Physical Therapy Comprehensive Board Review

A set of 200 vocabulary flashcards designed to assist physical therapy students in reviewing neuroanatomy, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, orthopedics, pediatrics, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

Phrenic Nerve

A nerve arising from cervical plexus roots C3, C4, and C5 that innervates the diaphragm.

Radial Nerve

Also known as the musculospiral nerve, it arises from C5-T1 roots of the brachial plexus and wraps around the spiral groove of the humerus.

Femoral Nerve

Also known as the anterior crural nerve, it arises from the L2, L3, and L4 roots of the lumbar plexus to supply anterior thigh muscles.

Sciatic Nerve

The largest nerve of the sacral plexus arising from L4-S3 roots that divides into the tibial and common peroneal nerves.

Ganglia

A collection of nerve cell bodies located outside the central nervous system, such as the dorsal root ganglion (DRG).

Craniosacral Division

The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system consisting of cranial nerves 10, 9, 7, and 3, along with sacral roots S2-S4.

Thoracolumbar Division

The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system arising from spinal cord segments T1 to L3.

Horner's Syndrome

A condition caused by a lesion at T1, often linked to Klumpke's palsy, characterized by a triad of partial ptosis, miosis, anhidrosis, and enophthalmos.

Anisocoria

An unequal pupil size bilaterally, which becomes noticeable when shining light into the eye.

Bell-Magendie Law

The anatomical law stating that ventral spinal roots are efferent motor and dorsal spinal roots are afferent sensory.

Anosmia

The loss of the sense of smell, most commonly caused by contusion of the olfactory nerve (CN I) due to its anatomical location.

Anopsia

The loss of vision sensation caused by lesion or damage to the optic nerve (CN II) or visual pathway.

Myopia

A visual condition characterized by impaired far vision, commonly referred to as nearsightedness.

Amaurosis Fugax

Monocular blindness seen in anterior circulation stroke secondary to internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion affecting the ophthalmic artery.

Direct Light Reflex

Pupil constriction occurring on the same side where light is directly shone into the eye.

Consensual Light Reflex

Pupil constriction occurring on the opposite eye from where light was directed.

Bitemporal Hemianopsia

The loss of peripheral vision in both eyes resulting from an optic chiasm lesion secondary to a pituitary tumor.

Contralateral Homonymous Hemianopsia

Visual field loss affecting the same half of the visual field in both eyes due to a lesion in the optic tract, optic radiation, or occipital cortex.

Tic Douloureux

Also known as trigeminal neuralgia, a severe painful condition affecting the sensory distribution of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).

Hyperacusis

An increased sensitivity to sound caused by paralysis or weakness of the stapedius muscle innervated by CN VII.

Chvostek Test

A clinical test where twitching of facial muscles is elicited upon tapping over the parotid gland, indicating facial nerve or neuromuscular irritability.

Meniere's Disease

An inner ear disorder characterized by episodic vertigo, tinnitus, and a sense of fullness in the ear due to endolymphatic hydrops.

Weber Test

An auditory acuity test using a tuning fork placed on the vertex of the skull to detect lateralization of hearing.

Rinne Test

A hearing test that compares air conduction to bone conduction by placing a tuning fork over the mastoid process and beside the ear.

Dysphonia

Difficulty in sound or voice production caused by vagus nerve (CN X) or vocal cord dysfunction.

Aphonia

The complete absence of voice or sound production.

Weber Syndrome

A brainstem stroke syndrome located in the medial basal midbrain affecting CN III and the corticospinal tract, causing ipsilateral CN III palsy and contralateral hemiplegia.

Benedikt Syndrome

A brainstem stroke syndrome located in the tegmentum of the midbrain affecting CN III, red nucleus, and lemniscal pathways.

Locked-in Syndrome

A brainstem stroke syndrome located in the bilateral basal pons affecting all pontine CNs and corticospinal/corticobulbar tracts, resulting in quadriplegia with spared upward gaze.

Millard-Gubler Syndrome

A lateral pontine brainstem stroke syndrome affecting CN VI and VII along with the corticospinal tract.

