Exam 2 - Spinal Cord Disease Flashcards
if there is a lesion in the spinal cord at C1-C6, what would you expect to see in the animals gait?
long-strided gaits in all 4 limbs
-overextension
-UMN paresis
if there is a lesion in the spinal cord at C6-T2, what would you expect to see in the animals gait?
two engine gait
thoracic - short stride, LMN paresis
pelvic - long stride, UMN paresis
if there is a lesion in the spinal cord at T3-L3, what would you expect to see in the animals gait?
pelvic limb - long strided & harder to advance legs
if there is a lesion in the spinal cord at L4-Cd5, what would you expect to see in the animals gait?
normal thoracic limbs
pelvic limbs - short strided
what spinal cord lesions will have deficits in all 4 legs with postural reactions?
C1-C6 & C6-T2
what spinal cord lesions will have deficits in the pelvic limbs with postural reactions?
T3-L3 & L4-Cd5
T/F: mentation is normal in spinal cord disease as well as cranial nerve assessment
true
T/F: animals with cervical spinal cord disease often are more so ataxic/paretic in the pelvic limbs than the thoracic
true
what is schiff-sherrington syndrome?
extensor rigidity in the thoracic limbs without
thoracic limb paresis or ataxia occurs due to loss of the fasciculus proprius, which normally exerts an inhibitory effect on C6-T2 alpha
motor neurons
spinal shock may be present
what is spinal shock?
severe, acute T3-L3 myelopathy pelvic limb hyporeflexia that occurs because of the loss of facilitory input to LMNs at the lumbosacral intumescence
when & why is the panniculus reflex used?
assesses the cutaneous trunci & efferent output through the lateral thoracic nerve (C8-T1 nerve roots)
severe lesions in the T3-L3 spinal cord or loss of C8-T1 alpha motor neurons or associated nerve roots
with spinal cord injury, function is classically lost in what order?
- proprioception
- motor/urinary voiding
- superficial nociception
- deep nociception
if you do a CSF analysis & have a normal cell count & protein, what can you rule out?
meningitis & meningomyelitis
T/F: CSF abnormalities are not often specific to one etiology, so it is best used in combination with vertebral column imaging
true
radiographs are highly specific for what?
fractures
what are radiographs good for in spinal disease?
bone tumors & vertebral fractions
what are radiographs not great for in spinal disease?
disk herniation
how are lesions classified in myelograms?
- extradural
- intradural-extramedullary
- intramedullary
what are some reasonable uses for myelograms in spinal cord disease?
disk herniation & instability
what are the disadvantages in using myelograms in spinal cord disease?
artifacts, not a multi-planar technique, lesion misclassification
what are the adverse effects associated with myelograms?
seizures, hypotension, & death
what imaging modality is the standard of care for diagnosing vertebral fractures & luxation?
computed tomography
what are the potential disadvantages in using CT for spinal cord disease?
potential for missing soft tissue lesions & non-mineralized disks
if no lesions seen - consider IV contrast
T/F: CT is great for diagnosing lesions in the CNS
false