Neurological Disorders

Question 1

what changes in the brain lead to brain disorders

Answer 1

changes in information processing and transmission leading to changes in thoughts, behavior and feelings

Question 2

old framework that is too simplistic of brain disorders

Answer 2

too much or too little neurotransmitter in the brain

Question 3

how can we treat certain neurological disorders

Answer 3

targeting treatment to specific circuits and networks altered by the disorder

Question 4

2 types of brain disorders

Answer 4

mental and neurological

Question 5

general neural mech of different disorders

Answer 5

disorders are linked to specific brain circuits

Question 6

types of non invasive treatments

Answer 6

cognitive interventions, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial current stimulation

Question 7

cognitive intervention

Answer 7

talk therapy; sensing, thinking and acting to activate specific circuits

Question 8

transcranial magnetic stimulation

Answer 8

use magnetic fields (from coil on scalp) to affect cells

Question 9

transcranial current stimulation

Answer 9

uses electric currents (electrones on head) to affect cells

Question 10

limitation of non invasive transcranial magnetic and current stimulation techniques

Answer 10

poor spatial resolution (the ability of a technique to distinguish between two different locations in the brain)

Question 11

types of invasive treatments

Answer 11

cell transplantation, deep brain stimulation, pharmacogenetics, optogenetics

Question 12

cell transplantation treatment

Answer 12

replace damaged cells using embryonic or stem cells

Question 13

deep brain stimulation

Answer 13

electrical stimulation; can perturb or enhance activity in a brain area

Question 14

pharmacogenetics treatment

Answer 14

targeted delivery of specific genes to re-program cells

Question 15

optogenetics treatment

Answer 15

use virus with light sensitive proteins to introduce light sensitive ion channels into cells; neuron activity can be manipulated by light

Question 16

what class of disease is parkinson’s disease

Answer 16

movement and cerebellar disorder; motor system disorder

Question 17

parkinson’s disease symptoms (4 main motor symptoms)

Answer 17

• tremor (arms, hands, legs, jaw, face)
• rigidity (limbs and trunk)
• bradykinesia (slow movements)
  -postural instability (poor balance and coordination)

Question 18

additional parkinson’s symptoms

Answer 18

emotional disturbances like depression, difficulty talking chewing and swallowing,, constipation, urinary problems, sleep disruptions, skin problems

Question 19

what demographic does parkinson’s usually effect

Answer 19

people over 50

Question 20

cause of parkinson’s disease

Answer 20

loss of dopamine producing cells (pars compacta)

Question 21

part of brain that degenerates in parkinson’s disease

Answer 21

substantia nigra in basal ganglia

Question 22

2 parts of substantia nigra and their functions

Answer 22

-pars reticulata (projects to thalamus in cortex -> substantia nigra -> thalamus pathway)
-pars compacta (synthesises dopamine; degeneration leads to parkinson’s)

Question 23

what brain area is targeted by electrodes for deep brain stimulation for parkinson’s disease

Answer 23

subthalamic nucleus in basal ganglia

Question 24

2 types of deep brain stimulation

Answer 24

constant deep brain stimulation and adaptive deep brain stimulation

Question 25

adaptive deep brain stimulation

Answer 25

send electrical signal when beta amplitude of beta oscillations is atypical; mimicking natural brain rhythms and adapting to changing needs

Question 26

pharmacogenetic treatment for parkinson's disease

Answer 26

input genetic info (via virus) that introduce enzymes necessary for dopamine synthesis into neurons in striatum; *cells that could not make dopamine before not can synthesise it to counteract loss of dopamine from degeneration for diseases

Question 27

optogenetic treatment for parkinson disease

Answer 27

optical/light high and low frequency stimulation in subthalamic nucleus

Question 28

effects of optical high frequency stimulation in STN

Answer 28

inhibit spiking activity -> therapeutic benefits

Question 29

effects of optical low frequency stimulation in STN

Answer 29

increase spiking activity -> made pathological condition worse

Question 30

major depressive disorder

Answer 30

severe symptoms that interfere with work, sleep, eating and enjoying life; 1 or more episodes

Question 31

persistent depressive disorder

Answer 31

depressed mood lasting for at least 2 years

Question 32

psychotic depression

Answer 32

severe depression present with a form of psychosis (delusions, hallucinations, etc.)

Question 33

postpartum depression

Answer 33

depression after childbirth which can make caring for a child overwhelming

Question 34

seasonal affective depression

Answer 34

depression onset during winter where there is less sunlight (usually lifts during spring/ summer)

Question 35

bipolar disorder

Answer 35

mood changes cycle from mania to depression

Question 36

5 or more of what list of symptoms is used to diagnose major depressive disorder

Answer 36

-depressed mood most of the day nearly every day -diminished intrest/ pleasure in activities -significant weight loss or gain/ appetite changes -insomnia or hypersomnia (sleep patterns) -psychomotor agitation or retardation -fatigue/ loss of energy -worthlessness/ inappropriate guilt -cognitive imparement -suicidal thoughts

Question 37

what do major depressive disorder symptoms lead to

Answer 37

impairment in social/ occupational and other important areas of functioning

Question 38

brain regions involved in emotional experience

Answer 38

insula, orbitofrontal cortex, ventromedial frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, amygdala

Question 39

role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Answer 39

emotional decision making/ reward based processing

Question 40

what brain area has increased activation in major depressive disorder patients

Answer 40

are 25 (congulate cortex)

Question 41

where is deep brain stimulation targeted for patients with major depressive disorder

Answer 41

white matter tracts around area 25 (area 25 input and output pathways) to decrease area 25 activity

Question 42

result of DBS of area 25

Answer 42

effective for some patients but not others

Question 43

why may DBS in area 25 only help some patients with major depressive disorder

Answer 43

pathway being targeted may not be the pathway resulting in that person's major depressive disorder symptoms

Question 44

precision medicine

Answer 44

identify specific perturbed pathway (via fmri, diffusion mri, etc) and target intervention to that affected pathway

Question 45

what circuit is impaired in major depressive disorder

Answer 45

circuit involving anterior cingulate/ ventromedial PFC