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Neurologic System
Health Assessment
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Nuchal rigidity | stiff neck associated with meningitis and intracranial hemorrhage |
| Brudzinski | involuntary flexion of hips/knees when examiner flexes patient's neck |
| Kernig | flex the leg at knee and hip in supine position. pain in lower back and resistance to straightening the leg is positive sign |
| Decerebrate posture | indicated brainstem damage, pronation of arms and planter flexion |
| Decorticate posture | indicates cerebral damage, hands cover heart |
| Documentation of DTR's | 0-4. 0 - no response, 1+ sluggish, 2+ expected, 3+ more brisk than expected, 4+ hyperactive |
| Babinski (plantar) reflex | + if dorsiflexion of great toe with fanning of other toes. + is abnormal. foot should plantar flex in everyone over 2 y/o |
| cremasteric reflex | stroke the inner thigh/groin, results in rising of the testicle and scrotum on side stroked |
| abdominal reflex | movement of umbilicus toward the area of stimulation. stroke from umbilicus outwards. |
| clonus | support foot, briskly dorsiflex, then let foot fall. loking for oscillating movements in foot's fall |
| Achilles reflex | plantar flexion of the foot |
| patellar reflex | extension of the knee |
| brachioradialis reflex | pronation of the forearm and flexion of the elbow |
| triceps reflex | extension of the elbow |
| biceps reflex | extension of the arm |
| two-point discrimination | use two toothpicks and move from two distinct points into one, PT will verbalize when the two points feel like one |
| graphesthesia | PT has eyes closed, nurse draws a number and/or letter on PT's hand, |
| stereognosis | PT distinguishes common objects in his/her hands with eyes closed. examples - coin, key |
| proprioception | PT tells nurse whether his/her finger and/or toe is being pulled up or down |