Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

My Phase 3a cards > Neurology > Flashcards

Neurology Flashcards

1
Q

What is a hemi-Parkinsonian gait?

A

Parkinsonian gait with reduced arm swing on 1 side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What gait is most commonly seen in stroke? Describe it.

A

Hemiplegic gait: 1 leg is stiffly extended and swung to avoid toe catching

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

In what condition would you expect a high-stepping gait?

A

Peripheral neuropathy - tabes dorsalis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How might you test for impaired proprioception?

A

Romberg’s test

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Describe Romberg’s test and what a positive result looks like

A

Stand with feet together and eyes closed. Swaying or falling indicates a positive Romberg’s.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the 2 most common causes of “black outs”?

A

Seizures and Syncope

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Describe the typical history of syncope

A 
Prodrome: feeling light headed before
<30 seconds unconscious
Quick recovery
Urine incontinence
No tongue biting
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the brains excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters?

A

Glutamate and GABA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How do you treat status epilepticus?

A

Benzodiazipines

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How do benzodiazepines work to treat status epilepticus?

A

Enhance GABA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How long until a seizure becomes status epilepticus?

A

> 5 minutes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

First line treatment of focal epilepsy?

A

CARBAMAZEPINE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

First line treatment of generalised epilepsy?

A

VALPROATE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Which 2 areas of the brain are responsible for consciousness?

A

Cortes and Reticular Activating System of the brain stem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is an infratentorial lesion? What may cause it?

A

Lesion below the tentorium cerebelli - tumour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How may a supratentorial lesion cause coma/brain death?

A

Increased pressure causes herniation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Give examples of supratentorial lesions which may cause herniation

A

subarachnoid haemorrhage, subdural haematoma, extradural haematoma

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the most common causes of coma?

A

Drug overdose and head trauma

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Supportive management of coma?

A

ABC, DVT prophylaxis, NG tube, Catheter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What may cause coma with neck stiffness?

A

Subarachnoid Haemorrhage and Meningitis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What do focal neurological signs suggest in a comatose patient? What would you use to treat the problem?

A

Herniation

Drugs to reduce intracranial pressure: Mannitol and dexamethasone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the most common causes of coma without neck stiffness, focal signs or fever?

A

Drug overdose and hypoglycaemia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the 3 diagnostic criteria for brain death?

A
  1. Irreversible cause
  2. Unresponsive patient with no function
  3. Brain stem death
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Describe the Doll’s Head Eye Maneuver.

A

Open eyes and move head: if the eyes watch the ceiling the brain stem is intact, POSITIVE result
If the eyes are fixed in the head, brain stem is not intact - NEGATIVE result

