Neurology Lectures Flashcards
What artery is the most common site of a stroke?
Middle cerebral artery.
Define a lacunar stroke.
Stroke of deep branches of the middle cerebral artery that supply the basal ganglia.
Define watershed infarct.
Ischaemic stroke due to hypoperfusion, sudden BP drop >40mmHg.
Define ischaemic core.
Tissue likely to die due to ischaemia.
Define ischaemic penumbra.
Tissue preserved for a short period of time due to collateral circulation, potentially able to survive.
What symptom is found in a stroke of Broca’s area?
Expressive aphasia —> inability to produce written and spoken language, although comprehension remains intact.
What symptom is found in a stroke of Wernicke’s area.
Reactive aphasia —> inability to comprehend written and spoken language, although language production remains intact.
Define dysphasia.
Difficulty to comprehend or produce speech.
List 3 general causes/types of stroke.
1) ischaemic (80%)
2) haemorrhagic (17%)
3) other (3%)
What percentage of strokes occur secondary to a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
5%.
List the 5 possible syndromes in a lacunar stroke.
1) pure motor syndrome
2) pure sensory syndrome
3) sensorimotor syndrome
4) ataxic hemiparesis
5) dysarthria/clumsy hand
Define hemiplegia.
Paralysis of one side of the body.
Define quadriplegia.
Paralysis of all four limbs.
Define locked in syndrome.
Inability to respond despite understanding.
List 3 features that point to a haemorrhagic stroke.
1) meningism (neck stiffness, photophobia, headache)
2) severe headache
3) coma
List 4 features that point to an ischaemic stroke.
1) carotid bruit
2) past TIA
3) AF
4) IHD
When should hypertension be treated in a stroke?
Only in a hypertensive emergency (e..g encelopathy or aortic dissection).
When should thrombolysis be carried out for the best result?
Within 90 minutes.
What test should be carried out post thrombolysis of an ischaemic stroke?
Head CT 24 hours post thrombolysis.
What percentage of deaths does stroke account for in the UK?
11%.
What is the leading cause of adult disability in the world?
Strokes.
How does a large artery stenosis lead to an ischaemic stroke?
Embolism not occlusion.
What should stroke patients with oral anticoagulants always be assumed to have until proven otherwise?
Haemorrhagic stroke.
What should always be excluded when diagnosing stroke?
Hypoglycaemia.
What should be ruled out before starting thrombolysis for strokes?
Haemorrhagic stroke.
List 8 contraindications of thrombolysis.
1) recent surgery - last 3 months
2) recent arterial puncture
3) history of active malignancy
4) evidence brain aneurysm
5) anticoagulant
6) severe liver disease
7) acute pancreatitis
8) clotting disorder
List 6 anterior cerebral artery territory ischaemia/infarct symptoms.
1) contralateral numbness (esp. leg)
2) contralateral weakness (esp. leg)
3) truncal ataxia
4) gait ataxia
5) incontinence
6) drowsiness
List 4 middle cerebral artery territory ischaemia/infarct symptoms.
1) contralateral numbness (arms + legs)
2) contralateral weakness (arms + legs)
3) dysphasia —> aphasia
4) visuo-spatial disturbances
List 5 posterior cerebral artery territory ischaemia/infarct symptoms.
1) contralateral homonymous hemianopia
2) cortical blindness
3) visual agnosia
4) prosopagnosia
5) unilateral headache (esp. haemorrhagic)
List 5 vertebrobasilar artery territory ischaemia/infarct symptoms.
1) quadriplegia
2) dysarthria
3) dysphasia
4) visual disturbances
5) locked in syndrome
Define dysarthria.
Difficulty to articulate speech.
Define truncal ataxia.
Inability to sit or stand unsupported, tend to fall backwards.
Define gait ataxia.
Inability to coordinate walking.
Define aphasia.
Inability to comprehend or produce speech.
Define visual agnosia.
Inability to interpret visual information.
Define prosopagnosia.
Inability to interpret faces.
Define amaurosis fugax.
Sudden loss of vision in one eye.
How might a patient describe amaurosis fugax.
Curtain coming down vertically into field of vision.
Define transient global amnesia.
