Neurology Flashcards
This deck covers Chapters 91-99 in Rosens, compromising all of neurology.
What are the NINDS-recommended stroke evaluation time targets in potential tPA candidates?
- Door to MD = 10 minutes
- Door to CT = 25 minutes
- Door to CT read = 50 minutes
- Door to tPA = 60 minutes
- Access to NSx = 120 minutes
List 6 indications for CT scan of first time seizure
- Focal deficit
- Persistently altered LOC
- Fever
- Trauma
- Persistent H/A
- Cancer history
- OAC
- HIV
- Age >40
- Partial complex seizure
I scan all first-time seizures…
Differentiate dementia and pseudodementia
Pseudodementia
- Usually rapid onset
- Previous psychiatric history
- Social skills intact
- Attention preserved
What does the CSF look like in GBS?
- High protein
- Mild pleocytosis
- Normal CSF does NOT rule out GBS
Describe the clinical syndrome of PCA stroke
- Homonymous hemianopsia
- Memory impairment (hippocampus)
- Visual agnosia
Define a myasthenic crisis.
List 5 drugs that may exacerbate MG. List 4 other triggers.
- Respiratory failure
Drugs
- Prednisone
- BB
- CCB
- Lidocaine
- Procainamide
- Clindamycin
- Phenytoin
Other
- Medication changes
- Infection
- Aspiration
- Surgery
- Pregnancy
List 8 contraindications for tPA in STROKE
Brain
- Hemorrhagic transformation
- Previous ICH
- AVM
- Brain cancer
- Stroke within 3 mo
- Closed head injury within 3 mo
- CNS surgery within 3 mo
Hematologic
- OAC
- Plt <100
- INR >1.7
- Heparin use
Other
- Arterial puncture non-compressible
- Severe uncontrollable HTN
- Glucose <2.8
- Active bleeding
- Bleeding diathesis
Differentiate the following diseases based one (a) strength, (b) DTRs, (c) sensation, and (d) wasting:
- Myelopathy
- Motor neuron disease (ALS)
- Neuropathy
- Neuromuscular junction disease
- Myopathy
- Myelopathy
- Strength - / DTR + / Sens N / No wasting
- Motor neuron disease (ALS)
- Strength - / DTR + / Sens N / Wasting
- Neuropathy
- Strength - / DTR - / Sens - / Wasting
- Neuromuscular junction disease
- Strength fatigued / DTR N / Sens N / No wasting
- Myopathy
- Strength - / DTR N / Sens N / Wasting
Name and describe a scale to grade the severity of Bell’s palsy
House Brackman Scale
- Normal
- Mild. Eye closes. Symmetrical at rest.
- Moderate. Eye closes. Asymmetrical at rest.
- Mod-Severe. Eye can’t close. Asymmetrical at rest.
- Severe. Eye can’t close. Only twitches.
- Complete paralysis
List 6 signs/symptoms associated with Bell’s palsy
- Dry eye
- Overflow of tears on the cheek
- Taste change
- Ear pain
- Hyperacusis
- Perception of ipsilateral sensory change
Define status epilepticus
Seizure activity >5 min
2 seizures without recovery between
What is the triad of carotid dissection? How do you treat it?
- Unilateral headache
- Horner’s
- Contralateral hemispheric signs
Treatment
- tPA if associated with stroke
- Heparin if thrombus with dissection
- Anti-platelets otherwise
List 6 risk factors for SAH
- PCKD
- FHx
- Cocaine
- HTN
- Smoking
- Connective tissue disorder
- Alcoholism
- Coarctation
List the 4 diagnostic criteria for dementia (major neurocognitive disorder)
From DSM-5:
- Evidence of significant cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in one or more cognitive domains:
* Learning and memory
* Language
* Executive function
* Complex attention
* Perceptual-motor
* Social cognition - Cognitive deficits interfere with independence in ADLs/IADLs
- Do not occur exclusively in the context of delirium
- Not better explained by another mental disorder (eg, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia).
What is the ABC/2 technique in ICH?
Take measurements widest area of bleed (A x B)
Count the number of slices (10 mm) that blood is present (C)
(A * B * C) / 2 = volume of blood
What is your BP target is SAH?
AHA says sBP <160 mmHg or MAP <110 mmHg
Describe the clinical syndrome of MCA stroke
- Contralateral weakness: Face/Arm > Leg
- Contralateral sensory loss: Face/Arm > Leg
- Contralateral hemianopsia
- Gaze preference toward the lesion
- Aphasia
- Neglect
What are the CSF findings in a patient with MS?
- Pleocytosis
- Elevated gamma globulin levels
- Oligoclonal bands of IgG
What are the three major ‘columns’ of the spinal column and what is their function?
- Spinothalamic - pain/temp
- Corticospinal - motor
- Posterior column - proprioception/vibration/touch
List 4 seizures that require ‘specialized therapy’ (not just benzos)
- Hyponatremia
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypocalcemia
- Eclamptic
- Isoniazid
What are your BP targets in ICH? What trial provided evidence on this?
