Lecture 12: Neuro Flashcards
(196 cards)
Neurologic Exam in the ED
* Neuro Exam should include what?
- Mental Status Testing
- Higher Cerebral Function
- Cranial Nerves/Brainstem testing
- Sensory Exam
- Reflexes
- Gait (if possible)
- Cerebellar testing
Brain Box
* What are the parts of cerebral hemispheres?
* What are the parts of diencephalon?
Cerebral Hemispheres (Cortex)
* LEFT HEMISPERE IS DOMINANT FOR ALL RIGHT-HANDED AND 80% OF LEFT-HANDED POPULATION
Diencephalon (Pituitary, Optic Chiasm)
* Thalamus
* Hypothalamus/Subthalamus
Brain Box
* Brain Stem parts?
* What structure is for movement?
Brain Stem (M/P/M) – cranial nerve nuclei are there
* Medulla (lower part of brainstem/respiratory center etc.)
* Oculovestibular (cold water testing)/Oculocephalic Reflex (doll’s eyes movement)
Cerebellum
Where is broca’s and wernicke’s area?
- Broca: Frontal lobe
- Wern: Temporal Lobe
What sign is for cerebellum?
Confirmed by getting what?
- Cerebellum – romberg sign: positive when the patient is unable to maintain balance with their eyes closed
- Confirm by getting CT
Higher Cerebral Function
* What happens when dominant hemisphere involvement?
Language and Dysphasia or Aphasia
* If Dominant Hemisphere involvement
What the two types of dysphasia?
- Receptive: does the patient understand what’s being said (wernicke area – temporal lobe)?
- Expressive: Can understand but cant speak (Broca – frontal lobe).
Define:
* Nonfluent aphasia –
* Fluent aphasia –
* Paraphrasic –
- Nonfluent aphasia – halting, slow speech
- Fluent aphasia – gibberish (vocabulary lost)
- Paraphrasic – choice of incorrect words
Cranial Nerves:
* What is teh corneal reflex?
* What is the pupillary response?
Corneal Reflex
* CN 5,7
Pupillary Response
* CN 2,3
* About 20% of population has anisocoria
Cranial Nerves
* Why is VII important?
* EOM cranial nerves?
VII important in emergency neuro exam
* Face Drooping to one side/forehead spared (central)
* Bells palsy will involve the entire face
EOM’s
* CN 3,4 AND 6 (and even 2)
Cranial Nerves
* What do you do for bells palsy?(3)
Bells palsy – admit, get steroids and get a CT to r/o tumor. Its probably a viral cause
Motor Exam
* Note what?
* What type of drift?
* Quantify what?
* Why do you do relexes?
Note atrophy, contractures – chronic process, not acute
Pronator drift (Frontal Lobe) – contralateral frontal lobe
Quantify weakness
Reflexes: (Pathologic) – All are UMN.
* Important to note Babinski, Clonus
* CNS/Cord
Cerebellar
* How do you test it?
* What are the two types of vertigo?
RAHM, Finger to Nose, Nystagmus (noted with CNs)
* Central Cause Vertigo – Vertical Nystagmus (Pathologic)
* Peripheral Cause Vertigo – Horizontal Nystagmus
Cerebellar
* What is an important finding?
* Coordinated what?
* Consider what with cerebellar dysfunction
- Gait: Ataxia is very important finding
- Coordinated fine muscle movement
- Consider posterior circulation (posterior cerebral vessels) issues with cerebellar dysfunction
- How can you if the HA is a primary or secondary HA?
- How can you tell who needs to get worked up for a HA?
- HA with facial pain-> Sinusitis and without facial pain-> can be anything
- Anyone with chronic HA with any focal changes (muscle weakness, vision changes, AMS), hx of vascular issues, abnormal hx
HA
* When is imaging not recommended? How do you treat it?
No imaging in primary headaches isindicated with normal neurovascularexam and without atypicalfeatures/redflags.
* Treat supportive with NSAIDs or combination medications (Fioricet)
* I like triple cocktail: Metoclopramide, diphenhydramine, ketorolac
HA
* Primary or secondary headache work-up rarely requires what? What is the exception?
* What may be useful depending on hx or clinical presentation?
Primary or secondary headache work-up rarely requires CT imaging unlessthey have Hx of hypertension and new neuro deficits
* Excludes hemorrhage only (angiogram)
MRI with perfusion maybe usefuldepending on history or clinicalpresentation
ACEP clinical policy
* In general, they recommend CT scan for what?
* All patients with what need to have a CT and possible LP?
- In general, they recommend CT scan for new focal deficits, acute sudden onset of headache, worsening off-baseline headache, in HIV-positive patients (toxoplasmosis, viral enceph), patients older than 50 with a new headache (CAD) , and most traumatic headaches (Canadian head CT rules).
- ALL PTS WITH HYPERTENSIVE HEADACHE PRESENTATION NEED CT; IF CT IS NORMAL STRONGLY CONSIDER AN LP
Critical secondary causes of HA
* What should you think about when “worst HA of my life”
* What are two other causes?
SAH, “worst headache of my life”, thunderclap headache
* Aneurysm 90%
* A-V Malformation <10%
Meningitis
Brain Tumor with increased ICP (Increased Cranial Pressure)
Other critical secondary causes
* Vascular:
* CNS:
* Ophthalmic:
- Vascular (SDH, EDH, CVA, Temporal arteritis, carotid or vertebral artery dissection, ICH)
- CNS (encephalitis, cerebral abscess)
- Ophthalmic (glaucoma)
Subdural – venous origin
Epidural – arterial.
Other critical secondary causes
* Toxic:
* Endocrine:
* Metabolic:
- Toxic (carbon monoxide poisoning)
- Endocrine (pheochromocytoma)
- Metabolic (hypoxia, hypoglycemia, hypercapnia, high altitude cerebral edema)
What NIHSS score that does not get TPA
If less than 5 (very minor or TIA) or more than 20 (too severe and tpa wont improve anything) – not a TPA candidate
Venous Cavernous Thrombosis
* What are the sxs?(5)
* What is a risk factor?
- Headache and Facial pain
- Vision Loss
- Focal neurologic symptoms
- Change in consciousness
- Seizures
- RF: After getting J&J Covid vaccine
Venous Cavernous Thrombosis
* What is the txt?
Treated with Steroids/Antibiotics/Heparin.
* Sometimes stem from sinusitis