Lesions Of The Spinal Cord

Front 1

Lesion of an anterior root will result in

Back 1

paralysis of any muscle that is supplied exclusively by that root and a partial paralysis of any muscle that is supplied partially by that root. fasciculation and muscle atrophy occur.

Front 2

Lesion of a posterior root will result in

Back 2

-pain in the area of skin innervated by that root and in the muscles that receive their sensory nerve supply from that root.

-tabes dorsalis and herpes zoster

Front 3

What is hyperalgesia

Back 3

Abnormal heightened sensitivity to pain

Front 4

what is hyperesthesia

Back 4

Excessive physical sensitivity especially of the skin.

Front 5

Injury to the ascending tracts within the spinal cord

1) Lateral spinothalamic tract

2) Anterior spinothalamic tract

3) Fasciculus gracilis and Fasciculus cuneatus

Back 5

1) produces contralateral loss of pain and thermal sensibilities below the level of lesion. Patient will not respond to pinprick or recognize hot and cold objects placed in contact with the skin.

2) contralateral loss of light touch and pressure sensibilities below the level of lesion. Discriminative touch will still be present because its fibers are conducted through the fasciculus gracilis and cuneatus

3) Cuts off the supply of information form the muscles and joints to consciousness; thus the individual does not know about the position and movements of the ipsilateral limbs below the level of lesion
- loss of tactile discrimination on the side of the lesion
- sense of light touch will be unaffected because the impulses ascend in the anterior spinothalamic tract.

Front 6

what are the treatments of acute pain

Back 6

-Salicylates can be used to reduce the synthesis of prostaglandin, a substance that sensitizes free nerve endings to painful stimuli

-Local anesthetics such as procaine can be used to block nerve conduction in peripheral nerves.

-Narcotic analgesics, such as morphine and codeine.

Front 7

what are the treatments of chronic pain

Back 7

-acupuncture
-electrical stimulation
-placebos in a few patients. The anticipation of the relief of pain is thought to stimulate the release of endorphins, which inhibit the normal pain pathway.

Front 8

1) what causes tabes dorsalis

2) what symptoms and signs may be present

Back 8

1) syphilis

2) -stabbing pains in the lower limbs, which maybe very severe.
-paresthesia, with numbness in the lower limbs
-hypersensitivity of skin to touch, heat and cold
-loss of sensation in the skin of parts of the trunk and lower limbs and loss of awareness that the urinary bladder is full
-loss of appreciation of posture or passive movements of the limbs, esp. the legs
-loss of deep pain sensation
-loss of pain sensation in the skin in certain areas of the body
-ataxia (loss of full control of bodily movements) of the lower limbs as a result of loss of proprioceptive sensibility
-hypotonia as a result of loss of proprioceptive information that arises from the muscles and joints
-loss of tendon reflexes, owing to degeneration of the afferent fiber component of the reflex arc

Front 9

what is muscle tone

Back 9

it is a state of continuous partial contraction of a muscle and is dependent on the integrity of a monosynaptic reflex arc

Front 10

UMN Lesions (pyramidal tracts)

1) what are the clinical signs of lesions restricted to the corticospinal tracts

Back 10

1) -Babinski sign is present; great toe becomes dorsally flexed
-superficial abdominal reflexes are absent
-cremasteric reflex is absent
-loss of performance of fine skilled voluntary movements

Front 11

what are the clinical signs present in lesions of the extrapyramidal tracts (descending tracts other than the corticospinal tract)

Back 11

-severe paralysis with little or no muscle atrophy
-spasticity or hypertonicity of the muscles.
-exaggerated deep muscle reflexes and clonus (muscular spasm) may be present in the flexors of the fingers, quadriceps femoris, and the calf muscles.
-clasp-knife reaction

Front 12

what could cause LMN lesions

Back 12

trauma, infection (poliomyelitis), vascular disorders, degenerative diseases, and neoplasms

Front 13

what are the signs of LMN lesions

Back 13

-flaccid paralysis of muscles supplied
-atrophy of muscles supplied
-loss of reflexes of muscles supplied
-muscular contracture
-reaction of degeneration

Front 14

List the different types of paralysis

Back 14

-hemiplegia - paralysis of one side of the body and includes the upper limb, one side of the trunk, and the lower limb.
-monoplegia - paralysis of one limb only
-diplegia - paralysis of two corresponding limbs (i.e., arms or legs)
-paraplegia - paralysis of two lower limbs
-quadriplegia - paralysis of all four limbs

Front 15

what are tremors

Back 15

rhythmic involuntary movements that result from the contraction of opposing muscle groups

Front 16

what are spasms

Back 16

involuntary contractions of large groups of muscles

Front 17

what is athetosis

Back 17

a slow, involuntary, dysrhythmic movements that are always the same in the same patient and disappear during sleep. occurs with lesions of the corpus striatum.

Front 18

what is chorea

Back 18

a series of continuous, rapid involuntary, jerky, coarse, purposeless movements, which may occur during sleep. occurs with lesions of corpus striatum.

Front 19

what is dystonia

Back 19

frequent, maintained contractions of hypertonic muscles, leading to bizarre postures. occurs in lesions of the lentiform nucleus.

Front 20

what is hemiballismus

Back 20

it is a rare form of involuntary movement confined to one side of the body.

Front 21

what is myoclonus

Back 21

sudden contraction of an isolated muscle or part of a muscle

Front 22

List the extra dural causes of spinal cord compression

Back 22

herniation of an intervertebral disc
infection of the vertebrae with tuberculosis
primary and secondary tumors of the vertebra
leukemic deposits and
extradural abscesses

Front 23

what are the two common extramedullary tumors

Back 23

meningiomas and nerve fibromas

Front 24

classify the lesions of the spinal cord according to the area of origin or the area affected

Back 24

LMN lesions
UMN lesions
sensory pathway lesions
PNS lesions
combined upper and lower motor neuron lesion
combined motor and sensory lesions
herniation of the intervertebral disc

Front 25

what are the neurologic deficits resulting from LMN lesions

Back 25

flaccid paralysis
muscle atrophy (amyotrophy)
hypotonia
areflexia
fasciculations -visible muscle twitches
fibrillations

Front 26

what are the diseases of LMN

Back 26

-poliomyelitis -acute inflammatory viral infection affecting the LMNs and is caused by enterovirus. -results in a flaccid paralysis.

-progressive infantile muscular atrophy (Werdnig-hoffmann disease)

-juvenile hereditary LMN disease (Kugelberg-Welander disease)