Neuro Flashcards
Please describe how the nervous systems works for sensory and motor function
See image in sensory and motor function section
What are the two goals of neuro physio treatment?
Restorative function / impairments
Compensatory approach
*not mutually exclusive
What is sensory function and what does it look like for different areas to be impacted?
Help with differential diagnosis by identifying pattern of sensory involvement
Peripheral nerve - pattern of innervation of affected nerve
Nerve root - dermatomal pattern
Spinal cord - diffuse pattern of sensory involvement below the level of the lesion (bilaterally usually) (depends on spinal tracts affected)
Brainstem - ipsilateral facial impairments, contralateral trunk and limb impairments
Brain involvement - cortical: dependent on area of somatosensory cortex (homunculus) or deeper lesion involving thalamas and adjacent structures - diffuse unilateral dysfunction. Contralateral side affected (crossing of tracts)
What happens with sensation and movement?
As more motor - anticipate, correct and modify movement based on sensory inputs organized and integrated by CNS
Feedback: sensory input received and adjusted for motor output
Feedforward:sensory input from past used as anticipatory adjustments
How do you do sensation testing?
*prior to motor and coordination testing
Eyes closed, test at random, give reference for normal
What do you record for sensation testing
Modality tested
Surface areas affected
Degree or severity of involvement
Subjective feelings about altered sensation
Potential impact of sensory impairment on function
What is the order of testing for sensation
Superficial sensations
Pain
Temperature
Light touch
Pressure
Deep sensations
Proprioception
Kinesthesia
Vibration
Combined cortical sensation
Stereognosis
Tactile localization
Two point discrimination
Double simultaneous stimulation
Graphesthesia
Recognition of texture
Barognosis
What are the superficial sensations and how do you test them?
Pain
sharp/dull
Indicates function of protective sensation
Temperature
Hot (warm) / cold
Light touch
Assess perception of tactile touch
Lighty stroke and ask if they feel it
Can quantify using monofilaments
Pressure
Assess perception of pressure by deep receptors (firm pressure to indent skin)
What are the deep sensations and how do you test them?
Proprioception
Determine joint position and awareness at rest
Grasp joint at sides, get patient to describe or mirror the joint position
Kinesthesia
Determine awareness of movement - same as above but just throughout the range of movement
Vibration
Ability to perceive vibratory stimuli
Strikes tuning fork, place on bony prominences - random applications of it (*strike for auditory though every time)
What are the combined corticol sensations and how do you test them?
Stereognosis
Assess tactile object recognition
Tactile localization
Assess ability to localize touch sensation
Point exact location where therapist touches (distance between is senstiviity)
Two point discrimination
Ability to perceive two separate points - measure between the last point before it becomes one - this is minimum detectable distance
Double simultaneous stimulation
Assess ability to perceive touch on
Identical locations on opposite sides
Proximal and distal on similar extremity
Proximal and distal on one side of body
Extinction - only proximal stimulus is perceived
Graphesthesia
Ability to identify numbers, letters or designs (with orientation first)
Recognition of texture
Assess and differentiate between various textures
Barognosis
Assess recognition of weight (if no han then do in series)
What are terms for sensory impairment?
Allodynia - non-noxious stimulus that produces pain
Analgesia - loss of pain sensitivity (inability to feel pain)
Causalgia - burning painful sensation, often along nerve distribution
Dysesthesia: touch sensation produces pain
Hyperalgesia: heightened sensitivity to pain
Hyperesthesia: heightened sensitivity to sensory stimulus
Hypoalgesia - decreased sensitivity to pain
Paresthesia: abnormal sensation with no apartment cause (numbness, tingling)
What are interventions for sensory impairments?
Compensatory approach
Make accommodations to accomplish tasks (alternate strategies or environmental adaptations)
Sensory integration approach
Achieve functional skill through guided practice with controlled sensory intake - activate sensory receptors and higher brain centers
Presented through meaningful activities
Goal enhances sensory input (e.g., sensory avoidance for autism - gradual introduction, sensory seeking - giving tactile feedback)
What is a UMN vs. LMN
UMN - originate in brain, SC, brainstem
Inform to LMN
Originate before anterior horn cell of SC
LMN - originate in cranial nerves nuclei and motor neurons
Originate after anterior horn cell of SC
Receives information and take toward muscle
Comparison - UMN vs. LMN
Weakness - Yes(Spastic), No (flaccid)
Atrophy - No, Yes
Fasciculations - No, Yes
Reflexes - Hyperreflexia, Hyporeflexia/Areflexia
Tone - Increased, decreased
What are the S + S of UMNL and LMNL
UMN
Hyperactive stretch reflex
Involuntary flexor and extensor spasm
Clonus
Babinski’s sign
Exaggerated cutaneous reflexes
Loss of precise autonomic control
Dyssynergic movement patterns
E.g., ALS, brain injury, CP, MS, SCI, stroke, tumour in brain or SC
LMN
Decreased or absent tone
Decreased or absent reflexes
Paresis
Muscle fasciculations and fibrillations with denervation
Neurogenic atrophy
E.g., ALS, bell’s palsy, CES, GBS, peripheral nerve injuries, poliomyelitis, post-polio syndrome
What is tone and the types of tone?
