Continnum Aug 2019
Continnum Aug 2019
Continnum Aug 2019
POSTREADING TEST
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3 A 70-year-old woman with a 10-year history of Parkinson disease is
seen in clinic follow-up. Her symptoms have been well-controlled on
carbidopa/levodopa therapy in the past, but she is concerned about
worsening balance dysfunction. Her husband notes that, although she
has not fallen, he has needed to catch her on several occasions to
prevent falls. Which of the following best describes the association of
postural and balance dysfunction and Parkinson disease in this patient?
A her falls are unlikely to be related to any Parkinson disease–associated
postural dysfunction, and other etiologies should be investigated
B postural instability is common in Parkinson disease but is rarely
associated with negative outcomes
C postural instability is relatively resistant to increased doses of levodopa
D the presence or absence of postural instability does not correlate
well with overall Parkinson disease severity
E the presence of postural dysfunction in this case should prompt a
revised diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy
5 Which test may be indicated early in the disease course for patients
with progressive supranuclear palsy?
A CT angiography
B ECG
C echocardiogram
D laryngoscopy
E video fluoroscopic swallowing examination
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8 The use of levodopa in patients with multiple system atrophy can risk
worsening which of the following symptoms?
A central apnea
B dysmetria
C orthostasis
D rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder
E stridor
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ARTICLE 4: TREMOR
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100 mg, 1 tablet twice daily. When seen in follow-up 1 month later,
her symptoms and examination are not significantly changed.Which of
the following is the best next step in management?
A begin carbamazepine for kinesigenic components of her dystonia
B continue to increase dosage up to total levodopa dose of
1000 mg/d if tolerated, and monitor for improvement
C increase dosage to 3 times daily and continue indefinitely
D refer for tendon release surgery to prevent limb contractures
E stop carbidopa/levodopa since dopa-responsive dystonia should
be responsive to low-dose levodopa
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ARTICLE 6: CHOREA
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ARTICLE 7: ATAXIA
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C severe bihemispheric white matter hyperintensity on T2/fluid-
attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences
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POSTREADING TEST
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POSTREADING TEST
Postreading
Self-Assessment and
CME Test—Preferred
Responses
By Adam G. Kelly, MD; Allison L. Weathers, MD, FAAN
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
Following are the preferred responses to the questions in the Postreading
Self-Assessment and CME Test in this Continuum issue. The preferred
response is followed by an explanation and a reference with which you
may seek more specific information. You are encouraged to review the
responses and explanations carefully to evaluate your general
understanding of the article topic. The comments and references included
with each question are intended to encourage independent study.
US PARTICIPANTS: Upon completion of the Postreading Self-Assessment and
CME Test and issue evaluation online at continpub.com/CME, participants
may earn up to 20 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM toward SA-CME. US
participants have up to 3 years from the date of publication online to earn
SA-CME credits.
CANADIAN PARTICIPANTS:This program is an Accredited Self-Assessment
Program (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification
Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and
approved by the Office of Continuing Medical Education and Professional
Development, University of Calgary, on April 1, 2017. Refer to the CME
tab on ContinuumJournal.com for dates of accreditation. Canadian
participants should visit MAINPORT (mainport.org) to record learning
and outcomes. Canadian participants can claim a maximum of 20 hours
(credits are automatically calculated).
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SELF-ASSESSMENT
AND CME
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11 The preferred response is E (tic severity will most likely peak in severity
between the ages of 8 and 12 and then improve throughout adolescence and
early adulthood). This patient is presenting with stereotyped movements that
seem highly consistent with simple motor tics. The development of symptoms
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at age 6 is very common and not predictive of any underlying progressive
degenerative condition. The most common pattern of tics is worsening severity
around ages 8 through 12 with gradual improvement after that. Roughly one-third
of patients with tics will have complete resolution, one-third will have
improvement over time, and one-third will have persistent and fluctuating tics
into adulthood. This patient may yet develop vocal tics since motor tics most
commonly precede the onset of vocal tics. For more information, refer to
page 938 of the Continuum article “Tics and Tourette Syndrome.”
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ARTICLE 4: TREMOR
15 The preferred response is A (ataxia). While the ataxia in most patients with
essential tremor is mild, it may be moderate in severity. Patients with essential
tremor have an increased number of falls and near falls compared to
age-matched controls. The ataxia may only be apparent on examination on
tandem gait. The other signs (dysarthria, dysphagia, hyperreflexia, and
nystagmus) are not seen in patients with essential tremor, and their presence
should raise concern for an alternative diagnosis, such as a spinocerebellar ataxia.
For more information, refer to page 963 of the Continuum article “Tremor.”
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kinetic components of the tremor. For more information, refer to page 969 of
the Continuum article “Tremor.”
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ARTICLE 6: CHOREA
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ARTICLE 7: ATAXIA
ARTICLE 8: MYOCLONUS
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