Neuro Flashcards
Afferent
Toward the centre; e.g., afferent nerves carry impulses toward the central nervous system
Amnesia
Loss of memory
Anecephaly
Congenital condition where most of the brain and skull are absent
Anomalies; Anomaly
An abnormal structure, often congenital
Aphasia
Loss of the ability to communicate, speak coherently, or understand speech
Athetoid
Involuntary writhing movement of limbs and body
Atresia
The absence of a canal or opening
Aura
A sensation, e.g., visual or auditory, usually preceding a seizure or migraine headache
Bifurcation
The division of a tube of a vessel into two channels or branches
Choreiform (Chorea?)
Involuntary repeated jerky movements of face and limbs
Clonic Movements
Consisting of rapid, alternating contraction and relaxation of skeletal muscle
Cognitive
Intellectual abilities, e.g., memory, thinking, problem solving, judgement, initiative
Coma
Unconscious state; person cannot be aroused
Contralateral
Opposite side of the body
Disorientation
Mental confusion with inadequate or incorrect awareness of time, place, and person
Efferent
Moving away from the centre; e.g., efferent nerve fibbers carry motor impulses to muscles
Fissure
A crack or split in the surface of skin or mucous membrane
Flaccid (Flaccidity)
Lack of tone in muscle; weakness and softness
Foramina (Foramen)
An opening in bone or membrane
Fulminant
Rapid, severe, uncontrolled progress of a disease or infection
Ganglion
A collection of nerve cell bodies, usually outside the central nervous system
Gyri
Elevations that cover the outer surface of the cerebral hemispheres
Hyperreflexia
Excessive reflex response
Infratentorial
A lesion located in the brain stem, or below the tentorium.
Ipsilateral
Same side of the body
Labile
Unstable, changing
Nuchal Rigidity
A stiff neck, often associated with meningitis or brain hemorrhage
Paralysis
Loss or impairment of motor function in a part due to lesion of the neural or muscular mechanism
Paresis
Muscle weakness or mild paralysis
Paresthesia
Abnormal sensations
Photophobia
Increased sensitivity of the eyes to light
Postictal
Following a seizure
Precursor
A substance that can be used to form other materials
Pressoreceptors
Receptors in the vascular system, particularly in the aorta and carotid sinus, which are sensitive to stretch of the vessel walls
Prodromal
The initial period in the development of disease before acute symptoms occur
Ptosis
Drooping eyelid
Retina
Light sensitive layer of the eye
Scotoma
A defect in the visual field
Spastic
The nature of, or characterized by spasms
Stupor
A state of extreme lethargy, unawareness, and unresponsiveness
Sulcus, Sulci
A groove or furrow, as one of the grooves on the surface of the cerebrum
Supratentorial
Denoting cranial contents located above the tentorium cerebelli
Sutures
Materials used in closing a surgical or traumatic wound
Tetraplegia
Paralysis of all four limbs; quadriplegia
Tonic
Characterized by continuous tension
Transillumination
The passage of light through a structure to determine if an abnormality is present
Brain Function: Lobes
Frontal: Speech
Parietal: Speech, taste, hearing
Occipital: Vision
Temporal: Smell, hearing
Support and Protection of the CNS
Cranium: Needs to stay closed
Meninges- Pia, Arachnoid, Dura
Cerebral Spinal Fluid (coats brain and spinal cord)
Vertebral Column (coats spinal nerves)
Headaches
May result from brain tumours, meningitis, head injuries, stress, muscle tension or a combination of factors
Can be acute or chronic
Caused by the stretching, dilation, inflammation and pressure of the pain sensitive structures within the cranium
Most common types of headaches are:
Migraine
Cluster
Tension
Migraine:
Familial, episodic disorder whose marker is headache and is defined as repeated, episodic headache lasting 4-72 hours
Usually women 25-55 yrs old (menstruation)
Caused by combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors
May have aura (physical/ psychological factors; smell burnt toast; “aura” to headache/ seizure)
Triggers (Seizures and migraines triggered by the same things):
Altered sleep patterns Skipping meals Overexertion Weather change Stress or relaxation from stress Hormonal changes Excess afferent stimulation (bright lights, strong smells) Chemicals (alcohol or nitrates)
Migraine Diagnostic Studies
No specific laboratory or radiological tests
Diagnosis is usually made from history
Cluster Headache
Characterized by repeated headaches that occur for weeks or months at a time, followed by periods of remission
One of the most severe forms of head pain
Occur less frequently than migraine
Cluster Headaches
More common in men 20-50
Severe unilateral pain, located around or behind an eye, can wake you up, may also have nasal congestion, tearing and facial flushing
