1. Motor cortex and the descending pyramidal pathways.
The motor cortex is the region of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary
movements. Classically the motor cortex is an area of the frontal lobe located
in the dorsal precentral gyrus immediately anterior to the central sulcus.
Components of the motor cortex are,
Primary motor cortex-located in dorsal
part of the frontal lobe,it funuction with other motor areas to plan and
execute movements.this area contain large amount of neurons know as betz
cells.these cells along woth other neurons send long axon down the spinal cord
to synapse into the interneuron circuit of the spinal cord and directly to the
onto the alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord which connect to the muscles.
Pathways:As the
motor axons travel down through the cerebral white matter, they move closer together and form
part of the posterior limb of the internal capsule.
They continue down into the brainstem, where some of them, after
crossing over to the contralateral side, distribute to the cranial nerve motor nuclei. (Note: a few motor fiberssynapse with lower motor neurons on the same side of the brainstem).
After crossing over to the
contralateral side in the medulla oblongata (pyramidal
decussation), the
axons travel down the spinal cord as the lateral
corticospinal tract.
Fibers that do not cross over
in the brainstem travel down the separate ventral
corticospinal tract, and most of them cross over to the contralateral side in
the spinal cord, shortly before reaching the lower motor neurons
Premotor cortex-
In the frontal lobe of the brain just anterior to the primary motor cortex. The functions of the premotor
cortex are diverse and not fully understood.
It
projects directly to the spinal cord and therefore may play a role
in the direct control of behavior, with a relative emphasis on the trunk muscles of the body.
It may
also play a role in planning movement, in the spatial guidance of movement, in
the sensory guidance of movement, in understanding the actions of others, and
in using abstract rules to perform specific tasks
Supplementary motor cortex-
part of the primate cerebral cortex that
contributes to the control of movement. It is located on the midline surface of
the hemisphere just in front of (anterior to) the primary motor cortex leg
representation.
Neurons in the SMA project directly to the
spinal cord and may play a role in the direct control of movement.
Possible
functions attributed to the SMA include the postural stabilization of the body,
the coordination of both sides of the body such as during bimanual action, the
control of movements that are internally generated rather than triggered by
sensory events, and the control of sequences of movements
Posterior motor cortex
plays an
important role in planned movements, spatial reasoning, and attention.
Damage to
the posterior parietal cortex can produce a variety of sensorimotor deficits,
including deficits in the perception and memory of spatial relationships, in
accurate reaching and grasping, in the control of eye movement, and in
attention. The two most striking consequences of PPC damage are apraxia and hemispatial neglect
2. Examination of muscle appearance and power.
The power should be tested in all limbs,
comparing each side. Asystematic evaluation will enable the recognition of a
particular pattern of weakness that will be in keeping with either a cerebral,
spinal cord, plexus or peripheral nerve weakness.
Weakness due to a corticospinal tract
lesionis most marked in the abductors and extensors of the upper limbs and the flexors of the lower limbs. It is normally associated with
increased tone and exaggerated reflexes. Weakness due to
lower motor neurone lesions is usually more severe than when the upper motor
neurone is involved and is seen in the distribution of the nerve affected. It
is associated with wasting, hypotonia and diminished reflexes.
Fasciculation is an irregular, non-rhythmical contraction of muscle fascicles
which is most easily seen in the deltoid or calf muscles. It occurs classically
in motor neurone disease but may also occur in lower motor neurone lesions,
e.g. in the lower limbs following long-standing lumbar root compression.
The tone in the upper limbs should be
tested using a flexion–extension
movement of the wrist, by holding the patient’s
terminal phalanges and by pronation–supination of the
forearm. The tone in the lower limbs should be tested by flexion
of the hip, knee and ankle.
Decreased tone This is due to: •a lower motor neurone lesion involving the spinal roots or
anterior horn cell of the spinal cord • lesions of the
sensory roots of the reflex arc, e.g. tabes dorsalis • cerebellar lesions, which cause ipsilateral hypotonia • myopathies • spinal shock (the
acute phase of a severe spinal lesion usually due to trauma).
Increased tone This will be produced by
any upper motor neurone lesion involving the corticospinal tracts above the
level of the anterior horn cell in the spinal cord. There are three major types
of hypertonicity. 1 ‘Clasp knife’
spasticity, in which the resistance is most pronounced when the movement is first made. It is usually more marked in the flexor
muscles of the upper limbs and extensor muscles of the lower limbs and is a
sign of an upper motor neurone lesion. 2 ‘Lead pipe’ rigidity, in which there is equal resistance to all
movements. This is a characteristic feature of a lesion of the extrapyramidal
system but is also seen in severe spasticity from an upper motor neurone
lesion. 3 ‘Cog wheel’ rigidity,
in which there is an alternating jerky resistance to movement and which occurs
in degenerative lesions of the extrapyramidal system, particularly Parkinson’s disease. ‘Clonus’
is best demonstrated by firm rapid dorsiflexion of the foot and is indicative of marked increased
tone.
3. Examination of tendon reflexes.
The deep tendon reflex
requires the stimulus, sensory pathway, motor neurone, contracting muscle and
the synapses between the neurones in order to elicit a response.
Reduced or absent tendon reflex This may occur due to any breach in the reflex arc: • sensory nerve—polyneuritis • sensory root—tabes dorsalis • anterior horn cell—poliomyelitis • anterior root—compression • peripheral motor nerve—trauma • muscle—myopathy.
Increased deep tendon reflex
Due to lesions of the pyramidal system,
increased deep tendon reflexes may be excessively
prolonged, with a larger amplitude in a cerebellar lesion. In myxoedema the
relaxation phase of the reflex is retarded. Each deep
tendon reflex is associated with a particular segmental
innervation and peripheral nerve as listed in Table 1.3. The superficial abdominal reflex has a segmental
innervation extending from T9 in the upper abdominal region to T12 in the lower
area. The reflex may be absent in pyramidal lesions
above the level of segmental innervation, particularly in spinal lesions.
However, the reflex may also be difficult
to elicit when the abdominal muscles have been stretched or damaged by surgical
operations, or in a large, pendulous, obese abdomen.
Plantar reflex
This should result in the great toe flexing the
metatarsophalangeal joint. The Babinski response consists of extension of the
great toe at the metatarsophalangeal joint, and usually at the interphalangeal
joint, and indicates disturbance of the pyramidal tract
4. Examination of superficial reflexes and muscle tone.
Check the 3rd 2nd
question.
5. Examination of coordination.
Coordination should be tested in the
upper and lower limbs. In the upper limb it is best assessed using the ‘finger–nose’
test and in the lower limb using the ‘heel–knee’ test. It is important to
determine whether abnormalities of coordination are due to defects in: • cerebellar function •proprioception
• muscular weakness.
6. Examination of gait.
An essential part of the examination is
to observe the patient’s gait. This is best done not
only as a formal part of the examination but also when the patient is not aware
of observation. The type of gait is characteristic of the underlying
neurological disturbance. Ahemiparesis will cause the patient to drag the leg
and, if severe, the leg will be thrown out from the hip, producing the movement
called circumduction. A high stepping gait occurs with a foot drop (e.g. L5
root lesion due to disc prolapse, lateral popliteal nerve palsy, peroneal
muscular atrophy). The patient raises the foot too high to overcome the foot
drop and the toe hits the ground first. In tabes
dorsalis the high stepping gait is due to a profound loss of position sense but
a similar gait, of lesser severity, will
result from involvement of the posterior column of the spinal cord or severe
sensory neuropathy which interferes with position sense. The gait is worse in
the dark and the heel usually strikes the ground first.
In Parkinson’s disease or other extrapyramidal diseases
the patient walks with a stooped, shuffling gait. The
patient may have difficulty in starting walking and
stopping. Aslight push forward will cause rapid forward movement
(protopulsion). In the ataxic gait, the patient is unstable due to cerebellar
disturbance. Amidline vermis tumour will result in the patient reeling in any
direction. If the cerebellar hemisphere is involved then the patient will tend
to fall to the ipsilateral side. Awaddling gait is associated with congenital
dislocation of the hips and muscular dystrophy. The hysterical gait is often
bizarre and is diminished when the patient is unaware of any observation.
7. Paralysis: upper motor neuron lesion.
Signs: Weakness
or paralysis Spasticity
Loss of superficial abdominal reflexes Increased
tendon reflexes Little, if any, muscle atrophy An extensor plantar (Babinski) response
Such signs occur with involvement of the
upper motor neuron at any point, but further clinical findings depend upon the
actual site of the lesion. Note that it may not be possible to localize a
lesion by its motor signs alone. Localization of underlying lesion. 1) A
parasagittal intracranial lesion produces an upper motor neuron deficit that
characteristically affects both legs and may later involve the arms. 2) A
discrete lesion of the cerebral cortex or its projections may produce a focal
motor deficit involving, for example, the contralateral hand. Weakness may be
restricted to the contralateral leg in patients with anterior cerebral artery
occlusion or to the contralateral face and arm if the middle cerebral artery is
involved. A more extensive cortical or subcortical lesion will produce weakness
or paralysis of the contralateral face, arm, and leg and may be accompanied by
aphasia, a visual field defect, or a sensory disturbance of cortical type. 3) A
lesion at the level of the internal capsule, where the descending fibers from
the cerebral cortex are closely packed, commonly results in a severe
hemiparesis that involves the contralateral limbs and face. 4) A brainstem
lesion commonly – but not invariably –
leads to bilateral motor deficits, often with accompanying sensory and cranial
nerve disturbances, and disequilibrium. A more limited lesion involving the
brainstem characteristically leads to a cranial nerve disturbance on the
ipsilateral side and a contralateral hemiparesis; the cranial nerves affected
depend on the level at which the brainstem is involved. 5) A unilateral spinal
cord lesion above the fifth cervical segment (C5) causes an ipsilateral
hemiparesis that spares the face and cranial nerves. Lesions between C5 and the
first thoracic segment (T1) affect the ipsilateral arm to a variable extent as
well as the ipsilateral
~ 64 ~
leg; a lesion below T1 will affect only
the ipsilateral leg. Because, in practice, both sides of the cord are commonly
involved, quadriparesis or paraparesis usually results. If there is an
extensive but unilateral cord lesion, the motor deficit is accompanied by
ipsilateral impairment of vibration and position sense and by contralateral
loss of pain and temperature appreciation (BrownSequard syndrome).
With compressive and other focal lesions
that involve the anterior horn cells in addition to the fiber tracts traversing
the cord, the muscles innervated by the affected cord segment weaken and
atrophy.
Therefore, a focal lower motor neuron
deficit exists at the level of the lesion and an upper motor neuron deficit
exists below it – in addition to any associated sensory
disturbance.
8. Paralysis: lower motor neuron lesion and myopathic disorders.
Weakness or paralysis
Wasting and fasciculations of involved muscles
Hypotonia (flaccidity) Loss of tendon reflexes when
neurons subserving them are affected
Normal abdominal and plantar reflexes – unless the
neurons subserving them are directly involved, in which case reflex responses
are lost
Localization of the Underlying Lesion. In
distinguishing weakness from a root, plexus, or peripheral nerve lesion, the
distribution of the motor deficit is of particular importance. Only those
muscles supplied wholly or partly by the involved structure are weak. The
distribution of any accompanying sensory deficit similarly reflects the
location of the underlying lesion. It may be impossible to distinguish a
radicular (root) lesion from discrete focal involvement of the spinal cord. In the
latter situation, however, there is more often a bilateral motor deficit at the
level of the lesion, a corticospinal or sensory deficit below it, or a
disturbance of bladder, bowel, or sexual function. Certain disorders
selectively affect the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord diffusely or the
motor nerves; the extensive lower motor neuron deficit without sensory changes
helps to indicate the site and nature of the pathologic involvement
C. Neuromuscular transmission disorders.
Pathologic involvement of either the pre- or postsynaptic portion of the
neuromuscular junction may impair neuromuscular transmission. Signs: Normal or reduced muscle tone
Normal or depressed tendon and superficial reflexes
No sensory changes Weakness, often patchy in distribution,
not conforming to the distribution of any single anatomic structure; frequently
involves the cranial muscles and may fluctuate in severity over short periods,
particularly in relation to activity
D. Myopathic disorders.
Signs:
Weakness, usually most marked proximally rather than distally
No muscle wasting or depression of tendon reflexes until at least an advanced
stage of the disorder Normal abdominal and plantar
reflexes No sensory loss or sphincter disturbances In
distinguishing the various myopathic disorders, it is important to determine
whether the weakness is congenital or acquired, whether there is a family
history of a similar disorder, and whether there is any clinical evidence that
a systemic disease may be responsible. The distribution of affected muscles is
often especially important in distinguishing the various hereditary
myopathies.
