NURS3372-Module10B

What is consciousness?

The state of awareness of oneself and the environment.

Fill in the blank: Arousal is the state of __________.

Awakeness.

What are the two types of alterations in arousal?

Structural and metabolic.

Fill in the blank: Structural alterations can be either __________ or __________ dysfunction.

Diffuse; localized.

What does brain death refer to?

When the brain can no longer maintain internal homeostasis, and it is irreversible.

What are the criteria for brain death?

Unresponsive coma, no spontaneous respirations, no brainstem functions, flat EEG, and persistence of signs for a specified period.

What is cerebral death?

Irreversible coma and death of the cerebral hemispheres while the brainstem can still maintain homeostasis.

What is selective attention?

The ability to select from available, competing environmental and internal stimuli.

What is amnesia?

A defect in memory that can be retrograde, anterograde, or global.

What is agnosia?

A defect of pattern recognition, which can be tactile, visual, or auditory.

What are the types of seizures?

Focal, generalized, and epilepsy syndromes.

Fill in the blank: The __________ phase includes prodroma and aura.

Preictal.

What causes increased intracranial pressure (IICP)?

Increase in intracranial content like cerebral edema, excessive CSF, and hemorrhage.

What is hydrocephalus?

Excess fluid within the cerebral ventricles or subarachnoid space, caused by interference in CSF flow.

What is hypotonia?

Decreased muscle tone.

What is hypertonia?

Increased muscle tone, which can include spasticity and rigidity.

What defines hyperkinesia?

Excessive, purposeless movement.

What is Huntington's Disease?

A hereditary degenerative hyperkinetic disorder causing severe degeneration of the basal ganglia.

What is hypokinesia?

Loss of voluntary movement despite normal consciousness and peripheral nerve function.

What characterizes Parkinson's Disease?

Severe degeneration of the basal ganglia with loss of dopamine-producing neurons.

What results from injury to upper motor pathways?

Upper motor neuron syndromes like hemiparesis, diplegia, or quadriplegia.

What results from injury to lower motor neurons?

Lower motor neuron syndromes, leading to flaccid paresis or paralysis.

What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?

A neurodegenerative disorder involving upper and lower motor neurons that leads to progressive muscle weakness.

What do dystonic postures and movements indicate?

Inequality of tone in muscle groups.

What are ataxic gaits associated with?

Cerebellar dysfunction.

What does hypermimesis refer to?

Exaggerated facial expressions and gestures.

What characterizes extrapyramidal motor syndromes?

Imbalance of dopaminergic and cholinergic activity in the corpus striatum.

What is the role of the reticular activating system?

It regulates arousal and consciousness.

What factors can lead to selective attention deficits?

Temporary, permanent, or progressive changes in cognitive function.

What is the mechanism behind dementia?

Progressive failure of many cerebral functions, including memory and judgment.

What are the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's Disease?

Forgetfulness, emotional upset, memory loss, disorientation, confusion over time.

What distinguishes vascular dementia from other types?

It is a consequence of cerebrovascular disease.

What are the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia?

Degeneration of frontal and anterior frontal lobes, often familial.

What is the definition of seizures?

Sudden, transient alteration of brain function caused by abnormal excessive discharges of cortical neurons.

What are the four progressive stages of increased intracranial pressure (IICP)?

1. Compensatory Stage, 2) Decompensatory Stage, 3) Distinct Stage, 4) Final Stage.