Upper Limb Examination Flashcards
SENSORY TESTING
Soft and Pinprick Test
What is the purpose of the test?
Purpose: To check for pain/temperature (spinothalamic tract) and touch/proprioception (DCML pathway) in the upper limb.
Soft and Pinprick Test:
What are the observations for pain/temperature (Spinothalamic tract)?
Loss of pain or temperature sensation suggests nerve or spinal damage.
SENSORY TESTING
Soft and Pinprick Test
What does it test?
Pain/Temperature: Spinothalamic tract.
Touch/Proprioception: DCML pathway.
Soft and Pinprick Test:
What are the observations for touch/proprioception (DCML pathway)?
Loss of sensation or difficulty feeling touch could suggest issues with sensory pathways, such as nerve damage or spinal conditions.
SENSORY TESTING
Vibration Test (128Hz Tuning Fork)
What is the purpose of the test?
To assess vibration sensation through the DCML pathway, which is responsible for proprioception and fine touch.
SENSORY TESTING
Vibration Test (128Hz Tuning Fork)
What does it test?
Vibration sense via the DCML pathway, often affected in conditions like diabetic neuropathy or spinal cord lesions.
Vibration Test (128Hz Tuning Fork):
What are the observations?
Loss of vibration sensation is often one of the first senses to be lost in conditions like diabetic neuropathy or spinal cord lesions.
SENSORY TESTING
Joint Position Sense Test
What is the purpose of the test?
To assess the DCML pathway for proprioception, allowing the brain to sense the position of joints and limbs in space.
SENSORY TESTING
Joint Position Sense Test
What does it test?
Proprioception via the DCML pathway, commonly impaired in conditions like peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injuries, or multiple sclerosis.
Joint Position Sense Test:
What are the observations?
Impaired joint position sense can indicate damage to the DCML pathway, commonly seen in conditions like peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injuries, or multiple sclerosis.
SENSORY TESTING
Temperature Sensation Test
What is the purpose of the test?
To assess the lateral spinothalamic tract, which carries information about temperature (hot and cold sensations).
SENSORY TESTING
Temperature Sensation Test
What does it test?
Temperature sensation, with loss indicating possible damage to the lateral spinothalamic tract (e.g., spinal cord injury, peripheral neuropathy, or stroke).
SENSORY TESTING
Temperature Sensation Test:
What are the observations?
Loss of temperature sensation could indicate damage to the lateral spinothalamic tract, which may occur in conditions like spinal cord injury, peripheral neuropathy, or stroke.
SENSORY TESTING
Graphesthesia Test
What is the purpose of the test?
To test sensory function and check for issues with the DCML pathway (which carries touch and proprioception signals).
SENSORY TESTING
Graphesthesia Test
What does it test?
Ability to recognize numbers or letters written on the skin, often impaired in lesions of the parietal lobe or sensory cortex.
SENSORY TESTING
Graphesthesia Test:
What are the observations?
Normal response: The patient can identify the letters or numbers.
Abnormal response: Difficulty identifying the writing may suggest a problem in the somatosensory pathway, often due to a lesion in the parietal lobe or sensory cortex.
