CNS Neurorehabilitation and Recovery Flashcards

Which gait deviation is most commonly seen in patients with foot drop following peroneal nerve injury?

Answer: Steppage gait

Steppage gait occurs when the patient excessively flexes the hip and knee to lift a dropped foot off the ground during the swing phase.

During spasticity management in a CNS patient, which intervention is considered FIRST-LINE before procedural options?

Answer: Stretching, positioning, and oral antispasticity agents

Conservative management including stretching, positioning, and oral medications such as baclofen or tizanidine should precede more invasive interventions.

A patient recovering from spinal cord injury at C5 asks about realistic functional goals. Which expectation is MOST appropriate for a complete C5 injury?

Answer: Ability to feed self with adaptive equipment and drive a power wheelchair

C5 SCI typically preserves shoulder abduction and elbow flexion, allowing self-feeding with adaptive equipment and power wheelchair use.

Which neurological complication is associated with inappropriate calcium deposits forming around joints after spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury?

Answer: Heterotopic ossification

Heterotopic ossification is the formation of bone in soft tissues around joints and is a known complication of SCI and TBI that limits joint range of motion.

A CNS specialist notes that a patient with Parkinson's disease has improved walking speed when visual cues (lines on the floor) are used. This technique exploits which mechanism?

Answer: External cueing to bypass defective basal ganglia timing

External rhythmic or visual cues bypass the defective internal timing circuitry of the basal ganglia, enabling more regular stride initiation.

Which assessment tool is specifically designed to measure participation and quality of life outcomes in adults with neurological conditions in the US?

Answer: PROMIS Neuro-QoL

Neuro-QoL (Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders) is a PROMIS-based measurement system validated for assessing health-related quality of life across neurological conditions.