First Aid Neurology Part 2

Front 1

Describe the thalamus

Back 1

Major relay for ascending sensory information that ultimately reaches the cortex

Front 2

Describe the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus

Back 2

-For visual senses
-Lateral for light

Front 3

Describe the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus

Back 3

-For auditory senses
-Medial for music

Front 4

Describe the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus

Back 4

Lateral part (VPL) - body sensation (proprioception, pressure, pain, touch, vibration via dorsal columns, spinothalamic tract)

Medial part (VPM) - facial sensation (via CN V)

You put Makeup on your face, and the sensory info is relayed through the VPM

Front 5

Describe the ventral anterior/lateral nucleus of the thalamus

Back 5

For motor

Motor is anterior to sensation in the thalamus, just like the cortex

Front 6

Describe the blood supply of the thalamus

Back 6

Posterior communicating, posterior cerebral, and anterior choroidal arteries

Front 7

Describe the limbic system

Back 7

Includes cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, fornix, and mammillary bodies. Responsible for:
Feeding, Fleeing, Fighting, Feeling, and sex

The famous 5 F's

Front 8

Describe the input to the cerebellum

Back 8

Receives contralateral cortical input via middle cerebellar peduncle and ipsilateral proprioceptive information via inferior cerebellar peduncle. Input nerves = climbing and mossy fibers

Front 9

Describe the output of the cerebellum

Back 9

Provides stimulatory feedback to contralateral cortex to modulate movement. Output nerves = Purkinje fibers output to deep nuclei of cerebellum, which in turn output to cortex via superior cerebellar peduncle

Front 10

What are the deep nuclei of the cerebellum?

Back 10

(L->M)
-Dentate
-Emboliform
-Globose
-Fastigial

"Dont Eat Greasy Foods"

Front 11

What does the lateral cerebellum do?

Back 11

Voluntary movement of extremities

Front 12

What does the medial cerebellum do?

Back 12

Balance, truncal coordination

Front 13

Describe the importance of the basal ganglia

Back 13

Important involuntary movements and making postural adjustments. Receives cortical input, provides negative feedback to cortex to modulate movement

Front 14

Describe the excitatory pathway of the basal ganglia

Back 14

SNc's dopamine binds to D1 receptors in the excitatory pathway, stimulating the excitatory pathway (increased motion). Therefore, loss of dopamine in Parkinson's inhibits the excitatory pathway (decreased motion)

Front 15

Describe the inhibitory pathway of the basal ganglia

Back 15

SNc's dopamine binds to D2 receptors in the inhibitory pathway, inhibiting the inhibitory pathway (increased motion). Therefore, loss of dopamine in Parkinson's excites (i.e., disinhibits) the inhibitory pathway (decreased motion)

Front 16

Describe Parkinson's disease

Back 16

Degenerative disorder of CNS associated with Lewy bodies (composed of alpha-synuclein) and depigmentation of the substantia nigra pars compacta (loss of dopaminergic neurons). Rare cases have been linked to exposure to MPTP, a contaminant in illicit street drugs.

TRAP = Tremor (at rest), cogwheel Rigidity, and Postural instability (you are TRAPped in your body)

Front 17

Describe hemiballism

Back 17

Sudden, wild flailing of 1 arm.
Characteristic of contralateral subthalamic nucleus lesion. Loss of inhibition of thalamus through globus pallidus.

Half ballistic (as in throwing a baseball)

Front 18

Describe Huntington's disease

Back 18

Autosomal-dominant trinucleotide repeat disorder. Chromosome 4. Atrophy of caudate nucleus (loss of GABAergic neurons) -> enlarged lateral ventricles on CT. Chorea, depression , progessive dementia. Symptoms manifest in affected individuals between the ages of 20 and 50.

Expansion of CAG repeats. Caudate loses ACh and GABA

Front 19

Describe Chorea

Back 19

Sudden, jerky, purposeless movements
Characteristics of basal ganglia lesion (e.g., Huntington's disease).

Chorea=dancing (Greek).
Think choral dancing or choreography

Front 20

Describe Athetosis

Back 20

Slow, writhing movements, especially of fingers.
Characteristic of basal ganglia lesion (e.g., Huntington's disease)

Athetos=not fixed (Greek)
Think snakelike

Front 21

Describe essential/postural tremors

Back 21

Action tremor. autosomal dominant. Essential tremor patients often self-medicate with alcohol. which decreased tremor.

Treatment: Beta blockers

Front 22

Describe resting tremors

Back 22

Most noticeable distally. Seen in Parkinson's (pill rolling tremor).

Front 23

Describe intention tremor

Back 23

Slow, zigzag motion when pointing toward a target; associated with cerebellar dysfunction

Front 24

Describe the functions of the frontal lobe functions

Back 24

"Executive functions" - planning, inhibition, concentration, orientation, language, abstraction, judgment, motor regulation, mood.

Lack of social judgment is most notable in frontal lobe lesions

Damage = Disinhibition (e.g. Phineas Gage)

Front 25

Describe a homunculus

Back 25

Topographical representation of sensory and motor areas in the cerebral cortex. Used to localize lesion (e.g., in blood supply) leading to specific defects.

For example, lower extremity deficit in sensation or movement indicates involvement of the anterior cerebral artery

Front 26

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Broca's area

Back 26

Motor (nonfluent/expressive) aphasia with good comprehension

BROca's is BROken speech

Front 27

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Wernike's area

Back 27

Sensory (fluent/receptive) aphasia with poor comprehension, neologisms

Wernicke's is Wordy but makes no sense

Front 28

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Arcuate fasciculus

Back 28

Conduction aphasia; good comprehension, fluent speed, but poor repetition

Connects Wernicke's to Broca's area

Front 29

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Amygdala (bilateral)

Back 29

Kluver-Bucy syndrome (hyperorality, hypersexuality, disinhibited behavior)

Front 30

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Frontal lobe

Back 30

Personality changes and deficits in concentration, orientation, and judgment; may have reemergence of primitive reflexes

Front 31

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Right parietal lobe

Back 31

Spatial neglect syndrome (agnosia of the contralateral side of the world)

Front 32

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Reticular activating system (midbrain)

Back 32

Reduced levels of arousal and wakefulness (e.g., coma)

Front 33

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Mammillary bodies (bilateral)

Back 33

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (confusion, confabulation, ophthalmoplegia, ataxia)

Front 34

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Basal ganglia

Back 34

May result in tremor at rest, chorea, or athetosis

Front 35

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Cerebellar hemisphere

Back 35

Intention tremor, limb ataxia; damage to the cerebellum results in ipsilateral deficits; fall towards side of lesion

Cerebellar hemispheres are laterally located - affect lateral limbs

Front 36

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Cerebellar vermis

Back 36

Truncal ataxia, dysarthria

Vermis is centrally located - affects central body

Front 37

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Subthalamic nucleus

Back 37

Contralateral hemiballismus

Front 38

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Hippocampus

Back 38

Anterograde amnesia - inability to make new memories

Front 39

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF)

Back 39

Eyes look away from side of lesion

Front 40

Describe the consequence of a lesion in Frontal eye fields

Back 40

Eyes look toward lesion