Neuro flashcards Patient Assesment

Question 1

if you damage the anterior horn

Answer 1

weakness or paralysis (polio)
[some kind of motor effect]

Question 2

where do the ventral horn cells receive information from

Answer 2

they are motor, so they get input from the brain, they can also get input from the dorsal horn neurons

Question 3

what does it mean that the spinal cord is a mixed nerve?

Answer 3

it carries both sensory afferent information and motor efferent information

Question 4

what does the central sulcus divide?

Answer 4

frontal from parietal lobe

Question 5

descending pathway will land on the anterior ventral horn which contains neurons that are motor

Answer 5

those neurons intervate skeletal muscle

Question 6

ascending

Answer 6

dorsal root, sensory

Question 7

descending

Answer 7

anterior ventral horn, motor

Question 8

two major ascending sensory pathways?

Answer 8

the spinothalamic tract (also called the anterolateral tract), and the posterior (or dorsal) column tract

Question 9

spinothalamic tract

Answer 9

carries the sensory information of pain, temperature, crude touch, and pressure
hot stove->spinal cord->dorsal root ganglion->dorsal root->crosses over the gray and white matter->ascends to the thalamus-> reaches the post central gyrus of the parietal lobe-> “That’s hot!”

Question 10

anesthesia vs analgesia

Answer 10

absent touch vs absent pain

Question 11

posterior (dorsal) column tract

Answer 11

carries sensation of proprioception, 2 pt discrimination, vibration, position and light touch
vibration sense->spinal cord->dorsal root ganglion->dorsal root->DOES NOT CROSS OVER HERE-> ascends to the level of medula->NOW IT CROSSES OVER–>thalamus->post central gyrus of the parietal lobe-> “i feel vibration”

Question 12

what is ipsilateral in the cord, and contralateral in the brain?

Answer 12

the posterior dorsal column tract

Question 13

how can we test dorsal column function?

Answer 13

position sense (with holding digit by the side and moving up and down with eyes closed), observe pt walking, Romberg,

Question 14

excessive swaying with eyes open or closed

Answer 14

cerebellar deficit (cerebellar ataxia)

Question 15

excessive swaying only when eyes are closed

Answer 15

proprioceptive deficit (sensory ataxia), example-> pernicious anemia

the eyes are able to compensate

Question 16

what does the cerebellum do?

Answer 16

coordination, smoothing out, processing

Question 17

stereognosis

Answer 17

the ability to recognize an object based on touch. carried by the dorsal column tract
-interpretation is in the contralateral parietal lobe cortex

astereognosis–> if they cant do it

Question 18

graphesthesia

Answer 18

the ability to recognize number or letters written on the skin
carried by the dorsal column tract
-need functional parietal lobe (contralateral)

Question 19

tests for cerebellar function

Answer 19

finger to nose, with eyes closed, rapid alternating movements like patty cake, heel to shin, heel to toe, walking naturally

Question 20

what would the sensory findings be if only one half of the spinal cord were affected? below and above
what syndrome is this?

Answer 20

Brown-Sequard Syndrome below:
contralateral loss of pain and temperature (spinothalamic tract)
ipsilateral loss of 2pd, proprioception, vibration, etc (dorsal column tract)

Question 21

corticospinal tract pathway

Answer 21

precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe, crosses at the medulla-> synapse with the dorsal horn neurons->synapse with anterior horn, the anterior horn intervates skeletal muscle

Question 22

where are lower motor neurons located?

Answer 22

the anterior horn

Question 23

hallmarks of UMN lesion

Answer 23

spastic hemiplegic gait (upper arm flexion with lower leg extension)
clonus
Babinski
hyperreflexia
pronator drift that turns into spasticity and paralysis

Question 24

hallmarks of lower motor damage

Answer 24

flaccid muscle tone, paralysis
hyporeflexia

Question 25

motor effect of injury of the right side of the brain

Answer 25

contralateral spastic paralysis (UMN)

Question 26

motor effect of injury to the anterior horn (one side only)

Answer 26

ipsilateral flaccid paralysis at the level of the lesion only (LMN)

Question 27

motor effect of injury to the corticospinal tract in the cord on one side

Answer 27

ipsilateral spastic paralysis below the level of the lesion (UMN)

Question 28

what would be the motor effects if the spinal cord was completed cut in half

Answer 28

initially, pronator drift followed by spastic paralysis

Question 29

can you have a stroke that only has sensory signs?

Answer 29

yes if the damage is limited to just the sensory cortex of the brain