9. Hypertonic-hypokinetic syndrome.
The most disabling feature of this
disorder is hypokinesia (sometimes called bradykinesia or akinesia) - a
slowness of voluntary movement and a reduction in automatic movement, such as
swinging the arms while walking.
The patient's face is relatively immobile
(masklike fades), with widened palpebral fissures, infrequent blinking, a
certain fixity of facial expression, and a smile that develops and fades
slowly. The voice is of low volume (hypophonia) and tends to be poorly
modulated. Fine or rapidly alternating movements are impaired, but power is not
diminished if time is allowed for it to develop.
The handwriting is small, tremulous, and hard
to read. Rigidity, or increased tone – ie, increased
resistance to passive movement – is a characteristic
clinical feature of parkinsonism. The disturbance in tone is responsible for
the flexed posture of many patients with parkinsonism.
The resistance is typically uniform
throughout the range of movement at a particular joint and affects agonist and
antagonist muscles alike – in contrast to the findings
in spasticity, where the increase in tone is often greatest at the beginning of
the passive movement (clasp-knife phenomenon) and more marked in some muscles
than in others.
In
some instances, the rigidity in parkinsonism is described as cogwheel rigidity
because of ratchet like interruptions of passive movement that may be due, in
part, to the presence of tremor.
Abnormal gait and posture. The patient
generally finds it difficult to get up from bed or an easy chair and tends to
adopt a flexed posture on standing. It is often difficult to start walking: so
that the patient may lean farther and farther forward while walking in place
before being able to advance.
The gait itself is characterized by
small, shuffling steps and absence of the arm swing that normally accompanies
locomotion; there is generally some unsteadiness on turning, and there may be
difficulty in stopping. In advanced cases, the patient tends to walk with
increasing speed to prevent a fall (festinating gait) because of the altered
center of gravity that results from the abnormal posture.
The 4- to 6-Hz tremor of parkinsonism is
characteristically most conspicuous at rest; it increases at times of emotional
stress and often improves during voluntary activity.
It commonly begins in the hand or foot,
where it takes the form of rhythmic flexionextension of the fingers or of the
hand or foot or of rhythmic pronation-supination of the forearm. It frequently
involves the face in the area of the mouth as well. Although it may ultimately
be present in all of the limbs, it is not uncommon for the tremor to be
confined to one limb or to the two limbs on one side-for months or years before
it becomes more generalized. In some patients tremor never becomes prominent.
10. Abnormal movements.
Abnormal movements (hypotonic-hyperkinetic
syndrome) can be classified as tremor, chorea, athetosis or dystonia,
ballismus, myoclonus, or tics.
The abnormal movements are not present during
sleep. They are generally enhanced by emotional stress and by voluntary
activity. In some cases, abnormal movements or postures occur only during
voluntary activity and sometimes only during specific activities such as
writing, speaking, or chewing.
A tremor is a rhythmic oscillatory
movement best characterized by its relationship to voluntary motor activity – ie, according to whether it occurs at rest, during
maintenance of a particular posture, or during movement. Tremor is enhanced by
emotional stress and disappears during sleep. Tremor that occurs when the limb
is at rest is generally referred to as static tremor or rest tremor. If present
during sustained posture, it is called a postural tremor; while this tremor may
continue during movement, movement does not increase its severity. When present
during movement but not at rest, it is generally called an intention tremor.
Both postural and intention tremors are also called action tremors. An 8- to
12-Hz tremor of the outstretched hands is a normal finding. Physiologic tremor
may be enhanced by fear or anxiety. A more conspicuous postural tremor may also
be found following excessive physical activity or sleep deprivation. Intention tremor occurs during activity. If
the patient is asked to touch his or her nose with a finger, for example, the
arm exhibits tremor during movement, often more marked as the target is reached.
This form of tremor is sometimes mistaken for
limb ataxia, but the latter has no rhythmic oscillatory component. Intention
tremor results from a lesion affecting the superior cerebellar peduncle. Rest tremor usually has a frequency of 4-6 Hz
and is characteristic of parkinsonism whether the disorder is idiopathic or
secondary (ie, postencephalitic, toxic, or drug-induced in origin). The rate of
the tremor, its relationship to activity, and the presence of rigidity or
hypokinesia usually distinguish the tremor of parkinsonism from other forms.
Tremor in the hands may appear as a "pill-rolling" maneuver-rhythmic,
opposing circular movements of the thumb and index finger. There may be
alternating flexion and extension of the fingers or hand, or alternating pronation
and supination of the forearm; in the feet, rhythmic alternating flexion and
extension are common.
The word “chorea” denotes rapid irregular muscle jerks that occur
involuntarily and unpredictably in different parts of the body.
In
florid cases, the often forceful involuntary movements of the limbs and head
and the accompanying facial grimacing and tongue movements are unmistakable.
Voluntary movements may be distorted by the superimposed involuntary ones.
In mild cases, however, patients may
exhibit no more than a persistent restlessness and clumsiness. Power is
generally full, but there may be difficulty in maintaining muscular contraction
such that, for example, hand grip is relaxed intermittently (milkmaid grasp).
The gait becomes irregular and unsteady, with the patient suddenly dipping or
lurching to one side or the other (dancing gait).
Speech often becomes irregular in volume
and tempo and may be explosive in character. In some patients, athetotic
movements or dystonic posturing may also be prominent. Chorea disappears during
sleep.
Hemiballismus is unilateral chorea that is
especially violent because the proximal muscles of the limbs are involved. It
is most often due to vascular disease in the contralateral subthalamic nucleus
and commonly resolves spontaneously in the weeks following its onset.
It
is sometimes due to other types of structural disease; in the past, it was an
occasional complication of thalamotomy. Pharmacologic treatment is similar to
that for chorea.
The term “athetosis” generally denotes abnormal movements that are slow,
sinuous, and writhing in character. When the movements are so sustained that
they are better regarded as abnormal postures, the term dystonia is used, and
many now use the terms interchangeably. The abnormal movements and postures may
be generalized or restricted in distribution.
In
the latter circumstance, one or more of the limbs may be affected (segmental
dystonia) or the disturbance may be restricted to localized muscle groups
(focal dystonia).
Myoclonic jerks are sudden, rapid, twitch-like
muscle contractions. Generalized myoclonus has a widespread distribution, while
focal or segmental myoclonus is restricted to a particular part of the body.
Myoclonus can be spontaneous, or it can be brought on by sensory stimulation,
arousal, or the initiation of movement (action myoclonus).
Myoclonus may occur as a normal
phenomenon (physiologic myoclonus) in healthy persons, as an isolated
abnormality (essential myoclonus), or as a manifestation of epilepsy (epileptic
myoclonus). It can also occur as a feature of a variety of degenerative,
infectious, and metabolic disorders (symptomatic myoclonus).
Tics are sudden, recurrent, quick, coordinated
abnormal movements that can usually be imitated without difficulty. The same
movement occurs again and again and can be suppressed voluntarily for short
periods, although doing so may cause anxiety. Tics tend to worsen with stress,
diminish during voluntary activity or mental concentration, and disappear
during sleep.
Transient simple tics are very common in
children, usually terminate spontaneously within 1 year (often within a few
weeks), and generally require no treatment.
Chronic simple tics can develop at any age but
often begin in childhood, and treatment is unnecessary in most cases. The
benign nature of the disorder must be explained to the patient. Persistent
simple or multiple tics of childhood or adolescence generally begin before age
of 15 years.
There may be single or multiple motor tics
and often vocal tics but complete remission occurs by the end of adolescence.
The syndrome of chronic multiple motor and vocal tics is generally referred to
as Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, after the French physician who was one of
the first to describe its clinical features
11. Cerebellar ataxia.
Ataxia is incoordination or clumsiness of
movement that is not the result of muscular weakness. It is caused by
vestibular, cerebellar, or sensory (proprioceptive) disorders. Ataxia can
affect eye movement, speech (producing dysarthria), individual limbs, the
trunk, stance, or gait. Cerebellar ataxia is produced by lesions of the
cerebellum itself or its afferent or efferent connections in the cerebellar
peduncles, red nucleus, pons, or spinal cord. Because of the crossed connection
between the frontal cerebral cortex and the cerebellum, unilateral frontal
disease can also occasionally mimic a disorder of the contralateral cerebellar
hemisphere. The clinical manifestations of cerebellar ataxia consist of irregularities
in the rate, rhythm, amplitude, and force of voluntary movements. Cerebellar
ataxia is commonly associated with hypotonia, which results in defective
posture maintenance. Limbs are easily displaced by a relatively small force
and, when shaken by the examiner, exhibit an increased range of excursion. The
range of arm swing during walking may be similarly increased. Tendon reflexes
take on a pendular quality, so that several oscillations of the limb may occur
after the reflex is elicited, although neither the force nor the rate of the
reflex is increased. When muscles are contracted against resistance that is
then removed, the antagonist muscle fails to check the movement and
compensatory muscular relaxation does not ensue promptly. This results in
rebound movement of the limb. In addition to hypotonia, cerebellar ataxia is
associated with incoordination of voluntary movements. Simple movements are
delayed in onset, and their rates of acceleration and deceleration are
decreased. The rate, rhythm, amplitude, and force of movements fluctuate,
producing a jerky appearance. Because these irregularities are most pronounced
during initiation and termination of movement, their most obvious clinical
manifestations include terminal dysmetria, or "overshoot," when the
limb is directed at a target, and terminal intention tremor as the limb
approaches the target.
Dysdiadochokinesia denotes rapid alternating
movements that are clumsy and irregular in terms of rhythm and amplitude.
More complex movements tend to become
decomposed into a succession of individual movements rather than a single
smooth motor act (asynergia). Movements that involve rapid changes in direction
or greater physiologic complexity, such as walking, are most severely affected.
Speech becomes dysarthric and takes on an irregular and explosive quality in
patients with lesions that involve the cerebellar hemispheres. Because of the cerebellum's prominent role in
the control of eye movements, ocular abnormalities are a frequent consequence
of cerebellar disease. These include nystagmus and related ocular oscillations,
gaze pareses, and defective saccadic and pursuit movements. Anatomic basis of
distribution of clinical signs. Midline lesions. The middle zone of the
cerebellum – the vermis and flocculonodular lobe and
their associated subcortical (fastigial) nuclei – is
involved in the control of axial functions, including eye movements, head and
trunk posture, stance, and gait. Midline cerebellar disease therefore results
in a clinical syndrome characterized by nystagmus and other disorders of ocular
motility, oscillation of the head and trunk (titubation), instability of
stance, and gait ataxia.
Selective involvement of the superior
cerebellar vermis, as commonly occurs in alcoholic cerebellar degeneration,
produces exclusively or primarily ataxia of gait, as would be predicted from
the somatotopic map of the cerebellum.
Hemispheric lesions. The lateral zones of
the cerebellum (cerebellar hemispheres) help to coordinate movements and
maintain tone in the ipsilateral limbs.
The hemispheres also have a role in
regulating ipsilateral gaze. Disorders affecting one cerebellar hemisphere
cause ipsilateral hemiataxia and hypotonia of the limbs as well as nystagmus
and transient ipsilateral gaze paresis (an inability to look voluntarily toward
the affected side).
Cerebellar dysarthria may also occur with
paramedian lesions in the left cerebellar hemisphere. Diffuse lesions.
Many cerebellar disorders –
typically toxic, metabolic, and degenerative conditions –
affect the cerebellum diffusely. The clinical picture in such states combines
the features of midline and bilateral hemisphere disease.
12. Sensory and vestibular ataxia.
Sensory ataxia results from disorders
that affect the proprioceptive pathways in peripheral sensory nerves, sensory
roots,
posterior columns of the spinal cord, or
medial lemnisci (Fig. 4.4). Thalamic and parietal lobe lesions are rare causes
of contralateral sensory hemiataxia. Sensations of joint position and movement
(kinesthesis)
originate in pacinian corpuscles and
unencapsulated nerve endings in joint capsules, ligaments, muscle, and
periosteum. Such sensations are transmitted via heavily myelinated A-fibers of
primary afferent neurons, which enter the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and
ascend uncrossed in the posterior columns.
