Neuroanatomy & Localization
This dermatome corresponds to sensory innervation of the thumb and lateral forearm.
What is C6?
This type of feedback comes from the patient's own sensory systems — proprioceptive, visual, vestibular — rather than from an external source like the therapist.
What is intrinsic feedback?
This PNF technique uses a quick stretch immediately followed by a resisted contraction to facilitate a stronger muscular response via the stretch reflex.
What is repeated stretch (repeated contractions) ?
A patient described as oriented 'x3' is oriented to these three things.
What are person, place, and time?
Uncontrolled autonomic dysreflexia, left untreated, can progress to this life-threatening outcome.
What is death?
This myotome level is primarily responsible for innervating the quadriceps muscle group.
What is L3?
This documentation term describes a patient who completes between 26% and 50% of the effort required for a given task.
What is moderate assistance?
This PNF technique promotes simultaneous, isometric co-contraction of the muscles around a joint to improve stability.
What is rhythmic stabilization?
New joint pain, redness, swelling, and decreased ROM appearing in a TBI patient, without recent trauma to that joint, should raise suspicion for this abnormal bone formation in soft tissue.
What is heterotopic ossification?
This orthotic device is most likely needed to address foot drop resulting from an L4-level spinal cord lesion.
What is AFO?
This lobe of the brain is responsible for interpreting visual information received from the eyes.
What is occipital lobe?
A patient who sways excessively and loses balance only when their eyes are closed, but not with eyes open, has this positive finding on balance testing.
What is a positive Romberg test?
This concept describes how a strong muscle group can be used to facilitate a response in a weaker muscle group through overflow.
What is irradiation?
This posturing pattern — sustained extension of both the upper and lower extremities — indicates a more severe brainstem-level lesion.
What is decerebrate rigidity (posturing)?
This intervention is considered effective at preventing orthostatic hypotension in patients with a spinal cord injury.
What is an abdominal binder?
This lobe of the brain is primarily responsible for processing somatosensory information, including joint position sense.
What is the parietal lobe?
This practice schedule — performing one skill repeatedly before moving to the next — is generally most effective for patients with cognitive deficits learning a new motor skill.
What is blocked practice?
This PNF technique is often used early after a stroke with a patient who has apraxia, moving passively, then actively-assisted, then actively through a pattern to initiate voluntary movement.
What is rhythmic initiation?
At this Rancho Los Amigos level, a patient is confused but appropriate — able to follow simple directions with some carryover of new learning, though still requiring structure.
What is Level VI?
During the clonic phase of a generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure, ensure you place this patient is this position.
What is sidelying?
This deep brain structure acts as a relay station for sensory information, including pain signals, on their way to the cortex.
What is the thalamus?
This stage of motor learning is demonstrated by a patient who can perform a task automatically, without conscious attention, even in a busy or distracting environment.
What is the autonomous stage?
This UE synergy pattern includes scapular retraction/elevation, shoulder abduction and external rotation, elbow flexion, and forearm supination.
What is the UE flexion synergy pattern?
At this early Rancho Los Amigos level, a patient reacts to stimuli in a nonspecific, delayed, inconsistent manner — generalized movements, vocalization, or physiological changes — without any purposeful response.
What is Level II?
This type of bracing is generally needed for household or limited community ambulation following a complete L2-L3 level spinal cord injury.
What are KAFOs?
This descending motor tract is the primary pathway for voluntary, skilled movement, particularly of the distal extremities.
What is the corticospinal tract?
This variable practice schedule — mixing multiple different skills or tasks within a session in a non-sequential order — is generally most effective for patients WITHOUT cognitive deficits.
What is random practice?
Applying manual joint approximation through a joint, like the knee, is a technique often used to facilitate this type of response in a flaccid limb.
What is muscle tone/contraction (postural stability)?
At this Rancho Los Amigos level, a patient demonstrates carryover of a newly learned skill — such as maintaining standing balance with gentle perturbations in a novel setting
What is Level VII?
Autonomic dysreflexia is most commonly seen in patients with spinal cord lesions above this vertebral level.
What is T6?
This deep brain structure initiates and regulates gross, intentional movement, and is closely tied to Parkinson's disease pathology
What is the basal ganglia?
This is a common answer professors give PTA students when questioned about interventions.
What is "It Depends"?
A test in which a patient reproduces the position of one limb with the opposite limb, eyes closed, is assessing this specific sensory modality.
What is proprioception?
At this Rancho Los Amigos level, a patient reacts specifically but inconsistently to stimuli, such as turning toward a sound or withdrawing from pain, and may follow simple commands in a delayed manner.
What is Level III?
This wheelchair feature is especially useful for a patient with C4 tetraplegia who needs pressure relief or has extensor spasms, since it doesn't require active repositioning.
What is tilt in space