Ch 14. Neuro Flashcards
Define Broca’s aphasia, Wernicke’s aphasia (2)
- Broca’s aphasia – inability to find words, speech halting and slow
2. Wernicke’s aphasia – comprehension is impaired (word salad)
Define the cranial nerves (12)
OOO TTAF VGV AH 1. Olfactory – smell 2. Optic – pupils and VA 3. Oculomotor – EOM *Third nerve palsy: down and out 4. Trochlear – EOM – can’t look up and away 5. Trigeminal – V1 (ophthalmic), V2 (maxillary), V3 (mandibular) face sensation 6. Abducens – can’t look out 7. Facial – facial movement 8. Vestibulocochlear - hearing 9. Glossopharyngeal – uvula and gag 10. Vagus – uvula and gag 11. Accessory – trapezius shrug 12. Hypoglossal – tongue movement
Bulbar palsy symptoms (5)
- dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing)
- difficulty in chewing
- Slurred speech
- difficulty in handling secretions
- choking on liquids
- dysphonia (defective use of the voice)
- dysarthria (difficulty in articulating words)
Bulbar palsy refers to a range of different signs and symptoms linked to impairment of function of the cranial nerves IX, X, XI and XII, which occurs due to a lower motor neuron lesion in the medulla oblongata or from lesions of the lower cranial nerves outside the brainstem.
Myasthenia gravis Sx (4)
- Cardinal feature is fatigueable weakness (gets worse during the day)
2. Ptosis
3. Diplopia - Bulbar Sx (dysphagia, dysarthria, facial weakness)
- Beware: myasthenic crisis (respiratory weakness)
Cholinergic toxidrome and Tm (8+2)
\: SLUDGE BB 1. Salivation 2. Lacrimation 3. Urination 4. Diarrhea 5. GI (NV) 6. Emesis 7. Bronchorrhea 8. Bronchospasm 9. Bradycardia 10. Tm=Atropine, 2-PAM
HINTS exam (3)
Specific for a central (ex CVA) cause of vertigo. *Performed by neuroopthomolagists, not ED docs.
1. Head impulse – normally, a functional vestibular system will identify head movement and position, and correct eye movement. This fails in peripheral vestibulocochlear nerve pathology.
A positive test (central) will have the head impulse with no corrective saccade.
A negative test (peripheral) will HAVE the corrective saccade.
2. Nystagmus – vertical is bad
3. Test of skew – cover uncover, skew is bad.
What is the dermatome to the: deltoid, arm, forearm, middle finger, small finger, nipple, umbilicus, thigh, knee, foot (10)
1. Deltoid – C4 2. Arm – C5 3. Forearm – C6 4. middle finger – C7 5. small finger – C8 6. Nipple – T4 7. Umbilicus – T10 8. Thigh – L2 9. Knee – L3 10. Foot – L4, L5, S1 (lateral)
Headache red flags (10)
- Thunderclap headache
- Focal neurological sign
- Exertional onset
4. Ataxia
5. History of cancer - Preceding trauma (with vomiting, neuro sign etc)
- On anticoagulants
- Fever/neck stiffness
- Vision change (temporal arteritis or AACG)
- Pregnancy
- Lupus, Vasculitis, Sarcoidosis, Behcet’s disease, HIV, immunocompromised
Clinical features of cluster headache (4)
- Severe
2. Unilateral - Circadian (pattern)
- Ipsilateral symptoms: lacrimation, conjunctival injection, rhinorrhea, ptosis, miosis, sweating
PRES symptoms (4)
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome
1. Headache
2. Visual acuity change
3. Encephalopathy
4. Seizure
5. High BP (HTN)
* Imaging with MRI shows symmetrical vasogenic edema of the occipital area of the brain *
Rx. BP control. Supportive.
Sensitivity of CT for SAH at 6-12 hours? At 24 hours? 1 week? (3)
- At 6-12 hours 98%
2. At 24 hours 90%
3. At 1 week 50%
What finding on LP (CSF analysis) indicates SAH? (1) How long does this take to develop? (1)
- Xanthochromia (yellow appearance of the CSF due to bilirubin breakdown)
2. It takes 12 hours to develop xanthochromia in CSF
What is your BP goal in SAH (1)?
In intracranial hemorrhage (1)?
Which agents can you use (2)?
- In SAH, sBP less than 180
2. In ICH, sBP less than 160 - Labetalol or nicardipine (avoid nitroglycerin/nitroprusside because they increase ICP)
Treatment of SAH that improves patient outcome? (6)
Normoglycemia, normothermia, normo-BP, and no-eating 1. sBP <180 (MAP <140) 2. NPO 3. Head of bed to 30 degrees 4. Treat fever (goal temp <38) 5. Bed rails up 6. Normoglycemia 7. Seizure? Dilantin 1500mg 8. Admit to a stroke unit!
