UTMB ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 5355 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Biogenic Amine Theory linked to depression ✔✔Deficiency of neurotransmitters in brain of
norepinephrine, dopamine, and/or serotonin. Particularly, a decrease in receptor binding with
serotonin.
Neurotransmitter Receptor Hypothesis linked to depression ✔✔A deficiency of monoamine
neurotransmitters at neuronal synapses.
Antidepressants increase ✔✔Neuronal synaptic levels of monoamine neurotransmitters.
if you have more receptors than neurotransmitters ✔✔Neurotransmitters do not have time to re-charge
thus, they do not function properly.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) System Dysregulation ✔✔HPA system dysregulation with
excessive glucocorticoid secretion is found in a large percentage of people suffering from major
depression.
Patho of Alzheimer's includes - plaque formation, presence of --, with decreased levels of - ✔✔Amyloid
B, neurofibrillary tangles, acetylcholine these disrupt impulse transmission
neurofibrillary tangles ✔✔are a deformation of the structure that carries nutrients to neurons of the
brain.
Decreased levels of choline acetyl transferase and acetylcholine is associated with ✔✔Memory loss
Most common cause of dementia ✔✔Alzheimer's disease fatal 5-10 years
,Characteristics of Alzheimer's ✔✔Loss of memory, language , inability to learn new things, dysfunction,
delusions, cannot perform ADLs, majorly effects social life
Parkinson's Disease is ✔✔Chronic motor progressive neuro-degenerative known as a shaking palsy
Parkinson's disease is associated with ✔✔basal ganglia dysfunction and atrophy of neurons in the
substantia nigra that produce dopamine;
Characteristics of Parkinson's disease ✔✔Tremors at rest, rigidity, bradykinesia, muscular rigidity and
postural abnormalities.
2 Main Categories of CVA ✔✔Hemorrhagic and Ischemic
Hemorrhagic CVA ✔✔Blood produces inflammatory reaction, swelling, displaces brain tissue and
increases ICP
2 types of hemorrhagic stroke ✔✔Intracerebral and subarachnoid
Intracerebral Hemorrhage ✔✔Blood vessel leaks directly into brain tissue
Subarachnoid hemorrhage ✔✔Bleeding into the subarachnoid space, caused by trauma, aneurysm
rupture presents as "worst headache of life". surgical emergency
Ischemic CVA ✔✔reduction in cerebral blood flow results in hypoxia and irreversible cell death with
associated cerebral edema
3 types of ischemic CVA ✔✔thrombotic, embolic, hypercoagulable states.
Thrombotic ✔✔caused by atherosclerosis blocking vessels. obstruction of blood vessel due to localized
occlusive process
, Embolic ✔✔caused by blood clot, fat or air embolus traveling from distant site to brain
Hypercoaguable state ✔✔conditions such as sickle cell disease, polycythemia causing blood clot to form
and obstruct vessel
Multiple sclerosis ✔✔chronic, inflammatory autoimmune demyelinating disease of the CNS. : patho
includes CNS demyelination thought to be caused by an immune reaction
Acetylcholine ✔✔excitatory or inhibitory, enables muscle action, learning, memory- involved in memory
impairment in Alzheimer's disease
Norepinephrine ✔✔Helps control alertness and arousal. Under supply can depress mood.
Serotonin ✔✔inhibitory, involved with mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal- insufficient linked to
depression, involved in migraine headaches, Prozac and antidepressant drugs raise levels
Dopamine ✔✔excitatory, influences movement, learning, emotions, pleasure, decreased levels
associated with tremors in parkinson's and depression, excess linked to schizophrenia
GABA ✔✔major inhibitory, undersupply linked to anxiety, seizures, tremors and insomnia
Glutamate ✔✔A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory, oversupply can overstimulate
brain producing migraines or seizures (MSG)
PKU ✔✔is a rare, inherited disorder that causes increased the levels of phenylalanine in the blood due
to a defect in the gene that helps create an enzyme, tyrosine
Tyrosine is needed ✔✔to synthesize proteins, melanin and thyroxine, and break down phenylalanine
ANSWERS
Biogenic Amine Theory linked to depression ✔✔Deficiency of neurotransmitters in brain of
norepinephrine, dopamine, and/or serotonin. Particularly, a decrease in receptor binding with
serotonin.
