Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Neuroscience > Motor Examination > Flashcards

Motor Examination Flashcards

1
Q

What signs are seen with upper motor neuron lesions?

A
  • weakness
  • increased reflexes
  • increased tone
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What signs are seen with lower motor neuron lesions?

A
  • weakness
  • atrophy
  • fasciculations (muscle twitch)
  • decreased reflexes
  • decreased tone
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is muscle tone?

A

resistant to passive stretch

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What neural contributions do we see towards muscle weakness?

A
  • # of motor units recruited
  • discharge frequency
  • type of motor units recruited
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is weakness in the context of neuropathology? How does it present?

A
  • inability to generate force
  • inability to correctly and/or adequately recruit or modulate motor neurons
  • loss of movement/power
  • lack of muscle activity/immobility
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What types of neurological damage can lead to weakness?

A
  • cortical lesion
  • lesion in descending pathway
  • disruption of impulses from alpha motor neurons
  • peripheral nerve injury
  • synaptic dysfunction at neuromuscular junction
  • damage to muscle tissue
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the different ways that weakness is defined with neurological injury?

A
  • paralysis or plegia - total loss of muscle activity

- paresis - mild/partial loss of muscle activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What movements are seen with an upper extremity flexor synergy?

A
  • scapula retraction and elevation
  • shoulder abduction and ER
  • elbow flexion
  • supination
  • wrist and finger flexion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What movements are seen with a lower extremity flexor synergy?

A
  • hip extension, adduction, and IR
  • knee extension
  • ankle plantarflexion and inversion
  • toe plantarflexion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is spasticity? Is it velocity dependent or independent?

A
  • resistance to movement

- velocity dependent (can move muscle slowly with no problem, but increase in tone with increase in speed)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is hypertonia?

Is it velocity dependent or independent?

A
  • resistance to movement

- velocity independent ex: Parkinson’s disease

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How do we measure spasticity?

A
  • quickly move muscle through PROM

- modified ashworth or Tardieu scale

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the basic neuroanatomy behind spasticity? What is missing from the normal modulation of tone?

A
  • damage to descending pyramidal tracts

- alteration to threshold of stretch reflex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What types of hypertonicity can we see? How do they differ in presentation? Where do we often see hypertonicity present?

A
  • Leadpipe - constant resistance to movement through PROM
  • Cogwheel - alternating episodes of resistance and relaxation
  • predominantly seen in flexors
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What types of posturing can we see? Describe the difference in presentation. What is the neuroanatomy involved here?

A
  • decorticate - UE flexion, LE extension/IR/PF - brainstem lesions ABOVE red nucleus in midbrain
  • decerebrate - UE and LE extension - brainstem lesions BELOW red nucleus in midbrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What type of damage typically leads to spasticity?

A

cortical damage

- pyramidal damage leads to change in descending inputs of alpha motor neurons

17
Q

What type of damage typically leads to rigidity?

A

basal ganglia

- extrapyramidal damage

18
Q

What is hypotonicity? How does it present? What area of the brain do we most often see associated with this presentation?

A
  • reduction in passive resistance to lengthening
  • “floopy” - collapse into gravity, harder to excite
  • cerebellum
19
Q

What are the functional impairments to increased tone? (spasticity and hypertonicity)

A
  • abnormal posturing
  • misalignment
  • high risk for injury during prolonged rest (skin breakdown)
  • bias w/ recruitment - increased likelihood of synergistic movement
  • destabilization w/ changes in position
20
Q

What are the functional impairments to decreased tone? (hypotonicity)

A
  • fall into gravity

- high risk for injury during dynamic tasks

21
Q

Define coordination. What characteristics of our movement allow us to be coordinated?

A
  • ability to move fluidly - speed, fluidity, and accuracy
  • sequencing (ability to move multiple joints at once)
  • timing
  • grading
22
Q

What is incoordination? What specific characteristics as associated with this impairment?

A
  • movements that are awkward, uneven, inaccurate

- disruption of sequencing, timing, and grading

23
Q

What is the difference between dysmetria, hypermetria, and hypometria?

A

dysmetria - all over the place movements

hypermetria - overshooting movements

hypometria - undershooting movements, more of a compensation

24
Q

What timing difficulties do we see with incoordination?

A
  • increased reaction times
  • slowed movement times
  • difficulties terminating movement
  • rebound phenomenon
  • dysdiadokinesia - ability to do equal and opposite rapid movements (supinate/pronate on opposite sides quickly)
25
Q

What activation and sequencing problems do we see with incoordination?

A
  • abnormal synergies
  • coactivation (inability to turn off muscles when you don’t need them)
  • impaired inter-joint coordination
26
Q

What is dystonia? What neuroanatomy is typically involved?

A
  • sustained muscle contractions

- damage to basal ganglia (initiation and execution of motor control)

27
Q

What are tremors? What types of tremors might we see?

A
  • rhythmic, involuntary oscillatory movement of a body part
  • resting tremor - occurs while relaxed
  • action tremor - occurs during voluntary muscle contraction
28
Q

What are Choreiform and Athetoid movements?

A

Choreiform
- involuntary, rapid, irregular and jerky movements

Athetoid

  • slow, writing and twisting movements
  • UE > LE
29
Q

Describe the secondary neuromuscular impairments we may see during a motor exam.

A
  • ROM and alignment issues - contractures, increased stiffness, change in length/tension relationship
  • Endurance Issues - decrease in central drive to spinal cord motor neurons and decrease in activity level/immobility
  • Pain - muscle pain due to overworking muscles, abnormal joint loading, ROM/alignment issues

Neuroscience (16 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions