U17 Flashcards
(129 cards)
After bumping her forehead into a door frame, 32-year-old Jenny entirely lost her sense of smell. This anosmia persisted the following day, prompting Jenny to visit her GP. The GP referred her to her local hospital for an MRI scan which revealed a contusion to her frontal lobe and a fractured ethmoid bone.
Which cranial nerve is likely to have been damaged?
Olfactory
Lucy has abducens nerve palsy after a brain tumor. What will her symptoms be?
Looking inwards - unnopposed adduction, gets double vision when tries to look to the left.
Barry, a 68-year-old male, presents to his GP with a loss of visual acuity in his right eye. Following a head CT, a tumor was discovered to be compressing his optic nerve. Does this lesion exist anterior or posterior to the optic chiasm?
Anteiror to optic chiasm asone eye affected
Following a recent blow to the head, Jasmine has noticed that her right eye is always looking slightly upwards and towards her nose, and that she is having to tilt her head a lot to see in a straight line.
Which of Jasmine’s cranial nerves has been damaged?
Why is her right eye elevated and adducted?
Superior oblique not being innervated – trochlear
45 year-old Glynn has, over a period of several weeks, lost his lateral field of vision in both eyes. After arriving at his local hospital, he was sent for a head CT that revealed a pituitary tumor that was pressing on his optic chiasm, causing a condition known as bitemporal hemianopia.
Can you explain how this tumor is causing this specific problem?
Pressing on optic chiasm where fibres decussate so causing bilateral hemianopia
Over the last few weeks, Jake, a 23-year-old shop assistant, has noticed his right upper eyelid beginning to droop significantly. At an appointment with his GP, a light was shone into his eye and the practitioner noticed that the pupil in his right eye was dilated compared to that of his left.
Is Jake suffering from Horner’s Syndrome or Oculomotor Nerve Palsy?
With reference to the eye, compare and contrast signs/symptoms that you might expect with CNIII palsy and Horner’s syndrome.
This is Oculomotor palsy
- Horners – affected weating on one side of face and drooping of eyelid
- Oculomotor nerve palsy – down and out, miosis
Which cranial nerves have PS function
3,7,9,10
- CN I
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN I - Olfactory
- Where does it arise = Cerebrum
- How does it exit the base of the cranium = cribiform plate
- Function = Smell, sensory function.
- Exam = change in taste or sense of smell. Test each nostril and aks to identify smeell. Keep eyes closed.
- CN II
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN II - optic
- Where does it arise - cerebrum
- How does it exit the base of the cranium - optic canal
- Function - vision
- Exam - visual acuity (snellen chart), colour perception, visual fields (quadrants), accomodation reflex, pupillary light reflex, visual body reflexes, fundosocpy.
- Pituitary adenoma – Lies close proximity to optic chiasm. Compression of optic chiasm particularly affectd fibres that are crossing over from nasal half of each retina which produces visual defect affecting peripheral vision in both eyes (bitemporal hemianopia). Need surgery with transsphenoidal approach (via sphenoid sinus)
- CN III
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN III = Occulomotor Nerve
- Where does it arise = midbrain-pontine junction
- How does it exit the base of the cranium = superior orbital fissure
- Function = PS to structures in body orbit, innervate smajority of extraocular eye musces. Also symp fibres run with occoulmotor nerve to innervate superior tarsal muscle
- Exam = pupillary light reflex, pupillary accomodation, check nystagmus/ptosisis, follow H
- CN IV
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN IV = Troclear nerve
- Where does it arise = midbrian (posterior side)
- How does it exit the base of the cranium: superior orbital fissure
- Function - motor - contralateral superior oblique - depress and intort eyeball
- Exam - in conjucntion with oculomotor + abducents for movements of the eyes (follow h and check double vision)
- Plasy of trochlea nerve - vertical diplopia exacerbated when looking down + in and can develop head tilt away from affected side. Commonlyc aused by microvascular damage from DM/hypertensive disease. Also congenital malformation, thrombophlebitis of cavernous sinus and raised intracranial pressure.
