(Enochs + some) Lecture 1: Approach to the Neurologic Patient Flashcards
What is the most important thing when it comes to neuro assessments?
Change from baseline.
What makes up the CNS?
- Brain
- Spinal Cord
What makes up the PNS?
- Autonomic (Symp and Parasymp)
- Somatic
Where is Broca’s area?
Frontal lobe (dominant side)
Speaking and writing
Describe what each lobe does.
- Frontal: Decision-making/problem solving, speech (speaking/writing), intelligence, personality, short term memory.
- Parietal: Interpretation and processing of information (language, words, pain, temperature, five senses, spatial and visual perception).
- Temporal Lobe: understand language (wernickes), long and short memory, hearing, organization, processing others emotions
- Occipital: Interpreting vision (color, light, movement)
Where is Wernicke’s area?
Temporal lobe
Ability to understand speech
What is the main purpose of the thalamus?
Relaying signals back and forth between CNS and PNS.
also helps regulate sleep, alertness and wakefullness
what is the main purpose of the hypothalamus
releases hormones associated with the endocrine and sexual system.
also controls hunger, body temp.
what is the main purpose of the cerebellum
muscle coordination and equilibrium
what controls sleep/wake arousal as well as vision, hearing, motor control and temp regulations
midbrains
What part of the brain controls breathing?
Medulla oblongata
also controls heartbeat and vomiting
what are the 2 types of matter and what is significant about each of them
- white matter - has axons that take info to/from the grey matter
- grey matter - cell bodies of nerves that receive and store impulses
What are the 3 meninges?
- Dura mater (outermost layer)
- Arachnoid (middle layer)
- Pia mater (innermost layer)
Our blood vessels sit within the subarachnoid space.
these layers act as a barrier to brain and spinal cord against bacteria and other microorganisms
wouldnt hurt to label this a bit
what is CSF
- created in choroid plexus (inner lining of ventricles).
- circulates the brain/spinal cord to protect and nourish it.
what are the brain ventricles
cavities within the brain that contains CSF
* 2 lateral
* third ventricle
* cerebral aqueduct
* fourht ventricle
what is controlled by the autonomic nervous system
it innervates smooth involuntary muscles of internal organs and glands.
HR, BP, RR, temp
digestion, metabolism, water/electrolyte balance
urination, defecation, production of bodily fluids
sexual response
What is controlled by the somatic nervous system
- sensory nerve fibers - info from peripheral to CNS
- Motor nerve fibers - impulses for movement from the brain to skeletal muscles
Where do I find Upper Motor Neurons and what do they do?
- Brain and spinal cord
- Tell the lower motor neurons to relax or contract
What happens with an UMN lesion?
- Antagonist muscle will remain contracted
- Spasticity
what is the job of a lower motor neuron
recieves impulses from UMN and transmits it to the muscle cells leading to muscle contraction
What happens with a LMN lesion?
It will stay relaxed (aka muscle weakness)
Lower lesion lax
Lesion Table for Motor Neurons
What makes up a neuro exam? (5)
- Mental Status
- Cranial Nerves
- Motor
- Reflexes
- Sensory
What are the 5 levels of consciousness?
- Alert
- Lethargy (awakens to verbal or light physical stim)
- Obtundation (constant stimulation to stay awake)
- Stupor (vigorous, painful, constant stimulation, does not follow commands.)
- Coma (no response)
Sleeping is not altered because if you wake them up, they will become al
ALOSC
What is praxis?
Muscle memory (like brushing teeth)
sounds like practiced
What does it mean to write neuro grossly intact?
It is purely off observation.
Must write CN 2-12 are grossly intact
Do not write no focal neuro deficits unless you tested it specifically.
What size are pupils normally?
2-6mm