Neurology Flashcards
incontinence, abnormal gait, dementia
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
- decreased absorption of CSF
Side effects of levodopa/carbidopa
early: hallucinations, confusion, somnolence
late: dyskinesia
unilateral, intermittent sharp pain of the right cheek and lip that lasts several seconds triggered by minor stimuli
trigeminal neuralgia
CSF in Guillian Barre
High protein, normal wbc, rbc and glucose
organophosphate poisoning
- farmer trying to commit suicide
- sx of cholinergic excess (bradycardia, miosis, bronchorrhea, muscle fasiculations, salivation, lacrimation)
- tx: atropine and remove clothes to prevent further absorption
periodic sharp wave complexes on EEG with rapidly progressive dementia, myoclonus and mood sx (depression)
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- positive 14-3-3 assay
Most common cause of CN III palsy (ptosis with eye looking down and out)
ischemic neuropathy from uncontrolled DM
14 year old girl with progressive ataxia, loss of vibratory sense, degeneration of spinal cord in cervical region
Friedreich ataxia - excessive number of trinucleotide repeats (GAA)
- most common in teens
Rapidly progressive demetia, myoclonus with EEG showing sharp, triphasic, synchronus discharges
Creutzfeldt-Jakob - prions
Major cause of death after SAH
first 24 hours: recurrent bleeding
day 3-10: vasospasm –> prevented with nimodipine
7 year old boy presents after a seizure. The axillary and inguinal folds has multiple freckles. Chest and back have 6, darkly pigmented macules.
Neurofibromatosis 1
- > 5 cafe0au0lait macules, >1 neurofibroma, axillary or inguinal freckling, optic glioma, >1 iris hamartoma (Lisch nodules, bone lesions
- seizures, scoliosis and short stature, pseudoarthrosis
unilateral motor impairment, no sensory or cortical deficits, no visual field abnormalities - lesion location
Posterior limb of internal capsule (lacunar infarct)
contralateral somatosensory & motor deficit (face, arm, leg), conjugate eye deviation towards the side of the lesion, homonymous hemianopia, aphasia (dominant hemisphere), hemineglect (nondominant) - lesion location
Middle cerebral artery
contraleteral somatosensory and motor deficit (primarily LE), abulia (lack of will or initiative), dyspraxia, emotional disturbance, urinary incontinence - lesion location
Anterior cerebral artery
alternate syndromes with contralateral hemiplegia & ipsilateral cranial nerve involvement, possible ataxia - lesion location
vertibrobasilar system (supplying the brainstem)
Straight lines appearing wavy
Macular degeneration
anticholinergic drugs (trihexphenidyl) can precipitate
angle-closure glaucoma
Most common CNS tumor in children. Supretentorial location presents with seizures, weakness, sensory changes, signs of increased ICP (HA)
Pilocytic astrocytoma (high grade astrocytoma = glioblastoma)
CNS tumor in children that’s usually located in 4th ventricle and cause obstruction of CSF
Ependymoma
CNS tumor in children that arises in the sella turcica and appears as cystic structures with calcifications
Cranipharyngioma
Patient presents with upper extremity weakness, areflexia, and loss of pain and temperature sensations. No sx in lower extremities.
Syringomyelia (Arnold Chiari malformation type 1)
- “cape distribution” of loss of pain and temp
- dorsal columns not affected usually
- can progress to anterior horn of grey matter –> areflexic weakness
Pt with history of severe alcohol and tobacco use presents with wide based gait and postural instability. Unable to perform heel to shin but able to perform finger to nose.
Alcoholic cerebellar degeneration
- damage to the Purkinje cells of the cerebellar vermis
- truncal coordination is impaired but limb coordination is intact
57 year old man complains of progressive difficulty with gait. Mild atrophy and weakness of upper extremities with decreased triceps reflex. Bilateral lower extremity strength is 4/5 with positive Babinski reflex.
Cervical myelopathy due to advanced spodylosis at C-spine.
- LMN signs (UE) - atrophy, dec reflexes
- UMN sign (LE) - babinski, hyperreflexia
Tx for alzheimers
Cholinesterase inhibitors
donepazil, rivastigmine, galantamine
Tx for myasthenic crisis
Intubation for deteriorating respiratory status
Plasmapheresis or IVIG & steroids
Homeless women presents with encephalopathy, ocular dysfunction, and gait ataxia.
Thiamine deficiency
- must give thiamine before glucose because glucose can worsen encephalopathy
Tx for generalized convulsus status epilepticus
- seizure lasting for 5 or more min or 2 or more seizures occur before pt regains consciousness
- IV benzos for termination (lorazepa, diazepam)
- Medication to prevent recurrence: fosphenytoin, phenytoin, levetiracetam, valproic acid
Tx for Bell’s palsy (unilateral facial weakness of upper and lower face due to peripheral neuropathy of facial nerve). May have prodrome of auricular pain
Steroids
MRI findings of late Alzheimers
temporal lobe atrophy most prominent in the hippocami and surrounding medial temporal lobes
Young obese woman with papilledema, CN VI palsy, peripheral visual field defect
pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial HTN) - get LP with opening pressure >250
Eye problem found in MS
Bilateral internuclear opthalmoplegia
- affected eye (ipsilateral to lesion) is unable to adduct and contralateral side abducts with nystagmus
- damage to medial longitundinal fasiculus (mediated communication btwn CN III and VI)
- unilateral lesions can occur in lacunar stroke in pontine artery distribution
Pts at risk for MS
vitamin D deficiency, colder climates, reduced sunlight exposure
- HLA-DRB1 patients
Pt has pure motor hemiplegia
Lacunar stroke (hypertensive vasculopathy) - affecting posterior limb of internal capsule
3 week infant born at home has a seizure and 101 temp. brain imaging reveals patchy areas of increased cerebral attenuation with edema and hemorrhage in left temporal lobe.
HSV
Neurofibromatosis type 1
NF1 gene - neurofibromin
von Recklinghausen disease
chrom 17
cafe au lait spots, freckling in skin folds, neurofibromas, Lisch nodules, optic gliomas