Proprioceptive information from the legs
is conveyed in the medially located fasciculus gracilis, and that from the arms
is conveyed in the more laterally situated fasciculus cuneatus.
These
tracts synapse on second-order sensory neurons in the nucleus gracilis and
nucleus cuneatus in the lower medulla. The second-order neurons decussate as
internal arcuate fibers and ascend in the contralateral medial lemniscus.
They terminate in the ventral posterior
nucleus of the thalamus, from which third-order sensory neurons project to the
parietal cortex. Numbness or tingling in the legs is common in patients with
sensory ataxia. Clinical findings include defective joint position and
vibration sense in the legs and sometimes the arms, unstable stance with
Romberg's sign, and a gait of slapping or steppage quality.
Because proprioceptive deficits may, to
some extent, be compensated for by other sensory cues, patients with sensory
ataxia may report that their balance is improved by watching their feet when
they walk or by using a cane or the arm of a companion for support.
They thus find that they are much more
unsteady in the dark and may experience particular difficulty in descending
stairs. Sensory ataxia from polyneuropathy or posterior column lesions
typically affects the gait and legs in symmetric fashion; the arms are involved
to a lesser extent or spared entirely. Vertigo, nystagmus, and dysarthria are
characteristically absent.
Causes of sensory ataxia
Polyneuropathy
Autosomal dominant sensory
ataxic neuropathy
Cisplatin (cis-platinum)
Dejerine-Sottas disease
Diabetes
Diphtheria
Hypothyroidism
Immune-mediated neuropathies
Isoniazid
Paraneoplastic sensory
neuronopathy
Pyridoxine
Refsum's disease
Myelopathy
Acute transverse myelitis
AIDS (vacuolar myelopathy)
Multiple sclerosis
Tumor or cord compression
Vascular malformations
Polyneuropathy or myelopathy
Friedreich's ataxia Neurosyphilis (tabes
dorsalis)
Nitrous oxide
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin E deficiency
Vestibular Ataxia Ataxia associated with
vertigo suggests a vestibular disorder, whereas numbness or tingling in the
legs is common in patients with sensory ataxia. Vestibular ataxia can be
produced by the same central and peripheral lesions that cause vertigo.
Nystagmus is frequently present and is typically unilateral and most pronounced
on gaze away from the side of vestibular involvement. Dysarthria does not
occur. Vestibular ataxia is gravity-dependent: incoordination of limb movements
cannot be demonstrated when the patient is examined lying down but becomes
apparent when the patient attempts to stand or walk. A. Joint position sense. In patients with sensory
ataxia, joint position sense is always impaired in the legs and may be
defective in the arms as well. Testing is accomplished by asking the patient to
detect passive movement of the joints, beginning distally and moving
proximally, to establish the upper level of deficit in each limb. Abnormalities
of position sense can also be demonstrated by positioning one limb and having
the patient, with eyes closed, place the opposite limb in the same position. B.
Vibratory sense. Perception of vibratory sensation is frequently impaired in
patients with sensory ataxia. The patient is asked to detect the vibration of a
128-Hz tuning fork placed over a bony prominence. Again, successively more
proximal sites are tested to determine the upper level of the deficit in each
limb or over the trunk. The patient's threshold for appreciating the vibration
is compared with the examiner's own ability to detect it in the hand that holds
the tuning fork. C. Reflexes. Tendon reflexes are typically hypoactive, with a
pendular quality, in cerebellar disorders; unilateral cerebellar lesions
produce ipsilateral hyporeflexia. Hyporeflexia of the legs is a prominent
manifestation of Friedreich's ataxia, tabes dorsalis, and polyneuropathies that
cause sensory ataxia. Hyperactive reflexes and extensor plantar responses may
accompany ataxia caused by multiple sclerosis, vitamin BI2 deficiency, focal
brainstem lesions, and certain olivopontocerebellar or spinocerebellar
degenerations.
13. Anatomical substrate of sensation.
The sensory pathway between the skin and
deeper structures and the cerebral cortex involves three neurons, with two
synapses occurring centrally (Fig. 2.1). The cell body of the first sensory
neuron of the spinal nerve is in the dorsal root ganglion.
Each cell located there sends a peripheral
process that terminates in a free nerve ending or encapsulated sensory receptor
and a central process that enters the spinal cord. Sensory receptors are
relatively specialized for particular sensations and, in addition to free nerve
endings (pain), include Meissner's corpuscles, Merkel's corpuscles, and hair
cells (touch); Krause's end-bulbs (cold); and Ruffini's corpuscles (heat).
The location of the first central synapse
depends upon the type of sensation but is either in the posterior gray column
of the spinal cord or in the upward extension of this column in the lower
brainstem.
The second synapse is located in the ventral
posterolateral (VPL) nucleus of thalamus, from which there is sensory radiation
to the cerebral cortex. In the spinal cord, fibers mediating touch, pressure,
and postural sensation ascend in the posterior white columns to the medulla,
where they synapse in the gracile and cuneate nuclei.
From these nuclei, fibers cross the midline
and ascend in the medial lemniscus to the thalamus. Other fibers that mediate
touch and those subserving pain and temperature appreciation synapse on neurons
in the posterior horns of the spinal cord, particularly in the substantia
gelatinosa.
The fibers from these neurons then cross
the midline and ascend in the anterolateral part of the cord; fibers mediating
touch pass upward in the anterior spinothalamic tract, whereas pain and
temperature fibers generally travel in the lateral spinothalamic tract.
Fibers from this anterolateral system pass to
the thalamic relay nuclei and to nonspecific thalamic projection nuclei and the
mesencephalic reticular formation. Fibers from the lemniscal and anterolateral
systems are joined in the brainstem by fibers subserving sensation from the
head.
Cephalic pain and temperature sensation
are dependent upon the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal (V) nerve; touch,
pressure, and postural sensation are conveyed mostly by the main sensory and
mesencephalic nuclei of this nerve.
14. Examination of primary sensory modalities.
A. Light touch. The appreciation of light
touch is evaluated with a wisp of cotton wool (a finger, a feather, a piece of
tissue paper, or the like), which is brought down carefully on a small region
of skin. The patient lies quietly, with the eyes closed, and makes a signal
each time the stimulus is felt. The appreciation of light touch depends on
fibers that traverse the posterior column of the spinal cord in the gracile
(leg) and cuneate (arm) fasciculi ipsilaterally, passing to the medial
lemniscus of the brainstem, and on fibers in the contralateral anterior
spinothalamic tract.
B. Pain & temperature. The ability to
feel pain should be tested by pinching a fold of skin or by asking the patient
to indicate whether the point of a pin (not a hypodermic needle, which is
likely to puncture the skin and draw blood) feels sharp or blunt.
Temperature appreciation is evaluated by
application to the skin of containers of hot or cold water.
Pain and temperature appreciation depend
upon the integrity of the lateral spinothalamic tracts. The afferent fibers
cross in front of the central canal after ascending for two or three segments
from their level of entry into the cord.
C. Deep pressure. Deep pressure
sensibility is evaluated by pressure on the tendons, such as the Achilles
tendon at the ankle.
D. Vibration. Vibration appreciation is
evaluated with a tuning fork (128 Hz) that is set in motion and then placed
over a bony prominence; the patient is asked to indicate whether vibration,
rather than simple pressure, is felt. Many elderly patients have impaired
appreciation of vibration below the knees.
E. Joint position. Joint position sense
is tested by asking the patient to indicate the direction of small passive
movements of the terminal interphalangeal joints of the fingers and toes.
Patients with severe impairment of joint position sense may exhibit slow,
continuous movement of the fingers (pseudoathetoid movement) when attempting to
hold the hands outstretched with the eyes closed. For clinical purposes, both
joint position sense and the ability to appreciate vibration are considered to
depend on fibers carried in the posterior columns of the cord, although there
is evidence that this is not true for vibration.
15.Examination of complex sensory
functions.
A. Romberg's test. The patient is asked to assume a steady stance
with feet together, arms outstretched, and eyes closed and is observed for any
tendency to sway or fall. The test is positive (abnormal) if unsteadiness is
markedly increased by eye closure as occurs, for example, in tabes dorsalis. A
positive test is indicative of grossly impaired joint position sense in the
legs.
B. Two-point discrimination. The ability
to distinguish simultaneous touch at two neighboring points depends upon the
integrity of the central and peripheral nervous system, the degree of
separation of the two points, and the part of the body that is stimulated. The
patient is required to indicate whether he or she is touched by one or two
compass points, while the distance between the points is varied in order to
determine the shortest distance at which they are recognized as different
points. The threshold for two-point discrimination approximates 4 mm at the
fingertips and may be several centimeters on the back. When peripheral sensory
function is intact, impaired two-point discrimination suggests a disorder
affecting the sensory cortex.
C. Graphesthesia, stereognosis, &
barognosis. Agraphesthesia, the inability to identify a number traced on the
skin of the palm of the hand despite normal cutaneous sensation, implies a
lesion involving the contralateral parietal lobe. The same is true of inability
to distinguish between various shapes or textures by touch (astereognosis) or
impaired ability to distinguish between different weights (abarognosis).
D. Bilateral sensory discrimination. In
some patients with apparently normal sensation, simultaneous stimulation of the
two sides of the body reveals an apparent neglect of (or inattention to)
sensation from one side, usually because of some underlying contralateral
cerebral lesion.
16. Sensory disturbances in patients with peripheral nerve and
root lesions.
A. Mononeuropathy.
In patients with a lesion of a single
peripheral nerve, sensory loss is usually less than would have been predicted
on anatomic grounds because of overlap from adjacent nerves . Moreover,
depending upon the type of lesion, the fibers in a sensory nerve may be
affected differently. Compressive lesions, for example, tend to affect
preferentially the large fibers that subserve touch.
B. Polyneuropathy. In patients with
polyneuropathies, sensory loss is generally symmetric and is greater distally
than proximally – as suggested by the term
stocking-and-glove sensory loss. As a general rule the loss will have progressed
almost to the knees before the hands are affected. Certain metabolic disorders
(such as Tangier disease, a recessive trait characterized by the near absence
of highdensity lipoproteins) preferentially involve small nerve fibers that
subserve pain and temperature appreciation. Sensory loss may be accompanied by
a motor deficit and reflex changes.
C. Root lesions. Nerve root involvement
produces impairment of cutaneous sensation in a segmental pattern, but because
of overlap there is generally no loss of sensation unless two or more adjacent
roots are affected.
Pain is often a conspicuous feature in
patients with compressive root lesions. Depending on the level affected, there
may be loss of tendon reflexes (C5-6, biceps and brachioradialis; C7-8, triceps;
L3-4, knee; S1, ankle), and if the anterior roots are also involved, there may
be weakness and muscle atrophy.
17. Sensory disturbances in patients with spinal cord lesions.
In patients with a spinal cord lesion,
there may be a transverse sensory level. Physiologic areas of increased
sensitivity do occur, however, at the costal margin, over the breasts, and in
the groin, and these must not be taken as abnormal. Therefore, the level of a
sensory deficit affecting the trunk is best determined by careful sensory
testing over the back rather than the chest and abdomen.
A. Central spinal cord lesion. With a central spinal cord lesion – such as occurs in syringomyelia, following trauma, and with
certain cord tumors – there is characteristically a
loss of pain and temperature appreciation with sparing of other modalities.
This loss is due to the interruption of fibers conveying pain and temperature
that cross from one side of the spinal cord to the spinothalamic tract on the
other. Such a loss is usually bilateral, may be asymmetric, and involves only
the fibers of the involved segments. It may be accompanied by lower motor
neuron weakness in the muscles supplied by the affected segments and sometimes
by a pyramidal and posterior column deficit below the lesion.
B. Anterolateral spinal cord lesion.
Lesions involving the anterolateral portion of the spinal cord (lateral
spinothalamic tract) can cause contralateral impairment of pain and temperature
appreciation in segments below the level of the lesion. The spinothalamic tract
is laminated, with fibers from the sacral segments the outermost. Intrinsic
spinal cord (intramedullary) lesions often spare the sacral fibers, while
extramedullary lesions, which compress the spinal cord, tend to involve these
fibers as well as those arising from more rostral levels.
C. Anterior spinal cord lesion. With
destructive lesions involving predominantly the anterior portion of the spinal
cord, pain and temperature appreciation are impaired below the level of the
lesion from lateral spinothalamic tract involvement. In addition, weakness or
paralysis of muscles supplied by the involved segments of the spinal cord
results from damage to motor neurons in the anterior horn.
