Neurology Flashcards
When a patient arrives to the ER who has signs of a stroke, what is the first initial step?
get a CT scan without contrast
*need to know if it is hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke
What are two main differences between a TIA and a stroke?
- a stroke will last longer than 24 hours
- a stroke does NOT involve the upper third of the face (from the eyes up- patient will be able to move forehead)
- A TIA lasts LESS than 24 hours
- A TIA INVOLVES the upper third of the face
A TIA is always caused by?
emboli or thrombosis
Patient experiences a transient loss of vision in one eye. What is this called? And what artery must the emboli or thrombus be located in?
- amaurosis fugax
2. ophthalmic artery (first branch of the internal carotid artery)
Define cryptogenic stroke
A stroke with an unknown etiology
- can only be diagnosed after 1-3 months of EKG monitoring
Based on the following symptoms, which artery in the brain has a lesion?
- PROFOUND LOWER extremity weakness
- mild upper extremity weakness
- personality changes or psychiatric disturbance
- urinary incontinence
Anterior cerebral artery
Based on the following symptoms, which artery in the brain has a lesion?
- PROFOUND UPPER extremity weakness
- aphasia
- apraxia
- eyes deviate towards side of lesion
- CONTRALATERAL homonymous hemianopsia with macular sparing
Middle cerebral artery
Based on the following symptoms, which artery in the brain has a lesion?
- inability to recognize the face (prosopagnosia)
Posterior cerebral artery
Based on the following symptoms, which artery in the brain has a lesion?
- vertigo
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of consciousness
- dysarthria and dystonia
- sensory changes in the face and scalp
- ataxia
- bilateral findings
Vertebrobasilar artery
Based on the following symptoms, which artery in the brain has a lesion?
- ipsilateral face involvement
- contralateral body
- vertigo
- horner syndrome
Posterior Inferior Cerebral Artery
Based on the following symptoms, which artery in the brain has a lesion?
- absence of cortical deficits
- ataxia
- Parkinsonian signs
- sensory deficits
- hemiparesis (most notable in the face)
- possible bulbar signs
Lacunar infarct
What is the most accurate test in diagnosing a stroke?
MRA
What is the time window to give tPA?
3-4.5 hours of onset of stroke
All patients with nonhemorrhagic strokes should have which medication added to their regimen if not already on it?
statin
What are the ABSOLUTE contraindications to giving tPA?
- history of hemorrhagic stroke
- presence of intracranial neoplasm/mass
- has bleeding disorder
- active bleeding
- surgery within the last 6 months
- CPR with chest compressions within the last 3 weeks
- suspicion of aortic dissection
If the patient is in the appropriate time window to give tPA, what 4 conditions must be met before it is given?
- patient should be <80
- patient is not a diabetic with a previous stroke
- does not use anticoagulation
- NIH stroke scale is less than 25
If the patient has had the stroke over 4.5 hours, what is the best initial step?
- Give the patient aspirin
What is the best way to remove a clot that caused a stroke?
- removal of clot via catheter
If patient was already on aspirin and develops a stroke, which medication should you switch to?
- clopidogrel
What is the time frame window to remove a clot that caused a stroke via catheter?
- up to 24 hours of the initial onset of the stroke
Cerebral vein thrombosis can mimic?
subarachnoid hemorrhage
How does cerebral vein thrombosis present?
Patient will have headache developing over several days with weakness and difficulty with speech, as seen in a stroke victim.
What is the most accurate test to diagnose cerebral vein thrombosis?
MRV (magnetic resonance venography)
What is the treatment for cerebral vein thrombosis?
- LMW heparin followed by warfarin for a few months after
Treatment for TIA?
- aspirin and clopidogrel for the first several weeks after TIA
- tPA is NOT indicated
What tests should be ordered after CT scan without contrast for patients suspected of stroke or TIA?
- carotid doppler
- echocardiogram
- EKG and holter monitor
A young patient <50 y/o with no past medical history, in addition to the normal tests run after a stroke or TIA, what additional tests should be ordered?
- ESR
- VDRL or RPR
- ANA
- dsDNA
- protein C
- protein S
- factor V leiden mutation
A patient on a statin due to hyperlipidemia, what is the goal of the LDL with the statin?
<70 mg/dL
When is an endarterectomy indicated?
- Patient must be symptomatic AND must be >70 but <100 % stenosis of the artery
When is closure of a patent foramen ovale the next step in management?
