Exam 2 Flashcards
Coma
- complete paralysis of cerebral function; a state of unresponsiveness
- eyes are closed; no response to painful stimuli;
- reflexes may be present depending on the site of the lesion
- 2-4 weeks, nearly all patients begin to awaken
Consciousness
- alert wakefulness
- clearly appreciates environment
- responds quickly and appropriately to visual, auditory, other sensory stimuli
- gradual recovery of orientation and recent memory
Minimally Conscious State
definite evidence of environmental awareness
characterized by inconsistent behavior but reproducible and localized rather than generalized
PT for patients in a minimally conscious state includes:
- disorders of consciousness program
- structured stimulation and recording of responses to document emergence
Persistent Vegetative State
- wakeful, reduced responsiveness
- no evident cerebral function
- eye tracking, minimal motor
- no speaking or response to verbal stimuli
- non-purposeful movement
JFK Coma Recovery Scale
a research tool used for studying recovery of patient’s in a coma; 23 items that comprise six subscales addressing:
- auditory
- visual
- motor
- oral motor
- communication
- arousal functions
What are the two most commonly used clinical rating scales for patients s/p TBI?
- Rancho Los Amigos Hospital Level of Cognitive Functioning Scale (LOCF)
- Glasgow Coma Scale
Rancho Los Amigos LOCF
- consists of 10 levels
- describes pt. during recovery
- not always clearly in one level
Rancho Los Amigos LOCF: Levels 1-3
total assistance
Rancho Los Amigos LOCF: Levels 4-5
maximal assistance
Rancho Los Amigos LOCF: Levels 6
moderate assistance
Rancho Los Amigos LOCF: Levels 7-10
progressively less assistance
Glasgow Coma Scale
- quantify degree of coma at time of injury, and every 2-3 days
- three categories (EMV score): Eye opening, best Motor response, and Verbal response
- 3-15 point range; 3 = coma
Functional Assessment Measure
an adjunct to the FIM to specifically address major functional area less emphasized in the FIM including:
- cognitive
- behavioral
- communication
- community functioning
Mortality after TBI
over 1600 subjects surviving 1 year after injury, with increased risk of death from:
- aspiration pneumonia
- seizures
- pneumonia
- suicide
- digestive conditions
Postural changes following TBI:
- decorticate posture - UE flexed, LE extended
- decerebrate posture - UE and LE extended
both indicate low brain function and absence of selective movement
Sensory changes following TBI:
- light touch
- deep pressure
- pain
- temperature
- proprioception
- kinesthesia
- cranial nerve involvement
Motor changes following TBI:
- monoparesis
- hemiparesis
- tetraparesis
- coordination, timing, sequencing deficits
*Highly variable between patients
Perceptual changes following TBI:
- unilateral visuospatial neglect
- hemispatial neglect, hemiagnosia, and contralateral neglect
Input vs. Output Neglect
input neglect or “inattention” includes ignoring contralesional sights, sounds, smells, or tactile stimuli; output neglect includes motor and pre-motor deficits. A person with motor neglect does not use a contralesional limb despite the neuromuscular ability to do so.
The presence of neglect w/in the first ten days following TBI is a strong predictor of ____ __________ ________ after 1 year than several other variables
poor functional recovery
Perception
integration of sensory info into meaningful psychological info, including prior information; more complex than sensation
Cognitive impairments following TBI:
- memory deficits
- attention deficits
Memory deficits
post-traumatic amnesia - time between the injury and the time patient remembers ongoing events (short-term); declarative (habit) vs. declarative (facts)