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Causes and Physiology of Unconsciousness
- 2. Definition Unconsciousness : interruption of awareness of oneself and one's surroundings, lack of the ability to notice or respond to stimuli in the environment. person may be unconscious for a few seconds (fainting) or for longer periods of time.
- 3. Causes • Trauma • Swelling • Bleeding • Stroke • Blood sugar • Oxygen deprivation • Infection • Toxins • Seizures
- 4. Physiology • What is the reticular formation ? • Diffuse 1. so much convergence +divergence, 2. non-specific • RAS , what is it ? Part of reticular formation, determines which information is important to send to higher brain. Receives information from ALL and sends information to ALL.
- 5. Physiology
- 6. Physiology RAS Thalamas Relay station for incoming sensory impulses. relays to nonspecific areas Relay station for incoming sensory impulses. relays to specific cortical areas
- 7. Physiology • RAS function : - Alert or "wake up" the cortex and prepare it for more specific stimuli - Tells the entire cortex to "pay attention “ something is happening out there. - Damage to it leads to deep coma
- 8. Reticular Formation • 3 nuclei – raphe , medial , lateral
Notes de l'éditeur
- Trauma: Head injuries can cause the brain to swell and/or bleed. When the brain swells as a result of trauma, the fluid pushes up against the skull. The swelling may eventually cause the brain to push down on the brain stem, which can damage the RAS (Reticular Activating System) -- a part of the brain that's responsible for arousal and awareness.Swelling: Swelling of brain tissue can occur even without distress. Sometimes a lack of oxygen, electrolyte imbalance, or hormones can cause swelling.Bleeding: Bleeding in the layers of the brain may cause coma due to swelling and compression on the injured side of the brain. This compression causes the brain to shift, causing damage to the brainstem and the RAS (mentioned above). High blood pressure, cerebral aneurysms, and tumors are non-traumatic causes of bleeding in the brain.Stroke: When there is no blood flow to a major part of the brain stem or loss of blood accompanied with swelling, coma can occur.Blood sugar: In people with diabetes, coma can occur when blood sugar levels stay very high. That's a condition known as hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia, or blood sugar that's too low, can also lead to a coma. This type of coma is usually reversible once the blood sugar is corrected.Oxygen deprivation: Oxygen is essential for brain function. Cardiac arrest causes a sudden cutoff of blood flow and oxygen to the brain, called hypoxia or anoxia. After cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), survivors of cardiac arrest are often in comas. Oxygen deprivation can also occur with drowning or choking.Infection: Infections of the central nervous system, such as meningitis or encephalitis, can also cause coma.Toxins: Substances that are normally found in the body can accumulate to toxic levels if the body fails to dispose of them correctly. As an example, ammonia due to liver disease, carbon dioxide from a severe asthma attack, or urea from kidney failure can accumulate to toxic levels in the body. Drugs and alcohol in large quantities can also disrupt neuron functioning in the brain.Seizures: A single seizure rarely produces coma. But continuous seizures -- called status epilepticus -- can. Repeated seizures can prevent the brain from recovering in between seizures. This will cause prolonged unconsciousness and coma.