With more extensive disease, involvement of
the corticospinal tracts in the lateral funiculi may cause a pyramidal deficit
below the lesion. There is relative preservation of posterior column function.
Ischemic myelopathies caused by occlusion of the anterior spinal artery take
the form of anterior spinal cord lesions.
D. Posterior spinal column lesion. A
patient with a posterior column lesion may complain of a tight or bandlike
sensation in the regions corresponding to the level of spinal involvement and
sometimes also of paresthesias (like electric shocks) radiating down the
extremities on neck flexion (Lhermitte's sign). There is loss of vibration and
joint position sense below the level of the lesion, with preservation of other
sensory modalities. The deficit may resemble that resulting from involvement of
large fibers in the posterior roots.
E. Spinal cord hemisection. Lateral
hemisection of the spinal cord leads to Brown-Sequard's syndrome. Below the
lesion, there is an ipsilateral pyramidal deficit and disturbed appreciation of
vibration and joint position sense, with contralateral loss of pain and
temperature appreciation that begins two or three segments below the lesion.
18. Sensory disturbances in patients with brainstem and
hemispheric lesions.
Brainstem lesions. Sensory disturbances
may be accompanied by a motor deficit, cerebellar signs, and cranial nerve
palsies when the lesion is in the brainstem. In patients with lesions involving
the spinothalamic tract in the dorsolateral medulla and pons, pain and
temperature appreciation are lost in the limbs and trunk on the opposite side
of the body.
When such a lesion is located in the
medulla, it also typically involves the spinal trigeminal nucleus, impairing
pain and temperature sensation on the same side of the face as the lesion. The
result is a crossed sensory deficit that affects the ipsilateral face and
contralateral limbs.
In contrast, spinothalamic lesions above
the spinal trigeminal nucleus affect the face, limbs, and trunk contralateral
to the lesion. With lesions affecting the medial lemniscus, there is loss of
touch and proprioception on the opposite side of the body. In the upper
brainstem, the spinothalamic tract and medial lemniscus run together so that a
single lesion may cause loss of all superficial and deep sensation over the contralateral
side of the body. Thalamic lesions. Thalamic lesions may lead to loss or
impairment of all forms of sensation on the contralateral side of the body.
Spontaneous pain, sometimes with a particularly unpleasant quality, may occur
on the affected side. Patients may describe it as burning, tearing, knifelike,
or stabbing, but often have difficulty characterizing it. Any form of cutaneous
stimulation can lead to painful or unpleasant sensations. Such a thalamic
syndrome (Dejerine-Roussy syndrome) can also occasionally result from lesions
of the white matter of the parietal lobe or from cord lesions.
Sensory cortex lesions. Disease limited
to the sensory cortex impairs discriminative sensory function on the opposite
side of the body. Thus, patients may be unable to localize stimuli on the
affected side or to recognize the position of different parts of the body.
They may not be able to recognize objects
by touch or to estimate their size, weight, consistency, or texture. Cortical
sensory disturbances are usually more conspicuous in the hands than in the
trunk or proximal portions of the limbs
19. Pain syndromes.
Pain from infective, inflammatory, or
neoplastic processes is a feature of many visceral diseases and may be a
conspicuous component of certain neurologic or psychiatric diseases. It can
also occur with no obvious cause.
In evaluating patients with pain, it is
important to determine the level of the nervous system at which the pain arises
and whether it has a primary neurologic basis. In taking the history, attention
should be focused on the mode of onset, duration, nature, severity, and
location of the pain; any associated symptoms; and factors that precipitate or
relieve the pain.
Treatment depends on the underlying cause
and clinical context of the pain and is discussed below. A brief comment is
necessary, however, about stimulation-produced analgesia and, in particular,
about spinal cord stimulation (previously known as dorsal column stimulation)
and peripheral nerve stimulation.
These approaches were based on principles
encapsulated by the Gate Control theory, in which activation of large
myelinated fibers was held to interrupt nociceptive transmission in the spinal
cord, but their precise mechanism of action is uncertain. Spinal cord
stimulation is known to affect certain neurotransmitter systems, particularly
substance P and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic)
systems.
A. Peripheral nerve pain. Pain arising from peripheral nerve
lesions is usually localized to the region that is affected pathologically or
confined to the territory of the affected nerve. It may have a burning quality,
and when mixed (motor and sensory) nerves are involved, there may be an
accompanying motor deficit. Painful peripheral neuropathies include those
caused by diabetes, polyarteritis, alcoholic-nutritional deficiency states, and
the various entrapment neuropathies.
Treatment of pain associated with peripheral
neuropathies is discussed in the section on diabetic neuropathy earlier. The term causalgia correctly is used for the
severe persistent pain, often burning in quality, that results from nerve
trauma.
Such pain often radiates to a more extensive
territory than is supplied by the affected nerve and is associated with
exquisite tenderness. Onset of pain may be at any time within the first 6 weeks
or so after nerve injury. Pain may be accompanied by increased sweating and
vasoconstriction of the affected extremity, which is commonly kept covered up
and still by the patient. Reflex
sympathetic dystrophy is a more general term that denotes sympathetically
mediated pain syndromes precipitated by a wide variety of tissue injuries,
including soft tissue trauma, bone fractures, and myocardial infarction.
Medical approaches to treatment include
sympathetic blockade by injection of local anesthetics into the sympathetic
chain or by regional infusion of reserpine or guanethidine. One such procedure
may produce permanent cessation of pain-or repeated sympathetic blocks may be
required. Surgical sympathectomy is beneficial in up to 75% of cases. Spinal
cord stimulation has also been successful in some instances for the treatment
of reflex sympathetic dystrophy or causalgia.
B. Radicular pain. Radicular pain is
localized to the distribution of one or more nerve roots and is often
exacerbated by coughing, sneezing, and other maneuvers that increase
intraspinal pressure. It is also exacerbated by maneuvers that stretch the
affected roots.
Passive straight leg raising leads to
stretching of the sacral and lower lumbar roots, as does passive flexion of the
neck. Spinal movements that narrow the intervertebral foramina can aggravate
root pain.
Extension and lateral flex ion of the
head to the affected side may thus exacerbate cervical root symptoms. In
addition to pain, root lesions can cause paresthesias and numbness in a
dermatomal distribution; they can also cause segmental weakness and reflex
changes, depending upon the level affected. Useful modes of treatment include
immobilization, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other analgesics, and
surgical decompression.
C. Thalamic pain. Depending upon their
extent and precise location, thalamic lesions may lead to pain in all or part
of the contralateral half of the body. The pain is of a burning nature with a
particularly unpleasant quality that patients have difficulty describing.
It is aggravated by emotional stress and
tends to develop during partial recovery from a sensory deficit caused by the
underlying thalamic lesion. Mild cutaneous stimulation may produce very
unpleasant and painful sensations.
This combination of sensory loss,
spontaneous pain, and perverted cutaneous sensation has come to be called
Dejerine-Roussy syndrome. Similar pain can be produced by a lesion that
involves the parietal lobe or the sensory pathways at any point in the cord
(posterior columns or spinothalamic tract) or in the brainstem. Treatment with
analgesics, anticonvulsants (carbamazepine or phenytoin), or antidepressants
and phenothiazines in combination is occasionally helpful.
20. Functional anatomy of the spinal cord.
The spinal cord is located inside the
vertebral canal, which is formed by the foramina of 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5
lumbar, and 5 sacral vertebrae, which together form the spine. It extends from
the foramen magnum down to the level of the first and second lumbar vertebrae
(at birth down to second and third lumbar vertebrae).
The spinal cord is composed of 31
segments: 8 cervical (C), 12 thoracic (T), 5 lumbar (L), 5 sacral (S), and 1
coccygeal (Co), mainly vestigial (Fig. 3.1). The spinal nerves comprise the
sensory nerve roots, which enter the spinal cord at each level, and the motor
roots, which emerge from the cord at each level. The spinal nerves are named
and numbered according to the site of their emergence from the vertebral canal.
C1-7 nerves emerge above their respective
vertebrae. C8 emerges between the seventh cervical and first thoracic
vertebrae. The remaining nerves emerge below their respective vertebrae.
The dorsal rami of C1-4 are located in
the suboccipital region.
C1 participates in the innervation of
neck muscles, including the semispinalis capitis muscle.
C2 carries sensation from the back of the
head and scalp along with motor innervation to several muscles in the neck.
C3-C5 contribute to forming the phrenic nerve and innervating the diaphragm.
C5-T1 provide motor control for the upper
extremities and related muscles. The thoracic cord has 12 segments and provides
motor control to the thoracoabdominal musculature. The lumbar and sacral
portions of the cord have 5 segments each. L2-S2 provide motor control to lower
extremities and related muscles.
The conus medullaris is the cone-shaped
termination of the caudal cord. The pia mater continues caudally as the filum
terminate through the dural sac and attaches to the coccyx. The coccyx has only
one spinal segment. The cauda equina (Latin for horse tail) is the collection
of lumbar and sacral spinal nerve roots that travel .
The external part of the spinal cord
consists of white matter, while the internal part is composed of gray matter.
The white matter includes the 3 funiculi,
posterior, lateral, and anterior. Each contains ascending and descending tracts
. A tract is usually named by a composite of its origin and destination.
The gray matter can be divided into 10
laminae/layers or into 4 parts: anterior or ventral horn (ie, motor neurons;
laminae VIII, IX, and part of VII), posterior or dorsal horn (ie, sensory part;
laminae I-VI), intermediate zones (ie, associate neurons; lamina VII), and
lateral horns (ie, part of the intermediate zone, present in the thoracic and
lumbar segments, where sympathetic neurons are located).
The cell bodies of the sensory nerves are
located in the dorsal root ganglia. Each dorsal root contains the input from
all the structures within the distribution of its corresponding body segment
(ie, somite).
Dermatomal maps portray sensory
distributions for each level. These maps differ somewhat according to the
methods used in their construction.
Charts based on injection of local
anesthetics into single dorsal root ganglia show bands of hypalgesia to be
continuous longitudinally from the periphery to the spine. Maps derived from
other methods, such as observation of herpes zoster lesion distributions or
surgical root section, show discontinuous patterns. In addition, innervation
from one dermatomal segment to another overlaps considerably, more so for touch
than for pain. As the dermatomes travel from the back to the chest and abdomen,
they tend to dip inferiorly.
21. Autonomic pathways and disturbances of bladder, bowel, and
sexual function.
Preganglionic sympathetic neurons are
located in the intermediolateral cell column (lamina VII), which lies in the
lateral aspect of the gray matter at levels T1-L3. Preganglionic fibers pass
through the ventral roots, spinal nerves, and white communicating rami, ending
in the sympathetic paravertebral ganglia at different levels. They are
cholinergic. Second-order neurons then reach the end organ and in most cases
use norepinephrine as their neurotransmitter. Sacral preganglionic neurons are
located in and near the intermediolateral nucleus of S2-S4. They are
cholinergic and emerge from the spinal cord, synapsing in the end organ
ganglia. Postganglionic neurons are cholinergic and control defecation,
urination, and erection. The clinical manifestations of bladder, bowel, and
sexual disturbances depend on the site of the lesion (peripheral/central,
unilateral/bilateral): Spinal cord transection above the sacral level cuts off
the bladder and bowel from the supraspinally derived (cortical) impulses
subserving the voluntary control of micturition and defecation, but all of the
afferent and efferent nerve pathways of the bladder remain intact, including
the spinal reflex arc for bladder emptying. The result is a spastic (automatic)
neurogenic bladder, which empties itself reflexively whenever it is filled to a
certain volume. Penile erection remains possible, though there may be
retrograde ejaculation into the bladder. Lesions of the conus medullaris and
cauda equine (as well as sacral plexus and pelvic plexus) inactivate the sacral
centers for micturition and defecation. The result is atony of the bladder (a
flaccid neurogenic bladder) and bowel musculature, leading to severe impairment
of emptying. Bladder filling can no longer be perceived, either consciously or
unconsciously. Tone is preserved in the sympathetically elevated vesical
sphincter; the bladder, therefore, continues to fill until the passive
intravesical pressure overcomes the closing force of the sphincter. The
continually overfilled bladder lets out small amounts of urine at short
intervals (overflow incontinence). Defecation, meanwhile, occurs passively and
in uncontrolled fashion through a patulous anal sphincter. In the male, lesions
of these structures cause erectile impotence. Psychosexually mediated arousal
remains possible in rare cases because of the preserved sympathetic efferent
innervation through the hypogastric plexus. Thus, a small number of affected
men are still able to have an emission of semen, but without ejaculation, and
without rhythmic contraction of the pelvic floor muscles.
