Neurology Flashcards
- sudden onset weakness on ONE side of body
- weakness of half of face
- aphasia
- +/- partial/total loss of vision
stroke, or TIA (transient ischemic attack)
stroke SPARES what part of face?
UPPER THIRD OF FACE
from the eyes up
80% of strokes are
ischemic (d/t thrombosis, or embolism)
20% of strokes are
hemorrhagic
symptoms last
TIA (transient ischemic attack)
transient loss of vision in one eye
amaurosis fugax
TIAs are ALWAYS caused by what? and are NEVER caused by?
- emboli, or thrombosis
- never hemorrhage
best INITIAL test for stroke or TIA
head CT WITHOUT contrast
how many days are needed to achieve > 95% sensitivity in detection of nonhemorrhagic stroke?
3-5 days
achieves 99% sensitivity for nonhemorrhagic stroke w/i 24 hours
MRI
can be positive for nonhemorrhagic stroke w/i 1 hour
MRA
treatment for stroke w/i 3 HOURS of onset of symptoms
thrombolytics
ABSOLUTE CI to thrombolytic therapy in a stroke pt (8)
- h/o hemorrhagic stroke
- intracranial mass
- active bleeding/surgery w/i 6 weeks
- bleeding d/o
- CPR w/i 3 weeks
- suspicion of aortic dissection
- stroke w/i 1 year
- cerebral trauma/brain surgery w/i 6 months
best INITIAL treatment for pts coming too late for thrombolytics, and AFTER use of thrombolytics
aspirin
treatment if pt develops stroke while already on aspirin
- switch to clopidogrel, or
- add dipyridamole to aspirin
should be added to ALL nonhemorrhagic strokes
statin
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- C/L PROFOUND LOWER extremity weakness
- mild upper extremity weakness
- personality changes, or psychiatric disturbance
- urinary incontinence
anterior cerebral artery
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- C/L PROFOUND UPPER extremity weakness
- APHASIA (can’t speak)
- apraxia/neglect (inability to carry out purposeful movements)
- eyes deviate TOWARDS the lesion
- C/L homonymous hemianopsia
middle cerebral artery
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces)
posterior cerebral artery
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- vertigo
- N/V
- “drop attack,” LOC
- VERTICAL nystagmus
- dysarthria (difficulty pronouncing words), and dystonia
- sensory changes in face and scalp
- ATAXIA
- B/L FINDINGS
vertebrobasilar artery
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- I/L FACE
- C/L body
- VERTIGO
- Horner’s syndrome (doesn’t have to be all 4 signs: miosis, ptosis, anhydrosis, and enophthalmos)
posterior inferior CEREBELLAR artery
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- MUST BE AN ABSENCE OF CORTICAL DEFICITS
- ataxia
- Parkinsonian signs
- sensory deficits
- hemiparesis (most notable in face)
- possible bulbar signs (impairment of CNs 9, 10, 11, 12)
lacunar infarct
arterial lesions and symptoms:
- amaurosis fugax
ophthalmic artery
after initial treatment of stroke/TIA, most important issue is to?
determine origin of stroke
the following are indicated in ALL pts with stroke/TIA
- echocardiogram
- carotid dopplers/duplex
- EKG/Holter monitor
the following are indicated in young pts (
- ESR
- VDRL, or RPR
- ANA
- ds-DNA Ab
- protein C
- protein S
- factor V Leiden mutation
- antiphospholipid syndrome
the younger the pt, the more likely the cause of stroke is from
vasculitis, or hypercoagulable state
treatment for status epilepticus
benzodiazepine
treatment for status epilepticus if seizure PERSISTS after use of benzodiazepine
add fosphenytoin
treatment for status epilepticus if seizure PERSISTS after use of benzodiazepine, and fosphenytoin
add phenobarbital
treatment for status epilepticus if seizure PERSISTS after use of benzodiazepine, fosphenytoin, and phenobarbital
general anesthesia (pentobarbital, thiopental, midazolam, propofol)
the following tests should be ordered on a pt having a seizure
- sodium, calcium, magnesium, glucose, O2
- stat head CT (MRI if CT is negative)
- urine toxicology screening
- liver and renal function
if INITIAL tests do not reveal etiology of seizure, next step in mangement
EEG (electroencephalogram)
generally, should you treat with chronic antiepileptic drug therapy after a SINGLE seizure?
