Intro

Question 1

The brain is the body’s most complex organ

Answer 1

Billions of neurons. Malfunction can lead to multitude of clinical signs.

Question 2

___ circuits bring info to the nervous system to make animal aware of environment

Answer 2

sensory

Question 3

___ circuits send information from the brain and spinal cord to muscle and glands to produce a response

Answer 3

motor

Question 4

Principles of neurological exam are based on

Answer 4

knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the CNS and PNS

Question 5

Nervous system includes

Answer 5

brain, spinal cord and all nerces that communicate between tissues and brain and spinal cord

Question 6

Neurons are

Answer 6

specialized cells of nervous tissue that can conduct electrical signals and transmit information from one part of the nervous system to another or to peripheral targets

Question 7

glia are

Answer 7

the supporting cells of the nervous system; broad range of function

Question 8

Neurons communicate using both

Answer 8

electrical and chemical signals

Question 9

Action potentials are

Answer 9

electical signals carried along the axons of neurons.

Question 10

synapses are

Answer 10

chemical or electrical junctions that allow electrical signals to pass from one neuron to the next or to a target cell

Question 11

largest part of the brain;

Answer 11

cerebrum/telencephalon

Question 12

cerebrum/telencephalon controls _____; is inbolbed with

Answer 12

learning and behavior (personality); interpreting sensation

Question 13

cerebrum/telencephalon is divided into

Answer 13

frontal parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes

Question 14

Cerebrum clinical signs

Answer 14

dementia, compulsive pacing, circle towards damage, seizures

Question 15

Brainstem includes

Answer 15

diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus); midbrain; pons; medulla

Question 16

Brainstem is responsible for

Answer 16

basic functions of life including HR, R, swallowing

Question 17

Diencephalon location and function

Answer 17

most rostral. coordinates and regulates all functional activity of the cerebral cortex; integration center of the ANS; vision, hearing

Question 18

Clinical signs for diencephalon

Answer 18

altered levels of consciousness; endocrinopathies, behavioral abnormalities, disorders of thirst, appetites and temperature regulation.

Question 19

Midbrain function

Answer 19

(cranial nerves 3&4) visual reflexes; hearing reflexes; eye movement; body movement;

Question 20

Clinical signs for midbrain

Answer 20

decreased state of consiousness, loss of papillary light reflex, pupils dilated, extensor rigidity in all 4 limbs; contralteral paralysis or weakness with unilateral lesions.

Question 21

Pons function

Answer 21

gives rise to trigeminal nerve (jaw opening and receives sensation from head and face). parts important for level of consciousness and sleep

Question 22

Clinical signs for pons

Answer 22

hopping and placing deficits, muscle atrophy of the head, loss of facial sensation, vital sign changes

Question 23

medulla function

Answer 23

responsible for maintaining vital body functions (breathing and HR), pain modulation

Question 24

Clinical signs for medulla

Answer 24

head tilt, facial paralysis, difficulty swallowing, atrophy of the tongue, regurgitation, vital sign changes, vestibular signs, nystagmus

Question 25

Structure located dorsal to the pons and meulla and connected to these strucures by the cerebellar peduncles

Answer 25

cerebellum

Question 26

Cerebellum function

Answer 26

processes input from other areas of the brain, spinal cord and sensory receptors to provide precise timing for coordinated, smooth movements of the skeletal-musculo system

Question 27

Clinical signs for cerebellum

Answer 27

ataxia of all four limbs and head. intention tremors, vestibular signs

Question 28

spinal cord function

Answer 28

connects much of the PNS to the brain. sensory info reaching spinal cord primary afferent neurons is transmitted to higher brain regions. signals arising in the motor areas of the brain travel back down to the cord to affect motor neurons and influence muscle contraction

Question 29

clinical signs of spinal cord

Answer 29

cercical/upper thoracic: ataxia, tetraparesis; ipsilateral hemiplegia; hopping, placing and proprioceptive deficits; hyperactive spinal reflexes; neck pain. Lumbosacral: atasia rear limbs; paraparesis; paraplegia; hopping, placing and proprioceptive deficits; depressed or absent rear limb spinal reflexes; deep peain alterations

Question 30

Each part of the CNS is anatomically distince and associated with different functions. Thus:

Answer 30

damage to different brain regions will result in differnt functional deficits and clinical signs.

Question 31

White matter consists of

Answer 31

bundles of axons (myelin)

Question 32

Gray matter is comprised of

Answer 32

neuronal cell bodies, dendrites and glial cells