The Neuro Exam
Yes, you really do have to wake them up and do
this
Last Updated by Lindsay Pagano
Summer 2013
What are the components and how do I
document them?
Neuro:
• Mental Status
• Language, Speech
• Cranial Nerves
• Motor
• Reflexes
• Sensory
• Cerebellar
• Gait
What are we checking and how?
Mental Status
• What?
– Level of alertness, awareness
– Degree of interaction
– Orientation
– Following commands
– Older children: naming objects, simple calculations, extinction, neglect,
fund of knowledge
– Difference from baseline
• How?
Language, Speech
• Language
– comprehension
– spontaneous, fluent
– appropriate content
– other things you can check: repetition, naming objects, reading, writing
• Speech
– prosody
– volume
– rate
– dysarthria
Cranial Nerves
• CN 1: Olfactory…yeah, we don’t check that either
• CN 2: Optic
– Visual acuity
– Visual fields
– Fundus
• CN 3: Oculomotor
– Pupil reactivity to light (direct and consensual) and accomadation
– Extraocular eye movements (superior, medial and inferior recti; inferior oblique)
• CN 4: Trochlear
– Extraocular eye movements (superior oblique)
• CN 5: Trigeminal
– Muscles of mastication
– Facial sensation (V1, 2, 3 divisions)
• CN 6: Abducens
– Extraocular eye movements (lateral rectus)
Cranial Nerves, continued
• CN 7: Facial
– Facial muscles
– Taste (anterior 2/3)
• CN 8: Vestibulocochlear
– Hearing
– Vestibular function
• CN 9: Glossopharyngeal
– Taste (posterior 1/3)
– Uvula
• CN 10: Vagus
– Phonation
– Palate elevation
• CN 11: Spinal accessory
– Head turn
– Shoulder shrug
• CN 12: Hypoglossal
– Tongue protrusion
Motor
• Tone
• Muscle bulk
• Strength: check agonist/antagonist pairs
– Grading system
• 0: no movement
• 1: can see muscle contraction but no movement
• 2: can move with gravity eliminated
• 3: can move against gravity
• 4: can resist opposition to some extent, but not full (+, - also)
• 5: full strength
– Pronator drift: correct position!
– Orbiting
• Abnormal movements
Reflexes
• Grading system
– 0: absent
– 1+: hyporeflexic
– 2+: normal
– 3+: brisk, without clonus
– 4+: brisk, with clonus
• More pathologic descriptors: crossed, spreading
• Where to check
• Clonus
– Sustained
– Unsustained
• Other reflexes: pectoral, grasp, suck, moro, jaw jerk
• Plantar response
Sensory
• How and what part of the nervous system are we checking?
– Light touch
– Pinprick
– Temperature
– Vibration
– Joint position sense
• Checking a level
• Romberg- correct positioning!
Cerebellar
• Ataxia
– Axial
– Appendicular
• Finger-nose-finger
• Heel-knee-shin
• Rapid alternating movements
• Casual
• Toe
• Heel
• Tandem
• What are those last 3 testing?
Gait
Other Neuro Rotation Tips
• Neuro exam on all patients
• Report all AEDs in per dose and mg/kg/day
• Know the patients primary neurologist
• When applicable know the last head imaging and EEG done and
the results
• Make sure after their inpatient stay they have follow up and a
breakthrough seizures plan/medication
• In clinic, be sure to ask birth history, developmental history (gross
motor, fine motor, language, social), about school performance,
therapies

Neurologic Examination.ppt

  • 1.
    The Neuro Exam Yes,you really do have to wake them up and do this Last Updated by Lindsay Pagano Summer 2013
  • 2.
    What are thecomponents and how do I document them? Neuro: • Mental Status • Language, Speech • Cranial Nerves • Motor • Reflexes • Sensory • Cerebellar • Gait
  • 3.
    What are wechecking and how? Mental Status • What? – Level of alertness, awareness – Degree of interaction – Orientation – Following commands – Older children: naming objects, simple calculations, extinction, neglect, fund of knowledge – Difference from baseline • How?
  • 4.
    Language, Speech • Language –comprehension – spontaneous, fluent – appropriate content – other things you can check: repetition, naming objects, reading, writing • Speech – prosody – volume – rate – dysarthria
  • 5.
    Cranial Nerves • CN1: Olfactory…yeah, we don’t check that either • CN 2: Optic – Visual acuity – Visual fields – Fundus • CN 3: Oculomotor – Pupil reactivity to light (direct and consensual) and accomadation – Extraocular eye movements (superior, medial and inferior recti; inferior oblique) • CN 4: Trochlear – Extraocular eye movements (superior oblique) • CN 5: Trigeminal – Muscles of mastication – Facial sensation (V1, 2, 3 divisions) • CN 6: Abducens – Extraocular eye movements (lateral rectus)
  • 6.
    Cranial Nerves, continued •CN 7: Facial – Facial muscles – Taste (anterior 2/3) • CN 8: Vestibulocochlear – Hearing – Vestibular function • CN 9: Glossopharyngeal – Taste (posterior 1/3) – Uvula • CN 10: Vagus – Phonation – Palate elevation • CN 11: Spinal accessory – Head turn – Shoulder shrug • CN 12: Hypoglossal – Tongue protrusion
  • 7.
    Motor • Tone • Musclebulk • Strength: check agonist/antagonist pairs – Grading system • 0: no movement • 1: can see muscle contraction but no movement • 2: can move with gravity eliminated • 3: can move against gravity • 4: can resist opposition to some extent, but not full (+, - also) • 5: full strength – Pronator drift: correct position! – Orbiting • Abnormal movements
  • 8.
    Reflexes • Grading system –0: absent – 1+: hyporeflexic – 2+: normal – 3+: brisk, without clonus – 4+: brisk, with clonus • More pathologic descriptors: crossed, spreading • Where to check • Clonus – Sustained – Unsustained • Other reflexes: pectoral, grasp, suck, moro, jaw jerk • Plantar response
  • 9.
    Sensory • How andwhat part of the nervous system are we checking? – Light touch – Pinprick – Temperature – Vibration – Joint position sense • Checking a level • Romberg- correct positioning!
  • 10.
    Cerebellar • Ataxia – Axial –Appendicular • Finger-nose-finger • Heel-knee-shin • Rapid alternating movements
  • 11.
    • Casual • Toe •Heel • Tandem • What are those last 3 testing? Gait
  • 12.
    Other Neuro RotationTips • Neuro exam on all patients • Report all AEDs in per dose and mg/kg/day • Know the patients primary neurologist • When applicable know the last head imaging and EEG done and the results • Make sure after their inpatient stay they have follow up and a breakthrough seizures plan/medication • In clinic, be sure to ask birth history, developmental history (gross motor, fine motor, language, social), about school performance, therapies