1. Neurological Testing, Diseases, and Disorders
Nervous System
Neurological Testing, Diseases, and Disorders

2. Standard 27
Define key terms associated with vision disorders, ear disorders, nose disorders, and mouth disorders. Write a case study based on one of these disorders using appropriate medical terminology, describing the typical profile of a person suffering from the selected disorder.
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3. Neurologic Testing Typical neurologic examination
State of consciousness
Reflex activity
Speech patterns
Motor patterns

4. Neurologic Testing: Diagnostic Procedures
Lumbar puncture
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
Cerebral angiography
Computerized tomography (CT) scan
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
X-ray

5. Neurologic Testing – Cranial Nerve Tests
Olfactory nerves (Cranial nerve I)
Have patient smell various substances
Cranial nerves III, IV, and VI
Have patient track movement of finger
Cranial nerve V
Have patient clench teeth, feel jaw muscles

6. Neurologic Testing – Cranial Nerve Tests (cont.)
Cranial nerve VII
Check patient’s facial expression
Cranial nerve XII
Have patient extend his tongue and move it from side to side

7. Neurologic Testing- Cranial Nerve Tests (cont)

8. Neurologic Testing: Reflex Testing
Areflexia
Absence of a reflex
Hyporeflexia
Decreased reflex
Hyperreflexia
Stronger-than-normal reflex

9. Neurologic Testing: Reflex Testing
Biceps reflex
Absence indicates spinal cord damage in the cervical region
Knee reflex
Absence may indicate damage to lumbar or femoral nerves
Abdominal reflexes
Used to evaluate damage to thoracic spinal nerves

10. Common Diseases and Disorders
Disease/Disorder
Description
Alzheimer’s disease
Progressive, degenerative disease of the brain
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Lou Gehrig’s disease
Degeneration of neurons in the spinal cord and brain
Bell’s palsy
Weak or paralyzed facial muscles

11. Common Diseases and Disorders (cont.)
Disease/Disorder
Description
Brain tumors and cancers
Abnormal growths
Can be primary or secondary tumors
Most common – gliomas
Epilepsy and seizures
Occurs as a result of bursts of electrical signals that disrupt normal brain functioning
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Body’s immune system attacks the PNS

12. Common Diseases and Disorders (cont.)
Disease/Disorder
Description
Headaches
Tension
Migraines
Cluster
Episodic or chronic
With aura/without aura
Form of migraines; occurs in groups
Meningitis
Inflammation of meninges
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Chronic disease of CNS
Myelin is destroyed

13. Common Diseases and Disorders (cont.)
Disease/Disorder
Description
Neuralgias
Disorders causing nerve pain
Parkinson’s disease
Progressive and degenerative motor system disorder
Sciatica
Damage to sciatic nerve
Stroke
Brain cells die because of an inadequate blood flow; “brain attack”

14. Diseases/disorders Traumatic disorders – caused by injury:
Concussion.
Brain contusion.
Congenital disorders – present at birth:
Spina bifida.
Hydrocephalus.
Cerebral palsy.
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
Encephalitis.
Epilepsy.
Meningitis.
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neuralgia.
Paralysis.
Parkinson’s disease.
Dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease.

15. Spina Bifida Opening in the spinal column
At delivery, spinal cord and nerves are exposed causing nerve damage
Results in paralysis

16. Cerebral Palsy Caused by brain damage at birth
Lack of oxygen, birth injuries, infection, etc.
Symptoms:
Tense muscles leading to
contractures
Tremors
Mental retardation
Treatment:
Therapy, anticonvulsants, braces, surgery

17. Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
a.k.a. stroke
Blood flow to the brain is impaired resulting in brain tissue damage
Causes
Cerebral hemorrhage
Aneurysm
Weak blood vessels
Blood clot
Treatment depends on cause

18. Encephalitis
Inflammation of the brain resulting in weakness, visual disturbances, vomiting, stiff neck and back, coma
Caused
Virus
Chemical
Bacteria
Treatment is supportive including medications and monitoring

19. Epilepsy Seizure syndrome
Disorder associated with abnormal electrical impulses in the neurons of the brain
Causes
Trauma
Toxins
Idiopathic (spontaneous)
Treated with medications

20. Hydrocephalus
Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles
Symptoms include abnormally large head, prominent forehead, irritability, retardation
Treated with
surgical shunt
between ventricles

21. Meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and/or spinal cord
Caused by bacteria or virus
High fever, headaches, back and neck pain, n/v, delirium, convulsions and death
Treatment includes medications and anticonvulsants

22. Multiple sclerosis
Chronic, progressive disabling condition resulting from degeneration of the myelin sheath
Occurs between 20 and 40 y.o.
Cause is unknown
Progresses at different rates depending on the person
No cure

23. Neuralgia
Nerve pain
Caused by inflammation, pressure, toxins and other disease
Treatment directed at eliminating the cause of the pain

24. Paralysis Usually results from brain or spinal cord injury
Hemiplegia
Paralysis on one side
Quadriplegia
Paralysis of the arms, legs, and body below the spinal cord injury
No cure, treatment is supportive

26. Parkinson’s disease
Chronic, progressive degeneration of brain cells usually in people over 50 y.o.
Tremors, stiffness, muscular rigidity, forward leaning position, shuffling gait, mood swings, etc.
Treatment is supportive and symptomatic

27. Shingles Herpes zoster
Inflammation of nerve cells caused by herpes virus
Same virus that causes chicken pox
Occurs in thoracic area on one side of the body and follow path of affected nerves
Itching, fever, increased skin sensitivity
Treatment is to relieve pain and itching until inflammation subsides

28. Dementia
General term defining a loss in at least two areas of complex behavior such as language, memory, visual/spatial abilities or judgment
Does not mean that everyone that is forgetful has dementia

29. Alzheimer’s disease
Progressive disease where initial symptom is usually a problem with remembering recently learning information
Nerve endings in the cortex of the brain degenerate and block signals
Cause is unknown and has 3 stages:
1st stage lasts 2-4 years and involves short-term memory loss, anxiety and poor judgment
2nd stage lasts 2-10 years and increases memory loss, difficulty recognizing people, motor problems, loss of social skills
3rd stage lasts 1-3 years and includes inability to recognize self, weight loss, seizures, mood swings, and aphasia (loss of speech).