HSC 350- Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 45 pages long!)

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Three layers of meninges cover the brain and spinal cord: dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater. Dura mater thickest, outermost layer; protective; impermeable. Falx cerebri sickle-shaped fold separating the cerebral hemispheres. Superior convex border forms floor of superior sagittal sinus. Falx cerebri and tentorium cerebelli function to restrict brain displacement associated with acceleration and deceleration: venous sinus large, low pressure blood vessel return path for cerebral venous blood, between the periosteal and meningeal layers. Epidural space tight potential space between the dura and the skull: hemorrhage/hematoma caused by rupture of the middle meningeal artery during head trauma. Initially no symptoms (lucid interval); within hours, the hematoma compresses the brain. Causing increased icp, herniation and death without surgery. Chronic seen in elderly where brain atrophy allows the brain to move freely in the cranial vault, making bridging veins more vulnerable. Arachnoid mater middle layer; impermeable; adjoins dura.