22. Complete spinal cord transection syndrome.
In the acute phase, the classic syndrome
of complete spinal cord transection at the high cervical level consists of
respiratory insufficiency, quadriplegia, upper and lower extremity areflexia,
anesthesia below the affected level, neurogenic shock (hypotension without
compensatory tachycardia), loss of rectal and bladder sphincter tone, and
urinary and bowel retention leading to abdominal distention, ileus, and delayed
gastric emptying. This constellation of symptoms is called spinal shock. Horner syndrome (ie, ipsilateral ptosis,
miosis, and anhydrosis) is also present with higher lesions because of
interruption of the descending sympathetic pathways originating from the
hypothalamus. Patients experience problems with temperature regulation because
of the sympathetic impairment, which leads to hypothermia. Lower cervical level
injury spares the respiratory muscles. High thoracic lesions lead to
paraparesis instead of quadriparesis, but autonomic symptoms are still marked.
In lower thoracic and lumbar lesions, hypotension is not present but urinary
and bowel retention are. In the subacute
phase, the flaccidity of spinal shock is replaced by the return of intrinsic
activity of spinal neurons and spasticity develops. This usually happens in
humans within 3 weeks of injury. However, the spinal shock phase may be
prolonged by other medical complications, such as infections. Quadriplegia and sensory loss below the level
of injury persist, but spinal reflexes return. Because modulation from
supraspinal centers is lost, hyperreflexia with increased tone and extensor
plantar responses are noted. At any given level, with more extensive
involvement of the anterior horn, flaccidity with loss of reflex activity and
atrophy is present in a lower motor neuron pattern (as is common in diseases
such as poliomyelitis). Usually the initial hypotension after high lesions
resolves, although orthostatic hypotension persists. For lesions above the
lumbosacral centers for bladder control, the initial urinary retention is
replaced by development of a spastic (automatic) neurogenic bladder. Lower
lesions lead to permanent atonic bladder (a flaccid neurogenic bladder).
Autonomic hyperreflexia in the subacute phase is characterized by massive
firing of sympathetic neurons after distention, stimulation, or manipulation of
the bladder and bowels. Cutaneous stimulation with painful or cold stimuli can
also lead to massive sympathetic firing. This is a life-threatening condition
because blood pressure may increase as high as 300 mm Hg, leading to
intracerebral hemorrhage, confusional states, and death. A response to the massive
sympathetic discharge is generated at the brainstem level. However,
interruption of descending projections to the spinal cord can prevent
inhibition of the spinal cord sympathetic centers, which continue to fire
inappropriately until the stimulus is removed. A vagal inhibitory reflex to the
heart is generated, which leads to bradycardia and worsening symptoms.
23. Anterior cord syndrome. Central cord syndrome. Radiculopathy
syndromes.
Anterior
cord syndrome. The anterior cord syndrome is typically observed with
anterior spinal artery infarction and results in paralysis below the level of
the lesion, with loss of pain and temperature sensation below the level of the
lesion and relative sparing of touch, vibration, and position sense (because
the posterior columns receive their primary blood supply from the posterior
spinal arteries).
Central cord syndrome. Central cord syndrome is observed most often in
syringomyelia, hydromyelia, and trauma. Hemorrhage and intramedullary tumors
such as central canal ependymoma are other causes. Since central cord syndrome
is more common in the cervical cord, the arms are often weak with preservation
of strength in the legs ("man-in-a-barrel syndrome"). Considerable
recovery is common. This syndrome is associated with variable sensory and
reflex deficits; often the most affected sensory modalities are pain and
temperature because the lateral spinothalamic tract fibers cross just ventral
to the central canal. This is sometimes referred to as dissociated sensory loss
and is often present in a cape-like distribution. Lateral extension can result
in ipsilateral Horner syndrome (because of involvement of the ciliospinal
center), kyphoscoliosis (because of involvement of dorsomedian and ventromedian
motor nuclei supplying the paraspinal muscles) and spastic paralysis (because
of corticospinal tract involvement). Dorsal extension can result in ipsilateral
position sense and vibratory loss due to involvement of dorsal column.
Radiculopathy syndromes. Patients with radicular involvement present with dermatomal
sensory changes with dorsal root involvement and with myotomal weakness with
ventral root involvement. In general, radicular pain (eg, root distribution or
shooting pain) increases with increased intraspinal pressure (eg, coughing,
sneezing, any Valsalva maneuver).
24. Brown-Séquard syndrome. Cauda equina
and conus medullaris syndromes.
Brown-Séquard syndrome. Brown-Séquard
syndrome may be considered equivalent to a hemicordectomy. Ipsilateral
paralysis, loss of vibration and position sense below the level of the lesion,
hyperreflexia, and an extensor toe sign all are noted. Ipsilateral segmental
anesthesia is also observed at the lesion level. Loss of pain and temperature
is observed contralaterally below the level of the lesion (beginning perhaps
2-3 segments below). Brown-Séquard syndrome is most
common after trauma. However, the full spectrum of this syndrome is rare.
Cauda equina and conus medullaris syndromes. Patients with lesions affecting only the cauda equina can
present with a polyradiculopathy in the lumbosacral area, with pain, radicular
sensory changes, asymmetric lower motor neuron–type leg
weakness, and sphincter dysfunction. This may be difficult to distinguish from
plexus or nerve involvement. Lesions affecting only the conus medullaris cause
early disturbance of bowel and bladder functions.
25. Visual system: functional anatomy and examination (visual
acuity, fields, ophthalmoscopy).
The visual acuity should be tested using
the standard Snellen type charts placed at 6m. The acuity is recorded as a
fraction, e.g. 6/6 or 6/12, in which the numerator indicates the distance in
metres from the chart and the denominator the line on the chart that can be
read. 6/6 is normal vision. Refractive errors should be corrected by testing
with the patient’s glasses or by asking the patient to
view the chart through a pinhole.
The visual fields can be charted by
confrontation, with the patient facing the examiner and objects of varying size
being moved slowly into the visual field .
Formal testing using perimetry should be
undertaken in all cases of visual failure, pituitary tumour, parasellar tumour,
other tumours possibly involving the visual pathways and demyelinating disease,
or if there are any doubts after confrontation that the fields may be
restricted. Perimetry can be performed using either a tangent screen, such as a
Bjerrum screen a Goldmann perimeter.
The Bjerrum screen records the central
field of vision. By enlarging the central area out to 30°it is easier to detect
scotomas and to measure the blind spot and, provided a small enough target is
used, the tangent screen provides an accurate representation of the peripheral
fields. An automated perimetry machine will enable an accurate and reproducible
field test that is particularly useful in cooperative patients. The pattern of
visual field loss will depend on the anatomical site of the lesion in the visual
pathways • total visual loss—optic nerve lesion • altitudinous
hemianopia—partial lesion of the optic nerve due to trauma or vascular accident
• homonymous hemianopia—lesions of the optic tract, radiation or calcarine
cortex • bitemporal hemianopia—optic chiasm lesions such as pituitary tumour,
craniopharyngioma or suprasellar meningioma.
Fundal examination The fundus should be
examined using the ophthalmoscope with particular attention to the:
• optic disc
• vessels
•retina.
A pale optic disc is due to optic atrophy
which may be either primary, as a result of an optic nerve lesion caused by
compression or demyelination, or consecutive, which follows severe swelling of
the disc. Papilloedema is due to raised intracranial pressure and is evident
by: •blurring of the disc margins
•filling in of the optic cup
• swelling and engorgement of retinal
veins, with loss of normal pulsation of the veins
• haemorrhages around the disc margin (if
severe).
26. Ocular motor system: functional anatomy and examination of eye
movements.
The following are the general actions of
the extraocular muscles
• Lateral rectus (6th nerve) moves the
eye horizontally outwards.
• Medial rectus (3rd nerve) moves the eye
horizontally inwards.
• Superior rectus (3rd nerve) elevates
the eye when it is turned outwards.
• Inferior oblique (3rd nerve) elevates
the eye when it is turned inwards.
• Inferior rectus (3rd nerve) depresses
the eye when it is turned outwards.
• Superior oblique (4th nerve) depresses
the eye when it is turned inwards. The patient should be tested for diplopia,
which will indicate ocular muscle weakness before it is evident on examination.
The following rules help determine which muscle and cranial nerve are involved.
• The displacement of the false image may
be horizontal, vertical or both.
• The separation of images is greatest in
the direction in which the weak muscle has its purest action.
•The false image is displaced furthest in
the direction in which the weak muscle should move the eye.
27. Disorders of the visual system.
Disorders of eye movement may be due to
impaired conjugate ocular movement. The centre for the control of conjugate
lateral gaze is situated in the posterior part of the frontal lobe, with input
from the occipital region. The final common pathway for
controlling conjugate movement is in the brainstem, particularly the median
longitudinal bundle. Alesion of the frontal lobe causes contralateral paralysis
of conjugate gaze (i.e. eyes deviated towards the side of the lesion) and a
lesion of the brainstem causes ipsilateral paralysis of conjugate gaze (i.e.
eyes deviated to side opposite to the lesion).
Nystagmusshould be tested by asking the
patient to watch the tip of a pointer. This should be held first
in the midline and then moved slowly to the right, to the left and then
vertically upwards and downwards.
Jerk nystagmus is the common type, consisting
of slow drift in one direction and fast correcting movement in the other.
Horizontal jerk nystagmus is produced by
lesions in the vestibular system which may occur peripherally in the labyrinth,
centrally at the nuclei, in the brainstem or in the cerebellum.
In peripheral lesions the quick phase is
away from the lesion and the amplitude is greater in the direction of the quick
phase. In cerebellar lesions the quick phase is in the direction of gaze at
that moment but the amplitude is greater to the side of the lesion.
By convention the quick phase is taken to
indicate the direction of the nystagmus, so that if the slow phase is to the
right and the quick phase to the left the patient is described as having
nystagmus to the left. Vertical nystagmus is due to intrinsic brainstem lesions
such as multiple sclerosis, brainstem tumours or phenytoin toxicity.
The so-called ‘downbeat’ nystagmus, which
is characterized by a vertical nystagmus exaggerated by downgaze, is
particularly evident in low brainstem lesions as caused by Chiari syndrome,
where the lower brainstem has been compressed by the descending cerebellar
tonsils.
28. Functional anatomy and examination of the trigeminal
nerve.
The 5th cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve)
is tested by assessing facial sensation over the three divisions of the cranial
nerve; corneal sensation should be tested using a fine
piece of cotton wool. The motor function of the 5th nerve can be tested by
palpating the muscles while the patient clenches their jaw, testing the power
of jaw opening and lateral deviation of the jaw.
29. Lesions of the trigeminal nerve.
Trigeminal nerve function may be affected
by supranuclear (upper motor neuron), nuclear, or peripheral lesions.
A. Supranuclear lesions. The motor nuclei receive bilateral
supranuclear (corticobulbar) innervation. A unilateral upper motor neuron
lesion (e.g. a hemispheric stroke) causes no clinically discernible weakness of
the trigeminal nerve-innervated muscles. Bilateral upper motor neuron lesions
(e.g. bilateral hemispheric strokes, occurring simultaneously or consecutively,
or an upper brainstem lesion affecting both corticobulbar pathways) result in a
pseudobulbar palsy with dysarthria, dysphagia, and a brisk jaw jerk.
B. Nuclear lesions. Lesions involving the
motor nucleus in the pons will cause ipsilateral weakness and wasting of the
muscles of mastication. Masseter and temporalis can be seen and felt to be
wasted, on jaw closure, and on jaw opening the jaw will deviate to the affected
side because of weakness of the pterygoid muscles. Isolated involvement of the
pontine primary sensory nucleus would be expected to produce ipsilateral loss
of facial light-touch sensation, with preservation of pinprick sensation, but
in practice lesions invariably also involve descending fibres and both sensory
modalities are impaired. Lesions in this area affecting trigeminal motor and
sensory function also frequently cause contralateral
hemiplegia and spinothalamic sensory
loss. Common pathologies include vascular disease, demyelination, and tumour.
