Neurology 1.2

Question 1

What is encephalopathy?

Answer 1

“disease of the brain” generally in its entirety (both cerebral hemispheres). i.e., metabolic encephalopathy

Question 2

What is myelopathy?

Answer 2

“disease of the spinal cord” i.e, compressive myelopathy (tumor, disc, etc causing weakness, sensory loss, spasticity below the level of compression)

Question 3

What is radiculopathy?

Answer 3

“disease of the nerve root(s)” i.e., any process affecting a single or multiple nerve roots at cervical, thoracic or lumbar or sacral level

Question 4

What is neuropathy?

Answer 4

Neuropathy: “disease of a nerve” (one is mononeuropathy or neuropathy, several individual is mononeuropathy multiplex, and many/diffuse is polyneuropathy peripheral nerves. Dysfunction of a single cranial nerve = cranial mononeuropathy)

Question 5

What is myopathy?

Answer 5

“primary disease of muscle”

Question 6

What does the suffix -itis imply when describing dysfunction?

Answer 6

inflammation proces affecting a region of the nervous system

Question 7

What is meningitis?

Answer 7

inflammation of the membranes covering brain and spinal cord; not always infectious cause.

Question 8

What is an embolus?

Answer 8

any detached, traveling intravascular mass carried by circulation

Question 9

What is delirium?

Answer 9

generally a temporary disorder of mental faculties often characterized by restlessness, delusions, agitation or withdrawal

Question 10

What is the significance of localized delirium?

Answer 10

likely a cortical structure lesion (Where>What>How)

Question 11

What is cognition?

Answer 11

: Implies a group of mental processes that includes attention, memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving,, decision making (processing, applying knowledge and adjusting).

Question 12

Is cognition generally mono-hemispheric or bi-hemispheric?

Answer 12

bi-hemispheric

Question 13

What is paresis?

Answer 13

muscle weakness but not complete

Question 14

What is plegia?

Answer 14

complete paralysis

Question 15

What is plexopathy?

Answer 15

damage to the brachial plexus

Question 16

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 16

(precentral gyrus of each frontal lobe; upper motor neurons). Pathway of axons comprising corticospinal tract.

Question 17

Which types of lesions typically cause weakness?

Answer 17

lesions at any level of upper or lower motor neuron pathway (first and second order neurons)

Question 18

Which types of lesions typically cause motor loss?

Answer 18

deep hemispheric/capsular lesions (i.e., hypertensive internal capsular infarction)

Question 19

What are the implications of lower motor neuron lesions?

Answer 19

lesion at:

• anterior horn cell
• motor nerve cell
• plexus
• peripheral nerve
• NMJ
• *decreased reflexes in involved limb
• *flaccidity and atrophy if chronic

Question 20

What are the implications of thalamic lesions?

Answer 20

sensory dysfunction over contralateral body

Question 21

What are the implications of cortical lesions?

Answer 21

parathesias or hyperthesia in corresponding contralateral body areas corresponding to cortical territory involved

Question 22

What is meralgia paresthetica?

Answer 22

lateral femoral cutaneous nerve lesion (sensory)

Question 23

What is Brown-Sequard Syndrome?

Answer 23

spinal cord lesion resulting in:

• weakness/paralysis on one side of the body
• decreased sensation on the opposite side
• *all below level of spinal cord lesion

Question 24

What is ataxic gait?

Answer 24

wide-based unsteady gait (looks enebriated)

Question 25

What is unilateral corticospinal tract disease?

Answer 25

hemiparetic gait (stiff, circumduction, overextended leg)

Question 26

What is bilateral corticospinal tract disease?

Answer 26

• both legs stiff
• spastic gait
• sometimes w/ scissoring motion of each leg around the other

Question 27

What is Romberg Sign?

Answer 27

disorders in:

• vision
• proprioception
• cerebellar/vestibular