Brain Damage and Neuroplasticity

These flashcards capture key terms and concepts from the lecture on brain damage and neuroplasticity, providing definitions to aid study and retention.

Brain Tumor

An abnormal growth of cells within the brain, which can be benign or malignant.

Cerebral Hemorrhage

A type of stroke caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, leading to bleeding.

Cerebral Ischemia

A type of stroke resulting from a lack of blood flow to the brain due to blockage of blood vessels.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Injury to the brain caused by an external force, leading to various symptoms.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that occurs in dysfunctional cells and is more adaptive than necrosis. Nucleus is impacted early on

Necrosis

A form of cell death characterized by the passive death of neurons, often resulting in inflammation. Nucleus is impacted late in process.

Epilepsy

A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures.

Parkinson's Disease

A degenerative disorder of dopamine in the central nervous system that affects movement, causing tremors and stiffness.

Huntington's Disease

An inherited disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, associated with dementia. Motor disorders, complex jerky movements and doesn’t appear till 40 to 50.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

A chronic disease involving the degeneration of myelin in the central nervous system, leading to various neurological symptoms. Lack of muscle cordination and balance, weakness, numbness, temors and poor vision.

Amyloid Hypothesis

The theory that accumulation of amyloid plaques is a key factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Neural Regeneration

The process of regrowth of the nervous tissue, occurring more readily in the peripheral nervous system than in the central nervous system.

Neurotoxins

Substances that can harm or kill neurons, potentially leading to neurological disorders.

Cognitive Reserve

The brain's ability to improvise and find alternate ways of getting a job done; it plays a role in recovery following brain damage.

Neurotransplantation

The transplantation of cells or tissue to repair or replace damaged nervous system components.

Kindling Model

A traditional model of epilepsy that involves electrical brain stimulation to induce convulsions.

Collateral Sprouting

The growth of new axonal connections after damage to the nervous system.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

A neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma; it is associated with cognitive and motor disorders.

Glutamate Toxicity

Cellular damage caused by excessive release of glutamate, often due to ischemia.

Alzhemier’s Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes, primarily affecting older adults.

Epilepsy - Focal

A type of epilepsy that originates in a specific area of one hemisphere of the brain, often causing localized seizures that may affect motor skills and awareness. Simple effects mostly motor and sensory. Complex effects temopral lobes, motor, and automatisms.

Epilepsy - Generalized

A type of epilepsy that affects both hemispheres of the brain from the onset, characterized by generalized seizures, including tonic-clonic ( loss of con. and temors) and absence seizures( mostly in children loss of con. not temors). This type can lead to loss of consciousness and widespread muscle contractions.