Rarer causes are a variety of vascular malformations and (very rare)
syringobulbia. Lesions in the medulla and upper cervical cord may affect the
spinal trigeminal tract and nucleus, causing ipsilateral loss of facial pain
(pinprick) and temperature sensation, with preservation of light-touch and the
corneal reflex. By far the most common cause is infarction of the lateral
medulla secondary to occlusion of the vertebral artery or the posterior inferior
cerebellar artery (the lateral medullary syndrome of Wallenberg). Further
symptoms include hiccoughs, dizziness, dysarthria, and dysphagia. Ipsilateral
signs, in addition to the facial sensory loss, include Horner's syndrome,
palatal and vocal cord paresis, and cerebellar ataxia. Contralaterally there is
limb and trunk spinothalamic (pinprick and temperature) sensory loss. In
syringomyelia a central cord lesion (a syrinx or cavity) gradually extends
upwards from the cervical spinal cord into the medulla (when it is referred to
as syringobulbia) and possibly as far as the pons. Spinal cord tumours may
behave in the same fashion. In these situations there is bilateral involvement
of the trigeminal tract and nuclei and, due to the topographic organization of
nerve fibres, a particular pattern of facial sensory loss (to pinprick and
temperature) evolves, which has been likened to an onion-skin or the wearing of
a balaclava helmet. Thus, the sensory loss gradually progresses forwards and
medially towards the nose.
C. Peripheral lesions. Numerous
pathologies can affect the intracranial parts of the trigeminal nerve complex
(the motor and sensory roots, trigeminal ganglion, and the three major nerve
divisions). These include tumours (metastases, carcinomatous meningitis,
acoustic neuromas, trigeminal neuromas, meningiomas, nasopharyngeal carcinoma),
infections (viral, acute and chronic meningitis, abscesses, osteitis), Paget's
disease, trauma, aneurysms, and granulomatous processes. Depending upon the
site of the lesion, other cranial nerves may be involved and particular
syndromes can be identified. A lesion affecting both the sympathetic nerve
fibres around the internal carotid artery and the trigeminal ganglion may
produce a Horner's syndrome (without anhydrosis as sudomotor fibres travel
along the external carotid artery) and trigeminal nerve involvement (either
with pain alone or with a demonstrable sensorimotor neuropathy). This
combination is referred to as Raeder's paratrigeminal syndrome, and causes include
carotid aneurysm, infection, tumours, and trauma. Such lesions may involve the
optic nerve and cranial nerves III, IV, and VI in the parasellar region.
Peripheral branches of the three main nerves may be damaged by blunt or
penetrating, or surgical, trauma, resulting in areas of sensory disturbance,
sometimes accompanied by continuous or neuralgic pain. Those most commonly
affected are the supraorbital, infraorbital, and inferior alveolar nerves. The
rather specific numb cheek and chin syndromes are discussed below. Trigeminal
neuralgia is the most frequently encountered disorder of the trigeminal nerve.
It may be symptomatic of an underlying structural disorder affecting the nerve,
but in the majority of patients no specific cause is identified. It is more
common in the second half of life, cases in younger people more often being
symptomatic, is slightly more frequent in women.
30. Functional anatomy and examination of the facial nerve.
The facial nerve is tested by assessing
facial movement. In an upper motor neurone facial weakness the weakness of the
lower part of the
face is very much greater than the upper,
with the strength of the orbicularis oculis being relatively preserved.
This is due to a lesion between the
cortex and the facial nucleus in the pons. Lower motor neurone weakness is
evident by equal involvement of the upper and lower parts of the face and is
due to a lesion in, or distal to, the facial nerve nucleus in the pons.
The chorda tympani carries taste
sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and this should be
examined using test flavours placed carefully on the
anterior tongue.
31. Lesions of the facial nerve.
Lesions of the facial nerve, its nucleus
or supranuclear pathways, may produce facial muscle weakness; but only peripheral
lesions, affecting the facial nerve itself, affect taste sensation and
autonomic function. As noted above, numbness is not an expected finding in
facial-nerve lesions, although symptomatic complaints of sensory disturbance
are common in Bell's palsy. A. Supranuclear lesions. The upper facial muscles
have almost equal bilateral cortical representation, whereas the lower facial
muscles receive mainly crossed fibres from the contralateral hemisphere. Thus,
a unilateral upper motor neuron lesion causes contralateral facial weakness,
with the lower part of the face being more affected than the upper (NB it is
relative rather than absolute sparing of the upper facial muscles). As noted
above, there is more than one pathway of supranuclear innervation and, depending
upon the site of the lesion, spontaneous emotional movements may be more
affected than voluntary movements, and vice versa.
B. Nuclear and peripheral lesions. A
lesion of the nucleus or facial nerve generally causes equal weakness of all
ipsilateral facial muscles and the clinical features are exemplified by Bell's
palsy. Occasionally, partial lesions of the nucleus or nerve may selectively
affect the lower facial muscles, thus mimicking the appearance seen with an
upper motor neuron lesion. Considering the origins and sites of union with the
facial nerve of the greater superficial petrosal nerve, the nerve to stapedius
and the chorda tympani, the presence of impaired lacrimation, hyperacusis or an
impaired stapedial reflex, or altered taste sensation can help in localizing
the site of a facial-nerve lesion. The absence of such features is not of
localizing value. The facial nucleus may be affected by pontine lesions, and
the nerve by lesions in the cerebellopontine angle, within the petrous temporal
bone and outside the skull.
1) Pontine lesions. These rarely affect the facial nucleus or
nerve fibres in isolation, and associated features include ipsilateral lateral
rectus or conjugate gaze palsy, trigeminal motor and sensory involvement, and
contralateral hemiparesis and hemisensory loss. Common pathologies include
vascular lesions, multiple sclerosis, and tumours, less common disorders being
brainstem encephalitis, syringobulbia, and poliomyelitis. Bilateral facial
paralysis due to agenesis of the facial nuclei (Mobius' syndrome) is a rare
disorder that may be associated with other cranial nerve lesions and dysmorphic
features.
2) Cerebellopontine angle lesion. The most common lesions at this
site, which affect the facial nerve, intermediate nerve, and eighth nerve, are
acoustic neuromas and meningiomas. Less common lesions include secondary
tumours, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, developmental tumours, cholesteatomas, and
any basal meningitic process (e.g. sarcoid).
3) Petrous temporal bone lesions. In the facial canal the nerve
may be affected by infection spreading from the middle ear or mastoid, or by
surgical procedures in that area. Inflammation and swelling of the facial nerve
in the facial canal and at the stylomastoid foramen is presumed to be present in
Bell's palsy. In the Ramsay Hunt syndrome swelling of the geniculate ganglion
due to reactivation of latent herpes zoster infection may compress the motor
fibres, or there may be direct infection of the motor nerve. The resultant
facial palsy is accompanied by a rash, typically seen in the external auditory
meatus, although it is often more extensive than this and involves the
trigeminal distribution (e.g. the anterior pillar of the fauces) and cervical
dermatomes. There is often pain around the ear.
4) Lesions outside the skull. Benign and
malignant lesions of the parotid gland may involve some or all of the branches
of the facial nerve. 5) Bilateral facial palsy. Bilateral, as well as
unilateral, lower motor neuron facial weakness may be seen in Guillain-Barre
syndrome, sarcoidosis (due to basal meningeal or parotid involvement), Lyme
disease (often accompanied by facial rash and induration), HIV infection (at
seroconversion), and Melkersson's syndrome. In the latter disorder, recurrent
episodes of unilateral or bilateral facial swelling and facial palsy are
associated with a deeply furrowed tongue.
32. Functional anatomy and examination of the vestibulocochlear
nerve.
The 8th cranial nerve consists of:
•
the cochlear nerve—hearing
•the
vestibular nerve.
The cochlear nerve Hearing can be
examined at the bedside by moving a finger in the meatus
on one side, to produce a masking noise, and repeating words at a standard
volume and from a set distance in the other ear.
Differentiation between conduction and
sensorineural deafness can be aided using tests with a tuning fork. The Rinne’s test involves holding a vibrating tuning fork in front of
the external meatus and then on the mastoid process. In nerve deafness both air
and bone conduction are reduced, but air conduction remains the better. In
conductive deafness bone conduction will be better than air conduction. In
Weber’s test the vibrating tuning fork is placed on the
centre of the forehead.
In nerve deafness the sound appears to be
heard better in the normal ear, but in conductive deafness the sound is
conducted to the abnormal ear. Formal audiometry should be performed if there
are symptoms of impaired hearing.
The vestibular nerve The simplest test of
vestibular function is the caloric test, which is usually performed in patients
suspected of having a cerebellopontine angle tumour or as a test of brainstem
function in patients with severe brain injury.
33. Lesions of the vestibulocochlear nerve.
A. Disorders of hearing. Deafness is usually caused by primary
diseases of the middle ear, such as otosclerosis, otitis media, or trauma, or
diseases of the inner ear, such as noise exposure, various genetic causes,
congenital rubella, and age-related presbyacusis. Unilateral deafness is often
not noticed unless patients find they are unable to hear the telephone earpiece
with that ear. The main neurological cause of deafness is a tumour affecting
the eighth cranial (auditory) nerve in its course between the brainstem and the
internal auditory meatus. Partial deafness is a common sequel to bacterial
meningitis or other infiltrating processes in the meninges surrounding the
nerve.
Tinnitus is a symptom in which the person
hears noises in the ears or head in the absence of any sound stimulus. The
subjective sensations can take many forms which include buzzing, humming,
hissing, roaring, clicking, or some similar description. It is usually
constant, but some patients describe it as intermittent, pulsating, or
fluctuating. Subjective tinnitus is an auditory sensation which is only heard
by the patient, whereas objective tinnitus, which is much rarer, may be
perceived by the examiner as well.
The latter includes vascular causes, such
as fistulae or arteriovenous malformations, or mechanical causes, as in palatal
myoclonus. Tinnitus is a symptom which, in addition to the common inner ear
causes such as Meniere's disease, may herald a number of disorders, such as a
glomus tumour, tumours of the internal auditory meatus or cerebellopontine
angle, or a vascular abnormality in the temporal bone or skull.
B. Vestibular disorders.
1) Benign positional vertigo. The syndrome is characterized by
brief (seconds to minutes) episodes of severe vertigo that may be accompanied
by nausea and vomiting. Symptoms may occur with any change in head position but
are usually most severe in the lateral decubitus position with the affected ear
down. Episodic vertigo typically continues for several weeks and then resolves
spontaneously; in some cases it is recurrent. Hearing loss is not a feature.
Benign positional vertigo is the most common cause of vertigo of peripheral
origin, accounting for about 30% of cases. The most frequently identified cause
is head trauma, but in most instances, no cause can be determined. The
pathophysiologic basis of benign positional vertigo is thought to be
canalolithiasisstimulation of the semicircular canal by debris floating in the
endolymph. Peripheral and central causes of positional vertigo can usually be
distinguished on physical examination by means of the NylenBaniny or
Dix-Hallpike maneuver. Positional nystagmus always accompanies vertigo in the
benign disorder and is typically unidirectional, rotatory, and delayed in onset
by several seconds after assumption of the precipitating head position. If the
position is maintained, nystagmus and vertigo resolve within seconds to
minutes. If the maneuver is repeated successively, the response is attenuated.
In contrast, positional vertigo of central origin tends to be less severe, and
positional nystagmus may be absent. There is no latency, fatigue, or
habituation in central positional vertigo.
2) Meniere's disease is characterized by repeated episodes of
vertigo lasting from minutes to days, accompanied by tinnitus and progressive
sensorineural hearing loss. Onset is between the ages of 20 and 50 years in
about three-fourths of cases, and men are affected more often than women. The
cause is thought to be an increase in the volume of labyrinthine endolymph
(endolymphatic hydrops), but the pathogenetic mechanism is unknown. At the time
of the first acute attack, patients may already have noted the insidious onset
of tinnitus, hearing loss, and a sensation of fullness in the ear. Acute
attacks are characterized by vertigo, nausea, and vomiting and recur at
intervals ranging from weeks to years. Hearing deteriorates in a stepwise
fashion, with bilateral involvement reported in 10-70% of patients. As hearing
loss increases, vertigo tends to become less severe. Physical examination
during an acute episode shows spontaneous horizontal or rotatory nystagmus (or
both) that may change direction. Although spontaneous nystagmus is
characteristically absent between attacks, caloric testing usually reveals
impaired vestibular function. The hearing deficit is not always sufficiently advanced
to be detectable at the bedside. Audiometry shows low-frequency pure-tone
hearing loss, however, that fluctuates in severity as well as impaired speech
discrimination and increased sensitivity to loud sounds.
