Neurological Assessment Flashcards
What is a neurological assessment?
A thorough neurologic assessment will include assessing mental status, cranial nerves, motor and sensory function, pupillary response, reflexes, the cerebellum, and vital signs. However, unless you work in a neuro unit, you won’t typically need to perform a sensory and cerebellar assessment.
What are the three main parts of the brain?
- Cerebrum
- Cerebellum
- Brain stem
What is the cerebrum responsible for?
Initiation of movement, coordination of movement, temperature, touch, vision, hearing, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, emotions, and learning.
What is the cerebellum responsible for?
Busy planning, adjusting and executing movements of the body, the limbs and the eyes. It plays a major role in several forms of motor learning. The evidence for a role for the cerebellum in cognitive functions is rather weak.
What is the brain stem responsible for?
Is in charge of all the functions your body needs to stay alive, like breathing air, digesting food, and circulating blood.
How many hemispheres does the brain have?
Two- A longitudinal fissure or division separates the brain into two distinct cerebral hemispheres, connected by the corpus callosum. The sides resemble each other and each hemisphere’s structure is generally mirrored by the other side.
How many lobes does the brain have?
Four lobes- Each side of your brain contains four lobes. The frontal lobe is important for cognitive functions and control of voluntary movement or activity. The parietal lobe processes information about temperature, taste, touch and movement, while the occipital lobe is primarily responsible for vision.
What are the names of the four lobes?
Parietal, frontal, temporal and occipital
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
Important for cognitive functions and control of voluntary movement or activity.
What is the parietal lobe responsible for?
Processes information about temperature, taste, touch and movement.
What is the temporal lobe responsible for?
Processes memories, integrating them with sensations of taste, sound, sight and touch.
What is the occipital lobes responsible for?
Primarily vision.
When might you do a neurological assessment?
- Stroke (Infarct, Haemorrhagic)
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinsons
- Concussion
- Brain tumour/abscess
- Migraine
- Epilepsy
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Intracranial haematoma
- Encephalitis (viral, inflammatory)
- Reye’s syndrome
- Meningitis
- Medication misuse i.e. opiods
What is ACBDE?
A= Airways B= Breathing C= Circulation D=Disability E= Exposure/Environment
What is AVPU?
A= Alert V= Voice P= Pain U= Unresponsive