S3_L1: Spinal Cord Injury Flashcards
Most common vehicle in MVA that is associated with SCI
Motorbike / Motorcycle
Category of Spinal cord injuries to the neural tissues like concussion, contusion, laceration, transection, hemorrhage and damage to blood vessels supplying spinal cord resulting in neurological deficits
Traumatic injuries
This person fell from a horse & landed directly on the helmet, in a near-perpendicular position, resulting in a spinal cord injury. MOI: Running with high velocity > horse suddenly stopped > the individual continued to move forward then fell on the ground.
Christopher Reeve
TRUE OR FALSE: The higher the spinal cord level is affected, the more disabling the impact of SCI is.
True
TRUE OR FALSE: The more cranial the level of the spinal cord lesion is, the faster the recovery process.
False. More caudal, faster recovery
Individuals with an incomplete neurological SCI have a longer life expectancy than those with a complete injury. Individuals with more caudal injuries have a lower life expectancy.
A. Only the 1st statement is true
B. Only the 2nd statement is true
C. Both statements are true
D. Both statements are false
A. Only the 1st statement is true
for the 2nd statement to be true: they have a greater life expectancy
The spinal cord exits the foramen magnum and extends
to approximately what vertebral level?
L1
In adults, the spinal cord ends in what structure?
conus medullaris
At the end of the spinal cord, the cord becomes a mass of nerve roots known as the?
Cauda equina (Horse’s tail)
TRUE OR FALSE: The spinal cord contains white matter, which consists of ascending sensory tracts, descending motor tracts, and an H-shaped central area of gray matter.
True
Primary Descending Tracts: Major pathway for voluntary movements and is responsible for speed and agility of movements
A. Lateral corticospinal tract
B. Anterior corticospinal tract
C. Medial vestibulospinal tract
D. Lateral vestibulospinal tract
E. Both C and D
A. Lateral corticospinal tract
Primary Descending Tracts: For voluntary movement of axial muscles. It has minimal clinical significance due to small size.
A. Lateral corticospinal tract
B. Anterior corticospinal tract
C. Medial vestibulospinal tract
D. Lateral vestibulospinal tract
E. Both C and D
B. Anterior corticospinal tract
Primary Descending Tracts: For positioning of head and neck
A. Lateral corticospinal tract
B. Anterior corticospinal tract
C. Medial vestibulospinal tract
D. Lateral vestibulospinal tract
E. Both C and D
C. Medial vestibulospinal tract
Primary Descending Tracts: For posture and balance. Inhibition of flexor and promotion of extensor muscle activity.
A. Lateral corticospinal tract
B. Anterior corticospinal tract
C. Medial vestibulospinal tract
D. Lateral vestibulospinal tract
E. Both C and D
E. Both C and D
Primary Descending Tracts: For movement of limbs. Promotion of flexor and inhibition of extensor muscle activity.
A. Rubrospinal tract
B. Lateral reticulospinal tract
C. Medial reticulospinal tract
D. Tectospinal tract
E. Both B and C
A. Rubrospinal tract
Primary Descending Tracts: For posture, balance, and automatic gait-related movements. Regulation to voluntary movements and reflexes.
A. Rubrospinal tract
B. Lateral reticulospinal tract
C. Medial reticulospinal tract
D. Tectospinal tract
E. Both B and C
E. Both B and C
Ascending Tracts: Conveys proprioception, vibratory sensation, deep touch, two-point discrimination, and discriminative touch
A. Dorsal column medial lemniscal tract
B. Dorsal spinocerebellar tract
C. Ventral spinocerebellar tract
D. Both B and C
A. Dorsal column medial lemniscal tract
Ascending Tracts: Conveys unconscious proprioception in joints and muscles
A. Dorsal column medial lemniscal tract
B. Dorsal spinocerebellar tract
C. Ventral spinocerebellar tract
D. Both B and C
D. Both B and C
Ascending Tracts: Pain and temperature
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
B. Anterior spinothalamic tract
C. Spino-olivary tract
D. Spinoreticular tract
E. Spinotectal tract
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
Primary Descending Tracts: Postural movements from visual stimuli
A. Rubrospinal tract
B. Lateral reticulospinal tract
C. Medial reticulospinal tract
D. Tectospinal tract
E. Both B and C
D. Tectospinal tract
Ascending Tracts: Crude (light, non-discriminative) touch and pressure
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
B. Anterior spinothalamic tract
C. Spino-olivary tract
D. Spinoreticular tract
E. Spinotectal tract
B. Anterior spinothalamic tract
Ascending Tracts: Tactile, painful, and thermal stimuli
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
B. Anterior spinothalamic tract
C. Spino-olivary tract
D. Spinoreticular tract
E. Spinotectal tract
E. Spinotectal tract
Ascending Tracts: Integration of stimuli from joints and muscles into the reticular formation
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
B. Anterior spinothalamic tract
C. Spino-olivary tract
D. Spinoreticular tract
E. Spinotectal tract
D. Spinoreticular tract
Ascending Tracts: Additional information to the cerebellum as an accessory pathway.
