DELTA notes Flashcards
Where is the lateral horn of the spinal cord located?
only in the thoracic and upper lumbar segment of the spinal cord
Sensory path involved in pressure signals from T5 dermatome?
dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway
secondary neurones in nucleus cuneatus
2nd order neurones for fine touch, pressure and vibration from below T6 dermatome?
nucelus gracilis
DCML pathway
Function of dorsal/posterior spinocerebellar pathway?
carries unconscious proprioceptive information (from muscle spineless mainly) from lower limbs -
Signals from lower limbs synapse in dorsal nucleus of Clarke and 2nd order neurones ascend to ipsilateral cerebellum…?
dorsal/posterior spinocerebellar pathway
Which pathway carries unconscious proprioceptive information from upper limbs to the ipsilateral cerebellum?
cuneocerebellar
Which spinocerebellar pathway decussates twice?
ventral/anterior spinocerebellar
unconscious proprioceptive information from golgi tendon organs of lower limb is carried in which spinocerebellar tract?
ventral/anterior spinocerebellar
Motor fibres which decussate at medullary pyramids continue down in which tract and supply where?
lateral corticospinal tract
supply distal extremities
the motor fibres which don’t decussate at the medullary pyramids continue down the spinal cord in which tract and supply where?
anterior corticospinal tract
proximal and axial muscles
what fibres the corticobulbar tracts contain?
upper motor neurone of CNs
which motor nuclei are the exception for the corticobulbar tracts?
they innervate motor nuclei bilaterally however, the hypoglossal and lower facial nuclei are innervated contra laterally only.
Patient presents with paralysis of the lower left half of their face. their forehead muscles are unaffected - where is the lesion and what is the name for this condition?
right upper motor lesion in corticobulbar tract (cortex) - central facial palsy
(upper facial division innervated bilaterally; lower innervated contra laterally)
Patient presents with paralysis of left half of their face including their forehead - where is the lesion and name this condition.
lower motor neurone lesion - left brainstem or lower = Bell’s palsy
anti-gravity muscles receive input from this tract
vestibulospinal
which tract facilitates reflexes and increases tone?
pontine reticulospinal tract
Which tract inhibits reflexes and decreases tone?
medullary reticulospinal tract
which tract originates from the red nucleus in the midbrain and which muscles does it innervate?
rubrospinal tract
excites flexor muscles and inhibits extensor muscles of upper body
Where does the tecto-spinal tract originate and what does it co-ordinate?
from superior colliculus in midbrain
movements of head and neck to visual stimuli
Which nerve is tested by the biceps reflex?
musculocutaneous
which spinal ligament appears yellow and why?
ligamentum flavum - rich in elastin
list the layers that a needle passes through during a lumbar puncture.
skin > fascia > supraspinous ligament > interspinous ligament > ligamentum flavum > epidural space > dura
Patient has back pain which is worse in morning and better with movement. It is worse after sitting for a long time and they have new pain down the back of their legs to just above the knee.
diagnosis and explanation
mechanical back pain
hypertrophied facet joints causing referred pain from nerve supplying joint - mimics sciatica but doesn’t radiate below the knee
What are the red flags for low back pain?
extreme of age: <20 or >60 pain not improved by rest pain wakes patient up at night urinary retention/incontinence & faecal incontinence saddle anaesthesia Hx of malignancy unexplained weight loss fever, immunosuppression or PWID
Describe a disc herniation.
nucleus pulposus herniates through a tear in the annulus ring and compresses adjacent nerve roots
A paramedian (aka posterolateral) herniated disc at level L4/5 will compress which nerve root?
the traversing nerve = L5
A far lateral (extraforaminal) herniated disc at L4/5 will compress which nerve root?
the nerve root exiting at level of prolapse = L4