Lecture 1: The Neurologic Examination (class 1 and 2) Flashcards
Relook at sylabus - she has important shit there for quiz/examn shit
With every assessment tool, ask:
What could be the cause of the damage leading to this impairment or functional limitation?
* Where: CNS vs PNS
* Why: ex- degenerative disease (huntingtons/parkinsons - degenerate over time), traumatic injury (gunshot)
* How: ex- lesion in the brain (tumor), blood supply diminished (stroke)
Knowing this info will affect pt prognosis which will alter the treatment given to that pt
* we wouldnt be setting gait goals for someone w/ a complete injury at C5
Link all this to function
* we want to see how function is affected
* “ROM degree so they can reach up into a cabinant
Type of PT settings:
* NOTE: w/ stroke if you do a lot too soon you could make it worse
Acute Care: Short time frame w/ Pt, severity of illness is high
* This is right after the incident
Inpatient rehab: Out of acute care and into this where they stay for several days –> a week or 2.
* Used to be able to stay for a month+
* Go here instead of home because of something saftey wise
* They need 3 hours/day of rehab here - needs to be some combo of PT and OT (this is lots of SCI because they’re so impaired
Skilled Nursing Facility:
* This is less intensive care than inpatient rehab ~1.5 hours
* more there for monitoring medications and not quite as much therapy
Long Term Acute Care Facility:
* For pts that dont have the proper support at home
* typically more serious injuries (think someone whose ventilator dependent that can’t be managed at home)
* could also be something like wound care is needed and it could take weeks - well they arent going to be in inpatient rehab for that but they also arent going to want to go home yet
* Sometimes they don’t go home at all after this
Outpatient:
* Come from home
* Any type of frequency here
Home Health Care:
* Have to be homebound to utilize this
* Someone comes to the house for 1:1 care
Assisted living:
* Some kind of neursing/memory care
* pt has help w/ many tasks throughout the day
How many hours/day does a pt need in inpatient Rehab
3+ hours (some combo of speech + OT + PT)
Whats more intensive, skilled nursing facility or inpatient rehab?
Inpatient rehab
* ~3 hours/day between multiple different diciplins
Neuro Eval:
* Establih the diagnosis of underlying impairments (body structure and function)
* Establish the activity limitations and participation restrictions (ICF model)
* Establishing goals to remediate impairments and formulating expected outcomes that encompass remediation of activity limiations and participation restrictions
Supports:
* Decision making in establishing a prognosis and determining specific, direct interventions
UMN lesions:
* Location
* Tone (velocity independent or dependent)
* Reflexes (clonus?)
* Are there muscle spasms w/ this?
* what happens to strength?
* Is there atrophy or hypertrophy
* What happens to voluntary movements?
In CNS (brainstem/spinal cord)
Kind of injuries that affect: Stroke, TBI, SCI
TONE:
* Increase hypertonia
* Velocity depdent
Reflexes
* Hyperreflexia
* Clonus
* Exaggereated cutaneous and autonomic reflexes +Babinski
Involuntary movements: muscle spasms (flexor/extsor)
Strength:
* Weakness or paralysis
* ipsilatearl (stroke) or bilatearl (SCI)
Atrophy
Voluntary movements are impaired or absent
LMN lesions:
* Location
* 5 things that cause it to happen
* Tone
* Velocity idnependent or dependent
* Reflexes?
* Is weakness bilatearl? whats the distribution like?
* Is there muscle hyeprtorphy or atrophy
* What happens to voluntary movements
Happens when cranial nerbe nuclei / nerves/ spinal roots / spinal nerves / peripheral nerves are impacted
Often happen w/
* Polio
* Gullain-Barre
* Peripherl nerve injury
* Peripheral neuropathy
* radiulopathy
Tone:
* decreased or absent - hypotonia, flaccidity
* velocity independent
Reflexes:
* decreased or absent
* hyporeflexia
Ipsilatearl weakness or paralysis
* Limited distribution: segmental or focal pattern, root innervated pattern
Muscle atrophy / severe wasting
Voluntary movements: Weak or absent if nerve interrupted
Is there clonus w/ UMN’s lesions or LMN lesions?
