As a nurse practitioner student, I would often create my own study mnemonics. My efforts were met with varied rates of success. At times, my attempts resulted in such hair-brained sentences that I couldn’t recall the mnemonic itself come test time, much less what it’s words represented. Ultimately, I opted for tried and true memory tools recommended by instructors and other students. Final exams are just around the corner, so if you’re a nurse practitioner student consider adding the following neurology mnemonics to your test taking strategy.
Anatomy: Cranial Nerves
As a list of 12, cranial nerves can be difficult to remember. So, don’t forget ‘On Old Olympus’ Towering Top A Fin And German Viewed Some Hops’.
Olfactory nerve (CN I)
Optic nerve (CN II)
Oculormotor nerve (CN III)
Trochlear nerve (CN IV)
Trigeminal nerve (CN V)
Abducens nerve (CN VI)
Facial nerve (CN VII)
Auditory (or vestibulocochlear) nerve (CN VIII)
Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
Vagus nerve (CN X)
Spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
Anatomy: Cranial Nerves, Sensory vs. Motor
Similarly, recalling the functional information of the cranial nerves in order is tough come test time. The phrase ‘Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More’ will help.
Sensory (olfactory nerve – CN I)
Sensory (optic nerve – CN II)
Motor (oculormotor nerve – CN III)
Motor (trochlear nerve – CN IV)
Both (trigeminal nerve – CN V)
Motor (abducens nerve – CN VI)
Both (facial nerve – CN VII)
Sensory (vestibulocochlear nerve – CN VIII)
Both (glossopharyngeal nerve – CN IX)
Both (vagus nerve – CN X)
Motor (spinal accessory nerve – CN XI)
Motor (hypoglossal nerve – CN XII)
Neurological Assessment: Head Trauma Rapid Neuro Exam
Assessing trauma patients requires quick thinking. The next time you treat a head injury patient, don’t forget to consider the 12 P’s.
Psychological (mental) status
Pupils (size, symmetry, reaction)
Paired ocular movements
Papilloedema
Pressure (BP, increased ICP)
Pulse and rate
Paralysis, Paresis
Pyramidal signs
Pin prick sensory response
Pee (incontinent)
Patellar reflex (and others)
Ptosis
Neurological Assessment: Mental State Examination
Distinguishing neurological and psychological problems is essential in your nurse practitioner practice. The algorithm ‘Assessed Mental State To Be Positively Clinically Unremarkable’ will help guide you through the mental status examination.
Appearance and behavior (observe state, clothing.)
Mood
Speech (rate, form, content)
Thinking (thoughts, perceptions)
Behavioral abnormalities
Perception abnormalities
Cognition (time, place, age)
Understanding of condition (ideas, expectations, concerns)
Risk Factors: Stroke in Young Patients
Treating a young patient with a CVA? The 7 C’s may lead you to the culprit.
Cocaine
Consanguinity (familial such as neurofibromatosis and von Hippel-Lindau)
Cancer
Cardiogenic emboli
hyperCoagulation
CNS infection (ex: HIV conditions)
Congenital arterial lesion
Risk Factors: Stroke
Assessing risk factors is essential to preventative primary care efforts. Maintain an awareness of the risk factors for stroke in your practice using the mnemonic HEADS.
Hypertension/Hyperlipidemia
Elderly
Atrial fibrillation
Diabetes mellitus/Drugs
Smoking/Sex (male)
Differential Diagnoses: Causes of Vertigo
Determining the cause of a patient’s vertigo can be challenging. Use the mnemonic VOMITS to keep the differential diagnoses of vertigo in mind.
Vestibulitis
Ototoxic drugs
Meniere’s disease
Injury
Tumor
Spin (benign positional vertigo)
Differential Diagnoses: Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy
Tingling in the toes? Consider the following differential diagnoses using the mnemonic STAGLAND in evaluating peripheral neuropathy.
Sarcoid
Thyroid
Amyloid
Guillian-Barre
Lead
Alcohol
Nutritional
Drugs/Diabetes
Disease: Metabolic Causes of Altered Level of Consciousness
Can’t think straight? METABOLIC will guide your efforts to recall associated causes of altered level of consciousness.
Major end organs (liver, kidney)
Endocrine/Electrolytes
Toxins
Acid
Base disorders
Oxygenation
Lung (PE, pneumonia)
Infection/Inflammatory/Iatrogenic
Calcium
Disease: Reversible Causes of Dementia
Your elderly patient may truly be suffering from a case of the crazies rather than long-term effects of aging. To assess the situation, use the name of the disease itself, DEMENTIA.
Drug toxicity
Emotional (depression, anxiety, OCD, etc.)
Metabolic (electrolytes, liver disease, kidney disease, COPD)
Eyes/Ears (peripheral sensory restrictions)
Nutrition (vitamin, iron deficiencies)/Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Tumors/Trauma (including chronic subdural hematoma)
Infection (meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, syphilis)
Arteriosclerosis and other vascular disease
Which mnemonics have helped you as a nurse practitioner student?
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