Cerebral Toxoplasmosis

Disease of the immunocompromised. Acute onset focal neurological deficit, usually hemispherical (hemiparesis, visual field disturbance). Can be accompanied by fever. Imaging shows characteristic ring-enhancing lesions:

What is an EEG?

Ok, so people often get confused over what exactly an EEG is. Time to look at some EEG fish....

In our fish tank we have loads of fish swimming around randomly. There are also 3 cameras looking at different parts. The first sees only one fish (how sad), the next sees 3 fish swimming to the left and the next sees loads of fish swimming to the right. If we add in a bonus camera then we could probably figure out which way the fish were swimming at a certain depth.

Replace cameras with electrodes and fish with action potentials and you've got an EEG. Remember the crazy squigly line trace you get from an electrode is the result of groups of neurons (fish) firing (swimming).

Bulbar Nerve Lesions

A lesion in the vagus nerve (CNX) causes the uvulA to deviate Away from the side of the lesion (uvula to the right, lesion on left side of brain).

A lesion in the hypoglossal (CNXII) causes the Tonge to deviate Towards the lesion (deviation to the left = lesion on the left).

SSRI's

Senor P.F.C is so sad. The only thing that makes him happy is pushing around his pram.

Sertraline
Paroxetine
Fluoxetine
Citalapram

*Sertraline is also called so as it inhibits the SERotonin Transporter protein.

Calcium Channels

Love: L-type = generally cardiac (verapamil)

Thought: T-type = generally neuronal (ethusuxamide)

Triggers for Migraine

Chocolate

CHeese, Oral contraceptives, Caffeine (or withdrawal), alchohOL, Anxiety, Travel or Excercise.

Tricyclic Anti-depressants

*thanks to adam

Phenelzine

The antidepressant sandwhich = fennel + mayonnaise. Do not add cheese.

Phenelzine is a monoamine oxidase (MAO-Mayo) inhibitor. It is an irreversible inhibitor of MAO and so the cheese effect is particularly important.