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is Amaurosis Fugax?
Sudden visual loss caused by an occlusion of the retinal artery
26
What causes painful visual loss?
Optic Neuritis
27
How might Multiple Sclerosis first present?
With optic neuritis- painful visual loss, loss of colour vision
28
What pattern of visual loss is present in giant cell arteritis?
"Altitudinal" field defect- patient feels as if they are looking over a wall
29
What symptoms would be present in a lesion of the optic nerve? (4)
- loss of colour vision - loss of visual acuity - loss of pupillary reflexes cenrtal scotoma
30
What visual defect would you get in a parietal lobe lesion?
Avoidance of half of the visual field on the contralateral side e.g. drawing half a clock with all the numbers on the right hand side
31
What is agnosia?
Not being able to recognise things by sight
32
Describe the pattern of weakness in an Upper Motor Neurone Lesion.
Strong flexors in the arm and weak extensors, the opposite pattern in the legs
33
What would cause proximal weakness and opthalmoplegia?
Myasthenia Gravis
34
What is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy?
Diabetes
35
What is the treatment for Guilian Barre?
IV Immunoglobulins
36
What is the treatment for Myasthenia Gravis?
Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors e.g. donezepil
37
A patient presents with ataxia, headache and confusion - her symptoms are progressive... What could be causing these symptoms?
Raised intracranial Pressure
38
What drug is used to reduce cerebral oedema?
Mannitol
39
What eye signs might you see in raised ICP?
``` Tramps palsy (CN III) 6th nerve palsy ```
40
If someone has CSF leakage through the nose and a headache which is worse on standing what is wrong?
Reduced intracranial pressure
41
What are the symptoms of foramen magnum herniation?
neck pain erratic breathing tetraparesis
42
What is the most common cause of stroke?
Ischaemia (80% of strokes are ischaemic, 20% are haemorrhagic)
43
What is the treatment for ischaemic stroke?
Thrombolysis
44
When should you treat an ischaemic stroke with thrombolysis?
Within 4.5 hours
45
What drug is used for thrombolysis?
Alteplase, tissue plasminogen activator
46
Name 2 acute and 2 long term treatments of migraine?
Acute - NSAIDs, triptans | Chronic - beta blockers, amitriptyline
47
What is the management of a cluster headache?
Oxygen | Sumatriptan
48
What should you do if you suspect trigeminal neuralgia?
MRI head
49
Treatment of trigeminal neuralgia?
Carbamazepine, microvascular decompression
50
What would the blooods of someone with giant cell arteritis look like?
raised CRP, Platelets and Alk Phos
51
What is the management for giant cell arteritis?
60mg Prednisolone
52
What should you prescribe alongside steroids and why?
Bisphosphonates and PPI to protect stomach lining and bone density
53
15% of strokes are....
haemorrhagic
54
85% of strokes are...
ischaemic
55
How long do TIA symptoms last?
<24 hours
56
What is the risk stratifying score for TIA?
``` ABCD2: Age >60 = 1 Blood pressure > 140/90 = 1 Clinical Features: weakness = 2, speech disturbance = 1 Duration >60 mins = 2, <60 mins = 1 Diabetes = 1 ```
57
If your ABCD2 score is high risk what needs to happen? And if medium/low risk?
Specialist assessment within 24 hours, all TIAs assessed within 7 days
58
What is the medical treatment for TIA?
75mg clopidogrel
59
Surgical treatment for TIA?
Carotid endarterectomy if >70% occulsion
60
Which arteries are occluded in Total Anterior CIrculation Infarcts? (TACIs)
Anterior and middle cerebral artery
61
What is the presentation of a TACI involving the middle and anterior cerebral artery?
unilateral hemiparesis and hemisensory loss homonymous hemianopia dysphasia dysarthria
62
Waht artery is occluded in posterior circulation infarcts?
Vestibulobasilar arteries
63
What is the presentation of an occulsion in the posterior circulation (vetibulobasilar arteries)
cerebellar syndromes LOC homonymous hemianopia
64
What is a lacunar infarct?
Infarct of the perforating arteries supplying the internal capsule and basal ganglia
65
How do lacunar infarcts present?
ataxic hemiparesis
66
Name the stroke: ipsilateral III nerve palsy, contralateral weakness of arm and leg?
Weber's syndrome: branches of the posterir cerebral artery that supply the midbrain
67
Name the stroke: locked in syndrome
Basilar artery
68
Name the stroke: contralateral paralysis and weakness, usually the leg
Anterior cerebral artery
69
Name the stroke: contralateral paralysis and weakness, usually the arm + aphasia
Middle cerebral artery
70
Name the stroke: contralateral homonymous hemianopia with macular sparing
posterior cerebral artery
71
Acute management of ischaemic stroke?
300mg aspirin | thrombolysis with alteplase IF within 4.5 hours of stroke
72
After a head injury someone has a lucid interval... what type of brain bleed do they have?
Extra dural haemorrhage
73
What is the treamtent for an extra dural haemorrhage?
Burr hole
74
Who gets sub-dural haemorrhages and why?
Elderly people and other people who fall e.g epileptics and alcoholics
75
Someone who has fallen over presents with Fluctuating consciousness, insidious intellectual slowing, personality change, sleepiness, headache, unsteadiness - what's the bleed?
Subdural haemorrhage
76
What do berry aneurysms and arterio-venous malformations increase your risk of?
Sub-arachnoid haemorrhage
77
Name 3 conditions associated with subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Ehlers Danlos, COarction of Aorta, PKD
78
What gives a thunderclap headache?
Subarachnoid haemorrhage
79
What is the treatment for subarachnoid haemorrhage?
calcium channel blocker e.g. nimodipine OR surgical clipping
80
A seizure with brief, rapid muscle jerks is?
Myoclonic
81
What is anoher word for an "atonic" seizure?
Drop-attack
82
What is the treatment for generalised seizures?
Sodium valproate
83
What is the treatment for partial/focal seizures?
Carbamazepine
84
What drug is contraindicated in absence seizures? What is the drug treatment?
Carbamazepine makes it worse, sodium valproate is used
85
Pathophysiology of MS?
T - Cell mediated immune response causing demyelinated plaques in the CNS
86
What is optic neuritis and what condition is it seen in classically?
Unilateral eye pain on movement and loss of central vision, multiple sclerosis
87
What would you give to shorten an acute relapse of MS?
Methylprednisolone
88
Which drug reduces relapses in MS?
Beta-interferon
89
What is the histological finding of Parkinson's disease?
Lewy bodies
90
Name a dopamine receptor agonist. What does it treat?
Bromocriptine, Parkinson's
91
Where is the Huntingtin gene?
Chromosome 4
92
What is diseased in Huntingdon's?
cholinergic and GABA neurons in striatum of basal ganglia
93
Personality change and lack of co-ordination are the first features to develop in....?
Huntingdon's
94
What drug can be used to treat chorea symptoms?
Tetrabenazine, dopamine antagonist
95
What muscles are always spared in motor neuron disease?
Eye muscles!
96
Which infections classically precede Guillian-Barre?
campylobacter, EBV
97
What is the treatment for Guillian-Barre?
IV Immunoglobulin
98
What do the antibodies attack in Myasthenia Gravis?
Post synaptic acetylcholine receptors
99
What is the treatment for Myasthenia Gravis?
Acetycholine esterase inhibitors e.g. pyridostigmine
100
Name an acetylchlineesterase inhibitor used in alzheimer's treatment?
Rivastigmine
101
What would indicate a haemorrhagic stroke?
meningism, severe headache, coma, drowsiness, reduced GCS, vomiting, focal deficit.
102
What do you get if a berry aneurysm ruptures?
Subarachnoid haemorrhage
103
What do you get if you rupture the bridging vein?
Subdural haemorrhage
104
What are the risk factors for subdural haemorrhage?
Age, alcohol and anti coagulatns
105
What do you get if you hit your head and tear your middle meningeal artery?
Extra dural haemorrhage
106
When would you see a latent phase?
Extra dural haemorrhage
107
What is Brudzinski's sign?
Positive for meningitis: flexion of the neck causes knee flexion

My Phase 3a cards (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions