neuro exam Flashcards
characteristics of pain and temperature sensory nerves
- small and slow
- many unmyelinated
- synapse with spinothalamic tract
characteristics of nerves for well localized touch and pressure, and conscious proprioception
- large
- heavily myelinated
- dorsal column, medial lemniscus
nerves for unconscious proprioception
- muscle stretch (spindles)
- tension (tendon organ)
- heavily myelinated
- contribute to reflexes and go to cerebellum
how does polyneuropathy present in a sensory exam?
stocking and glove
hemianesthesia indicates damage to…
spinal tracts, thalamus, cortex
what is brown-sequard syndrome?
hemisection of spinal cord affecting dorsal column/medial lemniscus sensory tracts and the corticospinal motor tracts
suspended or “vest like” loss of sensory function indicates
intramedullary lesion
dorsal great toe nerve root
L5
lateral heel nerve root
S1
below medial knee nerve root
L4
near thumb nerve root
C6
middle finger never root
C7
small digit nerve root
C8
in general, damage to single nerve roots….
does not cause sensory loss, due to overlap
where is the affected area in the brain when experiencing tactile agnosia
- sensory association area
- parietal lobe
motor function scale
1-5
1 - no contraction
2 - contraction but no movement
3 - movement but only barely against gravity
4 - movement against gravity and some resistance
5 - normal
two types of reflexes
- myotatic (deep tendon) - increased with upper motor neuron damage
- superficial - require upper motor neurons to be intact (normal plantar, cremaster, abdominal)
what does it mean when babinski is present?
- upgoing toes
- upper motor neuron damage
what is muscle spasticity? what does it indicate?
- does not give way
- upper motor neuron damage
what is muscle rigidity? what does it indicate?
- inflexibility or stiffness that gives way
- extrapyramidal dysfunction
what does muscle flaccidity indicate?
- lower motor neuron damage
muscle atrophy indicates
- lower motor neuron damage
