Neurology Flashcards
What is a hemi-Parkinsonian gait?
Parkinsonian gait with reduced arm swing on 1 side
What gait is most commonly seen in stroke? Describe it.
Hemiplegic gait: 1 leg is stiffly extended and swung to avoid toe catching
In what condition would you expect a high-stepping gait?
Peripheral neuropathy - tabes dorsalis
How might you test for impaired proprioception?
Romberg’s test
Describe Romberg’s test and what a positive result looks like
Stand with feet together and eyes closed. Swaying or falling indicates a positive Romberg’s.
What are the 2 most common causes of “black outs”?
Seizures and Syncope
Describe the typical history of syncope
Prodrome: feeling light headed before <30 seconds unconscious Quick recovery Urine incontinence No tongue biting
What are the brains excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters?
Glutamate and GABA
How do you treat status epilepticus?
Benzodiazipines
How do benzodiazepines work to treat status epilepticus?
Enhance GABA
How long until a seizure becomes status epilepticus?
> 5 minutes
First line treatment of focal epilepsy?
CARBAMAZEPINE
First line treatment of generalised epilepsy?
VALPROATE
Which 2 areas of the brain are responsible for consciousness?
Cortes and Reticular Activating System of the brain stem
What is an infratentorial lesion? What may cause it?
Lesion below the tentorium cerebelli - tumour
How may a supratentorial lesion cause coma/brain death?
Increased pressure causes herniation
Give examples of supratentorial lesions which may cause herniation
subarachnoid haemorrhage, subdural haematoma, extradural haematoma
What are the most common causes of coma?
Drug overdose and head trauma
Supportive management of coma?
ABC, DVT prophylaxis, NG tube, Catheter
What may cause coma with neck stiffness?
Subarachnoid Haemorrhage and Meningitis
What do focal neurological signs suggest in a comatose patient? What would you use to treat the problem?
Herniation
Drugs to reduce intracranial pressure: Mannitol and dexamethasone
What are the most common causes of coma without neck stiffness, focal signs or fever?
Drug overdose and hypoglycaemia
What are the 3 diagnostic criteria for brain death?
- Irreversible cause
- Unresponsive patient with no function
- Brain stem death
Describe the Doll’s Head Eye Maneuver.
Open eyes and move head: if the eyes watch the ceiling the brain stem is intact, POSITIVE result
If the eyes are fixed in the head, brain stem is not intact - NEGATIVE result
What is Amaurosis Fugax?
Sudden visual loss caused by an occlusion of the retinal artery
What causes painful visual loss?
Optic Neuritis
How might Multiple Sclerosis first present?
With optic neuritis- painful visual loss, loss of colour vision
What pattern of visual loss is present in giant cell arteritis?
“Altitudinal” field defect- patient feels as if they are looking over a wall
What symptoms would be present in a lesion of the optic nerve? (4)
- loss of colour vision
- loss of visual acuity
- loss of pupillary reflexes
cenrtal scotoma
What visual defect would you get in a parietal lobe lesion?
Avoidance of half of the visual field on the contralateral side e.g. drawing half a clock with all the numbers on the right hand side
What is agnosia?
Not being able to recognise things by sight
Describe the pattern of weakness in an Upper Motor Neurone Lesion.
Strong flexors in the arm and weak extensors, the opposite pattern in the legs
What would cause proximal weakness and opthalmoplegia?
Myasthenia Gravis
What is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy?
Diabetes
What is the treatment for Guilian Barre?
IV Immunoglobulins
What is the treatment for Myasthenia Gravis?
Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors e.g. donezepil
A patient presents with ataxia, headache and confusion - her symptoms are progressive… What could be causing these symptoms?
Raised intracranial Pressure
What drug is used to reduce cerebral oedema?
Mannitol
What eye signs might you see in raised ICP?
Tramps palsy (CN III) 6th nerve palsy
If someone has CSF leakage through the nose and a headache which is worse on standing what is wrong?
Reduced intracranial pressure
What are the symptoms of foramen magnum herniation?
neck pain
erratic breathing
tetraparesis
What is the most common cause of stroke?
Ischaemia (80% of strokes are ischaemic, 20% are haemorrhagic)