Neurology Flashcards
What are the symptoms of a lateral medularry syndrome (Wallenberg)
- Ipsilateral ataxia
- Ipsilateral horners
- Ipsilateral face loss of pain/temp sense
- Controlateral body loss of pain/temp sense
- Vertigo and nystagmus
- Dysphagia and horseness
- hiccups
What vessel is involved in Wallnenbergs
PICA or vertebral
What are the symptoms of a medial medullary syndrome?
- Ipsilateral tongue weakness
- Controlateral arm and leg weakness
- Controlateral body vibration and proprioception loss
What vessel is involved in medial medullary syndrome?
- Anterior spinal artery
What are the symptoms of a midbrain stroke. (Weber)
- Ipsilateral cranial nerve 3 palsy
- Controlateral hemiplegia
What vessel is involved in weber syndrome
PCA
What are the symptoms of an ACA stroke?
- Contralateral leg weakness
- Contralateral leg numbness
- Contralateral grasp reflex
- Other frontal signs
What are the symptoms of a Left MCA stroke in the superior branch
- Broca’s aphasia
- Right weakness in face & arms > legs
- Gaze deviation to the left
What are the symptoms of a left MCA stroke in the inferior branch?
- Wernicke’s aphasia
- Right cortical sensory loss
- Right “pie in the sky”
- R homonymous superior quandrantonopsia
What are the symptoms of a left MCA stroke in the main branch?
- Combination of supperior and inferior branch MCA stroke
- Global aphasia
What are the symptoms of a right MCA stroke, superior branch?
- Left weakness: Face + arm
- Gaze deviation to right
What are the symptoms of a right MCA stroke in the inferior branch?
- Left cortical sensory loss
- Left hemineglect
- Left “pie in the sky”
- left homonymous superior quandrantonopsia
What are the symptoms of a right MCA stroke in thee main branch?
Combination of supperior and inferiot branch
What are the symptoms of a PCA stroke
Controlateral homonymous hemianopsia
What types of stroke can cause pure motor symptoms. What artery is associated with each
- Lacunar strokes
- Posterior limb internal capsule
- Anterior choroidal
- Corona Radiata
- Small MCA branch
- Midbrain – cerebral peduncle
- Small PCA branch
- Ventral pons
- Basilar
- Posterior limb internal capsule
What stroke causes pure sensory deficits and what artery is involved?
- Thalamus
- thalamoperforators from PCA, MCA
What workup should be done for a non-disabling stroke presenting >24hrs to an outpatient setting?
- CT or MRI head
- Ideally CTA or MRA of aortic arch to vertex
- Carotid dopplers are ok but can miss intracranial disease or posterior circulation problems
- Basic BW
- CBC
- lytes
- PTT, INR
- Cr
- Glucose
- Lipids
- A1C
- ECG
- Holter ≥24hrs
- 2 weeks if suspicion of cardioembolic disease
- If suspected embolic stroke or TIA of uncertain cause, ECHO
- If <60, bubble study for ?PFO
How should a patient presenting to the ER with stroke symptoms since less that 24hrs be worked up?
- Immediate evaluation for tPA or EVT
- ABCs + NIHSS + evaluate/treat seizures if present
- Basic bloodwork
- CBC
- Lytes/cr
- glucose
- INR/PTT
- Imaging
- If Sx <4.5 hrs
- CT head. Determine if tPA candidate
- If Sx < 6 hrs
- CT, CTA arch to vertex, determine if EVT candidate
- if Sx 6-14hrs and eligible for late window EVT
- CT, CTA, CT Perfusion
- If Sx <4.5 hrs
What are the tPA inclusion criteria?
- Ischemic stroke causing disabling neurological deficits in patient > 18 years old
- Time from last known well <4.5 hrs
What are the absolute tPA exclusion criteria
- Any source of active hemorrhage
- Any condition that can increase the risk of major hemorrhage with tPA
- If on DOAC, cannot give tPA (Can still get EVT)
- Any hemorrhage on brain imaging
What are the relative tPA exclusion criteria?
- Historical
- Hx intracranial hemorrhage
- Stroke or serious head or spinal trauma in last 3 months
- Major surgery, such as cardiac, thoracic, abdominal, orthopedic in last 14 days. risk varies by procedure
- Arterial puncture at non-compressible site in last 7 days
- Clinical
- Sx suggestive of subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Stroke symptoms due to another non-ischemic acute neurological condition such as seizure with post-ictal Todd’s paralysis or focal neuro signs 2/2 severe hypo/hyper glycemia
- Hypertension refractory to aggressive hyperacute antihypertensive Tx such that target BP 180/105 cannot be achieved or maintained.
