Neurological Flashcards
Anatomical components of nervous system?
Brain, spinal cord (central) , nerves (peripheral)
Autonomic Nervous System
The part of the Efferent Nervous System that controls involuntary functions split into sympathetic and parasympathetic
Somatic Nervous System
The part of the Efferent Nervous System that controls voluntary movements
Structure of the brain
Ventricles - Cavities in the brain filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
Brainstem - The area that connects the sinal cord to the brain
Cerebellum - Posterior to brainstem ‘string part at back of brain
Hypothalamus - Anterior to the brain stem connected to midbrain
Thalamus - The area above the brain stem
Cerebrum - Outer part of the brain seperated into lobes
Structure of the brainstem
Medulla - The lowest part of the brain stem where the spinal cord connects
Pons - Middle part of the brain stem
Midbrain - Highest part of the brain stem where the brain connects
What are the meninges
Protective layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord
Where is cerebrospinal fluid
In ventricles
Surrounding brain
Central spinal canal
Surrounding spinal cord
GCS breakdown
Eyes/4 (Follows, to speech, to pain, closed)
Speech/5 (Orientated, confused, Innapropriate, incomprehensible, none)
Motor/6 (Follows commands, localises to pain, withdraws, flexes, extends, none)
BEFAST breakdown
Balance
Eyes
Face
Arms
Speech
Time
Sympathetic Nervous System
Part of the Autonomic Nervous System responsible for fight or flight
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Partof the Autonomic Nervous System responsible for rest and digest
Afferent Nervous System
Part of the PNS responsible for sensory
Efferent Nervous System
Part of the PNS responsible for motor
Global overview
Gait
Facial drooping
Muscle wasting
Tremor
Posture
Walking aide
Meningitis tests
Kernig’s sign
Brudzinski sign
Kernig’s sign
Lie flat, flex knee 90 degrees and slowly straighten. Pain in neck or head is positive indicator
Brudzinski’s sign
Lie flat and manually maneuvre head to chest. Flexion at the hips or knees is a positive indicator
What is meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges indicating infection of the subarachnoid space (where cerebrospinal fluid is)
Dysarthria
Slurring
Dysphonia
Hoarseness
Dysphasia
Innappropriate words
Cerebral cortex lobes
Frontal - front
Parietal - Upper middle
Temporal - Lower middle
Occipital - Rear
Cranial Nerve 1
Olfactory
Sensory
Begins at cerebrum
Responsible for smell
Cranial Nerve 2
Optic nerve
Sensory
Begins at cerebrum
Responsible for clarity and field of vision and light detection
Cranial Nerve 3
Oculomotor
Motor
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for light reflex, pupil size and shape
Cranial Nerve 4
Trochlear
Motor
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for vertical eye movement
Cranial Nerve 5
Trigeminal
Both motor and sensory
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for jaw muscles and facial sensation
Cranial Nerve 6
Abducens
Motor
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for lateral eye movement
Cranial Nerve 7
Facial
Motor and sensory
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for facial movement, taste, crying and salivating
Cranial Nerve 8
Vestibulocochlear
Sensory
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for hearing and balance
Cranial Nerve 9
Glossopharyngeal
Motor and sensory
Begins in brain stem
Responsible for sensation of back of tongue and pharynx. Heartrate, chemoreceptors
Cranial Nerve 10
Vagus
Motor and sensory
Begins at brain stem
Responsible for GI function, heart function, voice, swallowing
Cranial Nerve 11
Spinal Accessory
Motor
Begins at brain stem
Neck and shoulder muscle
Cranial Nerve 12
Hypoglossal
Motor
Begins at brain stem
Tongue movement
Hyposmia
Reduced smell
Anosmia
Full loss of smell
Parosmia
Smell changes
Rombergs test
Test for balance, feet together eyes closed
Types of dementia
Alzeimers (most common)
Vascular
Lewy body
Mixed
Frontotemporal (least common)
Alzeimers
Loss of connections between nerves affecting memory before reasoning.
Caused from amyloid becoming sticky and tangling
Explicit memory
Composed of episodic and semantic
Concious memory
Verbal, events and facts
Implicit memory
Unconcious memory
Non verbal
Skills and tasks
Episodic memory
Explicit memory
Personal events
Semantic memory
Explicit memory
General knowledge (facts & general events)
Vascular dementia
Reduced blood flow to the brain due to the formation of plaque in arteries
Lewy body dementia
Lewy bodies form from clumps of alphasynuclein proteins
Symptoms of lewy body dementia
Hallucination/ delusion
Reduced cognition
Movement disorder
Abbey pain scale
Vocalisation
Facial expression
Body language
Behaviour
Physiology
Physical
Parkinsons
Dopamine pathways disrupted
Parkinsons symptoms
Tremor
Stiffness
Memory and cognition issues
Sleep problems
Mental health deterioration
Anterior cerebral stroke
Legs affected
Middle cerebral stroke
Face, arms, slur, confusion
Basilar stroke
Speech, balance, LOC
Posterior stroke
Visual field loss
TIA
Angina of stroke (ischaemia without cell death)
Adrenal crisis symptoms
Fatigue
Low BP
Abdo pain
Fever
Transient loss of conciousness
Random loss of consciousness
May present similar to stroke or MI
Can be caused by drugs/ medications
Subarachnoid haemmorhage presentation
Combination of stroke and meningitis
Types of delirium
Hyperactive
Hypoactive
Both