Cerebellar exam Flashcards
What structure would you use for a cerebellar examination?
- General observations
- Face
- Upper limb
- Lower Limb
- Extras
How would you remember the core cerebellar signs?
- Dysdiadochokinesia or Dysmetria
- Ataxia
- Nystagmus
- Intention tremor
- Speech abnormality
- Hypotonia
What would you assess on general inspection of someone for a cerebellar examination?
- Gait
- Posture - feet together, romberg’s
What does a positive romberg’s indicate?
Sensory ataxia due to lack of proprioception
When examining the face in someone as part of a cerebellar exam, what would you look for?
- H-Test - nystagmus
- Saccades test
- Repeat phrases
- Tongue - move side to side
What is involved in saccades test?
Look back and forth between two points quickly while keeping head still - check for conjugate movement and accuracy
What phrases could you use to test speech in a cerebellar exam?
- WEst register street
- Baby hippopotamus
- British constitution
What would you do as part of a focussed upper limb exam in a cerebellar examination?
- Upward drift test
- Rebound test
- Tone - hypotonia
- Coordination - dysdiadochokinesia, finger to nose
What might you see on rebound test in someone with cerebellar problems?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ii_lFmd7hw
Accentuated upward rebound in that arm
What would you do as part of a focussed lower limb exam for a cerebellar exam?
- Tone
- Heel-to-shin
- Knee jerks - hyoreflexive/pendular reflex
How would you complete a cerebellar examination?
- Fundi for papilloedema
- Full upper/lower limb neuro
- Cranial nerves
What cranial nerves would you examine for a cebellopontine angle lesion?
CN 5, 7 and 8
What are causes of cerebellar disease?
- MS
- Alcohol
- Vascular
- Inherited ataxia
- SOL
How would you examine a tremor?
- Resting tremor
- Postural tremor - hold arms out
- Action tremor - finger to nose
