Neurological system Flashcards
The neurological system
This is responsible for interpreting all sensory and motor functioning in the body.
The brain is broken down into:
- Cerebrum
- Cerebellum
- Brain stem
Frontal lobes
- Concentration
- Memory (storage)
- Motor function
- Broca’s area of speech
- Affect
- Personality
- Judgement
Parietal lobes
Sensory awareness
Orientation
Spatial awareness
Temporal lobes
- Somatization
- Integration & Interpretation of sensory information especially auditory (hearing)
- Major role in thinking process
Occipital lobes
- Sensory
- Visual intepretation
Thalamus
- Relay station for all sensory input except smell
- All memory
- Sensation
- Pain
Hypothalamus
- Hunger /appetite
- Sleep/wake cycles
- Emotional responses
- Sexual behavior
- Regulates the endocrine system (pituitary gland)
- Growth
- Blood pressure
Cerebellum
- Controls movement
- Fine movement
- Balance position
- Proprioception (sense of where each body part is)
Brain stem
– Mid brain
- Pons
- Medulla oblongata
(-) Autonomic system - controls heart rate, breathing, temperature
Structures protecting the brain
- Occipital bone
- Parietal bones
- Temporal
- Sphenoid
- Frontal
- Nasal
- Zygomatic
- Maxilla
- mandible
Meninges
Fibrous connect tissue
- Dura mater - - Arachnoid (production of cerebrospinal fluid - Pia mater
Cerebrospinal fluid
- Consists of the same components as blood plasma
Spinal cord
Serves as a relay station for sensory and motor stimulation from the periphery
Consists of gray and white matter
Is surrounded by meninges and protected by the vertebral column
Glasgow coma scale
This measures the patient’s level of consciousness or awakeness.
EYE OPENING
- Spontaneous eye opening 4
- Speech 3
- Pain 2
- No response 1
BEST VERBAL RESPONSE
- Oriented to time, place and person 5
- Confused 4
- Inappropriate words 3
- Incomprehensible sounds 2
- No response
MOTOR RESPONSE
- Obeys commands 6 - Moves to localized pain 5 - Withdraws from pain (flexion) 4 - Abnormal flexion (decorticate) 3 - Abnormal extension (decerebrate) 2 - None 1
8 or less = coma
Graphesthesia
is the ability to recognize symbols when they’re traced on the skin.
Paresthesia
refers to a burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body
Assessment
Examine the 12 cranial nerves Examine the motor nerves - Romberg test: measures your sense of balance - Heel to toe shine test Discrimination with eyes closed - Light touch - sharp - Dull - Vibration
Reflex
an unplanned and involuntary movement or reaction in response to environmental stimuli
Reflex arc
A neural pathway that controls a reflex, where a nerve impulse travels to the synapse of the spinal cord
This allows faster actions by activating spinal motor
neurons without the delay of sending signals to the
brain
How does the reflex arc function?
- A stimulus activates the receptors of the skin or mucous membrane.
- This then activates a sensory neuron which relays an electrical impulse towards the spinal cord via a relay neuron
- Spinal cord process the information and sends an electrical impulse to a motor neuron to facilitate a specific action at an effector
Superficial reflexes
Reflexes are initiated when receptors on the surface of the skin, mucous membranes are stimulated
Examples of the superficial reflexes
- Corneal
- Pupillary light reflex
- Swallowing reflex
- Pharyngeal
- Cough
- Abdominal
- Cremasteric
Deep tendon reflexes
Reflexes are elicited from deeper structures (tendons) beneath the skin
Examines the stretch reflex of muscles
- automatic stretch of the muscle that occurs when the muscle tendon is percussed or struck
Examine the integrity of the motor system
Examples of deep tendon reflexes
- Bicep reflex
(-) examines C5 and C6 - Brachioradialis reflex
(-) examines C5 and C6 - Triceps reflex
(-) examines C7 and C8 - Patellar reflex
(-) examines L2 and L4 - Achilles reflex
(-) examines L4, L5, S1 and S2 - Plantar
Abnormal reflex
Positive Babinski
- however normal in infants up to 24 months
Baby reflexes
- sucking reflex
- grasp reflex
- rooting reflex
- stepping reflex
- startle reflex
Astereognosis
Inability to recognize form of object by touch
Hypalgesia
decreased pain sensation
Apraxia
Inability to perform learned movements despite having the desire and physical ability to perform them
Ataxia
Lack of coordination or movement
Nystagmus
Jerking or bobbing of eyes as they track moving object
In the voluntary division, fibers that connect the CNS to __________________
facilitate__________________ in response to stimuli.
- Somatic nerves
2. Reflex
The brain is a network or _________________________ that control and integrate the body’s
activities.
System
Cell bodies are on the __________________(gray matter or cerebral cortex), while axons that connect
to other parts of the nervous system( white matter or brain tissue)________________ of the brain.
- neuron
2. Subcortical
Neurons communicate with each other at ___________________________ .
Synapses
Controls motor function on the opposite side of the body.
hemispheres
Receives input on the sensory function, including temperature, touch, pressure, and pain, also from
the opposite side of the body.
Parietal lobe/ thalmus
Is responsible for visual imaging, auditory processing and language comprehension.
Temporal lobe
Is responsible for complex cognition: language and voluntary motor function
Frontal lobe
Recognizes size, shape and texture of objects.
Parietal lobe
Serves as the primary visual area.
Occipital lobe
Registers auditory input and is responsible for hearing speech, behavior and memory.
Temporal lobe
Explain why sensations from the right side of the body are dealt with on the left side of the brain.
The brain is divided into symmetrical left and right hemispheres. Each hemisphere is in charge of the opposite side of the body, so your right brain controls your left side. The right hemisphere also takes in sensory input from your left side and vice versa
Discuss the dermatomes and what part of the body they cover
A dermatome is an area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve. There are 8 cervical nerves (note C1 has with no dermatome), 12 thoracic nerves, 5 lumbar nerves and 5 sacral nerves. Each of these spinal nerves relay sensation from a particular region of the skin to the brain
Discuss what the reflexes are and made a brief statement for what they do
A reflex is an involuntary movement or reaction to stimuli . The reflexes are divided into superficial reflexes and deep tendon reflexes. Superficial reflexes when receptors on the skin and mucous membranes are stimulated whilst deep tendon reflexes are elicited from deeper structures within the body (tendons).
