Neuroscience and Stroke Concepts

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on the brain's functions, stroke types and symptoms, dementia, and epilepsy.

What is the primary function of the brain in the nervous system?

The brain receives sensory information, generates motor information, conducts higher-order functions like learning and memory, and maintains homeostasis.

Define a neuron.

A neuron is the cellular unit of nervous system function, which is electrically excitable and communicates via electrical–chemical–electrical synaptic signaling.

What is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)?

A TIA is a transient episode of neurologic dysfunction with symptoms like sudden loss of motor or sensory function, lasting up to 24 hours.

What are the two main types of strokes?

Strokes are classified as ischemic or hemorrhagic.

What is the pathophysiology of an ischemic stroke?

An ischemic stroke is caused by occlusion of a cerebral blood vessel leading to decreased or absent blood flow to neuronal tissue.

What typically causes a hemorrhagic stroke?

A hemorrhagic stroke is usually caused by the rupture of a cerebral blood vessel leading to bleeding into brain tissue.

What are the characteristic signs of an ischemic stroke?

Sudden onset of focal neurological signs lasting more than 24 hours is characteristic of ischemic strokes.

How can a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) occur?

An SAH typically occurs due to the rupture of a cerebral aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

What are the long-term effects of dementia?

Dementia leads to loss of ordered neural functions such as memory, judgment, language processing, and can ultimately result in acute impairment.

What are common causes of epilepsy?

Common causes of epilepsy include brain tumors, scar tissue, neurological diseases, and idiopathic cases.

What is status epilepticus?

Status epilepticus is a medical emergency characterized by a series of generalized tonic-clonic seizures lasting more than 30 minutes without regaining consciousness.

What is the general management strategy for epilepsy?

Management often involves antiepileptic drugs to suppress excitation or enhance inhibition in neuronal signaling.