Term
| What are some common features of PTSD? |
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Definition
1) Triggered by a single intense stressful experience
2) Onset is delayed weeks to months and may persist for years
3)Cognitive dysfunction means PTSD patients constantly re-experience the memory or have it triggered by sensory cues associated with the event (eg. smell)
4) Subject exhibit active avoidance of things that trigger recollections and also exhibit high levels of arousal similar to anxiety states (hyperarousal).
5) Symptoms also include nightmares, autonomic hyperarousal with hypervigilance, anxiety, depression and guilt. |
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Term
| How do sympathetic responses change in PTSD? |
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Definition
1) Increases: cardiac output, pulmonary ventilation, routes blood to the muscles, raises blood glucose
2) Decreases: digestion and kidney filtration. |
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Term
| What happens to CRH and NA levels in PTSD? |
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Definition
| PTSD patients have elevated levels of NA and CRH. |
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Term
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Definition
| SSRI and ICA antidepressants. Possibly due to the normalisation of CRH levels. |
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Term
| How does the hypothalamus affect the sympathetic system? |
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Definition
| Hypothalamus- Intermediolateral cell column in thoracicand lumber spinal cord- Can affect directly or via adrenal medulla. |
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Term
| What are the two types of sympathetic ganglia? |
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Definition
1) The paravertebral ganglia
2) The pre-vertebral ganglei |
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Term
| What can pre-ganglionic neurones do in the sympathetic chain? |
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Definition
1) Synapse with post-ganglionic neurones which then re-enter the spinal nerve and pass out to the target tissues
2) Pass up or down the sympathetic chain and finally synapse with the post-ganglionic neurones in a higher or lower ganglion
3) Pass through the chain the reach the pre-vertebral ganglia. Here it synapses with post-ganglionic sympathetic neurones running to the smooth muscle walls of the viscera. |
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Term
| How do sympathetic neurones activate the adrenal medulla? |
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Definition
| Some pre-ganglionic neurones continue right the way to the adrenal medulla. Here they synapse with the post ganglionic (adrenal chromaffin) cells that make up the seretory portion of the adrenal medulla. |
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Term
| What are the health risks from sympathetic activity? |
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Definition
1) Hypertension
2) Atherosclerosis
3) Angina
4) Increased clotting: stroke + MI
5) Diabetes
6) Coronary heart disease
7) Muscle tension problems: back pain etc. |
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Term
| What treatment can be used to treat overactive sympathetic activity? |
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Definition
1) Propanolol:
-Blocks the action of noradrenaline and adrenaline through the action on B1 and B2 adrenergic receptors. |
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