Motor Neuron Lesions Flashcards
paresis
weakness
paralysis
loss of movement
hypotonia
abnormally low muscle resistance to passive stretch
flaccidity
total lack of muscle tone
anterior cord syndrome
stems from impact trauma with compression and ischemia to the motor and sensory pathways in the anterior parts of the cord. lose movement and fine sensation
brown-Sequard syndrome
injury to one side of the spinal cord, usually from traumatic injury. will have loss of pain and temperature sensation on the side opposite of injury because these pathways cross to opposite side shortly after entering spinal cord. loss of movement and some types of sensation just below the injury level on same side
cauda equina syndrome
progressive neurological syndrome results from injury to CE. lumbar pain, weakness or paralysis of LE, saddle anesthesia, and bowel and bladder incontinence. caused by significant disc herniation
central cord syndrome
caused by trauma, damage to large nerve fibers that carry info directly from cerebral cortex to the cord. signs and symptoms include paralysis and loss of fine control of arm and hands, w/ far less impairment of LE. sensory below the SCI site and loss of bladder control may also occur
conus medullaris syndrome
injury to conus medullaris, presents with sudden onset of lower back pain, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and symmetrical motor and sensory dysfunction
babinski sign
ext of great toe and fanning of the other toes
muscle spasm
gentle touch or brushing results in abrupt flexion of the lower limb or bilateral lower limbs
phasic stretch hyperreflexia
brief excessive muscle contraction when muscle spindles are stretched, caused by excessive firing of LMNs
tonic stretch reflex
slow stretch of a muscle result in resistance as long as the stretch is maintained
clonus
involuntary, rhythmic reflexive contraction from a single muscle group
flaccid
complete lack of resistance
hypotonia
abnormally low lack of resistance (down syndrome)
hypertonia
abnormally high resistance
rigidity
velocity independent
spasticity
velocity dependent. faster you pull on the muscle, the more resistance