- CN V
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN V- Tirgeminal
- Where does it arise= pons
-
How does it exit the base of the cranium:
- Opthalmic - superior orbital fissure
- Maxillary - formaen rotundum
- Mandibular - foramen ovale
- Function - motor -mandibular branch only for muscles mastication (medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid, masseter and temporalis and other 1st arch derivatives). Ps (travel with branche sof this nerve)
- Exam - Sensory (cotton wool then neurotip of areas), motor – clench jaw palpate temporalis and masseter and then move mouth right and left. Corneal reflex test.
- CN VI
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN VI = Abducens
- Where does it arise = Pontine medulla junction
- How does it exit the base of the cranium = superior orbital fissure
- Function = motor - lateral rectus muscle (abducts eyeball)
- Exam = in conj, with occulomotor and rochlea for movements of the eyes (Draw H)
- Abducens nerve palsy - anything leading to downward pressure oon brain stem and can stretch the nerve from its origin. Also diabetic neuropathy and thrombophlebitis of cavernous sinus. Diplopia, affected eye resting in adduction and inability to abduct the eye. Patient may be able to compensate by rotating head to allow eye to look sideways
- CN VII
- Where does it arise
- How does it exit the base of the cranium
- Function
- Exam
- CN VII = Facial nerve
- Where does it arise = pontine medulla junction
- How does it exit the base of the cranium = internal acoustic meatus
-
Function =
- Motor - muscles facial expression, posteiror belly igastric, stylohyoid, stapedius muscle
- Sensroy - small area aorund concha of external ear
- Special sensory- special taste to anterior 2/3 tongue via chorda tympani. Exits via petrotympanic fissure and enters infratemporal fossaand hitchhikes with lingual nerve.
- PS - supplies many of the glands of head and neck (submandibular, sublingial glands, nasal, palatine, pharyngeal mucous glands and lacrimal glands
- Exam =symmetry at rest, rase eyebrows, close eyes tightly, blow out cheeks, smile.
Damage:
- Intracranial – muscles facial expression paralysed or severely weakened. Chorda tympani (reduced slaovation + loss taste ipsilateral 2/3 tongue), nerve to stapedius (ips hyperacusis-sensitive sound), greater petrosal (ips reduced lacrimal fluid production). Mostly from infection of middle or external ear and if no cause found then bells palsy.
- Extracranial – motor function only o paralysis or severe weakness of facial expression muscles. Could be from aprotid gland patho, infection of nerve, compression in forceps delivery or idiopathic (bells palsy)
- CNVIII -
- Origin -
- Exit cranium -
- Function -
- Exam -
- CNVIII - vestibulocochlear
- Origin - pontine medulla junction
- Exit cranium - internal acoustic meatus
- Function - Hearing and equilibrum
- Exam - hearing by whispering at 2 distances and Rinnes/Webers
- Vestibular neuritis – inflammation vertigo, nystagmus, loss equilibrium, nausea and omitting.
- Labyrinthitis – inflamm labyrinth. Sensorineural eharing loss, tinnitus.
- CN IX =
- Origin =
- Exit cranium =
- Function =
- Exam =
- CN IX =glosospharyngeal
- Origin = meudlla oblongata
- Exit cranium = jugular foramen
-
Function =
- Sensory - oropharynx (pharyngeal branch), carotid body, sinus, posterior 1.3 tongue (lingual branch), middle er cavity and eustachian tube.Tonsillar branch for palatine tonsils.
- Special sensory – taste sensation to posterior 1/3 of tongue via lingual branch
- PS – PS to parotid gland.
- Motor – stylopharyngeus muscle of pharynx (Shortens + widens pharynx and elevate larynx in swallowing)
- Exam =– cough, say ‘ah’ and visualise palate ( upwards) and posterior pharyngeal wall.
- Gag reflex - GP supplies sensory to oropharync and carries afferent info for gag reflex. If absent then damage to glossopharyngeal nerve.
- CN X =
- Origin =
- Exit cranium =
- Function =
- Exam =
- CN X = Vagus nerve
- Origin = medulla oblongata
- Exit cranium = jugular foramen
-
Function =
- Sensory – skin of external acoustic meatus and internal surfaces of laryngopharynx and larynx (internal laryngeal nerve). Visceral sensation to heart (cardiac branches) and abdominal viscera.
