NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS are: 

-caused by cell death

-very difficult to treat

-include: epilepsy, alzheimers, parkinsons, spongiforms, and myelin cell death disorders 

EPILEPSY is: 

-the abnormal firing in any part of the brain

--location of misfiring=region of origin 

--possible causes:

*neuron over excitement

*poor neural inhibition 

ASTROGLIOSIS is: 

-when neurons are dead/damaged astrogliocytes become reactive meaning they may form scars near the damage and arent as good at potassium reuptake (leading to over excitation of cells)

the 2 main causes of EPILEPSY are: 

1.  BRAIN DAMAGE including: accident, stroke, oxygen dep, viruses, tumors, poisoning, astriogliosis, GABA cell death, etc

 --makes up 50 % of epilepsy

2. CHANNELOPATHIES

--usually genetic

 --childhood absense seizures=channelopathy

the 2 major categories of seizures are: 

1.  PARTIAL SEIZURES

--NO THALAMUS (therefore no

loss of consciousness)

--can be simple or complex

2.  GENERALIZED SEIZURES

 --THALAMUS (loss of consc)

--tonic/clonic, pettit mal (abs seizrs), statis epilepticus

PARTIAL SEIZURES:

-one of the 2 major category of seizures

-do NOT involve the THALAMUS

--no loss of consc

-can be simple=involving only 1 brain region or complex=more than 1 brain region but not the THLMS

a SIMPLE seizure is: 

-a type of partial seizure

-is never the thalamus

-only in one brain region 

a COMPLEX seizure is: 

-a type of partial siezure

-involves more than one brainn region 

-NEVER involves the THALAMUS

--no loss of conscnss 

GENERALIZED seizures are: 

-one of the 2 major categories of seizures

-ALWAYS involve the THALAMUS

-have 3 subtypes:  tonic/clonic, pettit mal (abs szrs), statis epilepticus 

the 2 subtypes of PARTIAL seizures are: 

-SIMPLE

--1 brain region + not the thalamus

-COMPLEX

 --more than 1 region and not the thalamus

 the 3 types of GENERALIZED seizures are:

 1.  TONIC/CLONIC

--usually starts w/ something in the sensory cortex and then moves quickly to thal, then more slowly to motor crtx resulting in spasms

2.  PETTIT MAL

--just in the thal, las about 1 min, kids outgrow it, might happen a few times a day

--due to GABBA channels' protein comp. 

3.STATUS EPILEPTICAL

--can be fatal

--requires surgery, doesn't respond to drugs

--may go on for 1/2 an hour 

TONIC/CLONIC seizures are: 

-generalized seizures

-usually start in the sensry crtx, then spread fast to thalamus, then to mtr crtx

PETTIT MAL seizures are: 

-GENERALIZED

-JUST in the THALAMUS

-a childhood disorder

-caused by abnormality to GABBA channels

--also known as absence seizures 

STATUS EPILEPTICUS seizures are: 

-potentially fatal

-usually requires surgery

-doesn't respond well to drugs

--also known as intractable seizures 

PARTIALS in the SENSORY CORTEX cause: 

-ppl to experience stimuli that arent there 

PARTIALS in the MOTOR CORTEX result in: 

-tics of various sorts

--myoclonic seizures:  most common, shudder passes through the body

MYOCLONIC seizures are: 

-partial seizures

-simple seizures in the motor cortex

-very common 

PARTIALS in the TEMPORAL CORTEX result in: 

-passing emotions 

PARTIALS in the HIPPOCAMPUS result in: 

-feelings of deja vu

-out of body experiences 

PARTIALS in the AUTONOMIC system result in: 

-sudden and passing feelings of nauseau 

POSTICTAL SYNDROME is: 

-when people come out of a seizure confused and missing some memory from just before the seizure

INTERICTAL SYNDROME is: 

-changes of personality and cognitive functioning in between seizures

--HYPERGRAFIA= write/talk alot

 --HYPERRELIGIOSITY

HYPERGRAFIA is: 

-a possible consequence of INTERICTAL SYNDROME

-when a person starts writing/talking alot after haveing siezures 

treating epilepsy with surgery, pros + cons: 

-may be the only way to stop seizures (intractable)

-risky; surgery may cause a glial scar and cause more seizures

- 

the 3 methods of treating epilepsy are: 

1.  DRUGS

--GABA agonists, channel blockers, glut inibitors, some bi-polar drugs, etc

2.  SURGERY

--may leave glial scar

--intractable

3.  VAGAL NERVE STIMULATION

--wrap electrodes around a face nerve, flattens eeg every five minutes or so

--often effective alternative to surgery

4.  KETOGENIC DIET

--for young children

 --88% fat till 10-12 years

--very old, very effective 

VAGAL NERVE STIMULATION is: 

-an invasive treatment of epilepsy if drugs dont work

-implant electrically stimulates face nerve 1 every 5 mins or so, flattens eeg

-very effective 

KETOGENIC DIET is: 

-done in young children

-a VERY high fat diet

-very old, very effective 

the 3 stages of ALZHEIMERS DISEASE are: 

stage 1.  mild, circumstantial depression, beginnings of senility and dementia

stage 2.  agression, paranoia, confusion

stage 3.  loss of most recent memories, then older memories, then finally motor memories 

what percent of the population is affected by ALZ? 

25% of ppl over 85 

the 3 genes that increase the risk of ALZ are: 

1.  PRESENILIN

--most agressive, earliest onset 

2.  APO-E

--regulates cholesterol

--has 3 dif forms: 2, 3, 4

3.  BETA-AMYLOID PRECURSOR PROTEIN

--makes plaques more than ppl w/out it 

what do the 3 types of APO-E do? 