- patient has an embolic appearing cryptogenic ischemic stroke
- right to left shunt detected by a bubble study
What is the initial medication used for a seizure?
- benzodiazepines (BZD)
After giving lorazepam to a patient with status epilepticus, what is the next medication to add if the seizure continues after 20 minutes?
- Fosphenytoin
Patient has been seizing for the last 40 minutes. Lorazepam and fosphenytoin have not stopped the seizure. What is the next line of therapy?
- phenobarbital
If a patient is still seizing after 60 minutes, and lorazepam, fosphenytoin, and phenobarbital have not ceased the seizure, what is the next class of medication to use?
- general anesthesia (propofol, pentobarbital, thiopental, midazolam)
Patient comes in with a seizure. After the seizure has ceased, what tests should be ordered?
- CBC
- CMP
- glucose
- Creatinine
- Head CT
- urine tox
- EEG only if the other tests do not reveal anything
On the CCS exam, any time a patient has a seizure, who should be consulted?
- Neurology
What are some first line medications for chronic seizures?
- levetiracetam
- valproic acid
- carbamazepine
- phenytoin
If a patient should need to be on lamotrigine, what test can be done to predict Stevens-Johnson syndrome?
HLA-B*1502
What are the safest seizure meds in pregnancy?
- levetiracetam
- lamotrigine
What is the worst seizure med in pregnancy?
- valproic acid
If a patient is on OCP, which seizure med will be affected and therefore will need a higher dose to maintain efficacy?
- lamotrigine
What are some second line medications for seizures?
- gabapentin
- phenobarbital
- lacosamide
- zonisamide
Best treatment for absence or petit mal seizures?
ethosuximide
which seizure drug has the highest risk of hyponatremia?
carbamazepine
What are some drugs that can cause parkinsonian symptoms?
- antispychotics >1st gen than 2nd gen
- antiemetics that inhibit dopamine
- prochlorperazine
- metoclopramide
What are some physical findings in parkinson disease?
- cogwheel rigidity
- resting tremor
- hypomimia ( a masklike, underreactive face)
- micrographia (small writing)
- orthostasis
- intact cognition and memory
First line tx for patient >60 y/o with mild parkinson disease
amantadine
first line tx for patient <60 y/o with mild parkinson disease
benztropine or trihexyphenidyl
first line for patient with severe parkinson disease (cannot perform activities of daily living)
- levodopa/carbidopa combo
Second line tx for severe parkinson disease
dopamine agonists, like pramipexole, ropinirole, cabergoline, rotigotine, apomorphine
What are some adjuncts to control parkinson disease if the primary treatment is not working alone?
- COMT inhibitors, like tolcapone and entacapone
- MAO inhibitors, like selegiline, rasagiline, safinamide
Define shy-drager syndrome
- parkinson disease with orthostatic hypotension
Tx for shy-drager syndrome
- fludrocortisone or midodrine
MOA of midodrine
- alpha 1 agonist (raises blood pressure)
What is the main difference between progressive supranuclear palsy and parkinson disease?
- A patient with progressive supranuclear palsy cannot look up or down- vertical gaze paralysis
A patient with parkinson disease is on levodopa/carbidopa combo and develops psychosis. What can be added to the regimen to control the psychosis?
- quetiapine or pimavanserin
A patient with Parkinson disease is admitted to the hospital. The medical staff is unaware that he is treated for parkinson disease. What can happen while he is in the hospital without parkinson treatment?
- fever/rhabdomyolysis
define essential tremor
- a tremor that occurs at rest and with intentions bilaterally
- not associated with an illness
first line tx for essential tremor
beta-blockers, specifically propanolol
If patient still has an essential tremor after being on propanolol, what is the next adjunct medication?
primidone (antiepileptic medication)
Resting tremor in parkinson disease is treated with?
amantadine
What are some abnormalities associated with multiple sclerosis?
- optic neuritis
- motor and sensory issues
- atonic bladder
- fatigue
- depression
- hyperreflexia
- spasticity
What is the best initial and accurate test for MS?
MRI
Patients with MS will show what on their lumbar puncture?
