10-14 Intro to Neuro; Cognitive Exam Flashcards
dementia
a generalized deterioration of intellectual or cognitive function, particularly
memory, without altered alertness or perception
amnesia
pure loss of memory without other cognitive loss
retrograde amnesia
loss of memory of events prior to a specific time
anterograde amnesia
loss of memory of events after a specific time
aphasia/dysphasia
language impairment
dysprosody/aprosody
loss or impairment of the use and understanding of inflection (impairment in aspects of non-verbal communication)
agnosia
inability to perceive/understand the import of sensory stimuli despite intact sensory
mechanisms
apraxia
inability to perform learned actions despite intact motor function
Components of the mental status exam?
A. Level of consciousness
B. Attention and concentration
C. Cognitive functions
- -C1. Language, Memory, Construction, Calculation
- -C2. Interpretation of sensory input
- -C3. Performance of complex learned activities
- -C4. Executive function
D. Thought processes
E. Thought content
F. Affect
confusion
acute thinking disorder
delirium
acute thinking disorder, with altered consciousness,
hyperactivity, irritability, etc.
encephalopathy
diffuse alteration in brain function generally including disordered thinking
Testing B. Attention and Concentration
digit span - give phone number and have them repeat it back
Spell WORLD forwards and backwards
Testing C1. Cognitive functions of: Language, Memory, Construction and Calculation
Language
Memory
Construction
Calculation
What are the different paraphasias one could see in while testing cognitive function C1 (language component)?
Paraphasia – production of well articulated, but incorrect, words
Semantic (verbal) paraphasia – substitute wrong word
Phonemic (literal) paraphasia – substitute wrong
sound Neologism – non-existent word
C1 language: Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas:
- -location?
- -function?
- -connection betwixt?
Broca’s: inferior precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe; MOTOR
Wernicke’s: superior temporal gyrus at the posterior end of the temporal lobe; COMPREHENSION
Connection: arcuate fasiculus = white matter tract in deep anterior-inferior parietal lobe
C1 language: Broca’s aphasia + localization?
~MOTOR PROBLEM: Dysfluent (<10 words/min), few connecting words, agrammatism (inability to speak in a grammatically correct fashion), phonemic mistakes, poor repetition, +/- naming, usually seen in the setting of R hemiparesis. Usually pt is very frustrated.
C1 language: Aphemia + localization?
a.k.a. “cortical dumbness”
Inability to produce speech despite intact comprehension, reading, writing
Localization = Broca’s area or prefrontal cortex
C1 language - types of aphasia: Wernicke’s aphasia + localization?
~WORD SALAD: (a.k.a.”receptive”, “jargon”, “fluent”)
Poor comprehension, poor repetition, poor naming, neologisms, paraphasias.
Often in the setting of R superior quadrantanopsia. Patient is often not concerned (vs. frustration seen in Broca’s).
–music therapy can help
C1 language - types of aphasia: Word deafness
Inability to comprehend words. Poor repetition, but normal fluency, naming, reading and writing.
localization - superior temporal gyrif
C1 language - types of aphasia: Conduction aphasia + localization?
Inability to repeat due to interruption of the arcuate fasciculus. Fluent, but with paraphasias. Comprehension may be OK.
C1 language - types of aphasia: Global aphasia + localization?
Inability to comprehend, produce, or repeat speech.
C1 language - types of aphasia: Transcortical aphasia + localization?
Difficulty with comprehension or fluency or both, with spared repetition
SEE Slide 18 for map of aphasias
transcort. sensory aphasia local - temporal
transcortical mixed aphasia localization - anterior and posterior border zones
QUESTION 1: 72 year old left-handed man was noted by his wife to be confused this morning. On exam he has some difficulty naming items as well as trouble following complex commands. He is noted to have atrial fibrillation on ECG. He is otherwise intact.
Where might you expect a lesion?
- L prefrontal cortex
- R prefrontal cortex
- L posterior temporal
- R posterior temporal
- Hippocampus
3
notes: even though left-handed, still likely L lang dominant; difficulty name = anomia; trouble following complex commands = impaired comprehension
C1 Memory - Define the components of memory
–which do we test?
Declarative (conscious, factual)
- -Episodic** – memory of events – med temporal (bilateral) – hippocampus, mammillary body
- -Semantic – knowledge of concepts – cortical association areas
Non-declarative (skills, habits)
- -Procedural – basal ganglia
- -Conditioning, priming – amygdala
Working memory** (“short-term” memory)
– several seconds of storage – frontoparietal regions
**Commonly tested portions
C1 Memory - How do you test for declarative episodic memory?
IR - repeat 3 items FRONTAL
STM - recall those items in 5 minutes MEDIOTEMP
LTM - breakfast, for dinner last night, news, progress more distantly MEDIOTEMP