Neurological Signs and Consciousness Disorders Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Neurological Signs and Consciousness Disorders Deck (27)
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1
Q

What are the signs of cerebellar dysfunction?

A
Dysdiachokinesia
Ataxia 
Nystagmus (Coarse)
Intention Tremor
Slurred Speach (dysarthria)
Hypotonia
2
Q

What are the causes of cerebellar dysfunction?

A
Posterior Fossa Tumour
Alcohol
Sclerosis (Multiple)
Trauma
Rare
Inherited (Freidrichs Ataxia)
Epilepsy Medication
Stroke
3
Q

What are the signs of an UMN Lesion?

A
Hypertonia
Hyperreflexia
Muscle Weakness
Late Atrophy
Positive Babinskis
Possible Clonus
4
Q

What are the signs of a LMN Lesion?

A

Hypotonia
Hyporeflexia
Early Atrophy
Fasciculations

5
Q

What is a stroke?

A

acute focal loss of brain function lasting more than 24 hours or leading to death

6
Q

What is a TIA?

A

acute focal loss of brain function which resolves completely within 24 hours

7
Q

What is Myasthenia Gravis?

A

Autoimmune reaction which blocks the ACh receptors on the post synaptic membrane.
Means ACh is just broken down by AChesterase

8
Q

What are the signs of Myasthenia Gravis?

A

Easy fatiguing muscles

Extraoccular muscles most visible, cannot hold upward gaze for very long

9
Q

Treatment for MG?

A

AChesterase inhibitors

Immunosupressants

10
Q

What is a spinal stroke?

A

An infarct/haemorrage of the arteries that supply the spinal cord.
Most common in ASA

11
Q

What are the signs of a spinal stroke?

A

Starts with muscle weakness, loss of sensation (but still have DCML sensations)
Acute
Pain
Areflexia

12
Q

How can the signs of spinal stroke progress?

A

Get UMN Lesion signs

13
Q

What is insomnia?
Causes?
Mechanism?

A

When you cannot get to sleep/maintain it or it is poor quality
Normally has a psychological cause, anxiety, depression etc
Increase in cortical activity increases feedback to the RF which prevents sleep

14
Q

What is narcolepsy?

Causes?

A

Poor control of the sleep-wake cycle.
Due to a loss or decrease in orexin (from visual system) means that there is spontaneous sleep.
Can have emotional triggers

15
Q

What is Parasomnia?

A

Sleep paralysis or abnormal movements when asleep.

16
Q

What is Sleep Apnoea?

A

When the upper respiratory tract narrows during sleep causing hypoxia, waking the patient.
Also leads to snoring
Normally due to obesity and loss of tone in the airways

17
Q

What is brain death?

A

When there is no EEG activity, complete damage of the brain stem and cortex

18
Q

What is Locked In Syndrome?

A

When there is compression of the basilar/pontine arteries
Leads to complete loss of motor control.
Can spare the eyes

19
Q

What is a PVS?

A
A persistent vegetative state
EEG is variable, can have sleep cycles.
Eyes can spontaneously open and can have reflexes/response to stimuli from brainstem.
Due to widespread cortical damage
Variable EEG
20
Q

What is a Coma?

A

Widespread Cortical damage.
No voluntary movements, eyes don’t open.
Variable EEG
No sleep cycle

21
Q

What GCS defines a Coma?

A

<8

22
Q

What is Delirium?

A

An acute confusional state.
Can be due to illness/infection/fractures/age
Takes a long time to resolve
Have impaired awareness and fluctuating arousal

23
Q

What could a constricted but responsive pupil mean?

A

Metabolic lesion e.g. drugs

24
Q

What are the signs of CN III Lesion?

A

Blown Pupil
Down and Out
Ptosis

25
Q

What does a large, fixed pupil mean?

A

Brainstem Death
Tectal
Herniation in an unconscious patient

26
Q

What does decorticate posture mean?

What is it?

A

Brainstem compression above the red nucleus
Adducted arms, flexed forearms and wrists
Damage to corticospinal tracts

27
Q

What does decerebrate posture mean?

What is it?

A

Damage to upper brainstem below red nucleus

Adducted arms, extended, pronated wrists, flexed fingers. Plantarflexed and extended legs