3) Acute peripheral vestibulopathy. This term is used to describe
a spontaneous attack of vertigo of inapparent cause that resolves spontaneously
and is not accompanied by hearing loss or evidence of central nervous system
dysfunction. It includes disorders diagnosed as acute labyrinthitis or vestibular
neuronitis, which are based on unverifiable inferences about the site of
disease and the pathogenetic mechanism. A recent antecedent febrile illness can
sometimes be identified, however. The disorder is characterized by vertigo,
nausea, and vomiting of acute onset, typically lasting up to 2 weeks. Symptoms
may recur, and some degree of vestibular dysfunction may be permanent.
During an attack, the patient – who appears ill – typically lies on
one side with the affected ear upward and is reluctant to move his or her head.
Nystagmus with the fast phase away from the affected ear is always present. The
vestibular response to caloric testing is defective in one or both ears with
about equal frequency.
Auditory acuity is normal. Acute
peripheral vestibulopathy must be distinguished from central disorders that
produce acute vertigo, such as stroke in the posterior cerebral circulation.
Central disease is suggested by vertical nystagmus, altered consciousness,
motor or sensory deficit, or dysarthria.
4) Head trauma is the most common
identifiable cause of benign positional vertigo. Injury to the labyrinth is
usually responsible for posttraumatic vertigo; however, fractures of the
petrosal bone may lacerate the acoustic nerve, producing vertigo and hearing
loss. Hemo-tympanum or CSF otorrhea suggests such a fracture.
5) Cerebellopontine angle tumor. The cerebellopontine angle is a
triangular region in the posterior fossa bordered by the cerebellum, the
lateral pons, and the petrous ridge. By far the most common tumor in this area
is the histologically benign acoustic neuroma (also termed neurilemoma,
neurinoma, or schwannoma), which typically arises from the neurilemmal sheath
of the vestibular portion of the acoustic nerve in the internal auditory canal.
Less common tumors at this site include meningiomas and primary cholesteatomas
(epidermoid cysts). Symptoms are produced by compression or displacement of the
cranial nerves, brainstem, and cerebellum and by obstruction of CSF flow.
Because of their anatomic relationship to the acoustic nerve, the trigeminal
(V) and facial (VII) nerves are often affected.
Hearing loss of insidious onset is
usually the initial symptom. Less often, patients present with headache,
vertigo, gait ataxia, facial pain, tinnitus, a sensation of fullness in the
ear, or facial weakness. Although vertigo ultimately develops in 20-30% of
patients, a nonspecific feeling of unsteadiness is encountered more commonly.
In contrast to Meniere's disease, there is a greater tendency for mild vestibular
symptoms to persist between attacks. Symptoms may be stable or progress very
slowly for months or years.
34. Functional anatomy and lesions of the glossopharyngeal nerve
(IX)
Although the glossopharyngeal nerve
contains sensory, motor, and parasympathetic fibres, only its sensory function
is testable at the bedside and for all practical purposes its other functions
can be ignored. Functionally and anatomically it is closely related to the
vagus nerve and, together with the accessory nerve, all three nerves may be
affected by lesions in the jugular foramen. Isolated glossopharyngeal nerve
lesions are rare, but this nerve alone is affected in the rare syndrome of
glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
Three components of the glossopharyngeal
nerve are of little interest in everyday clinical neurology. Special visceral
afferent fibres subserve taste sensation from the posterior one-third of the
tongue. Symptomatic loss of taste sensation from lesions of the nerve is not
seen and there are no practical tests of this function at the bedside.
General visceral efferent fibres give
rise to parasympathetic fibres which stimulate secretion from the parotid
gland. Special visceral efferent fibres innervate the stylopharyngeus, but this
muscle cannot be assessed clinically. Peripheral course. The glossopharyngeal
nerve is formed by a series of radicles which enter and leave the medulla, in
the posterior lateral sulcus, rostral to the vagus nerve. The nerve crosses the
posterior fossa and leaves the skull, together with the vagus and accessory
nerves, through the jugular foramen. It crosses in front of the internal
carotid artery to reach the lateral wall of the pharynx.
The nerve contains two peripheral
ganglia, the superior ganglion which lies in the jugular foramen and the
inferior (petrosal) ganglion which is extracranial. The ganglia contain the
cell bodies of primary sensory neurons that subserve general somatic and
general visceral sensation. Sensory pathways. General visceral afferent fibres
convey sensory impulses (tactile, thermal, and pain) from the posterior
onethird of the tongue, tonsil, posterior wall of the upper pharynx and
Eustachian tube, via the inferior ganglion, to the solitary fasciculus and its
nucleus. Clinically, this particular sensory pathway is the most important
function of the nerve and the only function readily assessed at the bedside.
General somatic afferent fibres carry
sensation from the posterior part of the ear, via the superior ganglion, and
terminate in the spinal trigeminal tract and nucleus. Clinically the most
important function of the glossopharyngeal nerve is its provision of sensory
input from the upper pharynx. It thus provides the afferent limb of the gag or
palatal reflex, the efferent limb of which is provided by the vagus. This
reflex is too gross a test of glossopharyngeal function. If a lesion is
suspected, the sensation on each side of the posterior pharyngeal wall should
be tested using an orange stick or a firmly secured pin. Most patients will
gag, and the palate will be seen to move, but what is more important is for the
patient to state whether the sensation is the same on both sides.
Supranuclear and nuclear lesions. Supranuclear
lesions have no specific discernible effect on glossopharyngeal nerve function,
although involvement of stylopharyngeus may contribute to pseudobulbar palsy.
Nuclear lesions in isolation are rarely, if ever, seen and other cranial nerve
nuclei, particularly the vagus, are usually also involved. The most common
cause is a vascular lesion, with other causes including primary and secondary
neoplasia and syringobulbia. Peripheral lesions. Between the medulla and
jugular foramen the nerve may be affected by meningeal disease (e.g.
inflammatory and neoplastic processes) and metastases. In the jugular foramen
probably the most common lesion, which of course may also affect the vagus and
accessory nerves, is a glomus tumour. Neuromas of any of these three nerves may
arise in or near the jugular foramen and each nerve may be affected by basal
skull fracture and basilar invagination. Metastatic disease may affect the
nerve anywhere along its course, intracranially or extracranially.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Although much rarer, glossopharyngeal neuralgia
shares many similarities with trigeminal neuralgia with respect to aetiology,
treatment, and the characteristics of the paroxysms of pain. Most cases are
idiopathic but neuralgia may be symptomatic of lesions affecting the
glossopharyngeal nerve, particularly neoplastic disorders, and there is
evidence that new cases, like trigeminal neuralgia, may be caused by
compression of the nerve by an aberrantly situated artery. The paroxysms of
pain may occur in clusters, with long periods of remission, or may be chronic.
The pain is experienced in the back of the throat, below the angle of the jaw,
and within the ear. The stabbing or lancinating quality is similar to that
occurring in trigeminal neuralgia. Precipitants include eating, swallowing,
talking, head turning, coughing, sneezing, and touching the outer ear. Syncope
may occur in association with pain and is due to sinus bradycardia or asystole,
reflecting the intimate associations between the glossopharyngeal and vagus
nerves.
35. Functional anatomy of the vagus nerve (X)
The vagus nerve has the most extensive
course of any of the cranial nerves and is anatomically complex, with different
courses for the main nerve trunks and their branches on each side of the body.
The nerve carries motor, sensory, and autonomic fibres, but with respect to
structural lesions only the motor pathways are of great clinical importance.
Disturbances of autonomic function are discussed elsewhere. Sensory and
autonomic pathways.
General somatic afferent fibres subserve
sensation from the skin over the back of the ear and the posterior wall of the
external auditory meatus. The cell bodies are situated in the superior
ganglion, which sits in or just below the jugular foramen, and centrally the
fibres enter the spinal trigeminal tract in the medulla. General visceral
afferent fibres, from the pharynx, larynx, trachea, oesophagus, and thoracic
and abdominal viscera have their cell bodies in the inferior ganglion, and
centrally the fibres enter the nucleus and tractus solitarius.
Preganglionic parasympathetic fibres (general
visceral efferent) arise from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve,
situated in the floor of the fourth ventricle, and are destined to innervate
the thoracic and abdominal viscera. Motor pathways. Special visceral efferent
fibres innervate the voluntary striated muscles of the pharynx and larynx.
They originate in the nucleus ambiguus
(which also gives rise to the special visceral efferent fibres of the
glossopharyngeal nerve and cranial part of the spinal accessory nerve) which
lies in the medullary reticular formation between the inferior olive and the
spinal trigeminal nucleus. Peripheral course. The trunk of the vagus nerve is
formed by a series of rootlets which emerge from the medulla, anterior to the
inferior cerebellar peduncle, in line with the radicles of the glossopharyngeal
and accessory nerves. The nerve leaves the skull through the jugular foramen,
intimately associated with the accessory nerve and separated from the
glossopharyngeal nerve only by a fibrous septum.
In the neck it lies in the carotid
sheath, initially between the internal carotid artery and internal jugular
vein, and then between the common carotid artery and internal jugular vein.
Below the root of the neck the course of the nerve is different on the two
sides of the body. On the right, the nerve crosses the subclavian artery and
descends through the superior mediastinum posterior to the brachiocephalic vein
and to the right of the trachea, to reach the posterior aspect of the lung
root. On the left, the nerve passes between the common carotid and subclavian
arteries to enter the thorax.
It descends through the superior
mediastinum, behind the phrenic nerve and brachiocephalic vein and crosses the
left side of the aortic arch, reaching the posterior surface of the lung root.
The nerves branch behind the lung roots, and these branches unite with fibres
from thoracic sympathetic ganglia to form the right and left posterior
pulmonary plexuses. Fibres from these form the posterior and anterior
oesophageal plexuses, respectively. Trunks, containing fibres from both vagus
nerves, are re-formed from these plexuses and pass into the abdomen, through
the oesophageal opening, where they undergo complex further branching before
supplying the abdominal viscera.
On each side, the vagus nerve has
important branches arising in the jugular foramen, neck, and thorax. From the
superior ganglion arises a meningeal branch, which innervates the dura in the
posterior fossa, and an auricular branch which subserves sensation from the
posterior auricle and external auditory meatus. The pharyngeal branch arises
from the inferior ganglion and is the main motor nerve to the pharynx and soft
palate. The superior laryngeal nerve also arises from the inferior ganglion. It
has two branches: the internal, which is the main sensory nerve of the larynx,
and the external, which is motor to the inferior pharyngeal constrictor and
cricothyroid muscles. The recurrent laryngeal nerves have a different origin
and course on each side of the body. On the right, this nerve arises from the
vagus at the root of the neck, in front of the subclavian artery. It winds
below and behind that vessel and ascends beside the trachea and behind the
common carotid artery.
At the level of the thyroid gland the
nerve is closely related to the inferior thyroid artery. On the left, the nerve
arises from the vagus at the level of the aortic arch. It winds under the arch
and then ascends along the side of the trachea. On both sides the recurrent
laryngeal nerves ascend in a groove between the oesophagus and trachea, pass
closely next to the medial surface of the thyroid gland, and enter the larynx
to supply all of the laryngeal muscles except the cricothyroid.
36. Lesions of the vagus nerve and its branches.
Supranuclear, nuclear, nerve trunk, and
branch lesions may affect swallowing and phonation, the exact pattern of
symptoms depending upon the site and chronicity of the lesion.
A. Supranuclear lesions. Because the
nuclei receive both crossed and uncrossed corticobulbar fibres, unilateral
supranuclear lesions do not usually cause persisting problems with phonation
and swallowing, although dysphagia may be prominent following an acute
hemispheric stroke. Bilateral lesions are associated with the syndrome of
pseudobulbar palsy, in which dysphagia and dysarthria are due to disordered
movements of the pharyngeal and laryngeal (and tongue) muscles rather than
frank paralysis. Common causes include upper brainstem or bilateral hemispheric
strokes, motor neuron disease, and demyelination.