Resistance to passive elongation
Hypertonia - increased
1. Spasticity
Velocity dependent (increased speed= increased resistance)
Clasp-knife - spastic catch, follwed by sudden inhibition
Associated with abnormal posturing, contractures, functional limitations and disabiltiy
2. Rigidity
Velocity independent
Leadpipe - constant through entire range
Cogwheel - ratchet-like jerkiness
Associated with contractures, stiffness, inflexibility, functional limitations and disabiltiy
Hypotonia - decreased
Decreased or absent muscle tone, decrease resistance to passive elongation, decrease or absent stretch reflex, difficulty with anti-gravity positions, difficulty moving against gravity, associated with hyperextensibility of joints, floppy limbs, LMN syndrome
*temporary states may be seen in UMNL during spinal shock ro cerebral shock - duration is variable
Dystonia - disorder tonicity
Characterized by involuntary twisting and repetitive movements, abnormal fixed postures and disordered tone
Dystonic posturing - co-contraction causing sustained abnormal posturing
Types - generalized, focal (only one body part), segmental (2 or more adjacent areas)
What are the two different types of posturing (e.g., for those in comas)
Decorticate
Corticospinal tract lesion at diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus)
Abnormal flexor response
UE - shoulder adduction, elbow flexion, wrist flexion, finger flexion
LE - legs extended and internal rotation*, ankle PF
Decerbrate
Corticospinal tract lesion at brainstem
Abnormal extensor response
UE - shoulder adduction, elbow extension, forearm pronation, wrist/ finger flexion
LE - leg extension, ankle PF
What is the examination of tone?
Observation (resting)
Abnormal posturing or limbs, trunk, head
Palpation
Hypertonia (hard and taut), hypotonia (soft and flabby)
PROM/AROM
Response to stretch
Modified ashworth
* see chart
0 is normal
1 - slight increase with catch and release and minimal resistance at end
1+ - minimal resistance less than half of ROM, slight increase, manifested by a catch
2 - more marked increase through ROM, easily moved
3 - increased tone, passive movement difficult
4 - rigid
Modified tardieu scale
Moving at different speeds (V2 = normal, gravity)
If happens at different speeds - spacitiy, if constant - rigidity
Asymmetry vs. symmetry
Hypertonia - stiff and resistance
Hypotonia - heavy and unresponsive
*if can fix posture = not neurological
What are the interventions for abnormal tone, hypotonia and hypertonia?
Abnormal tone
-Stretching, casting, splinting, orthoses
-Sensory stimulation techniques
Hypotonia
-Decreased support
-Increased resistance
-Joint compression (axial - reflex for extensors) - not for down syndrome
-Manual facilitation techniques - tactile input
Hypertonia
-Increase support
-Modify tasks
-Positioning in lengthened position
-Heat (not for MS or sensory deficits)
What are the UMN reflexes?
-Babinski
-Clonus
-Hoffman sign - middle finger - flick DIP of index or middle into flexion
Abnormal - reflex flexion of DIP of thumb and DIP of index or middle (whichever not flicked)
See hyperreflexia of DTR - used for UMNL
What is postural control made up of?
Postural orientation and postural balance (need to maintain stability and orientation (CoM over BoS))
Please define the following terminology:
-postural orientation
-balace
-center of mass
-Bass of support
-Limits of stability
Postural orientation - control of body segments in relation to each other
Balance: ability to maintain CoM within BoS- forces acting on body must be balanced
CoM: imaginary balancing point - average position of all part of system according to masses
-Changes based on weight, amputation- moves forward as you move forward
Bos: area of body or extension in contact with support surface
LoS: max distance that one can lean to without losing balance or having to change BoS (step, grab something)
-Or else you fall
What system interactions are required for postural control?
Sensory (afferent) input
Visual
Vestibular
Somatosensory
CNS integration
Processes afferent input and determines appropriate output
Motor (efferent) output
Execution of motor response (muscle synergies, timing and force)
feedback system
What is the clinical test for sensory interaction in balance (CTSIB)
Tests the sensory input
See book for image - hold for 20 sec, if arms or feet change, or open eyes = fails
Eyes closed fails - too much visual reliance
Dome fails - vestibular issue
Foam - somatosensory problem
What are the postural control strategies?
Maintain when internal (from self) or external (from external source) perturbations occur
Strategies
1.Reactive - external pertubations - feedback (dependent on sensory feedback)
2.Proactive (anticipatory) - internal perturbations - feedforward (predict what is going to happen)