UMN
Muscle syngery is what
When muscles come together to create a movement
* these are abnormal after neuro injuries
* think trying to reach up to a shelf and hand curling = abnormal synergy
* think this is UMN lesions
CNS disorders
after stroke you will have shock
* note: some people keep hypotonicity and never get that tone back
Think about where the anatomy is and what might present
* basal ganglia in parkinsons - for involuntary movements we might see a tremor
* whereas for stroke we might see a spasm (has to do w/ that clonus / hypertonciity that comes w/ that UMN lesion)
This is a good summary table
DCML is what kind of information
Proprioception
Light Touch
Vibration
Corticospinal tract is what kind of information? - quiz
Motor
* fractionization of movement (ability to move one area of the body independent of another)
* intentional voluntary movement
Spinothalamic tract is what kind of information
Pain
Temp
Crude touch
Usually when someone gets more tone post stroke thats a good thing because now you can put weight on that area and use it
Knowledge check: consistent w/ UMN lesion:
* spasticity, atrophy, hyperflexia
* note a lot of people put hypertrophy and that was wrong
Neuro Eval Subjective:
History: Might be pt or caregiver depennding on if they’re a good historian
* Since were proably in inpatient we might be able to get info from nurse/OT - anyone whose in inpatient working w/ them
First impression of cognition and communcation is very important
Need to account for medication that may be affecting them cognitively
Probs pull in template from outpatient clinic and were going to modify it
* think about a histroy taking template and how it would differ between outpatient and inpatient
Patient Interview - acute care/inpatient
* Chief complaint - as them whats going on (however, they’ve already been questioned by other people at this point so this information will already be better known than in an outpatient setting)
* Prior level of function vs current level of function (what was different before the incident vs now - think falling weekly w/ MS vs before MS diagnosis = wasnt falling at all - need to figure out if its a relapse, medication issue, got to pick those things out and figure out wahts going on
* Medications - super important to see what someones on - a lot of the neuro meds interact and cause side effects
* Social situation/living environment
* Diagnostic tests/medical apointments prior
* Direct medial equipment / assistive devices - do they use these if they’re prescribed them? are they even prescribed them? - often times neuro pts will have tons of devices, however, they dont use them correctly or how/when to use them
* fall hx
* patient goals - goal setting in acute care is typically much easier goals (just moving etc…)
* depression screening (those 2 questions)
* Elder abuse screen
This is not a comprehensive list
Neuro Exam Objective -
Observation/posture - during hx while patient not “being assessed” - can even do this while talking to the nurse - key is that they’re not paying attention
Systems review. **Leads us to what we need to test in more detail. we screen out things –> assess
Functional mobility skills/postural stability
* things like “can they stand” support or unsupported
* can they sit supported or unsupported
* get back to those lower level tasks
Balance/postural control
Standarized tests/outcome measures - directly releates to goal setting
* use these tests to write goals
* “Pt will complete TUG in no greater than 13 seconds with least restrictive assistive device to improve saftey with ambulation”
* use these to srt goals because they are standarized / have cut off goals etc..
Screen vs comprehensive exam - some things need to be in more detail and some don’t
* if my pt is cognitvely intact and completely aware and i ask them about their sensation and they say its fine than she normally doesnt test - she screened it out w/o diving into a test / comprehensive exam
Special Tests: they have these in neuro as well as ortho
* there are special vision tests etc…
How motor control fits in
* we might observe abrent movements (clunky bad movements) and we might describe that
* however, theres no 1 specific test because its in everythign - ability to execute smoothly is in everything - some tests give us information on motor contorl, but no were not saying absent motor control due to this test. We could say “they have fine motor contorl evident by their ability to pick something off the ground” - can be broken down into fine and gross
* NOTE: this is done by the corticospinal tract
Outcome measures for lower extremity strength
* 5 times sit to stand
* 30 second sit to stand
Balance test
* Burg balance test
Gait test
* TUG
* 6 minute walk test
* 2 minute walk test
* Gait speed
write goals from these
How we execute so many tasks skillfully / precisely
* what tract affects this
Motor control
If were unable to execute tasks w/ proper motor skills were lacking motor contorl
ability to take on demands
* cognitive and motor
Corticospinal tract
pt had stroke to L hemisphere, what is their involved side?
