Basic Neuro Exam Flashcards
CNV
1) what 3 things do you check?
facial sensation of forehead, cheek, chin (v1-v3) to pinprick, light touch, hot/cold
motor function of jaw and lateral pterygoid
corneal reflex –> cotton wisp to cornea causes blinking so you’re testing 7 (blink) and 5 (touch to cornea)
UMN lesion ,what do you see?
1) what 2 things are we going to see on exam?
2) what pattern does it have of weakness?
3) What specialty test can we use to indicate this?
hypertonia, hyperreflexia
pyramidal –> weak extensors in arms and weak flexors in legs
pronator drift
how do we test CNXII?
what side is the lesion if there is one?
protrude tongue and push tongue into cheek
tongue deviates to the WEAK SIDE and can’t push tongue to the OPPOSITE CHEEK
Important associated symptoms with neuro exam? (8)
headache, dizziness/vertigo, weakness, numbness, fainting or blacking out, seizures, tremors
lesions of 3,4, and 6?
diplopia and weakness of muscles innervated by that specific cranial nerve
how do we rate DTRs?
which has clonus?
which would be UMN lesion? LMN lesion?
+2/4
+4/4
UMN lesion = +4/4
LMN lesion = 1/4 or 0/4
Bilateral facial palsies can occur in what?
Miller-fisher variant of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Asymmetrical abnormal gaits:
Hemiplegic
waddling pelvis
foot drop
circumducted gait –> leg swing in a circular type pattern
usually indicates muscle disease –> hips waddle
foot drop –> UMN or LMN lesions. usual LMN is L5 radiculopathy or perineal neuropathy
Sensory testing
what 4 ways do we test and what pathways for each
pinprick for pain and temp – spinothalamic
vibratory – posterior columsn
light touch – both pathways
discriminative sensations – depends
Optic II
1) what response are you checking for? how is this done? (include the muscles)
2) what about vision testing? what are terms to know?
3) what about wiggle test?
4) lesions to the optic nerve anterior to the chiasma cause what?
near response –> checks the pupillary constriction, convergence (medial rectus mm), and accommodation of the lens (ciliary m)
myopia –> impaired far vision
Presbyopia –> impaired near vision (worsened after age 40)
static finger wiggle test –> visual field testing
ipsilateral blindness
CN VI
1) what is it most commonly associated with? when is it most commonly seen in patients with clinically?
2) lesions result in?
CN palsy due to its long peripheral course –> subarachnoid hemorrhage, late syphilis, trauma
convergent strabismus (esotropia) (inability to abduct the eye due to lateral rectus muscle weakness)
horizontal diplopia –> maximally when looking lateral
Obtundation
Stupor
Coma
opens eyes and looks at you, but responds slowly and is somewhat confused. alertness and interest decreased
arouses from sleep ONLY after painful stimuli. verbal response are slow or absent. lapses in unresponsive state. minimal awareness of self or environment
unarousable with eyes closed.
crocodile tears syndrome?
due to aberrant regeneration of nerve after trauma. patient sheds tears when chewing!
LMN lesion, what do you see?
1) what do we see on exam?
2) what type of pattern?
3) what disease is this common in?
4) functional pattern?
wasting, fasciculation, decreased tone or decreased reflexes
peripheral weakness, weak flexors in arms, weak extensors in legs.
muscle wasting diseases
they have 5/5 on everything but then gives up and is completely weak
Parkinson tremor is what?
essential tremor
pill rolling
essential tremor gets worse as you do more and more
CNVIII testing?
1) what 2 things are we testing and how are they tested
hearing –> whisper test or finger rub…. if hearing loss, weber Rinne test
balance –> vestibular division
Cerebellar testing, what are the ones to know? (4 of them)
finger to nose
finger to finger
heel to shin
rapid alternating movements
CN VII, what four things are we testing?
Motor –> facial expressions, eye and mouth closure
Sensory –> taste on anterior 2/3 tongue
Parasympathetic –> secretion of saliva and tears
General sensation –> external ear
Testing CNI
1) what do you need to make sure first before you do this? what scent do you use?
2) how do you do it?
3) why would someone lose smelling?
4) losing on one side indicates what kind of lesion?
make sure nasal passages are clear.. non-irritating flavor or easy scents to use like coffee
with eyes closed, compress one nostril and sniff through other. do on each side
smoking, chronic sinus disease, head trauma, aging, Parkinson’s, use of cocaine
ipsilateral
Cranial Nerves.. how do you document it?
there are 3 ways:
Cranial nerves are intact –> all working
grossly intact –> just from a conversation with someone, but you’re not doing a specific evaluation
3) cranial nerves II-XII are intact to confrontation (or testing)