Neuro Lecture Flashcards
Elements of complete neuro exam
Mental status CNs Motor and sensory DTRs Cerebellar Gait Special tests
What must first be established in neuro exam?
Patient’s dominant hand
R handed people are ___ brain for speech
Left
75% of L handed people are ___ brain for speech
Left
Mental status exam consists of:
- Level of consciousness
- Appearance (dress, affect, hygiene)
- Orientation (to person, date, place)
- Language (quality, comprehension)
- Concentration (serial 7s, WORLD backwards)
- Calculation (17+12)
- Recall (3 objects in 3 mins)
- Current events
What tool can be used for the mental status exam? What does it test?
Folstein MMSE
- Orientation
- Registration
- Calculation
- Recall
- Language
CN I testing:
- Patency of each nostril
- Odor test
CN II testing:
- VA then VF
- Funduscopic exam
- PERRLA
CN III, IV, VI testing:
EOMs with the H test
CN V testing:
- Pin and light touch on ophthalmic, maxillary and mandiublar divisions
- Motor test (jaw jerk should be absent, ask patient to chew to test masseter and temporalis muscles)
CN VII testing:
- Show teeth
- Squeeze eyes shut
- Wrinkle forehead
What is Bells phenomena?
Patient closes eyes and the eye on the SAME side as the peripheral facial weakness will NOT close (but eye rolls superiorly)
Central facial weakness occurs with what disorder?
Stroke
Peripheral facial weakness occurs with what disorder?
Bell’s palsy, acoustic neuromas
Central facial weakness spares:
Forehead and eye closing
CN VIII testing:
Hearing, Weber and Rinne
CN IX and X testing:
- Say ahh watch uvula (deviates to strong side)
- Test gag reflex
CN XI testing:
- Shrug shoulders (trap)
- Turn head against resistance (SCM)
CN XII testing:
Stick out tongue (deviates to weak side)
What is upper motor neuron weakness characterized by?
- Increased tone/spasticity
- Increased reflexes
- Minimal or no atrophy
- No fasciculations
- Positive Babinski
What is lower motor neuron weakness characterized by?
- Decreased tone
- Flaccidity
- Absent or hyporeflexia
- Atrophy and fasciculations
- Absent Babinski
What is upper motor neuron disease often a result of?
Stroke or brain injury
What does lower motor neuron disease involve?
Can involve spinal cord, peripheral nerve, or muscle
UE motor testing:
- Pronator drift
- Deltoids (C5)
- Biceps (C5, C6)
- Triceps (C6, C7)
- Wrist extensors (C6, C7 stop traffic)
- Wrist flexors (C6, C7)
LE motor testing:
- Hip flexion (L2, 3)
- Adduction (L2-4)
- Abduction (L4, 5)
- Knee extension (L3, 4)
- Knee flexion (L5, S1)
- Dorsiflex foot (L4, 5)
- Plantar flex (S1)
- Extension of great toe (L5)
- Extension of remaining toes (L5, S1)
Strength grading system of motor exam
0 = no movement 1 = trace/flicker of movement 2 = able to move when gravity is eliminated 3 = able to move against gravity 4 = some weakness against resistance 5 = normal strength (able to move against resistance)
What strength grades are considered functional movement?
Above 3/5
so 4/5 is weakness but some function preserved
Sensory exam consists of which tracts?
- Spinothalamic tract (pain and temperature)
- Dorsal (posterior) column (position sense and vibration)
L5 sensory =
Lateral portion of lower leg and great toe
S1 sensory =
Lateral portion of top and sole of foot