Peripheral N Signs Flashcards
MRC power scale
0-no muscle movement
1-flicker
2-movement with gravity eliminated
3-movement against gravity but no against resistance
4- movement against resistance but not normal
5- normal power
Rhombergs
Cerebellar disease- sway with eyes open
Proprioception loss- sway with eyes closed.
Gait
Observe posture, arm swing, step size and frequency, circumduction, ataxia.
PD- shuffling, flexed, no arm swing, lean forward, difficulty stopping and changing direction.
Cerebellar ataxia- wide base, sway with eyes open, hold onto things.
Hemiparesis- arm flexed and adducted, leg extended and cirucmducted when brought around (cant flex knee).
Arthritis antalgic- limp due to pain
Foot drop- lateral popliteal palsy, high stepping.
Peripheral neuropathy- loss joint position sense, high stepping or stomping as unaware of foot position, very careful.
Pronator drift
UMN lesion
Clasp knife
UMN lesion
Lead pipe or cog wheel rigidity
Extra pyramidal lesion
Finger to nose
Stretch system- reposition backwards, forwards and laterally.
Proprioception deficit- bring outstretched finger to nose with eyes closed.
Cerebellar disease- intention tremor and past pointing.
Clonus
UMN lesionif over 5 beats of plantar felxion.
Cerebellar ataxia gait
Unsteady, broad base, worse with tandem walking, may have associated signs (nystagmus, dysarthria, limb signs).
Causes- MS, vascular cerebellar disease, chronic alcohol, paraneoplastic syndrome.
Hemiparetic gait
Legs stiff and swing out, flexion or UL and extension of LL.
causes- cortical or internal capsule strokes, cerebral hemisphere tumour or trauma.
Spastic gait
Legs slow and stiff, hips adducted and feet plantarflexed. (Scissors)
Causes- SC compression, cerebral palsy, MS, MND, SC degeneration.
Parkinsonian gait
Flexed, loss arm swing, multiple steps to turn, difficulty initiating, festinating gait.
Causes- IDP, drug induced eg antipsychotics, vascular pseudoPD, infection, wilsons.
Sensory ataxia
Broad base, unsteady, stamping, impaired proprioception, rhombergs positive.
Causes- posterior SC lesions, peripheral neuropathy.
High stepping gait
Cant dorsiflex, slapping foot.
Causes- comm fibular N palsy eg fibular head fracture. Hereditary eg charcot marie. Anterior horn disease eg polio.
Myopathic gait
Weight alternative sites, opposite trunk tilting. Weak proximal muscles of lower limb girdle.
Causes- MDs, endocrine or metabolic myopathies, polymyositis or dermatomyositis.
Brown sequard
SC hemisection=
-ipsialteral UMN weakness below lesion due to CST lesion.
-ipsilateral loss proprioception and vibration due to DCML.
-contralateral pain and temperature loss due to SST lesion (already decussated).
Causes eg butler, stab, tumour, disc herniation.
Diagnosis- MRI.
Guillain barre syndrome
Acute inflammatory demyelination polyneuropathy.
Signs- symmetrical ascending muscle weakness a few weeks after infection eg campylobacter, CMV, mycoplasma, zoster, EBV, vaccines.
Abs attack nerves.
Autonomic dysfunction- sweaty, tachyc, BP change, arrhythmia.
Increase protein in CSF.
Amyloidosis
Abnormal EC protein deposits in fibrils, resistant to degradation.
Eg AD, T2DM.
Systemic forms affect most systems.
Biopsy postive congo red stain.
Parasthesia
Low Ca, high CO2 Arterial emboli, DVT Lyme disease, rabies ACEi Thalam IC or parietal lesion CTS, sciatica Peripheral neuropathy eg DM, CKD.
Tremor
- resting- PD
- postural- worse if arms outstretched. Hyperthyroid, alcohol. Brain damage from wilsons, syphillis.
- intention- worse when move. Cerebellar disease.
Brain BS modulation
- myogenic- low BP=vasoldilation to maintain flow. Fails under 50mmHg
- metabolic- high pCO2, K, adenosine, or low pO2= vasodilation
- cushings reflex- RICP=reduced cerebral BF= SNS peripheral vasoconstriction= increase AP. POSITVE FEEDBACK.
ASCENDING concious tracts (contralateral)
-DCML:
2TPV- 2 point discrimination, fine touch, concious proprioception, vibration.
Primary body in DRG, secondary in gracile or cuneate nucleus, tertiary in thalamus.