- Special sensory – taste sensation to epiglottis and root tongue
- Motor – mot muscles pharynx, soft palate + larynx
- PS – smooth muscle trachea, bronchi, GIT and heart rhythm regulator.
- Exam = Gag reflex, open mouth say “ah”
- CV disorders - vasovagal syncope, hoarse voice…
- Gi lesions - dysphagia, palatoglossal arch drop, ulnar deviates away form affecing side
- RLNS lesions 0 dysphonia, aphonia, stridor
- CN XI =
- Origin =
- Exit cranium =
- Function =
- Exam =
- CN XI = Accessory nerve
- Origin = Medulla oblongata
- Exit cranium = jugular foramen
- Function = Moto - SCM, trapexius, retract scapula, pull scapula inferiorly.
- Exam = Rotae ehad, shrug shoulder nromal and against reistsance
- Palsy of accessory nerve – iatrogenic mostly like cervical lymph node excision. Muscle wasting and partial paralysis o SCM so cant rotate head or weakness in shrugging shoulders and asymmetrical neckline.
- CN XII =
- Origin =
- Exit cranium =
- Function =
- Exam =
- CN XII = Hypoglossal nerve
- Origin = Medulla oblongata (anteiror to olive)
- Exit cranium = Hypoglossal canal
- Function = Motor = Extrinsic muscles (genioglossus, hypoglossus, styloglgossus – all bar palatoglossus which is vagus) and intrinsic (superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, vertical)
- Exam =protrude tongue, push tongue against cheek, feel for pressure
- Hypoglossal nerve palsy – could be from head and neck malignancy an penetrating traumatic injuries. Acute pain can suggest internal carotid artery dissection. Deviation tongue to damaged side on protrusion and muscle wasting and fasciculations on affected side.
What are the descending tracts of the CNS
Motor signals -> LMN. Neurones synapse with LMN as termination. Cell bodies in cerebral cortex or brain stem and axons in CNS as UMN.
- Pyramidal – cerebral cortex -> spinal cord -> brain stem. Voluntary control of musculature of body and face
- Extrapyramidal tracts – Brain stem -> spinal cord. Involuntary + autonomic control musculature (including muscle tone, balance, posture and location)
Pyramidal tarcts
Pass through medulalr pyramid
- Voluntary control of musculature of the body and face
- Corticospinal tracts = musculature of the body
- Corticobulbar tracts = musculature of head and neck.
Describe the path of the corticospinal tract
- Begin in cerebral cortex.
- Inputs = Primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (also somatosensory area to regulate activity ascending tracts).
- Descends through internal capsule (susceptible to compression from haemorrhagic bleeds- capsular stroke, leading to lesion of descending tracts).
- Neurones pass through crus cerebri of midbrain, pons and into medulla
- In most inferior (caudal) part of medulla, tract divides into two:
- Lateral corticospinal tract fibres decussate + descending into spinal cord, terminating in ventral horn then LMN -> muscles of body.
- Anterior corticospinal tract remains ipsilateral, descending into spinal cord. Then decussate and terminate in ventral horn of cervical and upper thoracic segmental levels.
WHta happens if you damage the corticospinal tract
If only unilateral lesion of R/L CS tract symptoms appear on contralateral side of body.
Hypertonia, Hyperreflexia, Clonus (invol, rhythmic muscle contractions), Babinskis sign (extension of hallux in response to blunt stimulation of sole of foot), muscle weakness.
Corticobulbar tract - the pathway
- Begin in lateral aspect of the primary motor cortex.
- Inputs - Primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (also somatosensory area to regulate activity ascending tracts).
- Converge + pass through internal capsule -> brainstem
- Neurones terminate on motor nucleus of cranial nerves + synapse with LMN which carry motor signals to muscles of face and neck
- Many of the fibres innervate motor neurones bilaterally but some exceptions:
- UMN for facial nerve have contralateral innervation – only affects muscles in lower quadrant of face
- UMN for hypoglossal nerve only provide contralateral innervate.











































