Neurological Exam in Dogs and Cats Flashcards
what do you do first and last in a neurological exam?
observation first
potential painful manipulation last
what are some important structures for mental status?
reticular activating system (RAS)
somatosensory pathways
cranial nerves: I, II, V, VIII
what does it mean for a patient to be in stupor?
sleep-like, but can be woken up with external stimuli
what are some brain structures involved in the complex interactions that make up behavior?
rhinencephalon
thalamus
hypothalamus
hippocampus
prefrontal and frontal cortex
what sensory structures are important for posture?
vestibular system
vision
proprioceptive system
what are some afferent structures important for posture?
subthalamic nuclei
brainstem
cerebellar vermis
vestibulospinal tracts
tectospinal tracts
what are the abnormal back orientations?
kyphosis
lordosis
skoliosis
what are the abnormal head orientations?
head tilt
head down
opisthotonos
head turn: pleurosthotonus
what sensory information goes into gait?
vision
vestibular system
cerebellar system
proprioception
what are the neurological scores for ambulatory function with front and hind legs affected?
neck pain only
front leg lameness
ambulatory tetraparesis and ataxia
non-ambulatory tetraparesis
tetraplegia
tetraplegia with respiratory compromise
what are the neurological scores for ambulatory function with hind legs affected?
back pain only
ambulatory paraparesis and ataxia
non-ambulatory paraparesis
paraplegia
paraplegia with loss of pain perception
what things are part of peripheral vision?
retina
optic nerve
chiasma
what is part of central vision?
optic tract
corpus geniculatum
optic radiation
occipital cortex
how can we assess vision?
cotton ball test
menace reflex
obstacle course
visual placing
what structures are part of the pupillary light reflex?
peripheral visual pathway
brain stem nuclei
cranial nerve III
what cranial nerves play parts in eye movement?
III
IV
VI
how can you assess eye movement?
strabismus
oculocephalic reflex