B. Nuclear lesions.
A unilateral nuclear lesion will cause
ipsilateral palatal, pharyngeal, and laryngeal paralysis. On phonation the soft
palate does not rise on the affected side and the uvula is drawn to the normal
side. Dysphagia is variable but usually mild. Phonation is affected not only
because of laryngeal muscle weakness but also by accumulation of frothy mucus
which collects near the opening of the oesophagus and overflows into the larynx
as a result of impaired pharyngeal emptying. The voice and cough are weak and
there is difficulty clearing the voice. Bilateral lesions, in the syndrome of
bulbar palsy, produce much more severe symptoms. The speech is nasal and on
attempting to swallow fluids regurgitate through the nose due to palatal
weakness. There may be snoring and inspiratory stridor. Coughing is paralysed,
leading to a high risk of bronchial aspiration. Acute bulbar palsy is life
threatening and tracheostomy is required. Unilateral nuclear lesions rarely
occur in isolation and are usually accompanied by involvement of other cranial
nerve nuclei and long tracts.
Causes include vascular lesions (e.g.
lateral medullary syndrome) and tumour. Bilateral nuclear lesions, sometimes
asymmetric, may be due to vascular lesions, motor neuron disease, tumour, syringobulbia,
encephalitis, poliomyelitis, and rabies.
C. Nerve-trunk lesions. The clinical
features of a lesion affecting the vagus nerve trunk between its origin and the
jugular foramen are as described above for a unilateral nuclear lesion. Thus,
there is unilateral paralysis of the soft palate, pharynx, and larynx.
Causes include primary (glomus jugulare,
meningioma) and secondary tumour, meningitic processes, and basal skull
fracture. There is frequently involvement of other cranial nerves (IX, XI, and
XII). The inferior ganglion lies just below the jugular foramen and from it
arise the pharyngeal and superior laryngeal nerves, which supply the muscles of
the soft palate and pharynx, and the tensors of the cords (cricothyroids).
A lesion of the vagus nerve trunk below
the inferior ganglion thus spares these muscles and the pattern of laryngeal
paralysis is the same as is seen with an isolated lesion of the recurrent
laryngeal nerve.
D. Recurrent laryngeal nerve lesions. In
practice, isolated vagus nerve trunk lesions are rare, but recurrent laryngeal
nerve palsies are common. A unilateral lesion causes paralysis of the
ipsilateral larynx and lower sphincter of the pharynx.
The vocal cord is immobile and lies near
the midline. Dysphagia is not a major feature, because the pharyngeal nerve is
unaffected, although following an acute lesion there may be transient
difficulties swallowing fluids. In the acute phase there may also be dysphonia
but despite the paralysed vocal cord compensatory mechanisms are so efficient
that the voice may remain or soon return to normal.
The left recurrent laryngeal nerve is more
commonly involved than the right, as a result of mediastinal lesions,
particularly neoplasia but less frequently aortic aneurysm and enlargement of the
left atrium.
In the neck the nerve may be affected
unilaterally or bilaterally by trauma, surgery, cervical lymph gland
enlargement (inflammatory or neoplastic), thyroid enlargement, and oesophageal
carcinoma. Up to one-third of cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy are
idiopathic. They may be persistent or show partial or complete recovery.
37. Functional anatomy and lesions of the
accessory nerve (XI)
This is a purely motor nerve. It is
formed from cranial and spinal roots which, as the accessory nerve, run
together for only a very short distance.
The cranial component is essentially part
of the vagus nerve and is distributed mainly to the pharyngeal and recurrent
laryngeal branches of that nerve, whereas the spinal component innervates
sternomastoid and trapezius. The spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve lies in
the lateral part of the anterior horn grey matter and extends from the
pyramidal decussation to the fifth cervical segment.
The fibres arising from it emerge from
the lateral aspect of the cord, between the dorsal and ventral roots, and unite
to form a trunk which ascends posterior to the denticulate ligament and enters
the skull through the foramen magnum, dorsal to the vertebral artery. The
cranial root is formed by nerve fibres arising from the lower part of the
nucleus ambiguus.
Rootlets emerge from the lateral medulla,
below the origin of the vagus. The cranial and spinal components unite for a
short distance and leave the skull through the jugular foramen, in close
relationship to the vagus nerve to which the cranial root fibres are
distributed. The spinal part runs backwards and laterally between the internal
jugular vein and internal carotid artery and crosses the transverse process of
the atlas. It passes deep to the sternomastoid muscle, which it supplies, and
emerges from its posterior border from where it crosses the posterior triangle,
lying on levator scapulae.
In this part of its course it is quite
superficial, thus subject to trauma, and also related to cervical lymph nodes.
The nerve then passes under the anterior border of the trapezius and unites
with branches of the third and fourth cervical nerves (C3 and C4) to form a
plexus which innervates the muscle. The pattern of innervation of the different
parts of trapezius is probably quite variable but, in general, the accessory
nerve appears to supply the upper part of the muscle, and fibres derived from
C3 and C4 supply the lower part. Lesions. Unilateral sternomastoid weakness is
asymptomatic because it normally acts in concert with other cervical muscles
which can compensate.
Bilateral, but otherwise isolated, nerve
lesions must be vanishingly rare. Bilateral sternomastoid weakness, with
symptomatic weakness of neck flexion, is seen in myotonic dystrophy, inflammatory
myopathies, various muscular dystrophies, myasthenia gravis, and motor neuron
disease, but in all of these cases other cervical muscles are also involved.
Trapezius weakness is symptomatic. The
shoulder droops slightly and there is mild scapular winging at rest, with the
scapular rotated outwards and downwards. The winging is exacerbated by
abduction of the arm, whereas winging due to serratus anterior weakness is most
evident on forward flexion of the arm. The patient notices difficulty in
shrugging the shoulder, abducting the arm above 90° and
carrying the extended arm backwards. Bilateral trapezius weakness causes the
head to fall forwards.
This is rarely the result of bilateral
nervetrunk involvement but is seen in myasthenia gravis, motor neuron disease,
and various myopathies.
A. Supranuclear lesions. The cortical representation is mainly
ipsilateral for sternomastoid and contralateral for trapezius. Thus, following
a major hemisphere stroke, trapezius is weak on the paralysed side but
sternomastoid is weak on the side of the hemispheric event.
B. Nuclear and nerve-trunk lesions. The
spinal cord nucleus is rarely involved in isolation. The anterior horn cells
may be affected by motor neuron disease and poliomyelitis and the nuclei may be
compressed by upper cervical cord tumours and syringomyelia. In the posterior
fossa, lesions affecting the accessory nerve often also involve cranial nerves
IX, X, and XII.
Common pathologies include primary and
secondary tumours, meningitic processes, and basal skull fracture through the
jugular foramen. Outside the skull the most common site of damage is in the
posterior triangle (giving rise to trapezius but not sternomastoid weakness).
The nerve may be damaged by trauma or during surgical procedures (particularly
removal of cervical lymph glands) including carotid endarterectomy. Up to
one-third of accessory nerve palsies are idiopathic, probably often as a forme
fruste of neuralgic amyotrophy.
38. Functional anatomy and lesions of the hypoglossal nerve.
This motor nerve innervates all of the
muscles of the tongue through general somatic efferent fibres. The nucleus,
which is nearly 2 cm long, lies in the central grey matter of the medial
eminence and extends from the stria medullaris to the most caudal part of the
medulla. The axons arising from it pass ventro-laterally and emerge as a series
of rootlets on the ventral aspect of the medulla between the inferior olivary
complex and the pyramid.
The rootlets pass behind the vertebral
artery and unite as they exit the skull through the hypoglossal canal, which
lies about 1 cm anterior, inferior, and medial to the jugular foramen.
Immediately outside the skull the nerve is in close proximity to cranial nerves
IX, X, and XI, the internal jugular vein, and the internal carotid artery. At
the level of the angle of the mandible it sweeps antero-laterally, looping
below the occipital artery and crossing the external carotid artery and then
the loop of the lingual artery just above the hyoid bone.
It then passes deep to the digastric
muscle and terminates through multiple branches in the intrinsic and extrinsic
tongue muscles. A unilateral lesion of the nucleus or nerve trunk causes
ipsilateral wasting and weakness of the tongue. Fasciculation may be prominent,
especially in infantile spinal muscular atrophy and classical motor neuron
disease.
The epithelium is thrown into folds,
which accumulate fur. In the acute stage, articulation and swallowing may be
slightly impaired but chronic lesions are typically asymptomatic. The tongue
deviates to the affected side on protrusion. Bilateral lower motor neuron
lesions cause weakness of both sides of the tongue with inability to protrude
the tongue, marked dysarthria, and mild swallowing difficulties.
Such bilateral lesions are rare in
isolation and are usually part of the syndrome of bulbar palsy, in which other
bulbar muscles are affected and in which there is significant dysphagia.
A. Supranuclear lesions.
The nuclei have bilateral cortical
representation so that a unilateral upper motor neuron lesion may have no
observable effect, although occasionally the tongue may deviate to the
contralateral side. Bilateral upper motor neuron involvement is seen as part of
the syndrome of pseudobulbar palsy.
The tongue is weak, clumsy, and
contracted secondary to spasticity, but not wasted. Causes include bilateral
hemispheric vascular disease, upper brain stem stroke and tumours, multiple
sclerosis, and motor neuron disease.
B. Nuclear lesions.
Unilateral nuclear damage may be caused
by tumours or vascular lesions, in both of which cases other structures are
usually involved. Thus, a vascular event in the lower medulla might cause a
unilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy and contralateral hemiplegia due to
corticospinal tract involvement. Bilateral, but sometimes asymmetric,
hypoglossal nuclear lesions may result from vascular lesions, tumours,
syringobulbia, spinal muscular atrophy, motor neuron disease, and
poliomyelitis.
C. Nerve-trunk lesions. In the posterior
fossa the hypoglossal nerve rootlets may be affected, often together with
cranial nerves IX, X, and XI, by primary (e.g. glomus jugulare, meningioma) and
secondary neoplasms and basal meningitic processes. Unilateral or bilateral
palsies may arise as a result of congenital or acquired bony abnormalities
around the foramen magnum (basilar impression, Paget's disease). In the neck,
the nerve may be damaged by external trauma, during surgery (including carotid
endarterectomy), by tumours, and as a late consequence of radiotherapy to the
region.
Vascular causes include aberrantly placed
arteries, carotid artery dissection, and as a complication of central venous
catheterization. As with cranial nerves X and XI, idiopathic cases occur.
39. Frontal lobe syndrome.
The
manifestations of a frontal lobe syndrome in any patient depend on many
factors, including baseline intelligence and education, site of the lesions,
whether the lesions developed slowly or rapidly, age, possibly sex, and
function of nonfrontal brain regions. Causes of frontal lobe dysfunction
include mental retardation, cerebrovascular disease, head trauma, brain tumors,
brain infections, neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis, and
normal pressure hydrocephalus
The examiner must obtain a
history from an informant who knows the patient well. One of the seeming
paradoxes of frontal lobe dysfunction is that informants may complain about the
patient's "inability to do anything," yet on at least cursory mental
status testing, the patient appears normal or only mildly impaired. This
dissociation should be a clue that frontal lobe dysfunction may be present.
Symptoms of possible frontal lobe dysfunction that should be probed include
change in performance at work and changes organizing and executing difficult tasks
such as holiday dinners or travel itineraries.The examiner should inquire about
the following changes:
Appropriateness
of behavior: Does the patient say things that he or she would never have said
before, such as "You are so fat" or "That is a really ugly
dress"?
Patient's
table manners: Does the patient now take food and start eating before everyone
else or take food from other people's plates without asking?
Patient's
empathy and ability to infer the mental state of others: This kind of
dysfunction often leads to inappropriate behavior.
Possible
apathy: Does the patient care less about hobbies, family members, and finances
then previously?
An increase
or decrease in the patient's sexuality or in his or her judgment about possible
liaisons
In addition to these data, the
examiner should obtain a careful developmental history, head trauma history,
and social history, including educational and personal attainments. The
examiner should also probe about possible substance abuse, whether the patient
was a victim of past abuse (physical, sexual, psychiatric) and about major
psychiatric stressor (eg, deaths of friends or family, divorce or separation,
job loss or financial reversals). Indeed, a detailed past psychiatric history
is required.
40. Temporal lobe syndrome.
The
functional loss of major portions of the temporal lobes and rhinencephalon–amygdala, hippocampus, uncus and hippocampal gyrus Clinical
Visual agnosia, tendency to examine all objects orally, lossof emotion, hypersexuality–heterosexual, autosexual and homosexual activity, and ↑ consumption of meat.