BCEN CFRN Practice Question

The combination of markedly greater motor weakness in the upper than in the lower extremities, sensory loss predominantly affecting pain and temperature, preserved proprioception, and a hyper-extension cervical mechanism is classic for central cord syndrome. Central cord injuries involve the central corticospinal tracts that contain fibers for the arms situated more medially, producing the characteristic arm-dominant motor deficit. Anterior cord syndrome causes bilateral motor and pain/temperature loss below the lesion with preserved dorsal-column sensation; Brown-Sequard syndrome produces ipsilateral motor loss with contralateral pain/temperature loss; cauda equina syndrome involves lower-motor-neuron leg weakness and saddle anesthesia.