Disorders of the Neurological System

Flashcards covering vocabulary related to degenerative disorders, spinal cord injuries, seizures, and CNS infections, based on lecture notes for NURS 326.

Dementia

Not a disease, but a clinical presentation of many diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington, AIDS); progressive failure of many cerebral functions affecting consciousness, memory, language, judgment, decision making.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Occurs in middle or late life; leading cause of dementia; etiology unknown with theories including genetic, neuronic plaque, and neuronal death.

Cortical atrophy

Loss of brain tissue in the cerebral cortex, a pathophysiological feature of Alzheimer's Disease.

Choline acetyltransferase

An enzyme required for the synthesis of acetylcholine; its decrease is related to the number of plaques and severity of dementia in Alzheimer's Disease.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter associated with memory.

Neurofibrillary Tangle

Composed of tau protein, fibrous proteins wound helically; resistant to breakdown and persist in brain tissue after neuron death, associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

Senile Plaques

Microscopic abnormalities that disrupt nerve impulse transmission, associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

Apraxia

Impaired ability to carry out familiar movements, a clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's Disease.

Huntington Disease (Huntington Chorea)

A degenerative hyperkinetic movement disorder; an autosomal dominant disorder with onset typically between 35-44 years.

Autosomal dominant disorder

A genetic disorder where only one copy of an altered gene is needed to cause the disorder.

Huntingtin (htt) protein

A protein with an abnormally long polyglutamine tract that is toxic to neurons, leading to degeneration of the basal ganglia in Huntington Disease.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

An inhibitory neurotransmitter whose decrease is associated with Huntington Disease, affecting motor and mental function.

Dyskinesia

Abnormal movements, a clinical manifestation of Huntington Disease.

Choreiform movements (Chorea)

Irregular, involuntary, unpredictable muscle movements, a clinical manifestation of Huntington Disease.

Dystonia

Sustained muscle contractions resulting in twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal fixed postures, a clinical manifestation of Huntington Disease.

Parkinson’s Disease

A degenerative disorder of the basal ganglia characterized by failure of the dopamine-secreting nigrostriatal pathway; peak onset 58-62 years, more prevalent in males.

Substantia nigra

A brain region in the basal ganglia where dopaminergic neuronal cells are destroyed in Parkinson's Disease.

Dopamine

An inhibiting neurotransmitter whose depletion and imbalance with acetylcholine in the corpus striatum causes symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

Tremor

Involuntary rhythmic shaking, a classic symptom of Parkinson's Disease.

Rigidity

Stiffness and inflexibility of muscles, a classic symptom of Parkinson's Disease.

Bradykinesia

Slow movement, difficulty initiating and continuing movements, a classic symptom of Parkinson's Disease.

Orthostatic hypotension

A drop in blood pressure upon standing, a common autonomic symptom in Parkinson's Disease.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (Lou Gehrig Disease)

A progressive neurodegenerative disease causing weakness to paralysis due to motor neuron degeneration without inflammation; sensory system and intellect remain intact.

Glutamate toxicity

Believed to cause neuron degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Spasticity

Stiffness or increased muscle tone, a later symptom of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

A demyelinating autoimmune disease of the CNS, characterized by exacerbations and remissions; onset typically between 20-40 years, more common in females.

Demyelination

Loss of the myelin sheath around nerve fibers, particularly in the white matter of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve in Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Oligodendrocytes

Myelin-forming cells in the CNS, which are often absent at lesion sites in Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Myasthenia Gravis

An autoimmune disease disorder of transmission at the neuromuscular junction; peak incidence 20-30 years, more common in women.

Acetylcholine receptors

Sites at the neuromuscular junction that are damaged or blocked by IgG antibodies in Myasthenia Gravis, leading to diminished nerve impulse transmission.

Type II Hypersensitivity Autoimmune Disease

An immune reaction involving antibodies directed against cell surface or tissue-fixed antigens, exemplified by Myasthenia Gravis.

Ptosis

Drooping of the eyelid, an early symptom of Myasthenia Gravis.

Aspiration

Inhaling food/liquid into the lungs due to difficulty swallowing, a risk in Myasthenia Gravis.

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

Trauma to the spinal cord; more prevalent in men, often caused by motor vehicle accidents, falls, violence, or sporting activities.

Primary SCI

Initial trauma directly injuring the spinal cord (e.g., cut, stretched, lack of oxygen, cell death).

Secondary SCI

Damage to the spinal cord resulting from inflammation, ischemia, or hemorrhage occurring after the initial injury, leading to further cell death.

Quadriplegia

Loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic function in both arms and legs due to spinal cord injury.

Paraplegia

Loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic function in the legs, with arms not affected, due to spinal cord injury.

Spinal shock

A stage immediately following SCI where spinal cord cells lose function, resulting in no muscle tone, loss of all reflexes, and unstable blood pressure below the injury level for weeks or months.

Heightened reflex activity stage

The stage following spinal shock where spinal cord reflexes return abnormally, leading to excessive tone or spasticity in some muscles below the level of injury.

Herniated Intervertebral Disk

Protrusion of part of the nucleus pulposus through a torn capsule, compressing a spinal nerve; commonly occurs in the lumbosacral area.

Nucleus pulposus

The gel-like inner part of an intervertebral disk that can extrude and compress a spinal nerve if the disk's capsule tears.

Seizures

Sudden, explosive, disorderly discharge of cerebral neurons resulting in a transient alteration in brain function (motor, sensory, autonomic, or psychic).

Epilepsy

A congenital or developmental disorder of the brain characterized by recurrent or unpredictable seizures.

Post-ictal phase

The period immediately following the cessation of a seizure, characterized by limited oxygen and glucose in the brain, leading to headache, confusion, and memory loss.

Focal Seizures

Seizures that begin in one part of the brain, may or may not include impaired consciousness, and can progress to generalized seizures.

Generalized Seizures

Seizures characterized by bilateral, symmetrical, tonic-clonic movements and loss of consciousness.

Aura

A sensation preceding a generalized seizure.

Prodroma

Symptoms that may occur hours to days prior to a seizure.

Tonic phase

Muscle contraction with excessive muscle tone during a seizure.

Clonic Phase

Alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles during a seizure.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges covering the brain or spinal cord; can be infectious (bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, toxins).

Nuchal rigidity

Stiffness in the neck, a meningeal irritation symptom of Meningitis.

Photophobia

Sensitivity to light, a meningeal irritation symptom of Meningitis.

Encephalitis

Acute inflammation of the white and gray matter of the brain, usually of viral origin (e.g., West Nile Virus), ranging from mild to life-threatening.