Neurological examination

Question 1

common components of neural exam

Answer 1

patient history, cranial nerve function, motor function, somatosensory function, coordination, mental status.

Question 2

why understand handedness

Answer 2

lateralization
(left-handers can have crossed or mixed specialization for language - typically left hemisphere for right-handed)

Question 3

disease process components

Answer 3

temporal profile, change over time, triggers/relievers, severity.

Question 4

Cranial nerves

Answer 4

myelinated axons (white matter); can be afferent or efferent.

Question 5

Cranial nerve I

Answer 5

Olfactory; sensory; smell information

Question 6

Cranial nerve II

Answer 6

Optic; sensory; visual information

Question 7

Oculomotor nerves

Answer 7

III, IV, VI

Question 8

Cranial nerve III

Answer 8

Oculomotor; motor; 4/6 muscles that move eyes + eyelid movement

Question 9

Cranial nerve IV (smallest)

Answer 9

Trochlear; motor; eye movement (only of trochlear muscle)

Question 10

Cranial nerve V

Answer 10

Trigeminal; both motor and sensory; separates into 3 branches; facial sensation + biting, chewing, swallowing

Question 11

Cranial nerve VI

Answer 11

Abducens; motor; eye movement (only of abducens muscle)

Question 12

Cranial nerve VII

Answer 12

Facial; both sensory and motor; main motor output to facial expression + taste

Question 13

Cranial nerve VIII

Answer 13

Auditory; sensory; hearing and vestibular sense (balance)

Question 14

Cranial nerve IX

Answer 14

Glossopharyngeal;both motor and sensory; back of tongue taste + ability to speak and swallow

Question 15

Cranial nerve X

Answer 15

Vagus; both motor and sensory; motor control of heart, lungs, viscera

Question 16

Cranial nerve XI

Answer 16

accessory; motor; head rotation and shoulder movements

Question 17

Cranial nerve XII

Answer 17

Hypoglossal; motor; tongue movement

Question 18

testing sensory nerves

Answer 18

test sensation and symmetry

Question 19

testing motor nerves

Answer 19

test use, use with resistance, touch for atrophy

Question 20

snellen chart

Answer 20

standard visual acuity test

Question 21

ptosis

Answer 21

droopy eyelid, problem with CN III

Question 22

bell’s palsy

Answer 22

facial nerve problem; sudden weakness/paralysis on half the face, tend to go away naturally

Question 23

upper motor neurons

Answer 23

brain to spinal cord

Question 24

lower motor neurons

Answer 24

spinal cord to muscles

Question 25

damage to upper motor neurons

Answer 25

hyperreflexia - descending inhibition is compromised

Question 26

damage to lower motor neurons

Answer 26

hyporeflexia - reflexes are diminished

Question 27

controlateral neglect

Answer 27

failure to attend to left side of world

Question 28

anosognosia

Answer 28

failure of individual to self-reflect that they have a disorder

Question 29

Wernicke’s aphasia

Answer 29

problem in understanding

Question 30

Broca’s aphasia

Answer 30

problem in speaking

Question 31

Alexia

Answer 31

problem in reading

Question 32

Agraphia

Answer 32

problem in writing

Question 33

Agnosia

Answer 33

difficulty in putting parts together in a whole

Question 34

Prosopagnosia

Answer 34

failure to recognize faces

Question 35

Fusiform gyrus

Answer 35

area on ventral temporal lobe dedicated to processing faces