Episode of amnesia/confusion that resolves within 24 hours.
What score is used to assess the risk of a stroke post TIA?
ABCD2.
What is the most common cause of a TIA?
Carotid artery atherothromboembolism.
What is a TIA impossible to differentiate from, and until when?
Ischaemic stroke, until a full recovery is made.
How is TIA generally diagnosed?
Via history.
List 4 factors that indicate that a TIA patient is high risk for stroke.
1) ABCD2>4
2) AF
3) >1 TIA in a week
4) anticoagulation
List 4 factors that indicate a TIA patient should be seen by a specialist within 24 hours.
1) ABCD2>4
2) AF
3) >1 TIA in a week
4) anticoagulant
When does amaurosis fugax occur?
Retinal artery occlusion in TIA.
What percentage of TIA are due to thromboemboli?
80%.
Why is there a star shaped lesions in subarachnoid haemorrhage head CTs?
Blood fills gyral patterns around brain and ventricles.
Why is a subarachnoid haemorrhage lumbar puncture xanthochromic and what colour is this?
Yellow, break down of RBC haemoglobin to bilirubin.
How is the severity of a subarachnoid haemorrhage graded?
GCS score.
What percentage of subarachnoid haemorrhages are diagnosed by head CT?
95%.
What is the preferred management for subarachnoid haemorrhages endovascular coiling or surgical clipping, and why?
Endovascular coiling, less risk, better outcomes.
What is an important differential to rule out for subarachnoid haemorrhages?
Migraine.
What is the target blood pressure for subarachnoid haemorrhage patients?
SBP>160.
Where are berry aneurysms found?
Branching points in the circle of Willis (esp. anterior cerebral and anterior communicating arteries).
Elderly patient with progressive personality change and decreased GCS, what is the diagnosis?
Subdural haematoma.
Why does cerebral atrophy lead to subdural haematoma? (3)
1) brain size decreases
2) bridging veins are stretched away from dura
3) bridging veins are more susceptible to burst
Define febrile seizure.
Generalised epileptic seizure lasting <15 minutes in a neurologically intact child aged between 6 months and 6 years.
How long do epileptic seizures generally last for?
30-120 seconds.
How many types of epilepsy are there?
> 40.
What age group do absence seizures present in?
Children.
Child stops talking for 10 seconds mid-sentence, pales and stares, then continues sentence, what type of epilepsy is this?
Absence epilepsy (generalised).
Patient falls to the floor then experiences generalised bilateral rhythmical muscle jerking, what type of epilepsy is this?
Tonic-clonic epilepsy (generalised).
List 3 features of simple focal epileptic seizures.
1) no loss of consciousness
2) no loss of memory
3) no post-ictal symptoms
List 3 features of complex focal epileptic seizures.
1) loss of consciousness
2) loss of memory
3) post-ictal symptoms (esp. confusion)
What is the difference between focal and partial epilepsy?
Nothing, focal is the updated term for partial (2017).
What type of epilepsy has a characteristic guttural cry/grunt?
Tonic epilepsy.
List 5 potential post-ictal symptoms of epileptic seizures.
1) headache
2) confusion
3) myalgia
4) temporary weakness (focal seizure of motor cortex —> Todd’s palsy)
5) dysphasia (focal seizure of temporal lobe)
What is the aura phase of an epileptic seizure?
Patient is aware of upcoming seizure and experiences deja vu, epigastric sensation or sensory hallucinations.
What type of seizure is an aura phase often seen in?
Partial focal temporal seizure.
What is the prodrome phase of an epileptic seizure?
Mood/behaviour change, rarely precedes seizure.
What imaging is preferred for epilepsy?
MRI.
How should long term anti-epileptics be prescribed?
One drug prescribed by one specialist slowly build up dose until seizures are controlled or maximal dose (at which point change drug and repeat).
What percentage of epileptic patients require anti-epileptic dual therapy?
<10%.
How is Parkinson’s disease diagnosed?
Clinically.
What is the Parkinson’s disease triad?
1) tremor
2) rigidity
3) bradykinesia
What habit decreases risk of Parkinson’s disease?
Smoking.
Which part of the substantia nigra are dopaminergic neurones found?
Pars compacta.