The Nervous System Flashcards
Lumbar puncture performed at
L3-L4/ L4-L5 vertebral interspace
Corticospinal (pyramidal) tract
- voluntary movement and integrated skilled/delicate movement
- can also inhibit muscle tone
- cross in the medulla region
Basal ganglia system function
Maintain muscle tone
Control gris automatic movements(walking)
Cerebellar system
Motor activity
Maintain equilibrium
Control posture
Upper motor neuron damage
- if above crossover →affects opposite side
- if below the crossover→ipsilateral side
- ↑ muscle tone
- ↑ deep tendon reflexs
Damage to lower motor neuron
- affects the ipsilateral side
- muscle weakness and paralysis
- ↓or absent muscle tone and reflexes
Diabetic patient with sharp, shooting or burning (dysesthesia)foot pain
Small nerve fiber neuropathy(spinothalamic tract)
Diabetic patient with numbness and tingling/loss of sensation in the foot
Large fiber neuropathy (posterior column)
No impairment in pain, touch and position but can’t appreciate size shape and texture of the object( fine discrimination)
Lesion in sensory cortex
Loss of piston and vibration but other senses preserved
Point if damage is Posterior column
Waist down paralysis and hyperactive reflex’s in legs with crude and light touch preserved
Severe traverse damage to spinal cord
Ankle reflex
S1
Knee reflex
L2-4
Supinator(brachioradialis) reflex
C5-6
Biceps reflex
C5-6
Triceps reflex
C6-7
Upper Abdominal reflex
T8-10
Lower ab reflex
T10-12
Creamasteric reflex
L1-2
Plantar reflex
L5 and S1
Anal reflex
S2,3,4
“Worst headache of my life” and instantaneous onset
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Severe headache and neck stiffness
Meningitis
Dull headache, ↑with cough and sneezing, reoccur in same location
Mass lesions due to brain tumor or abcess
Woman using hormonal contraceptive, thunderclap headache, fever stiff neck
- maybe stroke
- check for papilledema and focal neurologic sign
Feeling light headed, weak in the legs, about to faint
Presyncope
Causes of presyncope
- Vasovagal simulation
- Arrhythmias
- Changes in bp
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Other medication
Vertigo with diplopia, dysarthria or ataxia
Central causes:
- suspicious for vertebrobasilar TIA or stroke or
- posterior fossa tumor or
- migraine with brahmarshi aura
Proximal limb weakness, symmetric, intact sensation
- myopathies from alcohol
- glucocorticoid
- polymyositis, dermatomyositis
Proximal asymmetric weakness associated with bulbar symptoms
Myasthenia gravis
Proximal asymmetric weakness and worsen with effort(friable) associated with bulbar symptoms
Myasthenia gravis
Bilateral distal weakness with sensory loss
Polyneuropathy in diabetes
Pattern of stockinng then glove sensory loss
Polyneuropathy from diabetes
Multiple patchy area of sensory loss in different limbs
Mononeuritis multiplex in diabetes and AR
Prodrome of nausea, diaphoresis,pallor(unpleasant event), vagally mediated hypotension with slow onset and offset
Vasovagal syncope
Syncope onset and offset are sudden
Reflecting loss and recovery of cerebral perfusion →syncope from arrhythmias
Tonic -clinic motor activity, bladder/bowel incontinence, postical state, and tongue biting and bruising of limbs may occur
Generalized seizures
Low frequency unilateral resting tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia
Parkinson disease
High frequency, bilateral, upper extremity tremor that occur with limb movement and sustained posture and subsides when relaxed
Essential tremor
Unpleasant sevaon of legs especially at night, gets worse with rest and improve with movement
Restless leg syndrome
Risk factors for women having a stroke
- Preeclampsia
- Autoimmune collagen vascular disease
- Gestational diabetes
- Pregnancy induced hypertension
Visual field cuts and contralateral hemiparesis and sensory deficit
Occlusion of middle cerebral artery
Aphasia
Occlusion of left middle cerebral artery
Left hemineglect
Occlusion of right middle cerebral artery
Warning signs of stroke
- FAST
- beyond FAST
Modifiable risk factors of ischemic stroke
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Dyslipidemia
- Diabetes
- Weight, diet, nutrition
- Physical inactivity
- Alcohol use