LEC 18: Neurological Disease

What are brain conditions?

Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, epilepsy, migraine, headache

What are spine conditions?

Spinal Cord Injury, spina bifida, spinal muscular atrophy

What are peripheral nerve conditions?

Peripheral neuropathy, Carpal tunnel, Bell’s palsy

What are neurodegenerative conditions?

Alzheimer’s, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s

What are neuromuscular conditions?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy

What is neuropathy?

Damage, disease or dysfunction of a nerve with pain, tingling & loss of sensation

What is neurodegenerative?

Progressive loss of neurons

What is paresis?

Weakness/partial loss of voluntary movement May be accompanied by sensory loss

What is hemiparesis?

Loss of function on one side of the body Why is the opposite side affected? Motor nerves cross over in pyramids Sensory nerves cross over in spinal cord or thalamus

What is plegia/paralysis?

Loss of motor function, can be spastic or flaccid; all voluntary movement affected May be accompanied by sensory loss

What is hemiplegia?

Paralysis of one side of the body

What is quadriplegia/tetraplegia

Paralysis of the upper & lower limbs

What is paraplegia?

Paralysis of the lower limbs

What is palsy?

Paralysis accompanied by involuntary tremors

What is a neurological disease?

Affects how the nervous system functions CNS – upper motor neuron PNS – lower motor neuron

What is a lower motor neuron lesion?

Weakness / Paralysis Low tone / Flaccidity – loss of resistance to passive movement Fasciculation – muscle twitches due to spontaneous motor unit activity Reflexes – reduced or absent Atrophy

What is a upper motor neuron lesion?

Weakness Increased tone / hypertonia Loss of UMN inhibition → LMN hyperactivity Spasticity Rigidity Dystonia Increased reflexes Clonus Babinski

What is spasticity?

Velocity-dependent increase in resistance to passive movement (clasp-knife) Resistance increases with speed of stretch Exaggerated tendon reflexes Hyperexcitability of stretch reflex

What is rigidity?

Non-velocity-dependent increase in tone Muscle resistance throughout full ROM independent of speed Agonist–antagonist co-contraction Stiffness Decreased ROM Loss of motor control

What is dystonia?

Uncontrollable muscle contractions Twisting or repetitive movements Focal Segmental General Secondary to: Parkinson’s disease / Huntington’s disease / Wilson’s disease / Traumatic brain injury / Birth injury / Stroke / Brain tumor

What is clonus?

Abnormal involuntary movements characterized by rhythmic muscle contractions

What is babinski?

Upward movement of toes when sole of foot is stroked Reflex disappears after age 2 Persistence in older individuals suggests CNS pathology