NO
treat seizures chronically under the following circumstances:
- strong family history
- abnormal EEG
- status epilepticus requiring a benzodiazepine
- non-correctable precipitating cause (brain tumor)
first-line treatments for long-term management of seizures
- valproic acid
- carbamazepine
- phenytoin
- levetiracetam
- lamotrigine
(all equal in efficacy)
adverse effect of lamotrigine
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
second-line treatments for long-term management of seizures
- gabapentin
- phenobarbital
best treatment for absence seizures (petit mal)
ethosuximide
- tremulous pt w/ slow, abnormal “festinating” gait
- predominantly a gait d/o
- orthostasis
Parkinson’s disease
PE findings of Parkinson’s disease
- cogwheel rigidity
- resting tremor
- hypomimia (masklike/underreactive face)
- micrographia
- orthostasis
- INTACT cognition and memory
diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease
NONE, clinical diagnosis
treatment for Parkinson’s disease:
- mild symptoms
- under age 60
anticholinergic agent (benztropine, hydroxyzine)
treatment for Parkinson’s disease:
- mild symptoms
- over age 60
amantadine
treatment for Parkinson’s disease:
- severe symptoms
- levodopa/carbidopa
- COMT inhibitors (tolCAPONE, entaCAPONE)
- MAO inhibitors (seleGILINE, rasaGILINE)
definition of severe symptoms in Parkinson’s disease
inability to perform ADL
resting tremor
- diagnosis
- treatment
- Parkinson’s disease
- amantadine
intention tremor
- diagnosis
- treatment
- cerebellar d/o
- treat etiology
resting AND intention tremor
- diagnosis
- treatment
- essential tremor
- propranolol
- abnormalities of ANY part of CNS
- optic neuritis
- MOTOR and SENSORY problems
- bladder defect
- fatigue
- hyperreflexia
- spasticity
- depression
multiple sclerosis
MC abnormality of multiple sclerosis
optic neuritis
best INITIAL test for multiple sclerosis
MRI
MOST ACCURATE test for multiple sclerosis
MRI
when is CSF tap indicated in multiple sclerosis?
if MRI is nondiagnostic
check for presence of oligoclonal bands
best INITIAL treatment for acute exacerbation of multiple sclerosis
steroids
disease-modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis
- beta interferon
- glatiramer
- mitoxantrone
- natalizumab
- fingolimod
- dalfampridine
adverse effect of natalizumab
PML
treatment for fatigue in multiple sclerosis
amantadine
treatment for spasticity in multiple sclerosis
- baclofen
- tizanidine
- slowly progressive loss of memory EXCLUSIVELY in older pts (> 65 yoa)
- NO focal deficits
- diagnosis of exclusion
Alzheimer’s disease
for ALL pts w/ memory loss, you must order the following:
- head CT
- B12 level
- TSH/T4
- VDRL, or RPR
only abnormal test in Alzheimer’s disease will be
head CT showing DIFFUSE, SYMMETRICAL ATROPHY
standard of care treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
anticholinesterase inhibitors
- donepezil
- rivastigmine
- galantamine
- PERSONALITY and BEHAVIOR become abnormal FIRST
- memory loss afterwards
frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease)
head CT, or MRI shows what in frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease)?
FOCAL atrophy of FRONTAL and TEMPORAL lobes
treatment for frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease)
same as Alzheimer’s disease:
anticholinesterase inhibitors
- donepezil
- rivastigmine
- galantamine
- caused by prions
- RAPIDLY progressive dementia
- MYOCLONUS
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
MOST ACCURATE test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
brain biopsy
CSF shows what in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)?
14-3-3 protein
if found, spares pt from needing brain biopsy
- Parkinson’s disease PLUS dementia
- very vivid, detailed hallucinations
lewy body dementia
- wet: urinary incontinence
- weird: dementia
- wobbly: wide-based gait/ataxia
normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
diagnostic tests for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
- head CT
- lumbar puncture showing NORMAL pressure
treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
shunt placement
- young pt (30’s)
- family history
- dementia
- psychiatric disturbance w/ personality changes
- chorea/movement d/o
huntington’s disease/chorea
diagnosis for huntington’s disease/chorea
genetic testing
autosomal dominant
treatment for movement d/o in huntington’s disease/chorea
tetrabenazine
symptomatic control of huntington’s disease/chorea
antipsychotics
what percentage of migraine headaches are unilateral vs bilateral?
- 60% U/L
- 40% B/L
triggers for migraines
- cheese
- caffeine
- menstruation
- OCPs
symptoms that may proceed migraine headache
- aura of bright flashing lights
- scotomata
- abnormal smells
when should head CT or MRI be done for migraines?
- sudden and/or severe
- onset of headaches AFTER age 40
- FNDs
best INITIAL (abortive) treatment for migraines
sumatriptan, or ergotamine
prophylactic treatment for migraines (requires several weeks to take effect)
- BB
- CCB
- TCA
- SSRI
when should a pt be placed on prophylactic treatment for migraines?
4 or more headaches per month
- 10x more frequent in men than women
- EXCLUSIVELY unilateral
- redness/tearing of eye
- rhinorrhea
cluster headache
best INITIAL (abortive) treatment for cluster headache
triptans, or 100% oxygen
best INITIAL prophylactic treatment for cluster headache
CCB