Neuro terms

Ataxia

Uncoordinated gait

Dysmetria

Finger to nose test problem

Cerebellar/Intention tremor

Tremors during movement

Parkinsonian tremors

Tremors during rest

Aura

Sense of impending doom that occurs before a seizure

Paresthesia

numbness and tingling

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing

Vertigo vs lightheadness

Vertigo - world is spinning

Lightheadedness - patient feels faint, orthostatic hypotension

Neurogenic anosmia

Loss of smell

Nystagmus

Rapid and rhythmic eye movement; starts w/ slow movement

Indicative of cerebellar disorder

Saccadic eye movements

Rapid, voluntary or reflexive shifts in gaze that abruptly change the point of focus, moving both eyes simultaneously

Represent fixations on apparently moving objects, like watching roadside trees from a moving vehicle

Delirium

Sudden, temporary state of acute confusion caused by medical issue

Ptosis

When the eyelid droops, indicative of CN III (oculomotor) palsy

Myasthenia gravis

Chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease; causes fluctuating muscle weakness and rapid fatigue

Paralytic strabismus

Eye misalignment condition caused by paralysis or weakness of the muscles responsible for moving the eyes

Indicative of damage to CN III, IV, or VI

Pontine damage

Damage to the pons, can cause a type of ischemic stroke

Argyll Robertson pupils

Small, often irregular, bilateral pupils that do not constrict in response to bright light (light-near dissociation)

Muscle atrophy

Wasting/thinning of muscle due to lower motor neuron disease or muscle disorder

Central spinal cord injury

Extreme weakness

Anterior vs posterior cord syndrome

Anterior - loss of motor function and sensation of pain + temp

Posterior - loss of proprioception

Brown-Sequard syndrome

Loss of strength, proprioception, pain, and temp

Flaccid muscles

Soft and limp muscles that indicate lower motor neuron damage

Spastic muscle tone

Involuntary muscle stiffness that indicates corticospinal tract involvement

Rigid muscles indicate…?

Extrapyramidal tract disorder

Fasciculations

Muscle twitching at rest; indicates lower motor neuron disease or fatigue

Tics

face/head/shoulder twitch that can indicate neurologic disorder or stress

Tremors

Rhythmic shaking that can indicate parkinson disease, cerebellar disease or MS

Athetosis

Slow, continuous, involuntary writhing movements; indicates cerebral palsy

Chorea

disorder characterized by involuntary, unpredictable, and rapid muscle contraction; indicates Huntington disease

Graphesthesia

Recognize number traced on palm

Stereognosis

Recognize object by touch

Babinski reflex

a neurological test where the sole of the foot is firmly stroked

positive: big toe dorsiflexes, other toes fan out (abnormal in adults)

normal: toes flex

Meningitis

Inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord

Nuchal rigidity

Inability to flex the neck forward fully w/o pain

Brudzinski’s sign

Involuntary hip/knee flexion when you flex at neck

Kernig’s sign

Extending knee causes pt pain

Kernig: think it hurts to kick the knee