Neurological Assessment Flashcards
Central Nervous System includes
Brain
Spinal Cord
- Meninges (dura, arachnoid and pia mater) layers of membrane that protect CNS
- Cerebrospinal fluid
Peripheral Nervous System includes
cranial nerves (12 pairs) spinal nerves (31 pairs) and their branches
sensory (afferent) messages to CNS
motor (efferent) messages from CNS
Cerebral cortex
cerebrum’s outer folded layer of nerve cell bodies
- lacks myelin
- “grey matter”
Basal Ganglia
bands of grey matter buried deep within the two cerebral hemispheres
- subcortical associated motor system
- controls automatic movements (i.e. arm swing when walking)
Thalamus
Main relay system for the nervous system
- sensory pathways of the spinal cord and brain stem form synapses on the way to cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus
Control centre for vitals
- temperature
- heart rate
- blood pressure
- regular sleep, anterior and posterior pituitary glad
- emotional status
Cerebellum
Coiled structure under occipital lobe
- Motor coordination of voluntary movements
- Equilibrium (balance)
- Muscle tone
- smooths movement
Brain Stem
Mostly nerve fibres, connects to spinal cord
- Midbrain
- Pons
- Medulla
Spinal Cord
Long cylindrical structure of nervous tissue down to L1/L2, main pathway for ascending and descending fibre tracts
Frontal Lobe
- personality
- behaviour
- emotion
- intellectual functions
Broca’s area: mediated motor speech
injury can cause expressive aphasia - can understand language but cannot talk
Temporal Lobe
- hearing
- taste
- smell
Wernicke’s area: language comprehension
injury can cause receptive aphasia - hears words but cannot comprehend
Parietal Lobe
- sensation
Occipital Lobe
- visual receptor
Sensory Pathways
a. Spinothalamic tract
- pain
- temperature
- light touch
b. Posterior (dorsal) column
- proprioception (body position in relation to surrounding)
- vibration
- stereognosis (identify an object without visual input)
Crossed Representation
Right cerebral cortex controls left side of the body
Left cerebral cortex controls right side of the body
Motor Pathways
a. Corticospinal (pyramidal) tract
- skilled, purposeful voluntary movement
- higher order motor skills (writing, playing piano)
b. Extrapyramidal tract (primitive system)
- muscle tone
- gross body movements (walking)
c. Cerebellar system (on a subconscious level)
- coordinates movement (making them smoother)
- maintains equilibrium
- posture