- oligoclonal bands
LP is only performed when _____ with an MS patient.
the MRI is undiagnostic
Which drug class decreases the progression of MS?
anti-CD20 drugs
Baclofen or tizanidine treat ___ for MS patients.
spasticity
dalfampridine helps ____ with patients with MS.
increases walking speed
Amantadine is used to treat ___ in MS patients.
fatigue
MOA of alemtuzumab
anti-CD52 drug that inhibits lymphocytes and deters progression of MS
MOA of ocrelizumab
anti-CD20 drug for MS
what are three oral medications used in MS?
- dimethyl fumarate
- fingolimod
- teriflunomide
All patients with memory loss must have which tests?
- Head CT
- B12
- TSH
- VDRL or RPR
WHat does a head CT scan show with a patient with alzheimer’s disease?
- diffuse, symmetrical atrophy
What are first line treatment options for alzheimer’s dementia?
- anticholinesterase drugs, such as donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine
define alzheimer’s disease
- progressive memory loss in patients exclusively >65 y/o
- patients will eventually develop apathy and imprecise speech
What are the two physical methods of preventing falls in the elderly?
- strength training
- exercise
What does a head CT scan show with a patient with pick disease (frontotemporal dementia)?
- focal atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes
How will a patient with Pick Disease present?
- personality and behavioral changes occur first
- followed by memory loss
Tx for Pick Disease
- anticholinesterase medications “stigmines”
What are the diagnostic tests for creutzfeldt-jakob disease?
- MRI
- brain biopsy- only if CSF did not show 14-3-3 protein
- EEG
define lewy body dementia
parkinson disease + dementia
- patients will have very vivid, detailed hallucinations
What are the three symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus?
- wet= urinary incontinence
- wacky= dementia
- wobbly= wide, based gait/ataxia
Tx for normal pressure hydrocephalus
placement of a shunt
What are the two tests that must be completed to diagnose normal pressure hydrocephalus?
- ct of the head
- lumbar puncture
How will a patient with huntington disease present?
- dementia
- psychiatric disturbances with personality changes
- chorea
- young (far below age for alzheimer’s)
Inheritance for huntington disease is _____
autosomoal dominant
Tx for huntingdon disease
antipsychotics for psychiatric disturbances
- deutetrabenazine, tetrabenazine, and or valbenazine for the movement issues
If a patient with a headache is over 40 for their first episode, has a focal neurological finding, or the headache was sudden or severe, what should be completed first?
- CT of head or MRI
What are some triggers for migraines?
- cheese
- caffeine
- menstruation
- OCPs
What is the best abortive therapy for migraines?
sumatriptan or ergotamine
What are the two contraindications for use of triptan drugs?
- pregnancy
- coronary disease
Patients who cannot have triptans or ergotamine or have status migrainosus, should be given?
a dopamine antagonist, such as prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine
If you have to use a dopamine antagonist for migraine treatment, what other medication should you add to prevent dystonia in the patient?
diphenhydramine
Main ADR of dopamine antagonists
QT prolongation
What is the criteria for needing prophylactic medication for migraines?
Having 4 or more migraines a month
What is first line prophylactic migraine med?
propanolol
What are second line prophylactic migraine meds?
- CCBs
- TCAs
- SSRIs
Which type of migraine medication class make parkinson disease worse?
anti-dopaminergic
*dopamine antagonists
Why are triptan drugs dangerous in patients with pregnancy or coronary disease?
- not only do they constrict blood vessels in the brain, but they also constrict vessels in the heart, which can provoke cardiac ischemia
Presentation of a cluster headache
- unilateral
- redness and tearing of the eye on the same side as the headache
- rhinorrhea
tx for cluster headache for abortive therapy
- triptan or 100% oxygen, steroids
tx for prophylaxis of cluster headaches
- CCBs, such as verapamil
presentation of temporal arteritis
- jaw claudication
- tenderness of the temporal area
What is the most accurate testing for temporal arteritis?
temporal artery biopsy
Tx for temporal arteritis
_ if it is suspected, give steroids. DO NOT DELAY treatment.
- Delaying treatment may result in permanent vision loss.
- DO NOT WAIT FOR BIOPSY TO GIVE STEROIDS
How does a pseudotumor cerebri present?
- headache with sixth nerve palsy, visual field loss, transiently obscure vision, pulsatile tinnitus
- papilledema
- double vision due to sixth nerve palsy
- usually seen in an obese young woman
What is the most accurate test for pseudotumor cerebri?
lumbar puncture
Treatment for pseudotumor cerebri?
1st line- weight loss and acetazolamide
2nd line- VP shunt and optic nerve sheath fenestration