- CT MRI findings
- early signs of extensive infarction
- Lab
- BG <2.7 or above 22.2
- Elevated APTT
- INR>1.7
- plt <100
What is considered a dissabling neurological deficit in the context of stroke?
- Judgement call biu in general:
- NIHSS ≥6
- Dissabling =
- aphasia
- hemianopsia
- weakness limiting sustained effort against gravity
- visual/sensoory extinction
What are the EVT inclusion criteria?
- >18 years of age
- Dissabling stroke AND functionally independent AND life expectancy >3 months
- <6hrs from Sx onset or last known well
- 6-24hrs in highly selected patients (clinical and imaging criteria)
- CT head: small to moderate ischemic core
- CTA showing occlusion in the anterior circulation of proximal large vessels (distal MCA or ICA)
- No evidence for EVT in proximal posterior circulation stroke but can consider it for basilar thrombus because of the high risk of morbidity/mortality
What are the target blood pressures in acute ischemic stroke
- tPA: 180/105 for 24hrs
- tPA and EVT: 180/105 for 24hrs
- no tPA: 220/120
- EVT only: Whatever the EVTer wants… ?220/120
When should ASA get started after tPA
24hrs post
When should ASA be started in stroke patients not getting tPA
Right away
Who should get DAPT following an acute ischemic stroke? For how long?
- High risk TIA (ABCD2≥4) or minor score (NIHSS≤3) of non-cardioembolic origin
- For 21-30 days
- Severe intracranial atherosclerosis
- TIA or stroke in last 30 days
- 70-99% stenosis in major intracranial vessel
- Low bleeding risk
- DAPT x 3 months
*start ASAP after brain imaging. Ideally 12-24 hours
*ASA + Plavix. Ticagrelor also acceptable now
What can you do if a patient has a stroke while already on an antiplatelet agent
- If on ASA, consider switch to plavix monotherapy
- If on plavix, consider switch to ASA/Dipyridamole
Very little evidence of benefit
When should carotid endarterectomy be considered in patients following acute stroke?
- In men with 50-99% stenosis and women with 70-99% stenosis
- CEA recommended, do ASAP, ideally within 48hrs
- Within 2 weeks if not stable in first 48hrs
- CEA recommended, do ASAP, ideally within 48hrs
- In women with 50-69% stenosis
- CEA can be considered in those at highest risk of stroke recurrence and upon consideration of other factors
Should CEA be considered in asymptomatic or remotely symptomatic (>6 months) carotid stenosis?
- If stenosis 60-99% and life expectancy >5 years
- Should be evaluated by stroke expert and CEA can be considered in select patients
* in most cases, max medical management
How should a symptomatic carodid with stenosis <50% be managed?
Max medical management
In patients with cardioembolic strokes 2/2 AF, how soon after the stroke should anticoagulation be started?
- No trial evidence
- TIA <1 day
- mild/small stroke: 3 days
- moderate stroke: 6 days
- severe/large stroke: 12 days
What factors would favor delaying initiation of DOACS after cardioembolic stroke and what factors would favor starting them earlier?
How should anticoagulation be managed if a patient has a stroke while on anticoagulation?
- Reasonable to switch to a different OAC or to continue with the same one
- Do not add ASA
- Identify and address medication non-adherence
- ensure correct DOAC dosing or therapeutic iNR if on warfarin
- Look and avoid DOAC drug-drug interactions
- Investigate for and treat other potential stroke etiologies
- Promote general; vascular risk factor modification
List broad steps that should be taken for secondary prevention of stroke
- BP management
- Lipid management
- DM management
- lifestyle management
How is long-term blood pressure managed after a stroke?
- Target BP <140/90
- If small subcortical stroke sBP<130
- Diabetic <130/80
How are lipids managed after a stroke?
- Check lipid profile
- Start statin on everyone
- LDL target <1.8
- If LDL <1.8 despite max statin, start ezetimibe or consider PCSK9 inhibitor if atherosclerotic CV disease
- If on statin and TG still>1.5 with atherosclerotic CV disease or DM, consider icosapent ethyl 2g BID
How is DM managed after a stroke?
- Chek fasting BG, A1C or 75gOGTT
- Target A1C ≤ 7
- If A1C above target despite standart OHA, consider SGLT2 or GLP-1
What are the lifestyle management recommendations after an acute stroke?
- Diet
- High in fruits and vegetables
- Low in fat, dairy, fibre
- Protein from plant source
- low trans/saturated fats
- Low cholesterol
- *mediterrenean type diet
- Low sodium (<2g/day)
- Exercise = moderate dynamic exercise 4-7days/week
- BMI 18.5-25
- Waist circumference 88cm F 102 cm M
- Alcohol
- M <15d/week, F<10d/week
- Stop smoking
What should be done after a stroke attributed to a PFO?