ICH
- BP should be lowered to 140-160 mmHg
Interact-2: 2013
- 2800 patients –> Drop BP to 140 in first 6 hours
- Negative outcome but at p= 0.06 (mortality)
- Positive for a reduction in disability
ATACH 2
- Stopped early because of futility
- Supposed to be 180 vs 140, but was ~140-120
What is an abnormal CSF lactate?
What is an abnormal CSF glucose:serum glucose?
- CSF lactate >3.5
- Glucose CSF:Serum <0.33
Provide the Hunt and Hess classification scale for SAH
- 0 = Intact
- 1 = Mild H/A
- 2 = Severe H/A, nuchal rigidity
- 3 = Confused
- 4 = Hemiparesis
- 5 = Posturing
List 8 causes of delirium
I WATCH DEATH
- Infection
- Withdrawal
- Acute metabolic (acidosis, lytes, organ failure)
- Trauma
- CNS disease (bleed, tumour, seizure, CVA)
- Hypoxia
- Deficiencies (B12, Thiamine)
- Environmental (hypo/hyperthermia)
- Acute vascular (HTN, MI, CVA)
- Toxins
- Heavy metals
What nerve roots does the sciatic nerve arise from?
What are the 2 main branches?
What are the symptoms of sciatic mononeuropathy?
- L4-S3
- Tibial/Common peroneal
- Flail foot, can’t flex knee, can’t feel below knee
List 3 treatments for a myasthenic crisis
- Prednisone
- IVIG
- PLEX
- Airway management
* FVC <20
* MIP <30
* MEP <40
What is the most common cause of bilateral CN7 paralysis?
Lyme
Borrelia burgdorferi
Ixodes tick
Differentiate Tick paralysis from GBS and Botulism
Tick Paralysis
- Toxin injected by tick decreases ACh release
- Ascending paralysis
- Ocular findings
Botulism
- C. botulinum toxin prevents ACh release
- Descending paralysis
GBS
- Demyelinating
- Ascending paralysis
- Ocular muscles spared
What are the diagnostic criteria for migraine with aura?
2+ attacks with 3+ of:
- 1+ reversible aura symptom
- 1+ aura symptom over 4 minutes
- No aura >60 min
- Headache during or after aura
What is the agent involved in botulism?
What is the mechanism? List 3 causes. Treatment?
Clostridium botulinum
- Presynaptic inhibition of ACh release
Causes
- Food
- Wound
- Infantile
- Iatrogenic
Treatment
- Airway management
- Equine antitoxin
- BabyBIg if infantile
- PenG 3M units IV q4h if wound
List 8 causes of toxin-induced seizure
OTIS CAMPBELL
- Oral hypoglycemics, Oleander, Organophosphates
- Theophylline, TCAs
- Insulin, Isoniazid
- Sympathomimetics
- Camphor, CN, CO, Cocaine
- ASA, Anticholinergics
- Methanol
- PCP, Pesticides
- Barbiturate/Benzo W/D, Bupropion, Botanicals
- Ethanol W/D
- Lead, Lithium
- Lidocaine
What is the ABCD2 score?
ABCD2
- Age >60
- BP (HTN hx)
- Clinical (Sens/Speech/Motor)
- Duration (<10m/10m-60m/>60m)
- Diabetes
Used to predict CVA at 48h following TIA
List the 4 types of GBS
- Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy
- Acute motor axonal neuropathy
- Acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy
- Miller Fisher syndrome
List 5 ischemic changes on CT following stroke
- Hyperdense artery sign
- Loss of grey-white differentiate
- Effacement of sulci
- Loss of insular ribbon
- Mass effect
- Hypodensity
Subtle findings as early as 3h post
Usually, 6h before more obvious
List 7 reversible causes of dementia
- Hydrocephalus
- CNS lesion
- Heavy metal poisoning
- Depression
- Hypothyroidism
- B12 deficiency
- Medication-induced
Describe 7 steps in the management of a SAH
- HOB
- ICP management
- BP <140-160
- NSx
- CCB prophylaxis (Nimodipine)
- Seizure prophylaxis
- Normothermia
- Antiemetics
- Neuroprotective intubation, if necessary
What is the clinical triad of Wernicke’s encephalopathy?
- Encephalopathy
- Eye findings (nystagmus, ophthalmoplegia)
- Ataxia
What are BP targets in stroke if you want to give tPA and if you don’t want to give tPA?
Name 3 agents that can be used to lower BP in this setting.
- No tPA = <220/120
- tPA = <185/110
- During tPA = <180/105
Drugs
- Labetolol
- Hydralazine
- Enaliprilat
- Nicardipine
- Nitroglycerin
Draw the Circle of Willis
What nerve roots does the median nerve arise from?
- C5-T1
- AIN (Galeazzi injury)
- Just proximal to wrist, palmar sensory branch comes off