R side of the body is the “involved side” - this is the weaker side
* So its named based on the side of the body impaired not the side of the brain
* Corticospinal tract decusates in the medulla so it crosses which is why its contralatearlly involved
Movement analysis/Task analysis = how the pt moves
* just ask the pt to move in some way that you’re interested in
* Nurses have the tendency to help more, we want to pt to actually move
A task analysis would be having them do some task
We would note what the pt can do and where you have to intervene
* don’t give them cueing right away, see how they do on their own
Keep in mind their assistive devices - test them w/ what they usually use
* becomes tricky when they want to ween off a device
* need to use a similar assistive device in both tests
First thing you often want to do w/ neuro pts is see if they’re alert and oreinted
* when you’re doing your eval you want to note what setting your in, what your goal is, and what the pt can tolerate
* always be safe (always look at vitals)
* look at cognitiion throughout
She said shes often not testing MMT and ROM that kind of impairment level stuff - shes doing more functional testing - those functional tests take time and energy which are limited in this setting and you get more out of those fuctional tests to see what the pt can do
Have to be fluid in the order of things in the eval because things come up that could change everything “I need to go to the bathroom now” changes what you’re assessing now
eval timeframe changes based on the setting / tolerance of pt
Screening:
* orthostatic hypotension pt comes in. We do a few screening tests to see if its OH or a vestibular issue.
* we can look at vital signs in multiple different positions to see if its OH - were screening that system - “Ok thats normal now I need to go into my vestibular special tests”
Screening to further assess and determine
purpose of screening
Technique used by healthcare providers to gather a patients medical hx
* A series of questions asled to identify a patients symptoms or signs. Its a subjective account of the patients experience, and can be used to identify conditions that dont have a specific diagnosis.
* Discuss anything new, unusual, unexplained, different
* determine need for referral for medical evaluation
* review medical screen and ROS form with the pt - so reviewing their systems w/ the pt - more converstational
Physical therapists seek ifnormation relevant to major body systems through observation and questioning to help determine whether there are symptoms that suggest the need for referral for additional medical evaluation
Someone notes something on their past medical hx and I want to know more about it. Then im probing more and getting more information
maybe intake just says numbness and tingling. Well I want to know more about that
review of systems
A limited set of tests and measures performed by a therapist to plan the rest of an examination. Its the beginning of the hands on part of the examination
This is the screening to asses
Also called gross screen/exam
* can screen things like:
* Vital signs
* Cognition
* Communication
* Cardiovasular and pulmonary
* Integ
* neurmuscular
* MSK
* overall movement
Systems review
* S for screening
Our systems review is like our screening, while our review of systems is like our observation or converstaions about anything new in medical hx
* can do review of systems if something new happened - think unexplained weight loss
* Systems review typically done on eval day
Comprehensive neurologic examination
autonomic function = vital signs
postural stability = moving
postural contorl = how we control ourselves in situations that are either static or dynamic
Knowledge check: Main goal of systems review
* Screen to lead to furtehr assessment
* S for screen
Screen leads us to what we need to asses further
A&Ox4 means
Person (self)
Place
Time
Situation
OT does a lot w/ cognition as well as speech
* were not nearly as invovled w/ this
What is the norm for the MOCA?
> / 26
its scored out of 30
Expressive aphasia =
Brocka aphasia
They have the words they just can’t get them out
would want to use yes/no questions
aphasia
a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand and express language, as well as read and write
Expressive aphsia
Nicki aphasia
They’re talking loads but the words make 0 sense
Non verbal gestures are best here
Goal directed behavior
Executive function
levels of consciousness decreasing
No point in cognitive testing when pt is in a stupor
* someone can be confused and can take this test and we might get useful information
* however this is less our scope for PT
* can do a MOCA to show why the PT might benefit from seeing an OT etc…
Tests for language and speech are going to be in that MOCA
There are specific special tests we can do to get more information
think stereognosis (what you’re holding) test. Its a sensation test, however, you need higher level congitive thinking to figure out what you’re holding in your hand.
