Damage to the Parietal Lobes

1834 Words4 Pages

Jan is a 55 year old female that is employed as an

architect with a reputable firm. She uses both computer programs

and her own skill to draw plans for structures such as bridges

or buildings. One afternoon as Jan began work on a draft of a

museum she noticed something strange. For some reason her

drawings were not coming out as her originals had. Her windows

were not symmetrical; her walls did not meet at the right angle,

etc. This puzzled her because she wasn’t doing anything any

different than she would on any other day. She began doing the

measurements for the materials and found she had difficulty with

simple arithmetic. Now she was really concerned, what could

possibly be wrong? A co-worker passed by and asked her to hand

him a pencil, but when she reached for the utensil on her desk

her hand closed before it was anywhere near it. That was the

final straw. Jan went immediately to her boss’s office and asked

to leave early in order to see her doctor.

Jan’s symptoms concern her doctor very much. He sends her

to a neurologist for testing, though he tells her his suspicion

that she might have suffered damage to her nervous system,

judging from her symptoms, the left side of her brain. By the

time Jan reaches my office, she is beside herself. As a doctor,

it is my job to calm her and alleviate some of her stress. As a

neurologist, it is my job to perform diagnostic tests such as a

CAT scan, an MRI/MRA, or an EEG, as well as perform a

neurological examination to ascertain the source of Jan’s

difficulties.

The neurological examination is a doctor patient

interaction in which the doctor tests mental status, cranial

nerves, the motor system, the sensory system, deep tendon

reflexes, coordination, and gait. The examination can be key in

diagnosing and treating problems like Jan’s. “Sophisticated

imaging and laboratory tests do not always provide sufficient

information about how the nerves are functioning or not

functioning, as the case may be. The neurological examination is

a series of simple questions and tests that provide crucial

information about the nervous system” (neurological exam).

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