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
B. Anterior spinothalamic tract
C. Spino-olivary tract
D. Spinoreticular tract
E. Spinotectal tract
C. Spino-olivary tract
Second order neuron of the dorsal column medial lemniscal tract
Nuclei gracilis and cuneatus
Second order neuron of the anterolateral spinothalamic tract
Substantia Gelatinosa
First order neuron of the anterolateral spinothalamic tract
Posterior/Dorsal Root Ganglion (Lissauer’s tract)
First order neuron of the dorsal column medial lemniscal tract
Posterior/Dorsal Root Ganglion
The H-shaped grey matter is arranged such that the: (1)___ section in each half contains neurons involved in sensory function, the (2)___ portion contains interneurons, and (3)___ section contains neurons involved in motor function (anterior horn cells) that project to the peripheral muscles.
- dorsal
- middle
- ventral
Complete paralysis of all or part of the trunk and
both lower extremities (LEs), resulting from lesions
of the lumbar spinal cord or cauda equina.
Paraplegia
Tetraplegia or Quadriplegia refers to complete paralysis of all four extremities
and trunk, including the respiratory muscles, and
results from lesions of the ____ segment of the spinal cord.
cervical
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: No sensory or motor function is preserved in the sacral segments S4-5.
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
a. A - Complete
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: less than half of key muscle functions below the single NLI have a muscle grade ≥ 3.
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
c. C - Incomplete
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: with at least half (half or more) of key muscle functions below the single NLI having a muscle grade ≥ 3
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
d. D - Incomplete
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: sensation and motor function are normal
in all segments, and the patient had prior deficits.
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
e. E - Normal
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: Sensory but not motor function is preserved below the neurological level
and includes the sacral segments S4-5 (light touch or pinprick at S4-5 or deep anal pressure), AND no motor function is preserved more than three levels below the motor level on either side of the body.
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
b. B - Incomplete
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: Motor function is preserved at the most caudal sacral segments for voluntary anal
contraction (VAC)
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
c. C - Incomplete
ASIA ISNCSCI impairment: patient has some sparing of motor function more than three levels below the ipsilateral motor level on either side of the
body
a. A - Complete
b. B - Incomplete
c. C - Incomplete
d. D - Incomplete
e. E - Normal
c. C - Incomplete
TRUE OR FALSE: A patient whose sensory input has returned has a good sign/prognosis.
True
Additional:
Progression of recovery: Sensory → Motor → Complete
TRUE OR FALSE: An incomplete lesion (ASIA B, C, or D) is a good prognostic indicator of a greater likelihood of recovery of motor function.
True
Even with complete lesions (ASIA A), 70% of patients with cervical-level injuries are likely to experience ___
level/s of motor recovery below the original neurological level.
one
Preservation of (1)___ sensation at (2)___ months after injury in the LEs or sacral region is associated with a good prognosis for motor recovery at 1 year after injury.
- pinprick
- four
Recovery of motor function generally plateaus around _____ months after spinal cord injury.
12 to 18
TRUE OR FALSE: A complete spinal cord injury is defined as having no sensory or motor function in the lowest sacral segments (S4 and S5).
True
Sensory and motor function at S4 and S5 are determined by?
Anal sensation and voluntary
external anal sphincter contraction
Spinal cord injury described as having a motor and/or sensory function below
the neurological level, including sensory and/or motor function at S4 and S5.
Incomplete
What must be present for an injury
to be classified as incomplete?
Perianal sensation
Sacral sparing can be evaluated through 3 Tests. Enumerate these
- (+) Perianal sensation
- Able to flex the great toe
- Voluntary control over the rectal sphincter muscle
TRUE OR FALSE: Patients with incomplete SCI display more abnormal tone or muscle spasticity than patients with complete SCI.
True
Decreased inhibition from ____ pathways may be the reason for abnormal tone or muscle spasticity.
descending supraspinal
Paralysis and sensory loss on the
ipsilateral side of lesion as a result of damage to the lateral corticospinal tract
A. Brown Sequard Syndrome
B. Central Cord Syndrome
C. Anterior Cord Syndrome
D. Dorsal Column or Posterior Cord Syndrome
E. Cauda Equina Injuries
A. Brown Sequard Syndrome