Neuro Flashcards
Cerebrospinal fluid
Shock absorber
- Provides: nutritive substances to CNS. Any interference with the absorption of the fluid will result in abnormal collection of fluid within the brain, termed hydrocephalus
- Contains: proteins - glucose - urea - salts - some WBC
Flow of cerebral spinal fluid
Lateral ventricles - 3/4 ventricles - subarachnoid space - blood - filtered in kidneys and liver
Meninges
Three layers of protective coverings that surround the brain and spinal cord
- dura mater
- arachnoid mater
- pia mater
Spinal cord
- contains nerve cell bodies
- major portion of spinal cord is nerve fibers in specific bundles extending from the cells fo the brain
- nerve fibers transmit into to/from the brain as electrical impulses carrying messages
- spinal cord is around the size of your little finger in circumference
Sensory nerves
- wide variety of sensory cells in the nervous system
- responsible for hearing, balance, vision, skin, muscles, joints, lungs, and other organs
- detect heat, cold, motion, pressure, pain, balance, light, taste, smell and other sensations
Motor nerves
- each muscles has its own motor nerve
- electrical impulses produced by the cell body in the spinal cord are transmitted along motor nerve to the mm and cause it to contract
- the cell body in the spinal cord is stimulated by an impulse produced in the motor strip of the cerebral cortex
Necrosis
Passive, more severe damage
- cell death
- inflammatory process
Apoptosis
Active
- programmed cell death
- no inflammation
- part of the normal maturation of nerve cells
Neuroplasticity
Reverse to changes in neural pathways and synapses due to changes in behavior, enrivonemnt, neural processes, thinking, emotions, as well as changes resulting from bodily injry
UMN lesion
Upper motor neuron lesion
- cerebral cortex
- sub-cortical white matter
- internal capsule
- brainstem
- spinal cord
LMN lesion
Lower motor neuron lesion
- damage to cell body, axons, motor end plate, muscles
Nerves vs ganglia
- Nerves: cordlike bundle of nerve fibers that transmits impulses to/from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body
- Ganglia: groups of nerve cell bodies located outside the CNS
Cerebro vascular accident
Stroke
- interruption of cerebral circulation that results in cerebral insufficiency, destruction of surrounding Brian tissue and neurological deficit
- infarction slowly progresses over one to two days
- most common site is middle cerebral artery
Ischemic vs hemorrahgic CVA
- Ischemic: thrombus - embolus - lacunae (artery damage)
2. Hemorrhagic: intracerebral - subdural 0 subarachnoid - AV malformation
S&S stroke and FAST
Sudden, severe head ache (no known cause) - weakness or numbness of the face, arm, leg on one side of the body (hemiplegia) - difficulty with speech - sudden loss or dimming of vision - unexplained dizziness - sudden falls - unsteadiness Face (uneven?) Arm (one arm hanging down?) Speech (slurrred) Time (call 911)
Tx stroke
- clot buster
- tPA: tissue plasminogen activator
- binds to fibrin in the clot
- only if CVA occurred in last 3 hours
Transient ischemic attack
- stroke symptoms that last 1-24hrs
- dure to sudden deficient supply of blood to the brain lasting a short time
- 1/3 have 2nd CVA
Transient ischemic attack S&S
- hemiplegia-paralysis
- hemiparesis- muscle weakness
- chagnes in mm tone (spasticity vs flaccid)
- sensory chagnes (n/t)
- visual changes
- perceptual chagnes
- balance abnormalities
- dysphasia (trouble swallowing)
- aphasia (communication disorder)
- cognitive deficits (decreased memory, problem-solving)
- incontinence of bowel or bladder
- emotional lability
Changes in mm tone CVA
- Spasticity (hypertonia)
- increased resistance to passive stretch
- clonus
- rigidity
- hypereflexia - Facility (hypotonia)
- low tone
- decreased or absent deep tendon reflexes
- ex drop foot
Sensation CVA
Ability to receive sensory input within and outside the body and transmit it through the peripheral nerves
- modes: visual, vestibular, tactile, proprioceptive
Perception CVA
Ability to integrate various sensory inputs and respond appropriately
Additional findings CVA
Coma and death are the most severe consequences
- common for pts post CVA to have residual complications and deficits that persist
- expressive aphasia: impaired ability to communicate by speech (broca’s)
- receptive aphasia: diminished ability to receive and interpret verbal and written communication (wernicke’s)
Modifiable risk factors CVA
- hypertension
- atherosclerosis
- heart disease
- diabetes
- elevated cholesterol
- smoking
- obesity
Non-modifiable risk factors CVA
- age
- race
- family history
- gender: male > female
- age constitutes the greates risk for strokes
- 73% are 65+ yo
CVA home care regimen
75% of patients return home at various levels of functional mobility
- PT in home:
- exercise program
- fall prevention
- control of spasticity
- endurance training
- functional mobility
- sensory stimulation
- motor re-education
injury patterens
- Hemiplegia (stroke) half of body
- Paraplegia (spinal cord) legs
- Terraplena (quad) arms and legs
Etiology of SCI
- MVA, violence, and falls
- over 50% occur 15-25 years of age
- higher ration of men and white ppl
- 10-15% also have TBI
- also caused by diseases
- 190,000-230,000 in US
Phases of injury SCI
- Primary 1-2 days: damage to neurons at level of injry
- Secondary: apoptosis up to 4 spinal levels from injry
- ischemia - hypoxia - edema
SCI
Early goal: preservation of live and prevention of further damage to neural tissue
- stabilization by means of fusiong vertebrae with bone grafts, rods, wires, and external devices such as body jackets or casts
- medications are used to enhance repair and recover (steroids for inflammation control)
SCIberg
- inability to walk
- loss of touch sensation
- loss of sexual function
- loss of voluntary bladder and bowl control
- inability to feel hot and cold
- loss of body temperature regulation
- cardiovascular risk
- compromised digestion system
- breathing difficulties
- constant neuropathic pain
- psychological battles
- pressure sores
- spasms
Brown sequared lesion
- Ipsilateral: touch, vibration, position
2. Contralateral: pain, temperature
PT intervention SCI
- maintain mobility of joints, extremities, strength of unaffected mm, cardiorespiratory capacity, and endurance
- once medical stability and orthopedic clearance is obtained, a more vigorous functional training is begun
- home regime: W/C accessible with ramps, other modifications, family edu
ASIA scale
- A: complete- no sensory or motor
- B: incomplete- sensory but no motor below injry level
- C: incomplete- most key muscle groups below injry level and <3/5 strength
- D: incomplete- most key muscle groups below injury have >3/5 strength
- E: normal- sensory and motor intact
Autonómica dysreflexia
Acture emergency
- who: T5 and above
- signs: increased BP, HA, diaphoresis, vision changes, arrhythmia, anxiety
- triggers: full bladder or bowels, kidney stones, gastritis, onset of menses, DVT or PE, pressure injry, bruises, tight clothing
Parkinson’s
Progressive condition first described by James parkinson in 1817
- etiology: unknown
- substantia nigra in the midbrain deteriorates
- decreased dopamine
- chronic degeneration disease of the CNS that usually occurs after 50 yo
- shaking palsy
- presentation: rigidity and trembling of head, forward tilt of trunk, redacted arm swinging, shuffling gait with short steps, regidity and trembling of extremities