Decussation in medulla.
Termination sensory cortex.
-STT:
Lateral- pain, temperature
Anterior- crude touch
Primary body in DRG, secondary in DH, tertiary in thalamus.
Decussation SC
Termination sensory cortex
ASCENDING CEREBELLAR unconscious tracts (ipsilateral)
-anterior and posterior spinocerebellar: Unconcious proprioception lower limb. Primary body DRG, secondary in spinal GM (posterior clarke nucleus, anterior spinal border), NO tertiary body. Posterior NO decussation. Anterior decussates SC and brainstem. Termination in cerebellum. -cuneocerebellar- Unconscious proprioception upper limb. Primary body DRG, secondary accessory cuneate nucleus. Termination cerebellum.
ASCENDING tract lesions
-DCML- SC lesion= ipsilateral sensory loss as not CO until medulla. VitB12 deifciency Neurosyphillis tabes dorsalis -STTs- Contralateral as CO immediately. Brown sequard hemisection- ipsilateral loss fine touch, vibration, and proprioception. Contralateral loss pain and temperature. -SC- Ipsilateral loss muscle coordination. Unlikely isolated damage.
DESCENDING pyramidal tracts
-lateral CST 85%- Voluntary movement Origin pre motor and motor cortex, PCG. Decussation medulla. Termination contralateral SC. -ventral CST 15%- As above but decussates SC. -corticobulbar- Voluntary movement Origin pre motor and motor cortex, and PCG. Decussation brainstem Termination contralateral motor CN nuclei.
DESCENDING extra pyramidal tracts
-TS- Head movement towards visual or auditory stimulus. Origin tectum. Decussation brainstem. Termination C+upper T SC. -rubroS- Flexor and facial tone Origin red nucleus Decussation brainstem Termination upper C SC -reticuloS- Automatic movement (posture and rhythmic) Origin reticular formation Decussation ? Part in brainstem Termination SC -VS- Balance and posture Origin vestibular nucleus NO decussation Termination SC
DESCENDING tract lesions
-CST-
Internal capsule CVA. Unilateral lesion= contralateral symptoms.
Typically UMN signs
-CBT-
Most are bilateral so unilateral lesion usually= mild muscle weakness only. EXCEPT- hypoglossal N UMN lesion spastic contralateral paralysis of genioglossus causing contralateral tongue deviation + facial N UMN lesion spastic paralysis contralateral lower quadrant face muscles.
-extra pyramidal-
Degenerative disease eg encephalitis or tumour. Dyskinesia or involuntary movement.
Pain
Lateral STT
Slow dull C fibres (70%)- respond to mechanical, chemical, thermal. Small diameter, unmyelinated.
Fast sharp Ad fibres- mechanothermal only.
Ligand gated TRPV1 channel- H+, heat and endocanniboids activate mainly Ca flow. Plus inflammatory mediator= pain.
-Gate control- dorsal horn lamina 2 substantia gelatinosa inhibits nociceptor transfer to thalamus. Nociceptor input and descending inhibitory control from raphe, PAG, brainstem. Also mechano Ab Rs.
-peripheral sensitisation- tissue damage= immune cells= histamine, 5HT, bradykinin, substance P, PGs. Directly cause pain or potentiate.
-central sensitisation- tissue injury= persistent glutamate release and high NMDA R activation= hyperexcitable neurones= hyperalgesia (lower threshold).
Wind up= receptive field expansion and allodynia (non noxious stim).
Middle cerebral A
Most common ste of stroke.
Supplies frontal, parietal and occipital.
ICA branches in circle of willis
Ophthalmic
Posterior communicating (aneurysm= CN III palsy)
Anterior choroidal
Cerebral infarct causes
Large vessel atheroma or emboli. Cardiac emboli. Small vessel disease or lacunae. Arteritis. Blood disorder. Cryptogenic.
Intra cerebral haemorrhage causes
HTN microaneurysm AVM or aneurysm Amyloid angiopathy Anitcoagulation Thrombolytic Thrombocytopenia Cocaine, amphetamine Tumour VT
SC BS
Posterior- paired posterior spinal As
Anterior- anterior spinal A- motor area. Occlusion most common.
Also 21 pairs segmental As
Artery of Adamakiewics
Anterior spinal A occlusion causes
Aortic disease eg aneurysm, trauma, dissection, atherosclerosis, surgery. Vasculitis SCD Hypotension TIA Disc herniation
Spinal shock
Initial LMN signs, then progress to UMN.
Eg anterior spinal A occlusion.