Week 9 H12,17,18,24

Question 1

How does alcohol consumption affect thinking and analyzing tasks?

Answer 1

Alcohol consumption makes thinking and analyzing tasks more effortful due to the inhibition of activity in the frontal lobe.

Question 1

What is the main neurotransmitter that alcohol mimics in the brain?

Answer 1

Alcohol mimics the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain.

Question 2

What severe risks are associated with excessive alcohol consumption?

Answer 2

Excessive alcohol consumption can result in the suppression of breathing and coma due to its inhibitory effects on the brainstem and pons.

Question 3

What is a significant brain change caused by chronic alcohol abuse?

Answer 3

The main effect of chronic alcohol abuse is the loss of the frontal cortex, leading to both gray and white matter loss.

Question 4

What is the fate of the volume loss observed in the brain of individuals with alcohol use disorders?

Answer 4

The volume loss is likely due to demyelination, rather than cell death, and can be reversible upon abstaining from alcohol.

Question 5

What factors determine the relationship between alcohol use and brain function?

Answer 5

Factors include the amount of alcohol consumed, the frequency of drinking, the age at which alcohol use started, and the duration of use.

Question 6

What does the ‘continuity hypothesis’ suggest about alcohol consumption and cognitive consequences?

Answer 6

The ‘continuity hypothesis’ suggests a direct relationship between the severity and extent of alcohol consumption and the severity of cognitive consequences and brain changes.

Question 7

Is there strong evidence supporting the ‘continuity hypothesis’?

Answer 7

There is little convincing evidence supporting the ‘continuity hypothesis’.

Question 8

What can excessive alcohol use lead to in terms of liver health?

Answer 8

Excessive alcohol use can lead to liver**cirrhosis **(scarring), hepatitis(inflamation of the liver), and ultimately liver failure.

Question 9

What are the cognitive consequences of liver function disorders called?

Answer 9

They are referred to as hepatic encephalopathy.

The symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy can range from mild to severe and may include:

Changes in personality or behavior
Cognitive impairment
Confusion
Disorientation
Difficulty with motor skills and coordination
Tremors
Asterixis (a characteristic flapping tremor of the hands)
Drowsiness
Coma

Question 10

How does malnutrition impact individuals with chronic alcohol use disorder?

Answer 10

Excessive alcohol use reduces hunger and can lead to vitamin B1 shortage, which can cause Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Malnutrition in general may impair cognitive functioning.

Question 11

Name some features of Wernicke’s encephalopathy.

Answer 11

Features include confusion/delirium, motor problems, and ophthalmoplegia. It is often associated with respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and meningitis.

Question 12

Can the condition of Wernicke’s encephalopathy be reversed?

Answer 12

Yes, in the acute phase, it is reversible when high-dose vitamin B1 injections are administered.

Question 13

What is Korsakoff’s syndrome?

Answer 13

It is a neuropsychiatric disorder that may develop after a delayed or inadequately treated Wernicke’s encephalopathy, marked by cognitive impairments especially in episodic memory.

Question 14

Can Korsakoff’s syndrome occur without alcohol misuse?

Answer 14

Yes, it can be due to thiamine deficiency arising from severe pregnancy vomiting, after bariatric surgery, or in cancer patients.

Question 15

What memory challenge do individuals with Korsakoff’s syndrome face?

Answer 15

Difficulty in encoding and storing new information but can recall some information after repeated presentation.

Question 16

What area of cognition remains relatively unaffected in Korsakoff’s syndrome?

Answer 16

Crystallized verbal intelligence is typically spared.

Question 17

Which aspects of social cognition are affected in Korsakoff’s syndrome?

Answer 17

Both perspective-taking tasks and emotion recognition can be impaired.

Question 18

What are confabulations in the context of Korsakoff’s syndrome?

Answer 18

Confabulations are false memories or made-up stories to fill in gaps in memory, often observed in Korsakoff’s syndrome.

Question 19

What other neuropsychiatric symptoms can be observed in Korsakoff’s syndrome?

Answer 19

Symptoms like irritability, agitation, disinhibition, and apathy.

Question 20

Which part of the brain is most affected in Korsakoff’s syndrome?

Answer 20

The diencephalon, particularly the thalamus and mammillary bodies.

Question 21

Which is the most frequent cause of viral encephalitis and viral meningitis?

