Neuromuscular System Flashcards
(12 cards)
What do muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs detect?
Muscle spindles detect stretch, while Golgi tendon organs detect tension in tendons.
How do Upper Motor Neuron (UMN) vs Lower Motor Neuron (LMN) lesions affect gait?
UMN: spasticity and circumductory gait; LMN: flaccidity, foot drop, and slapping gait.
What does the Romberg test assess?
Neurological balance control by isolating proprioception, vision, and vestibular input
Name three sensory systems essential for postural balance.
Vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual systems.
What causes foot drop gait and how does it present?
Dorsiflexor weakness or LMN lesion; results in high-stepping gait and audible slapping of the foot during heel strike.
What is a scissoring gait and its neurological cause?
Legs cross over during swing due to hip adductor spasticity—common in cerebral palsy and UMN lesions.
Define efferent and afferent pathways.
Efferent = motor output to muscles; Afferent = sensory input to CNS.
What are two signs of UMN lesions?
Spasticity and hyperreflexia.
What gait is common in UMN damage?
Hemiplegic gait: leg circumduction, toe dragging, lack of knee flexion.
What are signs of LMN lesions?
Muscle wasting and hyporeflexia.
Name four systems used in postural balance.
Visual, vestibular, proprioceptive, and somatosensory
Define feedforward and feedback mechanisms
Feedforward = anticipatory adjustments. Feedback = reactive adjustments based on sensory input
