxic 
B. Hemiplegic
C. Shuffling 
D. Scissor 
E. Choreiform
A

C. Shuffling

84
Q

A 55 year old gentleman is accompanied to the GP by his daughter. She is distressed that ‘something’s happened to Dad, he’s changed …’. It transpires that he has started swearing at people in the street and flirting with all the women he meets. He is able to chat to you about current events and his favourite sport team’s latest match. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Pick’s disease
B. Lewy body dementia
C. Vascular dementia
D. Alzheimer’s dementia
E. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
A

A. Pick’s disease

85
Q

You are called to see a 40 year old man in A&E. You try to take a history but the man in confused and unable to tell you much. On examination he has numerous spider naevi on his chest, an ataxic gait and nystagmus. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Multiple Sclerosis
B. Motor Neuron Disease
C. Korsakoff’s syndrome
D. Wernicke’s Encephalopathy 
E. Head trauma
A

D. Wernicke’s Encephalopathy

86
Q

A 40 year old man starts to make random jerky movements at points throughout the day. Worried about this, he visits his GP. Upon questioning, he informs the GP that his father died in his 40s, but he was too young to remember why, although he did have similar symptoms. What test should be arranged?

A. FBC
B. Karyotyping 
C. Whole genome sequencing 
D. CAG repeat testing
E. MRI head
A

D. CAG repeat testing

87
Q

A 70 year old man has confusion and falls, worsening over nearly 1 year. There is no history of vascular disease. Examination shows bradykinesia, resting tremor, and a shuffling gait. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Parkinson’s Disease
B. Alzheimer’s Disease
C. Frontotemporal Dementia
D. Vascular Dementia

A

A. Parkinson’s Disease