Wallenburg Syndrome

Also known as lateral medullary syndrome or PICA syndrome, characterized by dysphagia, Horner's syndrome, and crossed hemianesthesia.

Prosencephalon

The primary brain vesicle also known as the forebrain, which develops into the telencephalon and diencephalon.

Mesencephalon

The primary and secondary brain vesicle corresponding to the midbrain, which forms the tectum and cerebral peduncles.

Rhombencephalon

The primary brain vesicle also known as the hindbrain, which develops into the metencephalon and myelencephalon.

Choroid Plexus

The vascular structure within the brain ventricles that secretes clear, colorless cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at a rate of 500 mL/day.

Foramen of Monroe

The interventricular foramen connecting the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle in the CSF flow pathway.

Sylvian Aqueduct

The narrow channel in the mesencephalon connecting the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle.

Foramen of Luschka

The paired laterally-positioned apertures of the fourth ventricle through which CSF enters the subarachnoid space.

Foramen of Magendie

The single medially-positioned aperture of the fourth ventricle through which CSF enters the subarachnoid space.

Dura Mater

The outermost, thickest, and strongest layer of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Arachnoid Mater

The middle avascular layer of the meninges situated between the dura mater and pia mater.

Pia Mater

The delicate, vascular innermost layer of the meninges attached directly to the surface of the brain and spinal cord.

Arnold Chiari Malformation

Caudal displacement of the brainstem and cerebellum through the foramen magnum, commonly associated with spina bifida myelomeningocele and non-communicating hydrocephalus.

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

A communicating type of hydrocephalus seen in adults and TBI patients characterized by the clinical triad of dementia, urinary incontinence, and gait ataxia.

Papilledema

Bulging of the optic disc due to increased intracranial pressure, which can lead to destruction of retinal arteries and blindness.

Cushing Sign

A clinical triad indicative of elevated intracranial pressure consisting of bradycardia, bradypnea, and hypertension.

Cracked Pot Sign

A resonant sound heard upon percussion of the skull fontanelle in infants with hydrocephalus.

Sunset Eye Sign

An inferior ocular deviation of the eyes where the sclera is visible above the iris, seen in hydrocephalus.

Corpus Callosum

The largest commissural fiber bundle connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Gyrus

A rounded elevation or ridge on the surface of the cerebral cortex that increases the surface area of the cerebrum.

Sulcus

A shallow depression or groove on the surface of the cerebral cortex separating adjacent gyri.

Arcuate Fasciculus

An association fiber tract connecting Broca's area and Wernicke's area, damage to which results in conduction aphasia.

Microglia

Phagocytic neuroglial cells located in the central nervous system that digest bacteria and worn-out cellular debris.

Oligodendrocytes

Central nervous system neuroglial cells responsible for forming and maintaining the myelin sheath around axons.

Astrocytes

The most abundant neuroglial cells in the CNS providing structural support, extracellular potassium regulation, and replacement gliosis.

Ependymocytes

Neuroglial cells lining the ventricles of the brain and central canal of the spinal cord that assist in the circulation of CSF.

Betz Cells

Large pyramidal neurons found in Layer V (Internal Pyramidal Layer) of the primary motor cortex that give rise to the corticospinal tract.

Primary Motor Area

Brodmann's Area 4 located in the precentral gyrus responsible for execution of voluntary movements on the contralateral side of the body.

Premotor Area

Brodmann's Area 6 responsible for initiation, modulation, and coordination of motor movements.

Frontal Eyefield

Brodmann's Area 8 located in the frontal lobe responsible for controlling conjugate eye movements.

Broca's Area

Brodmann's Areas 44 and 45 located in the inferior frontal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere responsible for motor speech production.

Primary Sensory Area

Brodmann's Areas 3, 1, and 2 located in the postcentral gyrus responsible for receiving general somatosensory inputs.

Angular Gyrus

Brodmann's Area 39 in the parietal lobe involved in naming, writing, reading, right-left orientation, and mathematical calculation.

Supramarginal Gyrus

Brodmann's Area 40 in the parietal lobe involved in language comprehension in the dominant hemisphere and tactile sensation in the non-dominant hemisphere.

