AnatomyandPhysiology-Ch16 (1)

Chapter Overview

  • Title: The Neurological Exam

  • Content Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology

Neurological Exam

  • Health care professionals can quickly assess neurological functions using the neurological exam.

  • Inspection of Oral Cavity:

    • Inspect for signs of infection.

    • Tests associated with cranial nerves linked to the oral cavity.

    • Image credit: U.S. Department of Defense.

Central Nervous System (CNS) Relations

  • Major Sections of the Neurological Exam:

    • Mental Status Exam

    • Cranial Nerve Exam

    • Sensory Exam

    • Motor Exam

    • Coordination Exam (including Gait Exam).

Hemorrhagic Stroke

  • Types of Hemorrhage:

    • (a) Accumulation of blood in cerebrum leading to disfiguration (e.g., lateral ventricles).

    • (b) CT scan example showing intraparenchymal hemorrhage in parietal lobe.

    • Image credit: James Heilman.

Brodmann’s Areas of the Cerebral Cortex

  • Background:

    • Illustrated by Korbinian Brodmann based on cytoarchitecture.

    • Areas correspond to functional differences in the cerebral cortex.

Types of Cortical Areas

  • Types of Processing Regions:

    • Primary Areas:

      • Initial processing for sensory information or origins of motor commands.

    • Association Areas:

      • Adjacent to primary areas; further processing modality-specific input.

    • Multimodal Integration Areas:

      • Combine information from different modalities (e.g., spatial processing).

Language Function Areas

  • Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas:

    • Integral for language processing.

    • Connected through deep white matter from posterior temporal lobe to frontal lobe.

Visual Acuity Assessment

  • The Snellen Chart:

    • Measures visual acuity using lines of decreasing size of Roman letters.

    • The smallest letters perceptible at 20 feet indicate normal acuity; larger letters indicate reduced acuity (e.g., 20/200 vision).

Pituitary Tumor Effects

  • Location:

    • Pituitary gland located in sella turcica beneath optic chiasm.

    • A tumor can press on optic fibers, leading to "tunnel vision" (only central visual field is perceived).

Eye Movement Mechanics

  • Saccadic Eye Movements:

    • Rapid eye movements for visual stimulus tracking or examination (e.g., studying a face).

    • Concentration on facial features.

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex

  • Functionality:

    • Links head movement with eye fixation on visual targets, coordinating vestibular input with eye movement nuclei via the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF).

Accessory Nerve Functionality

  • Innervation:

    • Accessory nerve controls the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.

    • Functions include opposing roles in head flexion/extension and synergistic actions in lateral flexion.

Spinal Fiber Tracts

  • Locations of Major Tracts:

    • Lateral corticospinal tract

    • Anterior corticospinal tract

    • Dorsal column

    • Spinothalamic tracts

Dermatomes

  • Definition:

    • Topographic regions of the skin corresponding to spinal nerve sensory endings.

    • Demonstrates nerve distribution within the skin.

Cerebellar Connections

  • Cerebellar Peduncles:

    • Three main connections: ICP, MCP, SCP.

    • ICP arises from the medulla, MCP from pons, SCP projects into the midbrain.

Major Regions of the Cerebellum

  • Divisions:

    • Midline region (vermis and flocculonodular lobe).

    • Hemispheres (lateral regions).

Licensing Information

  • This OpenStax resource is © Rice University under a CC-BY 4.0 International license; allows reproduction/modification with attribution.