Nervous system - Terms

Question 1

Arousal level - alertness

Answer 1

responds appropriately; can open eyes, look at examiner, respond fully and appropriately to stimuli

Question 2

Arousal level - lethargy

Answer 2

appears drowsy

-can open eyes and look at examiner, respond to questions, but falls asleep easily

Question 3

Arousal level - obtundation

Answer 3

• can open eyes, look at examiner, but responds slowly and is confused
• demonstrates decreased alertness and interest in environment.

Question 4

Arousal level - stupor

Answer 4

• can only be aroused form sleep with painful stimuli and returns to sleep once stimuli is removed.
• verbal responses are slow or absent; demonstrates minimal awareness of self and environment

Question 5

Arousal level - coma

Answer 5

• unconsciousness from which patient cannot be aroused.
• eyes remain closed
• no response to external stimuli or environment

Question 6

Arousal level - unresponsive vigilance (vegetative state)

Answer 6

-characterized by the return of sleep/wake cycles, normalization of vegetative functions (respiration, HR, BP, digestion) and lack of cognitive responsiveness (can be aroused but is unaware)

persistent vegetative state = lasting more than 1 yr for TBI and more than 3 months for anoxic brain injury.

Question 7

Arousal level - minimally conscious state (MCS)

Answer 7

• characterized by severely altered consciousness with minimal but definite evidence of self or environmental awareness

Question 8

sustained attention

Answer 8

ability to attend to task without redirection

Question 9

divided attention

Answer 9

ability to shift attention from one task to another

Question 10

mental inertia

Answer 10

getting stuck on one task

Question 11

focused attention

Answer 11

ability to stay on task in presence of detractors

Question 12

body scheme disorder (somatognosia)

Answer 12

pt identify body parts or their relationship to each other

Question 13

visual spatial neglect (unilateral neglect)

Answer 13

pt ignores one side of the body and stimuli coming from that side

Question 14

right/left discrimination disorder

Answer 14

can’t identify left or right body parts

Question 15

anosognosia

Answer 15

severe denial, neglect or lack of awareness of severity of condition

determine whether pt shows severe impairments in neglect and body scheme

Question 16

figure-ground discrimination

Answer 16

pick out an object from an array of objects (breaks on a w/c)

Question 17

form constancy

Answer 17

pick out an object from an array of similarly shaped but different-sized objects (big block vs small)

Question 18

spatial relations

Answer 18

pt duplicates a pattern of 2 or 3 blocks

Question 19

topographical disorientation

Answer 19

can patient navigate a familiar route on their own (PT area to their room)

Question 20

agnosia

Answer 20

inability to recognize familiar objects with one sensory modality while retaining ability to recognize the same object with other sensory modalities

(clock. cannot tell by look but can tell based on sound)

Question 21

apraxia

Answer 21

inability to perform voluntary, learned movements in the absence of loss of sensation, strength, coordination, attention, or comprehension

-represents a breakdown in the conceptual system or motor production system or both

Question 22

ideomotor apraxia

Answer 22

pt cannot perform task on command. But can perform on their own

Question 23

ideational apraxia

Answer 23

pt cannot perform task at all. either on command or on own.

Question 24

Clasp-knive response -spasticity

Answer 24

marked resistance to PROM suddenly gives way

Question 25

leadpipe vs cogwheel rigidity

Answer 25

leadpipe = uniform throughout

cogwheel = interrupted by a series of jerks

Question 26

tics

Answer 26

extrapyramidal disorders, BG dysfunction

• spasmodic contraction of specific muscles.
• common in face, head, neck, shoulder muscles

Question 27

chorea

Answer 27

extrapyramidal disorders, BG dysfunction

relatively quick twitches or “dancing” movements

Question 28

athetosis

Answer 28

extrapyramidal disorders, BG dysfunction

slow, irregular, twisting, sinuous movements, occurring especially in UE

Question 29

tremor

Answer 29

continuous quivering movements

BG dysfunction = resting
Cerebellar = intention

Question 30

Dyssynergia

Answer 30

impaired ability to associate muscles together for complex movement

Question 31

dysmetria

Answer 31

impaired ability to judge the distance or range of movement

Question 32

dysdiadochokinesia

Answer 32

impaired ability to perform rapid alternating movements