Nerves Flashcards
What does a lesion of the optic chiasm cause?
Tunnel vision or bitemporal hemianopia
What does a lesion of the optic radiation cause?
Homonymous hemianopia
What are the Sx of a 3rd nerve palsy?
Ptosis
Mydriasis
Eye down & out
Where does the facial nerve gets its innervation?
Motor cortex from gyrus
What is the route of the facial nerve?
1) Leave nucleus at pons
2) Heads to internal acoustic foramen accompanied by vestibulocochlear nerve
3) Chorda Tympani leaves and travels to tongue
4) Continues through facial canal to the stylomastoid foramen
5) Passes over the parotid gland before splitting into 5 branches
What would be seen in a facial nerve lesion based in the CNS?
Weakness of lower part of the face with forehead sparing
What would be seen in a facial nerve lesion at the levels of the internal acoustic meatus?
Lower ipsilateral facial weakness
Loss of taste
What is the most common cause of a facial nerve lesion around the stylomastoid foramen?
Bell’s palsy
What are the signs of a lower motor neurone lesion?
Wasting
Fasciculations
Low tone
Absent reflexes
What are the signs of an upper motor neurone lesion?
Weakness
Increased tone/spasticity
Brisk reflexes
How does the pain pathway work?
1) Prostaglandins act on skin nociceptors
2) Carried through Delta & C fibres to posterior horn
3) Cross over and move in spinothalamic tracts
4) Ascends to thalamus
5) Post-central gyrus (where it hurts) & limbic system (how it hurts)
6) Endorphins released
What are the fibres that carry painful stimuli?
A Delta fibres: Myelinated, fast
C Fibres: Non-myelinated, intermediate speed
How do endorphins work?
Released in response to pain
Act on U receptors
Inhibit pain transmission in ascending pathway
How do different analgesics work?
NSAIDS: Reduced prostaglandin synthesis so reduced nociceptive stimulation
LA: Block transmission of nerve fibres
Opiates: Stimulate antinociceptive pathway
Morphine: Central action to reduce emotional component
What is the mechanism of referred pain?
General visceral afferents follow sympathetic fibres
Pain can be perceived in dermatome corresponding to spinal level where afferents join cord