More neurological conditions Flashcards
what are the major categories of neurological disease and how can you differentiate them
- infectious
- traumatic
- congenital/genetic
- vascular
- degenerative
- toxic
- metabolic (acquired/inherited)
- neoplastic
- inflammatory/immune
Degenerative disease – slow - yrs
Vascular and trauma are fast
Inflammatory/autoimmune/neoplastic – subacute – mo
demographic
where is the problem if you have UMN signs
From cortex to subcortex to pyramidal decussation to spinal cord
distinguishing factors for facial weakness
UMN = forehead sparing - bihemispheric innervation of both nuclei for the frontalis muscle
Bell’s - eye cant open properly, white of eye seen when try and open it
where does the facial nerve sit
in the pons
summarise the visual pathway
doesn’t go through the brainstem, it goes above it
optic nerve -> optic chiasm -> radiation -> occipital lobe
Area of hypodensity = infarct
Middle cerebral artery
L middle cerebral artery territory infarct.
aphasia
expressive - cant produce the word they want to produce.
Receptive – cant understand what other people are saying to them ie cant follow commands
dx
MND
what is MND
degenerative condition - anterior horn cells and upper motor neurons in spinal cord = mixed UMN and LMN signs
cause unknown
10% familial
epidemiology of MND
inciddence 2-4/100000
50-70yrs (can be any adult age)
presentation of MND
insidious onset (nearly always missed)
motor nerves only affected - UMN and LMN (can be just one initially, other features develop with time)
progressive
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
typical presentation of MND (60%)
one limb initially - foot drop, clumsy weak hand
some wasting
fasiculations, brisk reflexes, extensor plantar responses
no sensory signs
progression over weeks/mo
bulbar MND
dysarthria and dysphagia - 30% of cases
bulbar and pseudobulbar sx
dysarthria -> tongue wasting
fasiculation
brisk jaw jerk
weakness of neck muscles
may be limb sx
progression more rapid than ALS
Px = 2yrs until death
where are the cranial nerves
At top of spinal cord have the medulla (bulbar) – in here have the CN 12 11 10 and 9
Pons – 5 7 6 8
Midbrain – 3 and 4
Above that – optic nerve and visual pathway and olfactory pathway.
difference between bulbar and pseudobulbar
bulbar - function in mouth and oropharynx eg dysarthria/dysphagia, absent gag reflex, tongue fasiculations, absence of jaw jerk
pseudobulbar - UMN bulber problem = dysarthria/dysphagia spastic tongue, exaggerated gag reflex
other MND presentations
primary lateral sclerosis - 5% - pure UMN onset
progressive muscular atrophy - 5% - pure LMN onset - flail limb appearance
Dx of MND
clinical - look for fasiculations
EMG/NCS - chronic nerve root denervation
imaging (MRI) - exlude other causes eg cervical/lumbar degenerative changes and myelopathy - cervical/thoracic/lumbar spine (brain sometimes)
exclude:
benign fasiculation syndrome
bulbar - cerebrovascular disease
multifocal motor neuropathy
hereditory spastic paraplegia
Mx of MND
no cure
riluzole - glutamate antagonist - extend LE (3-5mo)
palliative
nutrition
soft diet - excessive secretions/salvation
opiates/benzodiazepines
dx
MS
definition of MS
evidence of damage to the CNS that is disseminated in time and space
damage occurs at different dates and to different parts of the CNS
pathophysiology of MS
immune mediated
- T cell trigger attacks on myelin in CNS (inc optic nerve)
- scarring caused by inflammatory attacks at multiple sites in CNS
- plaques visible on MRI and autopsy
genetic predisposition with environmental triggers
- 20% MS sufferes have blood relative with MS
- low vit D, ENBV, smoking, extremes of latitude, obesity in adolescence
MS sx and signs
vary between people
- fatigue
- visual problem
- bladder and/or bowel dysfunction
- sexual dysfunction
- emotional disturbances - depression, mood swings
- cognitive difficulties - memory, attention, processing
- sensory changes - tingling, numbness
- pain - neurological, musculoskeletal
- spaticity
- gait, balance, and coordination problems
- speech/swallowing problems
- tremor (if cerebellar effected)