-type 2 = protects against alz

-type 3 =  nothing really

type 4 = increases risk

--the higher your education, the more likely you are to have this gene 

factors that increase your risk of developing ALZ are: 

-GENETICS

--presenilin, ApoE, b-amyloid precursor protien

-trauma aka strokes, oxygen depr

-stress

-smoking

-sloth

-fem=higher risk than men 

what neurotransmitter are post mortem brains of ppl w/ ALZ low on? 

acetylcholine 

BETA-AMYLOID PLAQUES are: 

NEUROFIBULLARY TANGLES are: 

-microtubules that get tangled

-they tangle in a specific way

-one of the two conditions for a diagnosis of alz

the first drugs for treating ALZ were:

-cholinesterase inhibitors

--increase acetylcholine

--slows down progression

NAMENDA is: 

-a glutamate antagonist

-used in the late stages of ALZ 

PARKINSON'S occurs in what percentage of the pop? 

-2% 

symptoms of PARKINSONS are: 

-Tremor at rest

-Rigidity

-Akinesia=inability to move

-Paralysis, mostly of face

--its a fucking TRAP 

PARKINSONS is: 

-a neurological disorder

-characterized by:

tremors at rest

rigidity, especially of face

akinesia = inability to move

paralysis

-15 years from onset to death

-age of onset is about 58

-caused by the death of DOPAMINE cells in the SUBSTANTIA NIGRA 

possible etiology of PARKINSONS: 

-head trauma 

-viral

-toxins

 --aka kids who thought they were buying demerol ended up buying mptp which kills dopamine cells, had full blown parkinsons w/in a half hour

MYRAPEX is: 

-a dopamine agonist used for treatment of late stage parkinsons 

list the 4 types of TRANSMISSABLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES: 

1. KURU

--cannibals, cerebellum sponge

2.  CREUTZFELDT-JACOBS DISEASE

-ppl w/ cornea transplants and brain surgery, kids who recieved growth hormone from cadavers, thalamus sponge 

3.  GERSTMAN-STRAUSSER SCHEINKER

--a couple of fams in the netherlands, genetic

4.   FATAL FAMILIAL INSOMNIA

--a few italian fams in a village, genetic, can't sleep and then die, spongey thalamus 

KURU is: 

-a neurological disorder

-a spongiform disease

-found in a tribe, mostly women and kids

-resulted from canabalism, eating brain

-spongey cerebellum

-shaking, hysterical laughter, loss of motor control,  blindness, and death 

CREUTZFELDT-JACOBS DISEASE is: 

-a neurological disease

-a spongiform disease

-onset in 50s

-get it from having corneal transplant, brain surgery, or growth hormone from cadavers

-pocket in nasseau county, occurs in 10/1mil as opposed to 1/1mil

-spongey thal and cortex

-symptoms: loss of motor control, blindness, etc, eventually death 

GERSTMAN-STRAUSSER SCHIENKER is: 

-spongy brain

-found in a few fams in the netherlands

-genetic 

FATAL FAMILIAL INSOMNIA is: 

-found in a few fams in italy

-spongy thalamus

PRIONS are:

-not alive, self-replicating protein

-normally found in the brain as ALPHA HELIXES

--neural caretakers 

-abnormal version is BETA SHEETS

--once one beta gets in they all turn into betas 

MYELIN DISEASES are: 

-auto immune  (myelin attracts antibodies for some reason)

-2 types:

 MS

 GUILLANE-BARRET

MS is: 

-a myelination disease

-first lose vision, then lower extremities

-2 forms, remitting and primary

--remitting =80%

-etiology=infections

-treatment=beta-interferon, slows it down 

GUILLANE BARRET is: 

-a demyelinating autoimmune disease

-rapid swelling of myelan

-go into coma w/in a day

-5%die

75% full recovery

20% relapse

-etiology=infection 

the 3 major types of GENETIC illnesses are: 

1.  TRINUCLEOTIDE REPEATS

 -huntington's chorea

-fragile x

2.  LYSOSOMAL

-tay sachs 

3.   TRISOMES

-down syndrome 

HUNTINGTON'S is: 

-genetic, trinuc repeats

-onset= mid 40s

-symptoms= vision, confusion, dementia, motor probs (flailing)

-caused by the Huntington's gene

--the more it repeats, the earier the onset

-no treatment

FRAGIL X is: 

-genetic, trinuc repeat

-too many nucs on the x chrom, x chrom breaks

-sever mental retardation and facial changes 

the 2 TRINUCL REPEATS illnesses are: 

1. huntingtons

2.  fragile x 

-genetic

-lysosomal

-ashkenazi jews and french canadians

-fatal by age 5

-starts in utero, as brain develops it is also breaking down 

TRISOMIC disorders are: 

-having 3 copies of a chrom instead of 2

-occurs in smaller chroms/higher numbered

-the only type that is survivable is downs syndrome 

DOWNS SYNDROME is: 

-genetic

-trisomic on chrom 21

-most common form of mental retardation 

NEUROMUSCULAR diseases are: 

 -due to degenerated motor neurons

-2 types:

--myasthenia gravis

 --amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

MYASTHENIA GRAVIS is: 

-a neuromuscular disease

-when the neuromuscular junction (acetylcholine receptor on muscle) degenerates

-works from there backwards up the neuron

-starts at the bottom of the spine

-causes = unknown

-symptom= sever lack of muscle control 

AMYTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS is: 

-the soma of the motor neuron dies

-10% genetic influence

-onset=40

-cause=unknown

-begins w tingling, weakness progresses to death of neurons up spinal chord

-no cognitive effects

-usually fatal

-athletes at high risk 

-lou gherig's disease