- PFO + antiplatelets>antiplatelets alone in carefully selected patients with following characteristics
- age 18-60
- Stroke that is non-lacunar
- Stroke specialist thinks PFO is most likely cause of stroke after thorough evaluation to exclude other causes
What are the risk factors for post-stroke depression?
- Stroke severity
- functional dependence
- cognitive impairement
- Hx of depression
When should patients be screened for post-stroke depression?
- in the acute setting and at transition points
How is post-stroke depression treated?
- For mild depression, watchfull waiting x2-4 weeks is ok
- Otherwise:
- CBT or IPT
- SSRI
- If effective treat for 6-12 months
What should be done in patients with a stroke in the context of active malignancy?
- Stroke may be due to hypercoagulable state
- Consider anticoagulation over antiplatelet
- LMWH is preferred, role of DOAC under study
How should cerebral artery dissection causing stroke be managed?
- Antiplatelets or anticoagulants reasonable in extracranial carotid or vertebral dissection – Most experts anticoagulate (3-6 months) if symptomatic, antiplatelets if asymptomatic. If there is a floating thrombus on CTA, anticoagulate 3-6 months
- Lack of evidence regarding treatment duration
- Lack of evidence regarding DOAC use
- Lack of evidence for anticoagulation in intracranial dissection
- Most experts use antiplatelets
What is a stroke in the young and what are the 2 most common causes?
- Stroke in patient <55 years old
- Very broad differential
- 2 most common causes :
- cardioembolic
- dissection
- Most important RF remain HTN, DLP, smoking
What imaging modality should be used to determine the etiology of an intracranial hemorrhage?
- CTA (better than MRA)
- Consider MRI to look for mayloid angiopathy, mass, AVM, AVF
What are the blood pressure targets in acute ICH?
- SBP <140-160 for first 24-48 hrs
- Favor 140 if onset <6hrs ago, anticoagulation Tx, Markers of ICH expansion, presenting w SBP <220
- Long term BP target
- <130/80 on home monitoring
When should you call neurosurgery in the case of an ICH?
- ALWAYS
- Consider external ventricular drainage if decreased LOC and hydrocephalus
- Noo indication for surgery if stable and no sign of herniation
What causes rest tremors
- PD
- -Other parkinsonism
- Drug induced
- LBD
- vascPD
What causes action tremors?
- Postural
- Enhanced physiologic tremor
- Essential tremor
- Dystonic tremor
- Kinetic/intention
- Lithium
- Cerebellar disease (MS, Stroke, etc…)
How can a tremor be examined?
- Check with arms at rest
- add cognitively distracting task
- Check with arms outstretched
- Check with finger-to-nose
- Check with water pouring task
- Look at the company the tremor keeps
- Masked facies, hypophonia, rigidity=PD
- +ve fam. history, improved with alcohol = ET
- Head tilt and head tremor = Dystonic tremor
Compare PD tremor to ET tremor on the following points:
- Frequency
- Symmetry
- FHx
- response to levodopa
- Response to alcohol
- Level of impairment
- Association with writing
Describe an enhanced physiologic tremor
- High frequency
- small amplitude
- symmetrical
- postural, not at rest
- enhanced by caffeine, anxiety, stress, hyperT4, drugs, ETOH withdrawl
Describe a dystonic tremor
- Seen in patients with dystonia when they “fight” their dystonic posture
- Occurs in head and hands
- asymmetrical and irregular
- postural, not at rest
Describe a cerebella tumor
- Intention tremor (can also be postural)
- Can be associated with other cerebellar signs
- Dysdiadochokinesia
- Gait ataxia
- If asymmetrical, sudden onset
What is the most likely etiology of cerebellar tremors by age group
- Young patient
- Wilson’s
- MS
- Old patient with vascular risk factors
- Stroke
Describe a psychogenic tremor
- Rest OR posture OR intention OR a mix of all 3
- Irregular
- VAriable frequency and amplitude
- Distractible
- Entrainable
What is parkinsonism ?
-
Akinesia/Bradykinesia
- Slowness, fatigability, decrement in size of repetitive movements
- Rigidity
-
Tremor
- Rest tremor
-
Postural instability
- Festinant gait: Short shuffling steps, reduced arm swing, sometimes camptocormic, later freezing (in narrow spaces or doorways)
What is the DDX of parkinsonism?
