Clinical assessment of the neurosurgical patient

Question 1

What functions does the orbitofrontal cortex control?

Answer 1

Empathic, civil and socially appropriate behaviour

Question 2

What symptoms may a lesion of the supplementary motor cortex/anterior cingulate present with?

Answer 2

Lack of motivation
Apathy
Abdulia
Depression

Question 3

What are the functions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex?

Answer 3

Integration of sensory info
Generation and selection of responses 
environmental challenges
Sequential ordering of data (Keeping appointments)
Self-evaluation

Question 4

What phrase may you ask a patient to say to assess cerebellar speech?

Answer 4

Baby hippopotamus

Question 5

What are some symptoms of cortical sensory syndromes?

Answer 5

Sensory inattention
Astereoagnesia
Dysgraphasethesia (trace numbers on their hand and they don’t recognise them, inability to recognise familiar tings)

Question 6

What is Gerstmann’s syndrome?

Answer 6

Lesion of the dominant parietal side (left side usually?)

Question 7

How may Gerstmann’s syndrome present?

Answer 7

Dyscalculia
Finger anomia
Left/right disorientation
Agraphia

Question 8

How may a lesion of the non-dominant parietal lobe present?

Answer 8

Ideomotor apraxia ("pretend to use a hammer", forgets how to use something and what its purpose is
Constructional apraxia (Can't copy drawings)
Loss of spatial awareness

Question 9

What is the function of the Heschl gyrus?

Answer 9

Process auditory input

Question 10

What is the function of the hippocampus?

Answer 10

Encoding declarative long-term memory

Question 11

What part of the temporal lobe controls emotion?

Answer 11

Amygdala

Question 12

What is the purpose of Meyer’s loop?

Answer 12

Visual fields

Question 13

What are some symptoms of radiculopathy?

Answer 13

Pain in single dermatome
Dermatomal sensory disturbance
Weakness in myotome
Loss of reflex