Answer 21

Herpes simplex virus for encephalitis and non-polio-enteroviruses for meningitis.

Question 22

What is an autoimmune-mediated inflammation?

Answer 22

A reaction by the body against its own proteins. In this context, it can lead to autoimmune encephalitis, which affects the limbic system.

Question 23

Define meningitis.

Answer 23

An inflammation of the meninges and spinal cord. It can be viral (mostly benign) or bacterial (life-threatening).

Question 24

Which three executive functions are most affected by bacterial meningitis?

Answer 24

1. Working memory,
2. language comprehension,
3. time perception.

Question 25

Describe encephalitis.

Answer 25

An inflammation of the brain tissue. Symptoms can be sudden or develop over a few days to weeks.

Question 26

In encephalitis cases, what abnormalities are often observed?

Answer 26

Abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid and/or abnormalities on neuroimaging or EEG.

Question 27

What is the primary cause of encephalitis in Western countries?

Answer 27

Herpes simplex virus (HSV).

Question 28

How do the cognitive consequences of **encephalitis **vary?

Answer 28

They depend on the cause of the infection. Herpes simplex encephalitis specifically leads to more severe and extensive cognitive impairments, especially in anterograde memory.

Question 29

Define abscess in the context of the brain.

Answer 29

A localized encapsulated inflammation which can occur in the brain or elsewhere in the body, often linked to a nose-throat infection or other underlying diseases.

Question 30

What are common symptoms of brain abscesses?

Answer 30

Headaches, absence of fever or decreased consciousness. The disease develops over days to weeks, and can have subtle neurological effects like hemiparesis, aphasia, or ataxia.

Question 31

How does a brain abscess affect cognitive functions?

Answer 31

A small study showed impairments in executive functions like word fluency, flexibility, and visual organization, as well as episodic memory. However, language and visuospatial perception generally remain intact.

Question 32

What is a well-known symptom of herpes simplex encephalitis?

Answer 32

The cold sore. This virus often remains latent after infection and can affect the brain via the trigeminal nerve.

Question 33

What is the treatment for herpes simplex encephalitis?

Answer 33

Antiviral drug acyclovir.

Question 34

What is Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)?

Answer 34

It’s an illness caused by a bacterium that appeared in the Netherlands in 2016. It leads to full-like symptoms and can progress to inflammation of the brain, meninges, and spinal cord.

Question 35

What symptoms are associated with Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)?

Answer 35

Answer: Symptoms can include headache, fever, paralysis, light sensitivity, nausea, dizziness, and decreased consciousness.

Question 36

How does HIV affect the brain?

Answer 36

While neurons don’t become infected, the virus can cross the blood-brain barrier via infected monocytes and lymphocytes. This leads to infections and neurocognitive impairments.

Question 37

What is Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)?

Answer 37

A rare viral disease, PML is a notorious example of rapid progressive virus with a survival rate of only 46.5% in five years.

Question 38

What cognitive domains are most vulnerable to HIV?

Answer 38

Information processing speed is most vulnerable, followed by decrements in verbal fluency.

Question 39

What is Neurosyphilis and its origin?

Answer 39

Neurosyphilis is a sexually transmitted disease from the 16th and 17th centuries. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum

Question 40

Describe the progression of Neurosyphilis?

Answer 40

It starts with local inflammation, leading to skin rashes. In some cases, after years, it can affect blood vessels in the brain, resulting in meningovascular syphilis and progressive neurodegenerative processes.

Question 41

What are two severe neurological outcomes of Neurosyphilis?

Answer 41

It can lead to tabes dorsalis (spinal cord inflammation) and

dementia paralytica (atrophy in frontal and temporal areas)

Question 42

What is Neuroborreliosis?

Answer 42

Also known as Lyme disease, it’s caused by the bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi, transmitted to humans through tick bites.

Question 43

What is the initial symptom of Lyme disease?

Answer 43

Erythema migrans, a rash that often looks like a bull’s eye, appearing within days to a few months post-tick bite.

Question 44

What are the complications of Neuroborreliosis?

Answer 44

It can lead to inflammation of the skin, joints, and nerves. Acrodermatitis (skin inflammation) and radiculitis (nerve root inflammation) are common.

Question 45

werkgroep

Answer 45

Question 46

werkgroep

Answer 46

People with Turner Syndrome (TS) often exhibit spatial and mathematical processing deficits, as well as challenges in social cognition.