Can be triggered by alcohol
Cluster Headache: Etiology and Pathophysiology
Neither cause nor pathophysiological mechanism is known
Trigeminal nerve is implicated (runny nose, facial swelling)
Extracranial vasodilation occurs in affected part of face
Cluster Headache: Clinical Manifestations
Severe unilateral orbital, supraorbital, or temporal pain and at least one of the following: Conjuctival injection lacrimation Nasal congestion Rhinorrhea Forehead and facial swelling Miosis Ptosis Eyelid edema
Cluster Headache: Clinical Manifestations
Onset is abrupt, usually without prodrome (aura)
Peaks in 5-10 minutes and lasts 30-90 minutes (shorter than a migraine)
Common to start at night
Recur several times a day for several days
Cluster Headache: Clinical Manifestations
Affects upper face, periorbital region, and forehead on one side of the face and head
Partial Horner’s syndrome may be seen
Described as deep, steady, and penetrating, but not throbbing
Client often paces floor, cries out, and resents being touched (become very sensitive)
Tension Headache
Most common
Average onset 2nd decade (men and women)
Occurs in episodes and may last for several hours or several days
Occurs at least 15 days per month for at least 3 months
Tension Headache: Clinical Manifestations
No prodrome
Classification system lists tension-type as having a least two characteristics of:
Gradual onset
Pressure or tightness sensation, pain
Mild-moderate severity
Bilateral feeling of pressure around the head
Worsening with physical activity (musculoskeletal component)
May experience photophobia (light sensitivity) or phono phobia (sound sensitivity)
Head Injuries
Major Head trauma: A rheumatic insult to the brain possibly producing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and vocational changes
High potential for poor outcome
Majority of death occur at three points in time after injury: Immediately after the injury; within 2 hours after the injury; 3 weeks after injury
Etiology of Head Injuries
Young adults: sports injuries; accidents (cars and motorcycles); violent assaults
Boxers or other athletes (contact sports)
Elderly (falls)
Infants (Shaken baby syndrome)
Head Injuries:
May involve: Skull fractures (break in the skull) Scalp laceration (profuse bleeding; infection) Concussion, contusion, and hematomas Open or closed
Head Injuries: Skull Fractures
Linear: Simple clean break in skull
Comminuted: Skull in fragmented pieces
Depressed: Skull bone fragments pushed into brain (infection, ischemia, necrosis)
Basilar: At base of skull, may extend to temporal bone
Basilar Skull Fracture: Manifestations
Can cause CSF or blood to leak from the nose (rhinorhea) or the ears (otorrhea)
Battle’s sign (bruising mastoid)
Periorbital ecchymosis (raccoon eyes)
If CSF is leaking, risk for infection is high
Head Injuries Categories:
Mild concussion
Classical concussion
Mild, moderate, and severe diffuse axonal injuries (DAI)
Concussion
A sudden transient mechanical head injury with disruption of neural activity and a change in LOC
Mild head trauma
Concussion
Caused by violent shaking of the brain (rattling, shaking movement)
Immediate loss of consciousness
Mild Concussion
Temporary axonal disturbance causing attention and memory deficits but no loss of consciousness
I: confusion, disorientation, and momentary amnesia
II: momentary confusion and retrograde amnesia
III: confusion with retrograde and anterograde amnesia (don’t remember events before or after)
Classic Cerebral Concussion
Grade IV
Disconnection of cerebral systems from the brain stem and reticular activating system
Physiologic and neurologic dysfunction without substantial anatomic disruption
Loss of consciousness (
Open Head Injury : Through skull and dura
Injury breaks the dura and exposes the cranial contents to the environment
Causes primarily focal injuries
Closed Head Injuries
The dura remains intact and brain tissues are not exposed to the environment Head strikes hard surface or a rapidly moving object strikes the head Causes focal (local) or diffuse (general) brain injuries
Closed Head Injuries
Coup Injury: Injury directly below the point of impact
Contrecoup: Injury on the point opposite the site of impact
Closed Head Injury: Coup Contrecoup
Bruising of brain at two points
Brain Damage: Focal symptoms related to area of brain injured; Possible increased ICP
Diffuse Axonal Injury Etiology
Shaking, inertial effect
Acceleration/ deceleration
Axonal damage
Shearing, tearing, or stretching of nerve fibbers
Severity corresponds to the amount of shearing force applied to the brain and brain stem
Diffuse Axonal Injury: Clinical Signs
Decreased LOC
Increased ICP
Decerebration or decortication (signs that there is pressure on the brain stem)
Global cerebral edema