Neuro 2

• Meninges


  Three layers of connective tissue that cover the central nervous system
• Meningitis

  Inflammation of the meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord
• Bacterial meningitis

  A serious infection that is spread by direct contact with discharge from the respiratory tract of an infected person
• Causes of meningitis

  • Bacterial infection
  • Viral infection
• Encephalitis

  Inflammation of the brain tissue
• Intracranial pressure (ICP)


  The pressure exerted inside the cranial cavity by the three components of the skull
• Headaches

  Three main types: primary, secondary, and cranial and primary facial pain
• Migraine


  Severe, recurring headaches caused by changes in the trigeminal nerve, may or may not have an aura (vision changes, tingling) that precedes an attack, can be hereditary
• Tension headache


  Contraction of the scalp, facial, cervical, and upper thoracic muscles, characterized by pressure, aching, and tightness
• The cause of tension headaches is not well known
• Seizures


  Abnormal electrical discharges in the brain causing characteristic symptoms
• Partial seizures


  Begin on one side of the cerebral cortex, can develop into generalized seizures
• Generalized seizures


  Involve both cerebral hemispheres, include absence seizures (petit mal) and tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal)
• Status epilepticus


  30 minutes of repetitive seizure activity without return to consciousness, a medical emergency
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

  Complex phenomenon resulting from a sudden, external physical force that can cause temporary or permanent damage to the brain
• Concussion


  Mild TBI that causes temporary disturbance of brain function
• Brain tumors


  Cause increased intracranial pressure and develop over a long period of time, can be benign or malignant
• Spinal cord injuries


  Interference between the brain and the body, more function lost the further down the injury
• Autonomic dysreflexia


  Occurs in patients with spinal cord injuries above T6, impairs the normal balance between fight and flight responses, can be life-threatening
• Parkinson's disease


  Chronic degenerative movement disorder that arises in the basal ganglia, caused by destruction of dopamine cells
• Huntington's disease


  Inherited, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement, mood, and cognition
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA)


  Temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that causes brief neurological impairment, resolves completely
• Stroke (CVA)


  Disruption of blood flow to the brain, resulting in death of brain cells and permanent disability
• Cerebral aneurysm


  Weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery that can rupture and cause a hemorrhagic stroke
• Hemorrhagic stroke


  Stroke caused by bleeding in the brain, includes subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Multiple sclerosis


  Chronic progressive degenerative disease that affects the myelin sheath of the nerves in the central nervous system
• Myasthenia gravis


  Chronic disease of the neuromuscular junction, autoimmune destruction of acetylcholine receptors
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)


  Progressive, degenerative condition affecting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord
• Guillain-Barre syndrome


  Inflammatory disorder characterized by abrupt onset of symmetrical paralysis, caused by autoimmune destruction of myelin sheath
• Trigeminal neuralgia


  Severe, stabbing facial pain caused by inflammation of the trigeminal nerve
• Bell's palsy


  Sudden, unilateral facial paralysis caused by inflammation of the facial nerve