Neurological Symptoms Flashcards
(85 cards)
List examples of acute headache.
Migraine
SAH
Examples of subacute headache.
Hours to days: meningitis, tension headache
Days to weeks: increased ICP, intracranial mass, temporal arteritis, sinusitis
Examples of chronic headache.
Recurrent migraine
Chronic tension headache
Med overuse
What is chronic headache?
Episodic over months/years with more than 15 headaches/month
What is the difference between a primary and secondary headache?
Primary headache - headache is condition
Secondary - headache is a symptom of underlying pathology
What are examples of primary headache?
Migraine
Tension headache
Examples of secondary headache.
Increased ICP - SOL e.g. tumour or bleeding
Infection - meningitis, encephalitis, sinusitis
What are the signs (headache) of raised ICP?
Present when walking
Worse with straining, coughing, bending over, sneezing
Associated with vomiting
What are the symptoms of bacterial meningitis?
Generalized headache Fever Neck stiffness Photophobia Vomiting Intense malaise
What can cause facial pain>
Trigeminal neuralgia, temporal arteritis, sinusitis
What are some causes of neck pain?
Meningitis - fever and neck stiffness
Cervical cord compromise - trauma, limb weakness, sensory abnormalities, gait impairment, bowel/bladder dysfunction
Radiculopathy (pinched nerve) - weakness, tingling in upper limbs, numbness
- MSK - facet joint dysfunction
What is a common cause of back pain radiating to leg where leg pain is worse than back pain?
Lumbar radicular pain
What causes lumbar radicular pain?
Disc prolapse
Cauda Equina syndrome (neurosurgical emergency)
What is important to note about change in LOC?
WHat happened (px or witness) Precipitant Duration Recovery Associated symptoms
What are common causes of change in LOC?
Syncope and seizure
What is syncope?
LOC due to cerebral anoxia
What are causes of syncope?
SAH
Arrhythmia
Vasovagal (trigger)
Postural hypotension - sitting to standing
WHat is a seizure?
Sudden transient neurological event due to paroxysmal discharge of cerebral neurons
Name the two types of seizures.
General
Focal
What are the characteristics of a general seizure?
Whole brain affected
Tonic-clonic seizure
What are the features of a tonic clonic seizure?
Preceded by aura
Tonic phase: abrupt LOC and body stiffening
Followed by clonic phase: Rhythmical jerking
Urinaryy/fecal incontinence
Tongue biting
What are the characteristics of a focal seizure?
Only part of the brain is affected
May/may not cause LOC
- Aura: taste/smell, deja vu, hear music, very fearful, nausea/abdominal pain
- Motor features e.g. one limb jerking
- Transient loss of awareness or responsiveness
What is weakness?
Loss of muscle strength
What causes weakness?
UMN lesions
LMN lesions