16. Examination of the nervous system 2.

Question 1

Which part of the brain is responsible for the mental status?

Answer 1

thalamocortex

Question 2

what does ARAS stand for?

Answer 2

Ascending Reticular Activating System

Question 3

What influences the mental state?

Answer 3

The brainstem

Question 4

Define consciousness:

Answer 4

Components: being aware of the surroundings, ability to learn and remember
-Manifests in the reactions to enviromental
(optical, acustical, pain) stimuli (behavior)

Question 5

what is the normal level of consciousness?

Answer 5

alert or attentive

Question 6

what is the pathological level of consciousness?

Answer 6

decreased or increased

Differences exist between species, even between breeds!

Question 7

What are the grading for mental function?

Answer 7

Normal, inappropriate, stuporous, comatose

Question 8

Define normal mental function:

Answer 8

alert

Question 9

Define inappropriate mental function:

Answer 9

Unwilling to perform
normally, but responsive
Responsive, but responses are not normal

Question 10

Define stuporous mental function:

Answer 10

Remains unresponsive to normal stimuli, but responses to pain

Question 11

Define comatose mental function:

Answer 11

Nonresponsive to normal and even to painful stimuli

Question 12

What are the reduced stages of inappropriate mental state?

Answer 12

▪Depressed, obtunded, dull, blunt, indolent
▪Somnolentia
▪Delirium: 
▪Dementia: organic loss of intellectual
function

Question 13

Define: Depressed, obtunded, dull, blunt, indolent:

Answer 13

lowering or decrease of functional activity

Question 14

Define somnolentia:

Answer 14

drowsiness

Question 15

Define delirium

Answer 15

mental disturbance

hallucinations, illusions, restlesness, incoherence

Question 16

:)

Answer 16

:) keep up the good work

Question 17

What are the increased states of inappropriate mental function?

Answer 17

▪Excitatio: excitement
▪Aggressive: attacking
▪Furor: rage

Question 18

What are types of episodic alteration of consciousness called?

Answer 18

• Narcolepsy
• Syncope
• Seizure: tonic-clonic attack

Question 19

what is narcolepsy?

Answer 19

rapid fall into deed sleep

Question 20

What are syncope?

Answer 20

episodic loss of consciousness (cerebral hypoxia)

Question 21

:)

Answer 21

u got this

Question 22

Alterations in behaviour:

Answer 22

• aggression
• vocalization
• excessive/abnormal sexual activity
• excessive compulsive activity (tail chasing, fly
biting)

Question 23

Head press: pushing the head to the wall, diagnosis?

Answer 23

• Hydrocephalus

Question 24

Standing in the manger, diagnosis?

Answer 24

• Lead poisoning

Question 25

What are some age related behavioral changes in older animals?

Answer 25

It is loss of cognitive function :
•somnolence
• alteration in sleep-wake cycles
• inappropriate urination, defecation
• aimless wandering, pacing
• irritability

Question 26

what are som involuntary postures that we should look for?

Answer 26

• head tilt
• opisthotonus, „stargazing” and
• lateral turn of the head
→ Frequently accompanied by changes of consciousness
• circling, walking in circles
• compulsive walking (pacing)

Question 27

Mention some special behaviour abnormalities:

Answer 27

• hallucination
• paraesthesia (psychogenic dermatitis)
• automutilation (semimutilation)

Question 28

what are usually associated with seizures?

Answer 28

• loss/derangement of consciousness
• excessive or decreased voluntary muscle tone or movement
• visceral muscle activity
• altered behavior

Question 29

Define seizure:

Answer 29

paroxysmal, transitory disturbance of brain function that has a sudden onset, ceases spontaneously, has a tendency to recur.

Question 30

Where does seizures originate from?

Answer 30

prosencephalon

Question 31

How are the muscle function during seizures?

Answer 31

It can be: tonic, clonic og tonico-clonic

Question 32

Define tonic muscle function:

Answer 32

characterised by increased muscle tone

Question 33

Define clonic muscle function:

Answer 33

characterised by rapid alternate muscular contractions and relaxations (myoclonus)

Question 34

:)

Answer 34

keep going

Question 35

How do we classify the seizures:

Answer 35

Partial, complex partial, generalized, structural and extracerebral.

Question 36

Define the partial seizures:

Answer 36

• remains localized to one body region

* may progress to generalized seizure

Question 37

Define the complex partial seizures:

Answer 37

• partial seizure with loss of consciousness

Question 38

Define the generalized seizures:

Answer 38

• affects the brain diffusely

* generalized tonic-clonic seizures

Question 39

Define the structural seizures:

Answer 39

Intracranial disease

• eg. hydrocephalus, storage disease, neoplasm

Question 40

Define the extracerebral seizures:

Answer 40

metabolic

Question 41

Are other forms of convulsions connected to CNS?

Answer 41

Not necessarily

Question 42

What are other forms of convulsions?

Answer 42

• tetanus
• tetany
• tremor
• tic
• myoclonus
• fibrillation

Question 43

What are tetanus?

Answer 43

sustained tonic contraction of muscles without twitching

Question 44

What are tetany?

Answer 44

violent muscle twitching over the whole body

Question 45

What are tremors?

Answer 45

regular, rhythmic trembling (oscillation) of muscles

Question 46

What are tics?

Answer 46

repetitive contractions of one muscle

Question 47

What are myoclonus?

Answer 47

rhythmic contraction of one muscle group

Question 48

What are fibrillations?

Answer 48

uncoordinated twitching of individual muscle fibres

Question 49

What are some signs of tetanus?

Answer 49

Tail lifting, spastic tetraparesis, opisthotonus