Neuro Assessment and Testing Flashcards
sdWhat is a neuro assessment used for
BASEline
What is part of the neuro assessment
Comprehensice history
What are the categories of neurological function
LOC, PATTERN of breahting, PUPIL reaction, OCULOMOTOR response, MOTOR response
How to asses mental status
LOC (asareness to SELF and SURROUNDINGS)
What is the most critical clinical index of the nervous system
LOC and A+O
What can even a slight change in LOC indicate
Brain dysfunction
What does the longer the brain dysfunction mean
The more permanent injury
What are some things of the mini mental status examination
Year, where are we, three words, identify a penical and watch, repeat phrases, spell backward, count backwards, write sentence
What is a vegetative state
Loss of awareness and mental capabilities, BREANI STEM FUNCTION CONTINUES, unresponsive to stimuli
What is locked-in syndrome
People are aware and able ot think but are PARALYZED and connot communicate
Tell me about cessation of brain function
FLAT EEG, no brain stem relfexes, absence of spontaneous RESPIRATIONS
When can you determine brain death
Elvaluation from two different physicians
What does the glasgow coma scale look at
Eye, Verbal, Motor
What is noraml breathing
Hemispheric
What is brain stem breathing
Responses to CO2 level
What does pupillary chage indicate
Preseace and level of of brain stem dysfunction
What are the eye movement that you look for
Uni/bilateral, nystagmus, extraoccular, accommodation
What are you looking at for motor systems
SIZE, STRENGHT, TONE, COORDINATION, GAIT
What causes damage to upper motor neurons
Contralateral side
What causes damage to lower motor neurons
Same side damage
What are signs of severe brain damage
Decorticate and decerebrate
What is damage to nerves in midbrain
DeCORticate
What does decorticate look like
Arms on chest, clenched fists, legs rotated in
What is severe damage to the brain
DeCEREcrateW
What does decerebrate look like
toes pointed, head and back arched
What is clonis
Hyperactive
What is aphasi
Inability to comprehend or express language
What is receptice aphasia
Wernicke area
What is expresisve aphasia
BROca area
What is dysarthria
Motor dysfunction in speech
What drug treats intracranial pressure
Monotol
What is part of the cerebral autoregulation
ICP, to maintain BLOOD FLOW
Why is increased ICP bad
Brain is encased in skull and it pushes on brain and kills blood flow
What is increased ICP common in
Hemorrhage, trauma, edema, infection, tumors
What are the symptoms of increase ICP
Severe headache, profectile comiting, LOC, INCREASED systemic BP, CUSHING’S reflex, increasing pulse pressure
What is cushing’s triad
Increased BP, Decreased pulse and RR
Signs of increased ICP
Opposite of shock
When do you use skull and spinal x-rays
Fractures and suture separations
What do you use CT scans for
IC BLEEDING, HEMATOMA, TUMORS, ANEURYSM, EMBOLISM
What happens to the ventricles in increased ICP
Shrink
What provides a better anatomically detailed brain pic
MRI
What does MRI do well
Show defects in BLOOD FLOW, clear picture of INNER structures
What does the pet scan do for the brain
Looks at the function of the brain, cancer, alzherimer’s
What do EEG’s look at
Electrical activity
What are EEG’s used to diagnossi
Seizure, brain death
What correlates with decreased brain wave activity
Decreased blood flow
Should CSF look like
Colorless, clear, no RBC’s or mircroorganisms
What is a myelogram used for
Spinal cord compression
What is an angiogram used for
CONTRAST DYE, movement of dye, ANEURYSM
