Question

1. Write how you will explain the following to a room full of researchers:

a. Neurological manifestations of COVID-19

b. The difference between reticular formation and limbic system

2. Describe, in your opinion, the relationship between the basal ganglia, reticular formation and the limbic system?

3. Discuss 2 potential applications for a drug which lowers the action potential threshold

4. How does the refractory period of action potentials influence the frequency of action potential firing?

5. What behavioural and physical signs would you expect to observe in an individual who has increased monoamine oxidase activity at dopaminergic synapses

Answer 1

Ans 1)

a) With time, COVID19 is shown to show many symptoms beyond the respiratory symptoms of breathing difficulty, fever, and cough. There are many neurological signs and symptoms which are shown by COVID19. The most common neurological symptoms shown by COVID19 are headache, dizziness, delirium as well as encephalopathy. A COVID19 patient is also seen to show some of the neurological symptoms like hypogeusia and neuralgia. Hypogeusia is a condition which shows reduced ability or lack of taste of anything. The neuralgia is a severe pain or irritability which is caused due to a damaged nerve. Due to the spread of the COVID19, it can cause the symptoms like weakness, reduced alertness, dizziness, headache etc. The virus can impact and affect the whole of the nervous system which includes the brain, nerves, spinal cord and whole of the muscle system. Both the symptoms of central nervous system and peripheral nervous system is observed in the COVID19 patients. In some cases, it was observed that the patients even observed acute cerebrovascular disease which leads to impairing of consciousness and seizure. During the COVID19, it leads to immune suppression due to low level of lymphocytes and hence causes the manifestation of the neurological problems. The neurological problems can be either due to the direct invasion of the viral particles or the secondary influence of the immunologic and inflammatory response which attacks the nervous system.

b) The limbic system and reticular system both are neuronal network which function together, but they are however present separated within the body. The limbic system is made of deep gray matter and there is a mass of neurons which are intermingled and consists of collection of nerve fibers which are located within the brainstem. The limbic system is located between the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus and it plays an important role in driving emotions, behavior, and memory.

The reticular system is the one which is present within the central core of the brainstem and it connects through the cerebral hemisphere. It is the part which is responsible for maintaining consciousness, alertness and it helps in maintaining the sleep. It helps in regulating consciousness, alertness and also it helps in regulating the blood pressure, respiration and modulate pain pathways. The reticular system is the neuronal network that extends from spinal cord to thalamus and is connected to medulla oblongata, midbrain and moves along pons and diencephalon.