Neurotransmitter Receptor Hypothesis linked to depression ✔✔A deficiency of monoamine
neurotransmitters at neuronal synapses.
Antidepressants increase ✔✔Neuronal synaptic levels of monoamine neurotransmitters.
if you have more receptors than neurotransmitters ✔✔Neurotransmitters do not have time to re-charge
thus, they do not function properly.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) System Dysregulation ✔✔HPA system dysregulation with
excessive glucocorticoid secretion is found in a large percentage of people suffering from major
depression.
Patho of Alzheimer's includes - plaque formation, presence of --, with decreased levels of - ✔✔Amyloid
B, neurofibrillary tangles, acetylcholine these disrupt impulse transmission
neurofibrillary tangles ✔✔are a deformation of the structure that carries nutrients to neurons of the
brain.
Decreased levels of choline acetyl transferase and acetylcholine is associated with ✔✔Memory loss
Most common cause of dementia ✔✔Alzheimer's disease fatal 5-10 years
,Characteristics of Alzheimer's ✔✔Loss of memory, language , inability to learn new things, dysfunction,
delusions, cannot perform ADLs, majorly effects social life
Parkinson's Disease is ✔✔Chronic motor progressive neuro-degenerative known as a shaking palsy
Parkinson's disease is associated with ✔✔basal ganglia dysfunction and atrophy of neurons in the
substantia nigra that produce dopamine;
Characteristics of Parkinson's disease ✔✔Tremors at rest, rigidity, bradykinesia, muscular rigidity and
postural abnormalities.
2 Main Categories of CVA ✔✔Hemorrhagic and Ischemic
Hemorrhagic CVA ✔✔Blood produces inflammatory reaction, swelling, displaces brain tissue and
increases ICP
2 types of hemorrhagic stroke ✔✔Intracerebral and subarachnoid
Intracerebral Hemorrhage ✔✔Blood vessel leaks directly into brain tissue
Subarachnoid hemorrhage ✔✔Bleeding into the subarachnoid space, caused by trauma, aneurysm
rupture presents as "worst headache of life". surgical emergency
Ischemic CVA ✔✔reduction in cerebral blood flow results in hypoxia and irreversible cell death with
associated cerebral edema
3 types of ischemic CVA ✔✔thrombotic, embolic, hypercoagulable states.
Thrombotic ✔✔caused by atherosclerosis blocking vessels. obstruction of blood vessel due to localized
occlusive process
, Embolic ✔✔caused by blood clot, fat or air embolus traveling from distant site to brain
Hypercoaguable state ✔✔conditions such as sickle cell disease, polycythemia causing blood clot to form
and obstruct vessel
Multiple sclerosis ✔✔chronic, inflammatory autoimmune demyelinating disease of the CNS. : patho
includes CNS demyelination thought to be caused by an immune reaction
Acetylcholine ✔✔excitatory or inhibitory, enables muscle action, learning, memory- involved in memory
impairment in Alzheimer's disease
Norepinephrine ✔✔Helps control alertness and arousal. Under supply can depress mood.
Serotonin ✔✔inhibitory, involved with mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal- insufficient linked to
depression, involved in migraine headaches, Prozac and antidepressant drugs raise levels
Dopamine ✔✔excitatory, influences movement, learning, emotions, pleasure, decreased levels
associated with tremors in parkinson's and depression, excess linked to schizophrenia
GABA ✔✔major inhibitory, undersupply linked to anxiety, seizures, tremors and insomnia
Glutamate ✔✔A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory, oversupply can overstimulate
brain producing migraines or seizures (MSG)
PKU ✔✔is a rare, inherited disorder that causes increased the levels of phenylalanine in the blood due
to a defect in the gene that helps create an enzyme, tyrosine
Tyrosine is needed ✔✔to synthesize proteins, melanin and thyroxine, and break down phenylalanine
