Neuro Disorders Flashcards
Cerebral lobes
- Frontal
- Parietal
- Temporal
- Occipital
Frontal lobe function
- Motor cortex, voluntary movement
- Broca’s expressive speech center
- Personality
- Behaviors: social, sexual, judgement, problem solving
Parietal lobe function
- Sensation interpretation & perception
- Social relationships such as body position
- Integration of sensory input, especially visual input
Temporal lobe function
- Auditory sensation and perception
- Long term memory
- Wernicke’s receptive speech center
Occipital lobe function
- Process visual information
- Perception of color and shapes
CT or CTA
- Assess for bleed, edema, masses
*Suspected ischemic stroke: CT rule out hemorrhagic stroke which would be contraindication to thrombolytic therapy
CT/CTA nursing implications
- Pt education about procedure
- Noninvasive and painless
- Patient IV (if giving contrast)
- Iodine allergies (shellfish or dye)
- Monitor BUN/Cr
- DM? Taking Metformin? If yes, Metformin held 48 hrs prior
- IV/PO fluids post-procedure to enhance excretion of dye
- Monitor for allergic rxn
Lumbar puncture
- Obtain CSF for analysis
- Measure ICP
- Spinal anesthesia, intrathecal meds
- Remove CSF to reduce pressure
- Performed between L3 and L4 (below level of spinal cord)
LP nursing implications
- Pt education about procedure
- Hold antiplatelet/anticoag drugs prior (decreased risk of bleeding)
- Check coagulation studies prior
- Informed consent
- Flat bedrest for 4-6 hrs to prevent CSF leakage
- Leakage can cause severe HA
- Encouraging fluids post LP
- Blood patch can seal CSF leak
Secondary headache
- Caused by underlying pathology
- Typical presentation: sudden onset, severe pain (not alleviated w meds)
Secondary headache work-up
- CBC and blood culture (infection)
- CRP and ESR (inflamm)
- CT and MRI (masses, cysts, vessel, osseous skull abnormalities)
- EEG (electrical activity: seizures, tumors, inflamm, brain injury)
- Sleep studies (fatigue, sleep apnea)
Primary brain tumor
Malignant:
- Glioma: from glial cells
- Oligodendroglioma: from oligodendrocyte
Benign:
- Meningioma: most common form
- Acoustic neuroma / schwannoma: from Schwann cell
- Pituitary tumor: hormone hypersecretion
Metastatic (secondary) brain tumor
Occurs at:
- Brain parenchyma
- Spinal cord
- Leptomeninges
Most common cancers resulting in CNS metastases:
- Lung, melanoma, renal, breast, CRC
Brain tumor medical management
- Chemotherapy
- Gliadal wafers: impregnanted w chemotherapy and put in surgical bed at time of surgical resection
- Radiation therapy
- Cyberknife: radiation directed to specific area of brain to spare normal tissue
Brain tumor surgical management
- Craniotomy: section of skull (bone flap) removed
- Debunk: removing as much of tumor as possible if not completely removable