Where do hypertertensive intracranial bleeds occur (4)
- Putamen
- Thalamus
- Pons
- Cerebellum
Your patient is coning. How do you lower ICP? (4)
- Hyperventilate (CO2 to 35)
2. Mannitol (1g/kg) - Hypertonic saline (100mL of 3%)
How do you reverse ICH bleeding on warfarin? Heparin? ASA? Clopidogril? Xa inhibitor (Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, Edoxaban)? (5)
- Warfarin: vitamin K 10mg IV in 100mL NS over 10 minutes, and octaplex. Check INR in 15 minutes and again at 6 hours, redose octaplex if INR >1.5
- Heparin: protamine
- ASA, clopidogril: supportive care.
- Xa inhibitor: Andefanet alfa
What is the circulation to the brain (2)?
- Anterior (internal carotid system) – ACA, MCA, opthalmic
2. Posterior (vertebral system) – vertebral (brainstem), cerebellum, thalamus, occipital and auditory structures
Stroke types (2)
- Ischemic: thrombotic, embolic, hypoperfusion
2. Hemorrhagic: ICH, SAH
Symptoms of an ACA stroke? MCA stroke? Posterior stroke? (3)
- ACA stroke – contralateral sensory and motor to lower extremity
- MCA stroke – contralateral face, arm, leg. Often receptive and expressive aphasia. Gaze preference towards the side of the infarct.
- PCA stroke – ataxia, nystagmus, vertigo, vomiting, and altered LOC
* CT is not very good for posterior/cerebellar strokes. Consider MRI
Early neurosurgical intervention for cerebellar infarction. Cerebellar edema means that they herniate and deteriorate very quickly *
DDx of stroke (example: stroke Sx in a 45 year old male) (5)
- Cervical artery dissection, vertebral artery dissection
- Cardioembolic from mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease
- Complex migraine
- Hypoglycemia
- Substance abuse (cocaine, meth, heroin)
6. Seizure with Todd’s paralysis - Cerebral venous thrombosis
- Malingering
Symptoms of carotid and vertebral artery dissection? (3)
- Headache
2. Neck pain - Face pain
- Neurological Sx (cranial nerve palsy, VA change, stroke)
- Often have preceding minor neck trauma
*Treatment=consult neuro. Anti-platelets or anticoagulation or stent… nobody really knows!
Goal BP targets in ischemic stroke (2), and which agents can you use (2)
- BP less than 220/120
- BP less than 185/110 if using tPA
- Labetalol 10-20mg IV over 1-2 min. Repeat x1 PRN (beware asthma, COPD)
4. Nicardipine 5mg/hour infusion
tPA inclusion criteria (3) and exclusion criteria (10)
- Diagnosis of ischemic stroke (NIHSS score)
- Onset of symptoms less than 4.5 hours
- Age >18
tPA exclusion criteria: - Hemorrhagic stroke
- Recent intracranial bleeding
- Recent intracranial surgery
4. History of intracranial hemorrhage - Brain mass
- Recent major surgery or GI bleed (2 weeks)
- Platelets less than 100,000
- INR over 1.7
9. Patient anticoagulated (heparin, factor Xa) - Pregnancy
11. Aortic dissection
12. BP greater than 185/110
Dose of tPA: 0.9mg/kg IV, max 90mg. Give 10% over 1 minute, then remainder over 60 minutes.
Role of ASA in stroke? (1)
- Rx ASA within 24-48 hours of stroke onset, but NO ASA within 24 hours of tPA therapy
Definition of TIA (1)
- A transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by brain ischemia, but without acute infarction. Symptoms typically last less than 1-2 hours.
* ** 10% 90-day stroke risk after a TIA !!! ***
Risk stratification score used in TIA? (4)
ABCD2 score
1. Age > 60
2. BP > 140/90
3. Clinical (speech +1, one-sided weakness +2)
4. Diabetes
5. Duration (<10 mins, 10-60mins, >60mins)
NOTE: Many recommend NOT using this score, and starting anti-platelet and urgent FU on every patient
Treatment of ischemic stroke in a sickle cell patient (1)?
- Exchange transfusion, goal to reduce HGB S less than 30% * Sickle cell is not a contraindication to tPA
Delirium versus dementia (3)
- Delirium acute (days)
- Delirium is fluctuating (normal to abnormal to agitated very quickly)
- Delirium has reduced alertness/attention
- Delirium has decreased orientation/task focus
Dementia is insidious (months-years), constant over 24hours, alert consciousness/alertness
DDx of delirium or altered LOC (4)
DIMS
- Drugs (Intoxication or withdrawal: EtOH, anticholinergic, narcotics, polypharmacy, carbon monoxide, NMS/SS, )
- Infection (Encephalitis, Meningitis, Pneumonia, Cystitis, Cellulitis, Prostatitis)
- Metabolic (NCSE, CHF, renal failure, hepatic encephalopathy, hypothyroid, electrolytes, B12, Wernicke’s encephalopathy (thiamine))
- Structural (SDH, SAH, mass lesion)