ILA 8 - Spinal / BSS Flashcards
A sexually active 75-year-old gentlemen presents with a stamping gait. He is diagnosed with tabes dorsalis. On examination he has a loss of joint position sense and cannot feel the tuning fork (vibration) when placed on his medial malleolus.
Which of the following spinal tracts is affected?
A. Corticospinal
B. Dorsal column medial lemiscus pathway
C. Rubrospinal tract
D. Spinocerebellar tract
E. Spino thalamic
B. Dorsal column medial lemiscus pathway
Tabes dorsalis- demyelination of dorsal roots caused by syphilis
Disruption of the dorsal column medial lemiscus pathway results in loss of fine touch, vibration, pressure and proprioception
The vagus nerve is composed of different nerve fibres.
Which best describes the composition of the vagus nerve?
A. Parasympathetic motor and sensory fibres
B. Parasympathetic motor fibres
C. Sympathetic motor and sensory fibres
D. Sympathetic motor fibres
A. Parasympathetic motor and sensory fibres
A 48-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who smokes 30 a day and is overweight presents with bilateral “glove and stocking” loss of pain, temperature and pin prick sensation.
Which of the following spinal tracts is affected?
A. Corticospinal
B. Dorsal column medial lemiscus pathway
C. Rubrospinal tract
D. Spinocerebellar tract
E. Spinothalamic tract
E. Spinothalamic tract
-Sensory pathway from skin to thalamus
-Lateral spinothalamic pathway conducts pain and temperature
-Anterior spinothalamic pathway conducts crude touch and firm pressure
-Diabetes is a common cause of ‘glove and stocking’ peripheral neuropathy
The central nervous system is composed of many cell types each with a differing role.
Which cell type listed below is NOT found in the central nervous system?
A. Astrocytes
B. Ependymal cells
C. Microglia
D. Oligodendrocytes
E. Schwann cells
E. Schwann cells
• Schwann cells are the principle glial cells of the PNS.
• They form the myelin sheath of motor and sensory neurones.
A 78-year-old lady presents to her GP surgery with an intensely itchy vesicular rash in two separate horizontal lines at the level of the nipple and umbilicus respectively.
Which dermatomal distribution is this affecting?
A. C8 + C10
B. C8 + C10
C. T4 + T12
D. T6 + T12
E. T10 + L1
B. T4 + T10
The spinal cord has a variety of tracts that decussate at several differing levels.
Which of the following statements best describes where decussation occurs for the named tract?
A. The corticospinal tract decussates within the spinal cord.
B.The dorsal column decussates within the spinal cord.
C.The posterior (dorsal) spinocerebellar tract decussates twice while the anterior (ventral) spinocerebellar tract does not decussate at all.
D.The spinothalamic tract decussates within the spinal cord.
D. The spinothalamic tract decussates within the spinal cord.
-The corticospinal tract decussates in the pyramids of the lower medulla
-The spinothalamic tract decussates within the spinal cord.
-The dorsal column decussates in the medulla oblongata
-It is the anterior (ventral) spinocerebellar tract (blue) that decussates twice – once in the spinal cord as part of the anterior white commissure and then again in the superior cerebellar peduncle. The posterior (dorsal) spinocerebellar tract (red) does not decussate.
The spinal cord has a variety of tracts each with their own function.
Which descending motor tract originates in the cerebral cortex and synapses in the spinal cord?
A. Corticospinal
B. Dorsal column medial lemiscus pathway
C. Rubrospinal tract
D. Spinocerebellar tract
E. Spinothalamic
A. Corticospinal
Corticospinal pathway is a white matter motor pathway that starts in the cerebral cortex and ends on lower motor neurones in the spinal cord.
A reflex is an automatic, involuntary reaction to a stimulus.
Which group of spinal nerves innervates the biceps reflex?
A. C5/C6
B. C7/C8
C. C8/T1
D. L3/L4
E. S1/S2
A. C5/C6
The action potential is the rise and fall in voltage across the cell membrane.
Which of the following statements regarding the nerve action potential graph is TRUE?
A. The upstroke is mediated by potassium ions rushing into the cell. The downstroke is mediated by sodium ions rushing out of the cell.
B. The upstroke is mediated by potassium ions rushing out of the cell. The downstroke is mediated by sodium ions rushing into the cell.
C. The upstroke is mediated by sodium ions rushing into the cell. The downstroke is mediated by potassium ions rushing out of the cell.
D. The upstroke is mediated by sodium ions rushing into the cell. The downstroke is mediated by Calcium ions rushing out of the cell.
E. The upstroke is mediated by sodium ions rushing out of the cell. The downstroke is mediated by potassium ions rushing into the cell.
C.The upstroke is mediated by sodium ions rushing into the cell. The downstroke is mediated by potassium ions rushing out of the cell.
A reflex is an automatic, involuntary reaction to a stimulus.
Which group of spinal nerves innervates the ankle reflex?
A. C5/C6
B. C7/C8
C. C8/T1
D. L3/L4
E. S1/S2
E. S1/S2
A 73 year old lady presents to her GP surgery with an intensely itchy vesicular rash in a horizontal line at the level of the nipple.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Allergic reaction
B. Chicken Pox
C. Dermatitis Herpatiformis
D. Erythema Multiforme
E. Shingles
E. Shingles
Caused by Herpes Zoster virus
Commonly affects the elderly
Produces a rash that is usually unilateral and has a dermatomal distribution
The nervous system is conventionally divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Which of the following statements best describes the peripheral nervous system?
A. The peripheral nervous system excludes the cranial nerves
B. The peripheral nervous system is not myelinated
C. The peripheral nervous system is protected by the blood brain barrier.
D. The peripheral nervous system ONLY includes a motor component.
E. The spinal cord is not part of the peripheral nervous system.
E. The spinal cord is not a part of the peripheral nervous system