- PD
- Parkinson plus conditions
- LBD
- PSP
- MSA
- CBD (renamed CBS)
- Vascular parkinsonism (stroke)
- Drug induced parkinsonism
- Anti-psychotics
- Metoclopramide
- Genetic
- Wilson’s
- Toxins
- Manganese
What are the diagnostic criteria for idiopathic parkinsons disease?
- Parkinsonism
- Absence of absolute exclusion criteria
- Two supportive criteria
- no red flags
What are the absolute exclusion criteria in idiopathic parkinsons disease?
- Cerebellar abnormalities (Think MSA)
- Downward vertical gaze palsy/slowing of vertical sacades (Think PSP)
- Diagnosis of FTD
- Exclusively lower extremity parkinsonism x3years (think vascular PD)
- Treatment with a dopamine receptor blocker (think drug induced PD)
- Absence of observable response to levodopa
- Cortical sensory loss, apraxia or aphasia (think CBD)
- Normal functional neuroimaging of the dopaminergic system
- Documentation of an alternative diagnosis that can cause parkinsonism
What are the supportive criteria for a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease?
- Clear response to L-Dopa
- Presence of L-Dopa induced dyskinesia
- Rest tremor of a limb
- Documented olfactory loss or cardiac sympathetic denervation on MIBG scintigraphy
List red flags that a person does not have idiopathic PD?
- Rapid gait impairment requiring wheelchair within 5y of onset.
- Complete absence of progression of motor symptoms
- Ealy bulbar dysfunction
- Stridor
- Severe autonomic failure in first 5 years of onset
- Recurrent falls within 3 years of onset
- Anterocollitis
- Absence of common non-motor symptoms despite 5 years of disease
- Pyramidal signs
- Bilateral symmetric Parkinsonism
How does idiopathic parkinson disease usually progress?
- Preceding illness
- Anosmia
- REM-sleep behavior sleep disorder
- constipation
- Early illness
- Asymmetric tremor
- asymmetric bradykinesia
- asymmetric rigidity
- Late illness
- Postural instability/falls
- non-motor manifestations
- Dementia
- Visual hallucinations (can also be from meds)
- Autonomic dysfunction=postural hypotension (can also be from meds)
What are the medications used to treat PD and what are their indications and mechanisms of action?
- Levodopa/carbidopa
- Indication: PD motor symptoms
- Converts to dopamine in CNS
- Pramipexole
- Indications: PD motor symptoms
- Dopamine agonist
- Trihexyphenidyl
- Indication: Tremor
- anticholinergic
- Segeline
- Indication: PD motor Sx
- MAO-B inhibitor
- Entacapone
- Prolongs action of L-Dopa
- COMT inhibitor
- Amantadine
- Indication: Dyskinesia
- Multiple mechanisms
- Domperidone
- Indication: Orthostatic hypotension
- Dopamine antagonist in the gut
What are side effects of Levodopa/carbidopa?
- Non-motor
- N/V
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Sedation
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Motor
- Dyskinesias
- Special
- Dopa dysregulation (addictions)
What are side effects of Pramipexole?
- Same as L-Dopa
- More orthostatic hypotension
- More sedation (sleep attacks)
- more Hallucinations
- More ICD (gambling, sexuality, shopping, eating)
- Leg swelling
What are side effects of Trihexyphenidyl?
- Anticholinergic
- Confusion
- Dry eyes
- blurry vision
- dry mouth
- constipation
- urinary retention
- Memory difficulties
What are side effects of Selegeline?
- Above 10mg
- HTN crisis after tyramine rich foods
- Aged cheese
- sausage
- red wine
- Theoretical risk of serotonin syndrome
- alerting
- insomina
- hallucinations
- dry mouth
- hypotension
- HTN crisis after tyramine rich foods
What are side effects of Entacapone?
Same side effects as increasing Levodopa/carbidopa but also orange urine
What are side effects of Amantadine?
- Anticholinergic
- confusion
- dry eyes
- blurry vision
- dry mouth
- constipation
- urinary retention
- Insomnia
- Livedo reticularis
- hallucinations
- contraindicated in patients with seizures
What are side effects of Domperidone?
Prolongs QT (if above 10mg TID)
Compare Levodopa, Dopamine agonists and MAO-B inhibitors with regards to their effects on motor symptom improvement, motor complications and other adverse events
What treatments can be offered to help the non-motor features of parkinsons?
- Botox helps with drooling
- Midodrine, fludrocortisone and domperidone can help with orthostatic hypotension
When should palliative care be involved in PD?
In all stages
MAID can be discussed if patient brings it up
What are the clinical features of drug induced parkinsonism?
