Special tests Flashcards
Dysdiadochokinesia
Testing:
- Cerebellar function
The inability to perform rapid, alternating movements, like flipping your hand from palm-up to palm-down quickly.
+ve test:
- If their movements are slow, irregular, or uncoordinated
Causes:
Stroke
Multiple sclerosis
Cerebellar ataxia
Traumatic brain injury
Cerebellar tumors
Finger to nose test
Testing:
- Cerebellar function
- Proprioception
- Coordination and smoothness of movement
- Patient touch their own nose with their index finger.
- Then touch the examiner’s finger.
- Repeat this movement back and forth.
- Often, the examiner moves their finger to different positions to make it more challenging.
+ve test:
- Intention tremor (tremor increases as finger nears target)
- Dysmetria (overshooting (hypermetria) or undershooting (hypometria) the target)
- Ataxia (jerky, uncoordinated movements)
- Past-pointing (finger consistently misses the target)
Romberg’s test
Testing:
- Proprioception (dorsal column dysfunction)
- The patient stands with feet together, arms at sides.
- First with eyes open—check for sway.
- Then, close the eyes—observe for increased sway or loss of balance.
- Add some light pressure and see if sway is increased.
+ve test:
- The patient starts to sway significantly or falls when the eyes are closed.
- Indicates a problem with proprioception or dorsal column dysfunction.
Heel to shin test
Testing:
- Cerebellar function (especially coordination of the lower limbs)
- Lie down (or sometimes sit).
- Place the heel of one foot on the opposite knee.
- Then run the heel down the shin to the ankle in a straight, controlled line.
- Repeat with both sides.
+ve test:
- Ataxia or jerky movement (Cerebellar dysfunction (often ipsilateral side))
- Overshooting / missing (dysmetria – common in cerebellar lesions)
- Unable to keep heel on shin (significant ataxia or proprioceptive loss)
Eyes open & closed = trouble? ➜ Cerebellum.
Only eyes closed = trouble? ➜ Proprioception/dorsal column.
