1. “Neurological Disorders”
Human Neuropsychology (486 / 686)
Lecture Chapter 26
“Neurological Disorders” . 1

2. The Neurological Examination
Patient History
Patient and family background and disease history
Observation of behavior and state of awareness
Simple tests of memory and speech
The Physical Examination
Head and body size, Blood pressure
Various reflexes
Smell and taste, sensation and hearing
Sensitivity to light
Muscular strength
Object recognition, speech repetition

3. Vascular Disorders
Cerebral vascular accident (CVA) aka Stroke: sudden appearance of neurological symptoms resulting from disruption of blood flow to the brain
Mild to severe

4. Vascular Disorders Ischemia – lack of blood supply
Causes: Thrombosis, Embolism, Cerebral Arteriosclerosis, Cerebral Vascular Insufficiency (transient ischemia)
Migraine stroke - Appears as a transient ischemic attack
Symptoms: Impaired sensory function, Numbness, Difficulty moving, Aphasia
Cerebral Hemorrhage – bleeding
most common cause high blood pressure

5. Vascular Disorders Angiomas - Collection of abnormal blood vessels
Arteriovenous Malformation
Aneurysms - Vascular dilation

6. Treatments Drug therapies Surgeries
Anticoagulants, blood pressure meds,steroids
Surgeries

7. Traumatic Brain Injuries
Open Head Injury – penetrating wounds,
deficits specific to injury site, greatest risk of infection
Closed Head Injury –
forces that cause damage: coup, countercoup, twisting and shearing, bleeding and edema

8. Closed-Head Injuries Coma Behavioral effects General complaints
Risk for future head injury
Cumulative effects

9. Behavioral Assessment
Glasgow Coma Scale

10. Behavioral Assessment
Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA)

11. Epilepsy
Three common symptoms
Diagnosed with EEG

12. Treatment for Epilepsy:
Types of Seizures:
Focal
Jacksonian, Complex partial
Generalized
Grand Mal, Petit Mal
Akinetic and Myoclonic
Anticonvulsant drugs
Surgery
Treatment for Epilepsy:

13. Tumors Benign vs Malignant Encapsulated vs Infiltrating Types:
Gliomas, Meningiomas, Metastatic
Treatment:
Surgery, Radiation, Chemotherapy

14. Gliomas:
oligodendroglioma
astrocytoma
ependymoma

15. Menigiomas

16. Metastatic tumors
From Lung cancer
From skin cancer

17. Headaches: Migraine Classic migraine Common migraine Cluster headache
Hemiplegic and ophthalmologic migraine
Treatment: Specific drugs to prevent and control pain e.g. topamax, ergotamine

18. Other Headaches Neurological disease related
Causes: tumor, head trauma,infections, vascular malformation, hypertension
treatment: treat the cause
Muscle-contraction headaches (tension)
treatment: Analgesics, Muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, posture improvement, reduce stress
Nonmigrainous vascular headaches
Causes: Fever, anoxia, anemia, high altitude, physical effort, hypoglycemia, food, or chemical agents

19. Infections
Interfere with blood supply, Disrupt glucose or oxygen metabolism, Alter cell membranes, Form pus, Edema
Types:
Viruses – neurotropic, pantropic
treatment: Difficult to treat; no antidote
Bacteria – Meningitis, Brain abscesses
treatment: Antibiotics, Drainage
Mycotic Infections – fungus
Parasitic Infections – Amebiasis,Malaria
No satisfactory treatment, Antibiotics

20. Motor Neurons and the Spinal Cord
Myasthenia Gravis
Poliomyelitis
Multiple Sclerosis
Paraplegia
Brown-Séquard Syndrome
Hemiplegia

21. 1. Moran and Desimone showed that monkey neurons responded selectively to specific stimuli in their visual fields:
a. after reward training
b. when the stimulus was presented to the right visual hemifield
c. when the stimulus was presented to the left visual hemifield
d. when the stimulus was a particular color

22. 2. Which of the following processes are necessary prerequisites of consciousness?
a. attention and perception
b. working memory
c. arousal
d. all of these processes are necessary

23. 3. Dendrite growth differs from axonal growth in that:
a. axons grow faster than dendrites in order to play a role in shaping dendritic growth
b. axons grow faster than dendrites in order to reach a larger maximum size
c. dendrite grow faster than axons in order to play a role in shaping axonal growth
d. dendrite grow faster than axons in order to reach a larger maximum size

24. 4. After a series of higher than normal stimulations followed by a rest period, a baseline stimulation to a neuron elicits a greater excitatory post synaptic potential from another neuron that receives it’s projections. This phenomenon is known as:
a. kindling
b. long-term potentiation
c. ischemia
d. synaptogenesis

25. 5. Countercoup damage is the result of:
a. aneurysm
b. infection
c. closed head injury
d. open head injury

26. 6. What are Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development
6. What are Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development? Briefly characterize each stage.
7. What evidence is there that motor maps can be modified by experience?
8. What is the difference between an angioma and an aneurysm?