6.Examination of the nervous system of the horse Flashcards Preview

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1
Q

what are the general considerations?

A
  • Is it necessary to use life saving methods?
  • Is it a real nervous system problem?
  • Is it a cerebral, spinal or peripheral dysfunction?
  • Is it an acute or a chronic process?
  • Do you suspect any infectious disease?
2
Q

What are the types of neurological diagnosis?

A
  • Functional or symptomatic
  • Anatomical
  • Pathological
  • Aetiological
3
Q

Why is history taking important?

A
  • Limitations of the examination
  • Characteristic of neuropathies
  • Missing subjective information
  • Infectious diseases of the nervous system
4
Q

what are som disturbing factors?

A
  • Restraint
  • Sedatives
  • Environment
5
Q

Methods of physical examination:

A
  • Inspection
  • Palpation
  • Postural reactions
  • Vertebral reflexes
  • Cranial nerves
  • Sensitivity
  • Pain perception
6
Q

Ancillary diagnostic aids:

A
• Neuroradiography
 1. Plain
 2.Myelography
3. Angiography (cerebral and vertebral)
• Nuclear scintigraphy
• Computed tomography
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Electroencephalography (electromyelography)
 • Laboratory tests (blood, urine, CSF)
7
Q

Explain the structure of the physical examination:

A
  • Head
  • Behaviour
  • Mental status
  • Head posture and coordination
  • Cranial nerves
  • Gait and posture
  • Neck and forelimbs
  • Trunk and hind limbs
  • Tail and anus
  • Cerebrum
  • Brain stem
  • Cerebellum
  • Spinal cord
  • Peripheral nerves (and muscles)
8
Q

Where is the 4 functional areas of the spinal cord where lesions often show up?

A

c1-c5, c6-T2, T3-L3, L4-S3, caudal

9
Q

What are the clinical signs in this area: C1-C5

A

Tetraparesis/plegia, sometimes neck pain, normal to exaggerated spinal reflexes

10
Q

What are the clinical signs in this area: C6-T2

A

Tetraparesis/plegia, sometimes neck pain, decreased to absent thoracic limb spinal reflexes, normal to exaggerated spinal reflexes - pelvic limbs

11
Q

What are the clinical signs in this area: T3-L3

A

Paraparesis/plegia, sometimes back pain, normal thoracic limb spinal reflexes. Normal to exaggerated pelvic limbs spinal reflexes

12
Q

What are the clinical signs in this area: L4-S3

A

Paraparesis/plegia, sometimes lower back pain, normal thoracic limb spinal reflexes. decreased to absent spinal reflexes -pelvic limbs

13
Q

What are the clinical signs in this area

A

Paresis/plegia of tail, decreased tail tone, decreased tail sensation

14
Q

What is important to take into consideration when checking behaviour?

A
  • Typical reactions
  • Age
  • Breed
  • Sex
  • Abnormal reactions
  • Stable vices
15
Q

What are the three states of increased reactivity?

A
  • Excitement
  • Agitation
  • Aggression
16
Q

Name the categories of consciousness:

A

Alert, depressed, delerium/dementia, semicomatose stuporous, comatose

17
Q

Explain delerium,dementia ;

A

Responsive to environmental stimuli, but responses are not clearly directed to the stimuli

18
Q

Explain semicomatose stuporous:

A

Remains unresponsive to environmental stimuli but responsive to painful sensation

19
Q

Explain comatose:

A

non-responsive to either environmental or painful stimulation

20
Q

What head postures and coordinations are we looking for?

A
  • Position and movements of the atlantooccipital joint

* Control of cerebrum, cerebellum and vestibular system

21
Q

What can we see when there is a vestibular lesion?

A

Head tilt

22
Q

What can we see when there is a cerebral lesion?

A

Deviation of head and neck toward the side of the lesion

23
Q

What can we see when there is a cerebrellar lesion?

A

Jerky movements during voluntary motion and fine tremor when at rest (intention tremor)

24
Q

How do we test the olfactory nerve?

A

Evaluation of smell

25
Q

Why do we test the optic nerve?

A
  • Menace reflex

* Test for vision

26
Q

how do we test the oculomotor nerve?

A

• Pupillary light reflexes

27
Q

Cranial nerves:

Trigeminal nerve controls:

A
  • Evaluation of facial cutaneous sensation
  • Palpebral reflex
  • Corneal reflex
  • Ability to chew, movements of the jaw
28
Q

Facial nerve controls:

A
  • Evaluation of facial symmetry and movement

* Palpebral and corneal reflex

29
Q

Vestibulocochlear nerve are important for:

A
  • Evaluation of hearing

* Evaluation of balance

30
Q

Glossopharyngeal, vagus and accessory nerves are important for :

A

• Swallowing reflex

31
Q

How do we test the swallowing reflex?

A
  • Feeding and watering test • Nasogastric tubing
  • Endoscopy
  • Slap test
32
Q

Why is the hypoglossal nerve important to check?

A

for the evaluation of tongue function

33
Q

Explain ataxia

A

lack of coordination

34
Q

Explain dysmetria

A

an error in trajectory due to an abnormal range, rate, and/or force of motion

35
Q

What is hypometria and hypermetria?

A

Hypometria: voluntary movement is shorter than the intended goal; too little joint movement

• Hypermetria: voluntary movement results in overreaching of the intended goal; excessive joint movement

36
Q

What is Paresis:

A

muscle weakness resulting from neurologic dysfunction

37
Q

what is Paralysis:

A

inability to move voluntarily

38
Q

What do we check when we evaluate the neck and forelimbs?

A
  • Neck mobility
  • Cervicoauricular (cervicofacial) reflex
  • Cervical cutaneous sensation
  • Deep pain perception
  • Sway reaction
  • Resistance to dorsal pressure on the withers
  • Thoracic limb postural reactions
  • Positioning limbs in a crossed position (correction test)
  • Sideways hopping
39
Q

what do we check when we evaluate the trunk and hind limbs?

A
• Cutaneous sensation
• Deep pain perception
• Sway reaction
• Resistance to dorsal pressure on the lumbar region
• Pelvic limb postural reactions
-Positioning limbs in a crossed position 
(not reliable) 
-Sideways hopping
40
Q

Evaluation of the tail and anus

A
  • Tail tone

* Perineal reflex

41
Q

Recumbent horses (reflexes)

A
  • Forelimb flexor reflex
  • Biceps reflex
  • Triceps reflex
  • Hind limb flexor reflex
  • Tibial (plantar aspect of the metatarsus)
  • Peroneal (dorsal part of the tarsus and metatarsus)
  • Femoral (medial thigh region)
  • Patellar reflex
42
Q

If the horse can lift only its head, the lesion is —–

A

in the cranial cervical region

43
Q

If the horse can raise its head and neck, the lesion———-

A

is in the caudal cervical region

44
Q

If the horse cannot rise into a sitting position (”dog-sitting” position), the lesion is——–

A

in the cervical cord

45
Q

If the thoracic limbs are functional, the lesion is ————

A

is caudal to T2

46
Q

If the deficit is in the trunk or hind limbs, the lesion is

A

located

between T2 and S2

47
Q

Localised sweating indicates a lesion in

A

the descending sympathetic tracts