Exam 5: Neuro Flashcards
Aphasia:
Inability to talk
Expressive aphasia:
Cannot say words
Receptive aphasia:
Cannot understand words
Global aphasia:
Both expressive and receptive aphasia
Ataxia:
Lack of coordination, imbalance and gait disturbance
Bradykinesia:
Slowness of movement
Brain herniation:
When the brain becomes compressed and forced into another region
Decorticate posturing:
Posturing due to damage to the corticospinal tract
Decerebrate posturing:
Posturing due to upper brainstem damage
Carotid stenosis:
Arteriosclerosis of the carotid artery
Circle of Willis:
Located at the base of the brain provides collateral circulation in the event that one of the major cerebral vascular routes is occluded. It is also a popular area for aneurysm formation
Chorea:
Brief, irregular dance like movements
Cogwhelling or ratchet movement:
Contraction or “jerky” feeling when passively moving a patient’s muscle
Contralateral motor and sensory deficits:
In a stroke people have an injury on one side of their brain but the loss of movement or sensation is on the contralateral or opposite side of injury
Coup/contrecoup injury:
Acceleration-deceleration injury, type of traumatic brain injury. Coup when the head stops abruptly; the first hit. Contrecoup is when the brain bounces inside the skull and impacts the opposite side; the second hit
Cushing Triad:
Indicates a late sign of increased intracranial pressure. See HTN with a widened pulse pressure, slowed HR, and abnormal respirations
Dysphagia:
Dysfunctional swallow
Glasgow coma scale:
Classifies the severity of a stroke
Intracranial pressure:
Pressure inside the skull on CSF and the brain tissue
Muscle rigidity:
Tightness or stiffness in muscles
Ophthalmoscopic exam:
Eye exam
Ptosis:
Drooping of the upper eyelid
Papilledema:
Due to an increase of hydrostatic pressure, fluid is absorbed by the papilla or the nerve of the eye. Optic disc gets swollen and irregular shaped because of the increase of fluid that is being pushed out from capillary leakage around the optic artery. Remember that the papilla is the “blind spot” of the eye so as papilledema increases so does the blind spot of the eye eventually leading to blindness. Papilledema CAN ONLY EXIST IF THERE IS increased intracranial pressure (ICP).
Peripheral Neuropathy:
Damage to nerves that causes impaired sensation
Paralysis:
In ability to move muscles
Paresthesias:
Numbness
Penumbra:
The perimeter around the core ischemic area, rapid reperfusion of this area is critical after a stroke
Widened pulse pressure:
Difference between systolic and diastolic pressures that is increasing meaning if a normal BP is 120/80 pulse pressure (PP) is 40. If the BP is 190/70 PP is 120 the distance between the systolic and diastolic increased.
Minimally conscious state:
Follows simple commands, manipulates objects, gestures yes/no, has intelligible speech
Irreversible coma (or cerebral death):
Death of the cerebral hemispheres exclusive of the brain stem and cerebellum. Unable to respond, but brainstem maintains homeostasis. No sleep-awake cycles, eyes remain closed. Survival of cerebral death can go into a persistent vegetative state or minimally conscious state.
Persistent vegetative state:
Absence of awareness of self and environment, complete loss of cognitive function, hypothalamic and brainstem function to maintain life. Sleep-wake cycle present, eyes open spontaneously, BP and breathing maintained, bowel and bladder incontinence, recovery unlikely if continues >12 months