Autonomic testing
A drop of more than _ systolic or more than _ diastolic indications orthostatic hypotension
A heart rate increase of _ BPM after moving from supine to standing
what causes OH
20 systolic
10 diastolic
20 BPM
all these indicate OH
NOTE: this could be failure of the sympathetic NS to adequality constrict blood vessels in the lower body
* blood loss
* anemia
* dehydration
NOTE: OH is common in parkinsons, and this is super bad because it can lead to falling
Other autonomic testing
( bladder, bowel and sexual functions - questionniare / hx taking
Which lvl of consciousness would PT exam be least sucessful
* Stupor (the lower the worse) / obtunded / stupor / coma all not great
I think lethargic is where PT exam starts being helpful
Skipped to tone portion of lecture (slide 55) - NOTE: The lab stuff is fair game for the written exam
What is muscle tone?
Resting tension in muscle (resistance to stretch in the muscle)
* remember, tone is normal, however you can have too much or to little of it
Resistance to stretch in the muscle
Tone
* so for most people this tone is enough to support us and keep us upright but that doesnt doesnt really impact a normal ROM. You can have high tone that does stop that full ROM though
Is tone testing done actively or passively?
Passively (which is why its always tested in supine)
NOTE: If it was active then we would be adding in muscle strength, which is not what were testing
When muscle tone is considered normal what is resistance to passive stretch like (think someone taking your arm in full ROM)
Minimal - you’re not going to resist that person much. Normal resting tone doesnt block you from moving that limb/body part in that ROM
A range of normal tone exists among healthy individuals - its not like your spastic if your tight.
Is tone a test of muscle length?
No! you’re working in a patients available ROM.
* if someone has a contracture or is lacking for range, its not like you’re going to push them into that full range. You’re just looking for tone issues in their available ROM
What does flaccidity mean?
* What kind of pts get this?
Complete lack of resistance to passive stretch (no tone) - think floppy - you go to pick up their limb and it just falls down
* This is LMN pts or the shock phase of a SCI (UMN)
What does hypotonia mean
* what kind of pts get these?
abnormally low tone (but some tone still exists unlike flacidity)
* These again are those LMN pts or the shock phase following a SCI
Define spasticity
* What kind of pts get these?
Velocity-dependent hypertonia
* UMN pts
Velocity dependent means that it reacts to speed. When we check it we quickly move that limb to get that reflexive catching of the limb (aka excess tone w/ movement) - the muscle turns on more than it should –> hypertonia
* its abnormally high resistance w/ faster movement.
What does velocity dependent mean.
The speed at which you move the limb will affect the outcome
* think spasticity where if you move it fast that muscle will start catching and you’ll see that increased tone.
Velocity dependent hypertonia = spasticity.
EX: Think someone w/ abnoramlly high tone in plantarflexors. If they quickly move to put feet up on foot rest they’re going from plantar flexion –> DF and could trigger that hypertonicity because its a fast movement (and theyre velocity dependent). Essentially that quickly stretch of those plantar flexors that have high tone could cause that muscle to present like it has high tone.
* this kind of tone can be ignited w/ rolling over too quickly in bed, or even just walking.
What are the 3 kinds of hypertonia?
* What kind of injury causes hypertonicity?
UMN injury causes hypertonicity
1) Spasticity
2) Rigidity
3) Dystonia
Is spasticity velocity dependent or velocity independent?
* damage where causes this (2)
* Is this an UMN or LMN pathology?
It’s velocity dependent (meaning that depending on if theres velocity that muscle will lock up and present w/ increased tone)
It comes from damage to the motor cortex or brainstem
* A stroke can cause damage in these areas which is why this is an UMN pathology
* This hypertonicity is an UMN pathology
Is rigidity velocity dependent or velocity independent?
* damage to what area causes this?
* Is this an UMN or LMN pathology?
Rigidity is velocity independent - meaning it doesnt matter how fast you’re moving you’re always going to have that increased muscle tone
Comes from damage to the basal ganglia
* This hypertonicity is a UMN pathology
* NOTE Stiffness in parkinsons is due to this (dengeration of those basal ganglia)
NOTE: w/ rigidity typically the agonist and antagonist are impacted equally and both have hypertonicity, while in spasticity only one (agonist or antagonist)
* again the agonist and anatagonist are fighting eachother, not letting you get through that movement - which causes that rigidity / hypertonicity throughout that entire movement no matter what speed were going
Describe Dystonia?