Gerstmann Syndrome

A neurological disorder resulting from a lesion to the dominant angular gyrus (BA 39), characterized by finger agnosia, agraphia, acalculia, and right-left disorientation.

Primary Visual Area

Brodmann's Area 17, also known as the striate cortex, located in the occipital lobe responsible for receiving visual sensation.

Primary Auditory Area

Brodmann's Areas 41 and 42, located in Heschl's gyrus of the temporal lobe, responsible for processing auditory perception.

Wernicke's Area

Brodmann's Area 22 located in the posterior superior temporal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere responsible for language comprehension.

Caudate Nucleus

An anatomical component of the basal ganglia that, along with the putamen, forms the neostriatum.

Putamen

A basal ganglia structure that forms the neostriatum with the caudate nucleus and the lentiform nucleus with the globus pallidus.

Globus Pallidus

A paleostriatal structure of the basal ganglia that, together with the putamen, forms the lentiform nucleus.

Substantia Nigra

A dark-pigmented midbrain nucleus containing dopamine-producing neurons in its pars compacta and GABAergic neurons in its pars reticulata.

Subthalamic Nucleus of Luys

A subthalamic structure providing the only excitatory projection in the basal ganglia by releasing glutamate.

Glutamate

The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.

GABA

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.

Chorea

A hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by rapid, jerky, irregular involuntary movements of the proximal limbs, face, and trunk, associated with neostriatal lesions.

Dystonia

A hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained, involuntary muscle contractions of agonist and antagonist muscles, associated with putaminal lesions.

Athetosis

A hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by slow, writhing, worm-like involuntary movements, associated with globus pallidus lesions.

Hemiballismus

A hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sudden, violent, wild flailing movements of one side of the body due to a lesion in the contralateral subthalamic nucleus.

Pneumotaxic Center

A respiratory control center located in the upper pons (nucleus parabrachialis) that switches off the inspiratory ramp signal to regulate breathing rate and depth.

Apneusic Center

A respiratory center in the lower pons that prevents switching off of the inspiratory ramp signal, promoting prolonged inspiration.

Reticular Activating System

A network of brainstem neurons responsible for maintaining arousal, alertness, and consciousness.

Vermis

The midline anatomical structure connecting the two cerebellar hemispheres.

Purkinje Cells

Large inhibitory neurons located in Layer II of the cerebellar cortex that serve as the characteristic output cells of the cerebellum.

Asthenia

A cerebellar sign characterized by generalized muscle weakness and fatigue.

Asynergia

The loss of ability to associate smooth muscle contractions together for complex, coordinated movements.

Ataxia

A neurological sign consisting of uncoordinated, unsteady gait with a wide base of support and postural instability.

Dyssynergia

Also known as movement decomposition, where complex movements are performed as a jerky sequence of component parts rather than a smooth motion.

Dysmetria

The inability to judge the distance or range of a movement, manifesting as hypermetria (overestimation) or hypometria (underestimation).

Dysdiadochokinesia

The inability to perform rapid, alternating movements smoothly.

Titubation

An involuntary, oscillatory rhythmic shaking movement of the head or axial trunk seen in cerebellar disorders.

Rebound Phenomenon

The inability to halt a forceful contraction when resistance is suddenly removed.

Intention Tremor

An oscillatory tremor occurring during voluntary, goal-directed movement that worsens as the target is approached.

Dorsal Respiratory Group

A group of neurons in the posterior medulla oblongata responsible for generating the basic rhythm of respiration and promoting inspiration.

Ventral Respiratory Group

A medullary respiratory center involved in active expiration and forceful inspiration.

Middle Cerebral Artery

The largest and most commonly occluded terminal branch of the internal carotid artery supplying the lateral surfaces of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes.

Anterior Cerebral Artery

A branch of the internal carotid artery supplying the medial aspects of the frontal and parietal lobes.

Posterior Cerebral Artery

A terminal branch of the basilar artery supplying the occipital lobe, inferior temporal lobe, thalamus, and midbrain.

Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery

A branch of the vertebral artery supplying the lateral medulla and inferior cerebellum, occlusion of which causes Wallenburg syndrome.

Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery

The first branch of the basilar artery supplying the pons and anterior inferior cerebellum.