Pattern recognition Flashcards
What are the features of an upper motor neuron pattern?
Increased tone, brisk reflexes, pyramidal/corticospinal pattern of weakness i.e. weak extensors in the arms, weak flexors in the legs
What are the features of a lower motor neuron pattern?
Wasting, fasciculation, decreased tone, decreased or absent reflexes, flexor plantars/Babinski sign
What are the features of muscle disease?
Wasting (usually proximal), decreased tone, decreased or absent tendon reflexes
What are the features of neuromuscular junction injury?
- Fatiguable weakness, normal or decreased tone, normal tendon reflexes
- No sensory symptoms
What are the features of functional weakness?
No wasting, normal tone, normal reflexes, erratic power, non-anatomical loss
What can cause UMN lesions?
- Acute stroke syndrome, space occupying lesions and spinal cord problems
- Can usually be determined by body segments involved and accompanying signs e.g, hemispheric - contralateral pyramidal weakness in face, arm and leg
What can cause LMN lesions in the anterior horn cells?
Occurs with motor neuron disease, spinal muscular atrophy, lead poisoning, poliomyelitis
What can cause LMN lesions in the peripheral nerves and how does this present?
- Symmetrical polyneuropathy with weakness and sensory symptoms - frequent complication of diabetes. Other causes include alcohol or metabolic insults as well as heritable disorders
- Mononeuropathy as a result of nerve compression (carpal or tarsal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, radial neuropathy) or mononeuritis multiplex which occurs in the context of diabetes or vasculitis
What can cause neuromuscular junction injury and how does it present?
- Presents with purely fatiguable motor symptoms
- Occurs in acetylcholine receptor antibody mediated myasthenia gravis, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by organophosphate poisoning, or interference with presynaptic calcium channel function in Lambert-Eaton paraneoplastic syndrome
What can cause muscle disorders and how do they present?
- Often symmetrical, often proximal, very wide differential diagnosis
- Inflammatory e.g. polymyositis, vasculitis
- Endocrine e.g. hypothyroidism, Cushing’s
- Drugs and toxins e.g. alcohol, cocaine, steroids
- Infections e.g. HIV, pyomyositis, toxoplasmosis
- Rhabdomyolisis
What nerve and nerve root supplies the deltoid muscle? What movement does the deltoid muscle control?
Axillary nerve, C5 nerve root, controls shoulder abduction
What nerve and nerve root supplies the triceps muscle? What movement does the triceps muscle control?
Radial nerve, C7, controls elbow extension
What nerve and nerve root supplies the iliopsoas muscle? What movement does the iliopsoas muscle control?
Femoral nerve, L1, 2, controls hip flexion
What nerve and nerve root supplies the hamstring muscles? What movement do the hamstring muscles control?
Sciatic, S1, controls knee flexion
What nerve and nerve root supplies the peroneal muscles? What movement do the peroneal muscles control?
Common peroneal and sciatic, L4, 5, controls ankle dorsiflexion
What nerve and nerve root supplies the extensor hallucis longus muscle? What movement does the extensor hallucis longus muscle control?
Common peroneal, L5, controls great toe dorsiflexion