Stroke of Genius
A transient episode of neurologic dysfunction without infarction lasting <24 hours.
What is TIA?
Brief staring spells with 3 Hz spike-and-wave pattern on EEG.
What is absence seizure?
Acute unilateral facial paralysis including forehead involvement.
What is Bell palsy?
Most common cause of dementia with beta-amyloid plaques.
What is Alzheimer disease?
Unilateral throbbing headache with photophobia and nausea.
What is migraine?
Most common type of tremor.
What is essential tremor?
CSF findings in bacterial meningitis.
What is low glucose, high protein, neutrophils?
IV alteplase is typically given within this time window from symptom onset.
What is 4.5 hours? (3 hrs also accepted)
Seizure lasting >5 minutes or recurrent without recovery.
What is status epilepticus?
Ascending paralysis with areflexia following infection.
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
Resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity due to dopamine deficiency.
What is Parkinson disease?
Severe unilateral periorbital pain with lacrimation and rhinorrhea.
What is cluster headache?
Resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia.
What is Parkinson disease?
Temporal lobe hemorrhagic encephalitis is caused by this virus.
What is HSV-1?
Contralateral face/arm weakness greater than leg weakness with aphasia suggests this vascular territory.
What is the middle cerebral artery (MCA)?
First-line treatment for active generalized tonic-clonic seizure in hospital.
What is IV lorazepam?
Autoimmune disorder with antibodies to ACh receptors causing fatigable weakness.
What is myasthenia gravis?
Hallmark of frontotemporal dementia.
What is personality/behavior change?
Triptans are contraindicated in this condition.
What is ischemic heart disease?
Antipsychotic-induced involuntary movements.
What is tardive dyskinesia?
HIV patient with ring-enhancing brain lesions most likely diagnosis.
What is toxoplasmosis?
Vertigo, ataxia, diplopia, and dysarthria point to this type of stroke.
What is a posterior circulation stroke?
Most common cause of new-onset seizures in elderly.
What is stroke?
Proximal weakness that improves with use.
What is Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome?
Diagnostic/therapeutic test in suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus that predicts response to shunting.
What is large-volume lumbar puncture (tap test)?
Obese woman with headache, papilledema, normal imaging, elevated opening pressure.
What is idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)?
Autosomal dominant disease with chorea and caudate atrophy.
What is Huntington disease?
Most sensitive test for neurosyphilis.
What is CSF VDRL?
Lacunar stroke syndromes are most commonly caused by this.
What is chronic hypertension leading to lipohyalinosis?
Seizure-like activity with normal EEG and often asynchronous movements.
What is psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES)?
Progressive motor neuron disease with both UMN and LMN signs.
What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?
Classic triad of Wernicke encephalopathy.
What is ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and confusion?
Imaging finding in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
What is normal brain imaging with possible empty sella?
Contralateral flinging movements due to subthalamic nucleus lesion.
What is hemiballismus?
Organism causing meningitis in elderly and immunocompromised with rhombencephalitis.
What is Listeria monocytogenes?