weakness and paralysis Flashcards
resistance of muscle to passive stretch (with a
presence to stimulus)
tone
▪ increased in muscle tone
▪ Clasp knife phenomenon (Initially, hand is flexed at
the elbow -> introduce a sudden extension force -> hand would have a rebound reflex going back to flexion)
spasticity
deceased in muscle tone
flaccidity
neurological disorder, inability to perform learned movements on command even though the command is understood
apraxia
damage to cerebrum, fine skills
A possible cause for acute manifestation,
especially for anoxia. What would be your
possible cause or anoxia? They present
weakness for all of the extremities so it’s
generalized weakness. So what clinical
condition can you think of? Acute, remember,
emergency room scenario.
massive blood loss, can lead to hypotension, strangulation, CO poisoning
involved in subacute/chronic
cerebral hemisphere, brainstem, cervical spinal cord
good diagnostic tools for myopathic problems
EMG, nerve conduction studies
Mild to moderate form of paralysis
plegia/paresis
mild to moderate form of paralysis
plegia/ paresis
neurologic (usually
caused by previous infection but it’s not the infection that causes the nerve destruction, it’s the body itself – autoimmune response; self-induced)
Guillain Barre syndrome
neurologic (usually
caused by previous infection but it’s not the infection that causes the nerve destruction, it’s the body itself – autoimmune response; self-induced)
Guillaine barre syndrome
metabolic (caused by
bacteria that releases toxins once it invades the bloodstream, the toxin causes the paralysis; easily reversible, once you are able to treat it, it just takes a few days to go back to normal)
paralytic shellfish poisoning
initially metabolic sequelae, eventually ends up a neurologic problem
polio
Weakness resulting from disorder of upper motor
neuron or their axon in cerebral cortex, subcortical
white mater, internal capsule brainstem and spinal
cord
umn lesion
umn
corticobulbar tract and corticospinal tract
spinothalamic sensory part
contralateral aspect
anterior spinal artery
ipsilateral aspect
This contralateral cross of this tract usually involves
the lower half of the face only (mouth, lower cheek,
jaw area) because the upper part is not crossing yet
at this point – eyes, forehead, parts of the head/face,
effect is still ipsilateral (black line)
corticobulbar tract
tongue deviation ti the left
right cerebral cortex
Disorder of cell bodies of the anterior horn cell of the
spinal cord
lower motor neuron lesion
Disorder of cell bodies of the anterior horn cell of the
spinal cord
lmn lesion
Loss of alpha motor neurons (hence
decrease activation of muscle fibers)
weakness
Decreases tension on muscle spindle
decreased muscle tone
loss of gamma motor neurons
Absent stretch reflex
loss of spindle fibers
▪ Decrease in the contractile force of the muscle fibers
activated within motor units.
▪ Reduced number of muscle fibers.
reduced number of muscle fibers
is the neurotransmitter involved in the NMJ.
acetylcholine
UMN lesion above the midcervical spinal cord (mostly
above foramen magnum)
hemiparesis
hemiparesis
seizures, language do, cognitive abnormalities, apraxia, cortical sensory distirbances
acute hemiparesis
vascular
bleeding tumors
trauma
subacute (days to weeks)
subdural hematoma cerebral bacterial abscess fungal granuloma meningitis neoplasm
chronic >months
neoplasm
unruptured AV malformation
chronic subdural hematoma
degenerative disease
Intraspinal lesion at or below the upper thoracic spinal
cord level
paraparesis
Parasagittal intracranial lesions, cauda equina
acute/episodic
▪ CNS disorders or motor unit dysfunction
▪ UMN lesion
▪ Associated with changes in consciousness/cognition,
increased muscle tone, stretch reflexes.
quadriparesis
C4 and C6
quadriplegia
t6
paraplegia
L1
paraplegia
