Neurological examination (Yr 3)

Question 1

what do you observe first on a neurological examination?

Answer 1

mentation
behaviour
posture
gait

Question 2

how can mutation be described?

Answer 2

alert (normal response)
disorientated/confused
depressed/obtunded (less responsive)
stuporous (unconscious but responds to pain)
comatose (unconscious and unresponsive to pain)

Question 3

where can lesions be that will affect mentation?

Answer 3

forebrain
brainstem

Question 4

where can you localise behavioural changes to?

Answer 4

forebrain

Question 5

what behaviour changes can be seen?

Answer 5

aggression
compulsive walking/circling
loss of learnt ability
vocalisation
hemineglect syndrome

Question 6

what is hemineglect syndrome?

Answer 6

animals with structural forebrain lesions that ignore half of the environment (contralateral)

Question 7

how can circling help to localise the lesion?

Answer 7

forebrain lesions localised to the direction they are circling

Question 8

what are the two main postural deficits?

Answer 8

head tilt
head/body turn

Question 9

where can a head tilt localise the lesion to?

Answer 9

peripheral or central vestibular system (loss of tone in neck muscles)

Question 10

where can head/body turn localise a lesion to?

Answer 10

forebrain (or brainstem)

Question 11

what is decerebrate rigidity?

Answer 11

extension of all limbs and opisthotonus

Question 12

where can decerebrate rigidity localise a lesion to?

Answer 12

rostral brainstem (cerebrum)

Question 13

what is decerebellate rigidity?

Answer 13

hyperextension of thoracic limbs and opisthotonus

Question 14

where can decerebellate rigidity localise a lesion to?

Answer 14

cerebellum (rostral part)

Question 15

what is a schiff-sherrington posture?

Answer 15

hyperextension of thoracic limbs and paralysis of pelvic limbs

Question 16

where can Schiff-sherringtons posture localise a lesion to?

Answer 16

thoracolumbar spine

Question 17

how can gait be described?

Answer 17

ataxic
paresis
paralysis/plegia

Question 18

what is ataxia?

Answer 18

an uncoordinated gait

Question 19

what is paresis?

Answer 19

weakness and reduced voluntary movement

Question 20

what is paralysis/plegia?

Answer 20

complete loss of voluntary movement

Question 21

where can ataxia localise a lesion to?

Answer 21

spinal or peripheral nerve
vestibular system
cerebellum

Question 22

what are the two ways paresis can be described?

Answer 22

ambulatory
non-ambulatory

Question 23

how is vestibular ataxia characterised?

Answer 23

leaning, falling, rolling towards the side of the lesion (loss of orientation/balance)

Question 24

how can cerebellar ataxia be characterised?

Answer 24

poor coordination (drunk!!)
dysmetria

Question 25

where does hypermetria localise the lesion to?

Answer 25

cerebellum

Question 26

what is postural testing used to to test?

Answer 26

awareness of precise position and movement of body (especially limbs)

Question 27

what are some postural tests?

Answer 27

paw position hopping placing response

Question 28

how can the cutaneous trunci reflex be used to localise a lesion?

Answer 28

cutaneous trunci cut of in region of T3-L3 (if lesion is near this then they won't have a cuteness trunci reflex caudal to this