- Symetric parkinsonism
- Rigidity/bradykinesia
- Tremor usually postural > rest
- Commonly within weeks to months of onset of drugs
- reversible over months
What are the clinical features of vascular parkinsonism?
- Patient with vascular risk factors, multiple small strokes and stepwise worsening
- Symmetrical parkinsonism
- “Lower body parkinsonism”
- Falls common
- Pyramidal signs
- Many have dementia and incontinence (looks like NPH)
- Tremor not common
- Poor response to levodopa
What are the clinical features of multi-system atrophy?
- Symmetric parkinsonism
- No tremor
- Early falls
- Dysautonomia
- orthostasis
- erectile dysfunction
- incontinence
- Ataxia (in MSA-C)
- Pyramidal signs
- Stridor
- Distal myoclonus
- No response to levodopa (produces orofacial dyskinesia)
What are the clinical features of progressive supranuclear palsy?
- Symmetrical parkinsonism
- Axial rigidity more than limb
- No tremor
- Early falls
- Vertical supranuclear gaze paresis
- Hyperfrontalis (wide-eyed stare)
- Severe dysarthria
- Mild dementia (frontal lobe dysfunction)
- Poor response to levodopa
What are the clinical features of Cortico-Basal degeneration (CBD, now CBS)?
- Markedly asymmetric parkinsonism
- Dystonia
- Myoclonus (action or tactile stimulated)
- Apraxia
- Aphasia
- Cortical sensory loss
- Alien limb phenomenon
- No response to levodopa
What are the clinical features of lewy body dementia?
- Worstening with antipsychotic medications
- Symmetric parkinsonism
- Temors
- Early dementia (frontal and visuospatial)
- Fluctuating attention (good days and bad days)
- Visual hallucinations
- Some response to levodopa (but can worsten visual hallucinations)
- REM behavior sleep disorder
What is associated with a cherry-red spot on ophthalmoscopy?
Central retinal artery occlusion
What is associated with bilateral disc edema on ophthalmoscopy?
Likely papilledema
What is associated with unilateral disc enema and pain on ophthalmoscopy?
Acute optic neuritis
What is associated with a pale disc on ophthalmoscopy?
Prior optic neuritis
What is associated with a large cup-disc ratio and pale disc on ophthalmoscopy?
Glaucoma
What do you expect to see on ophthalmoscopy in diabetic retinopathy?
- Cotton wool spots
- microaneurysms
- Hard exudates
- Neovascularisation
- flame hemorrhages
What do you expect to see on ophthalmoscopy in hypertensive retinopathy?
- Cotton wool spots
- hard exudates
- flame heomrrhages
- AV nicking
- copper wiring
- disc edema
What do you expect to see on ophthalmoscopy in infective endocarditis?
Roth spots
What cranial nerves traverse the cavernous sinus?
- CN III
- CN IV
- CN V1, V2
- CN VI
- Sympathetics
What 5 questions should you ask to better caracterise diplopia
- Monocular or binocular
- Mono=Psych or ophtalmo
- Binocular=neurology
- Images horizontal, vertical or oblique to each other
- Horizontal: 6th nerve palsy
- Vertical: 4th nerve palsy
- Oblique: 3rd nerve palsy
- Diplopia worst when looking near or far
- Near; 3rd o 4th nerve palsy
- Far: 6th nerve palsy
- Diplopia worst when looking up, down, left or right
- Left or right: 6th nerve palsy
- Up and down: 3rd or 4th nerve palsy
- Associated symptoms
- ptosis
- Eye pain
- headache
- vision loss
- recent trauma
- other CN involvements
- fluctuations
Differentiate 3rd nerve palsy from horner’s syndrome
What are the possible localisations and etiologies of binocular diplopia?
- Extraoccular muscle (thyroid eye disease)
- NMJ (MG)
- CN 3, 4, 6 anywhere including cavernous sinus
- Ischemic, compressive, infectious, inflammatory, infiltrative…
- Nucleus of CN 3, 4, 6
- Internuclear pathways in brainstem
- Stroke, MS causing INO
Differentiate ischemic from compressive 3rd nerve palsy.
Who needs a CTA?
Complete 3rd nerve palsy with spared pupil= no CTA
partial 3rd nerve palsy with spared pupil=do CTA
Pupil involved=CTA
What triad is associated with Horner’s syndrome?
- Ptosis
- Miosis
- Anhidrosis (if 1st or 2nd order neuron damaged)
What is the DDx of Horner’s syndrome?
- 1st order neuron
- Stroke
- Demyelination
- tumor
- 2nd order neuron
- T1 radiculopathy
- Pancoast tumor
- 3rd order neuron
- Carotid dissection/aneurysm