* Its damage to what area?
* Is it an UMN or LMN pathology?
Prolonged involuntary twisting or writhing repetitive movements, increased muscular tone.
* damage to the basal ganglia
* This hypertonicity is a UMN pathology
* NOTE: this is more in huntingtons but is due to any damage of the basal ganglia
NOTE: you can have cervical dysontia aka twisting of the neck with the hypertonicity locking those muscles up
I added this picture
remember, the pelvic floor is also muscular and can exhibit high or low tone
* so they might hold urine too much, or can’t hold it at all
* So this isnt all just the limbs
what are the two kinds of hypotonicity
* is this UMN or LMN
1) Hypotonia
2) Flaccidity
This is mostly LMN, however, spinal shock (UMN) can behave like this
What is the purpose of assessing muscle tone?
To determine the resting tension of the muscle in the upper and lower extremeities
NOTE: You’re only testing for spasticity on an individual who is appropriate to test in
* “Someone had a stroke” - well I’m going to use the modified ashworth scale to test for spasticity
* If someone has parkinsons, and they have rigidity, I’m not going to do the modified ashworth because they have regidity not spasticity
* I can still do a muscle tone assessment, which is just passively moving their extremity.
Name the stages of the muscle tone scale (note this is not the modified ashworth scale, but the just passively moving their extremity and finding this amount of tone scale)
NOTE: This is not specific to spasticity but just for muscle tone
On the scale whats considered normal tone?
2+
What does the modified ashworth scale test?
Spasticity
How does rigidity differ from tone?
In rigidity both the agonist and antagonist muscles are involved while in tone you typically just have the agonist or antagonist
Go through the scale for rigidity (which differs from the scale for tone)
its similar but is rigidity vs hypertonicity
Would you do the modified ashworth for someone for low tone?
Nope, this scale is specificly meant for spasticity which is high tone
What are the two kinds of rigidity?
Cogwheel Rigidity
Lead Pipe Rigidity
Remember, in rigidity both the agonist and atagonist muscles are resisting the passive stretch
* and its velocity independent, meaning speed is not a factor
What is Cogwheel rigidity
Tension in a muscle that gives way in little jerks when muscle is passively stretched
* just like one of those old cog wheels
Explain Lead Pipe rigidity
A “smooth” rigidity in flexion and extension that continues through the entire range of a stretched muscle
* Think about trying to bend a led pipe - at no point does it get easier to bend it in its ROM
What are three things we can do for rigidity?
Sustained stretching (not just 4x15)
Heat helps
Avoiding triggers
What is our gold standard test for assesing spasticity?
Modified Ashworth Scale
* Remember, spasticity is velocity dependent (speed does affect it) which is why when implementing these tests 2/3 trials are with that increased velocity to try and trigger that spasticity.
What is a movement analysis?
Watching someone do an action before you’re cueing on how to fix it
* gives us a naked eye look at what activity is before fixing it
* Obviously you would need to be careful w/ fall risk
* Big observation of pt
NOTE: We sometimes don’t fix spasticity because it can be useful
* think someone w/ increased tone in legs following a stroke. Well maybe we can use this tone to help them transfer, opposed to having them buckle.
However, tone can get in the way. Think super tight hand/clinched fist. This would significantly limit function.
NOTE: You can spend a session fixing someones tone. However, the next visit it will come right back.
* Dont is reactionary to everything. Mood, medication, movement.
* Were not fixing that underlying CNS disorder, were teaching them out to live w/ it.
* This is part of why doing HEP is more importnat than neuro than other settings.
Explain the 3 things we do in a modified ashworth test to asses spasticity?
1) One to establish ROM –> move limb slowly over a 4 second period to see that ROM (velocity unimportant here)
2/3) We take that limb very quickly through that full ROM twice. This should take 1 second between movements and we do these 2 trials 1 second apart (so barely any time between tests)
Remember this is all passive, we don’t want the muscle actively helping.
If you’re testing elbow flexion you start in elbow flexion and move into extension
* You’re strethcing the muscle you want to test to see if it has spasticity