Neuro Assessment

Question 1

when might tendon reflexes be heightened?

Answer 1

hyperreflexia, caused by CNS lesions

Question 2

what is somatic pain?

Answer 2

classic pain felt with injury, typically on the periphery

Question 3

what is visceral pain?

Answer 3

vague, not easy to localize, think abdominal organ

Question 4

what is neuropathic pain?

Answer 4

burning, electrical pain due to specific disease of nerves

Question 5

what is dyesthesia?

Answer 5

abnormal sensation such as burning or tingling of the skin

-diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Question 6

what is paresthesia?

Answer 6

peculiar sensation without obvious stimulation

Question 7

what is allodynia?

Answer 7

when a normally painless stimulus is now painful

Question 8

what are common causes of syncope?

Answer 8

CNS/PNS disorder
cardiac
volume
vasovagal

Question 9

what is a resting tremor?

Answer 9

most prominent at rest, but decreases with activity

Question 10

what is a postural tremor?

Answer 10

comes on when you maintain a posture

-hyperthyroidism

Question 11

what is an intention tremor?

Answer 11

comes on when you go to do an action

-associated with cerebellar problems

Question 12

what is chorea?

Answer 12

brief, rapid, jerky, but not repeated

-Huntingtons

Question 13

what is dystonia?

Answer 13

twisting positions with trunk

-affect of medicines

Question 14

what is athetosis?

Answer 14

twisting positions associated with distal extremities

-CP

Question 15

what is a focal seizure?

Answer 15

specific part of one cerebral hemisphere is affected

-may be with or without impaired consciousness

Question 16

what is a generalized seizure?

Answer 16

originates at some focal point and rapidly spread through cortical structures

Question 17

what is a tonic-clonic seizure?

Answer 17

muscle contraction, then jerking (grand mal)

Question 18

what is an absence seizure?

Answer 18

typically affects cognition and level of consciousness

Question 19

what is a myoclonic seizure?

Answer 19

muscular jerking that is localized to certain muscle groups

Question 20

what is an atonic seizure?

Answer 20

rapid weakening

Question 21

what are the levels of consciousness?

Answer 21

Alert ->lethargic ->obtunded -> stupor -> coma

Question 22

what will an obtunded person do?

Answer 22

have to speak to loudly and may answer a few questions

Question 23

what will a stuporous person do?

Answer 23

give you non-sensical mumbling

Question 24

what is orientation x 4?

Answer 24

who, where, when, why

person, place, time, situation

Question 25

what is delirium?

Answer 25

acute, short-term altered mental status

Question 26

what are possible causes of delirium?

Answer 26

uremia alcohol withdrawal acute infection (high fever) toxicity

Question 27

what is dementia?

Answer 27

long term altered mental status associated with progressive brain dz

Question 28

what are possible causes of dementia?

Answer 28

B12 deficiency thyroid dz alzheimers vascular

Question 29

what is aphonia/dysphonia?

Answer 29

abnormal quality of speech - hoarseness, high or low pitch - laryngial problems

Question 30

what is dysarthria?

Answer 30

someone speaking with marbles in their mouth -saying the right thing, but the muscles that form the words are impaired

Question 31

what are the types of aphasia?

Answer 31

Broca's-expressing words | Wernickes-understanding words and expressing with meaning

Question 32

what are good recent memory questions?

Answer 32

what was the weather like this morning?

Question 33

what are good remote memory questions?

Answer 33

what is your birthday? | who was the past president?

Question 34

why would you use a proverb as part of the neuro assessment?

Answer 34

assess abstract thinking

Question 35

when might you test CN I?

Answer 35

elderly pts who are losing weight and may have lost sense of smell

Question 36

which facial muscles are innervated by trigeminal?

Answer 36

temporalis and masseter

Question 37

what sensory input is facial nerve responsible for?

Answer 37

anterior 2/3 of tongue

Question 38

what is bell's palsy?

Answer 38

peripheral cranial nerve VII problem

Question 39

motor neurons in the brain that synapse with facial neurons that control lower face always do what?

Answer 39

cross at the level of the brain

Question 40

a peripheral facial nerve lesion will cause what symptoms?

Answer 40

inability to close eye and mouth on same side (upper and lower sections)

Question 41

a central facial nerve lesion will cause what symptoms?

Answer 41

lower section of face on one side (brain neurons that don't cross still innervate upper section) -forehead sparing

Question 42

what motor responsibility does CN IX have?

Answer 42

pharynx

Question 43

what motor responsibility does CN X have?

Answer 43

palate, pharynx, larynx

Question 44

what sensory responsibility does CN IX have?

Answer 44

pharynx, taste of posterior 1/3 of tongue | posterior eardrum and canal