Module 12

Question 1

Ischemia of cerebral tissue with sequelae that may include paralysis, weakness, speech defects, and/or sensory changes that last more than 24 hours is:
1. cerebrovascular accident
2. migraine
3. epilepsy
4. transient ischemic attack

Answer 1

cerebrovascular accident

A cerebrovascular attack (CVA), or stroke, is an ischemia of cerebral tissue whose sequelae last for more than 24 hours. The mechanism of a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or mini-stroke, is the same as a CVA, but the sequelae disappear within 24 hours. A migraine is also a vascular condition. Epilepsy is a nondegenerative seizure disorder.

Question 2

A group of disorders characterized by recurrent seizures, sensory disturbances, abnormal behavior, and/or loss of consciousness is:
1. Bell palsy
2. Huntington chorea
3. polyneuritis
4. epilepsy

Answer 2

epilepsy

Epilepsy is a group of disorders, all of which involve an abnormal discharge of electrical activity from the nerve cells of the cerebrum. Sudden, uncontrolled bursts of activity from the neurons characterize a seizure, or convulsion. Seizures can cause sensory disturbances, involuntary muscle contractions, and loss of consciousness.

Question 3

An acute infection caused by the virus that causes chickenpox is:

1. encephalitis
2. meningitis
3. shingles
4. sciatica

Answer 3

shingles

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is an infectious disorder that affects the peripheral nerves. Characterized by painful eruptions that follow the path of the spinal or cranial nerves, shingles develops in response to reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox.

Question 4

**Dorsiflexion of the great toe when the plantar surface of the sole is stimulated is:
**
1. Babinski sign
2. Romberg sign
3. Babinski reflex
4. Wernicke sign

Answer 4

Babinski reflex

The Babinski reflex is the dorsiflexion of the great toe when the plantar surface of the sole is stimulated. Babinski sign is the loss or diminution of the Achilles tendon reflex seen in sciatica.

Question 5

Resection of the dorsal root of a spinal nerve to relieve pain is:

1. lumbar puncture
2. cordotomy
3. vagotomy
4. rhizotomy

Answer 5

rhizotomy

Rhizotomy is the resection of the dorsal root of a spinal nerve to relieve pain. Rhiz/o = nerve root; -tomy = incision.

Question 6

Paralysis on the right or left side of the body is:

1. paraplegia
2. hemiparesis
3. diplegia
4. hemiplegia

Answer 6

hemiplegia

Paralysis** (-plegia)** on the right or left side of the body is hemiplegia.** Hemi-** means half, referring to the right or left half.

Question 7

A synonym for Lou Gehrig disease is:

1. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2. Bell palsy
3. Alzheimer disease
4. MS

Answer 7

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Lou Gehrig disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Lou Gehrig was a great baseball player of the 1920s and 1930s who contracted the fatal disease.

Question 8

A facial nerve paralysis is:

1. shingles
2. narcolepsy
3. Bell palsy
4. sciatica

Answer 8

Bell palsy

Bell palsy is paralysis on one side of the face, often caused by a viral infection. This condition may resolve on its own.

Question 9

A procedure to aspirate cerebrospinal fluid from the lumbar subarachnoid space is:
1. DTR
2. GARS
3. CSF
4. LP

Answer 9

LP

The aspiration of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) from the lumbar subarachnoid space is a diagnostic procedure called a lumbar puncture (LP), also called a spinal tap.

Question 10

**The _____ nervous system is capable of producing a “rest and digest” response.
**
1. somatic
2. sympathetic
3. autonomic
4. parasympathetic

Answer 10

parasympathetic

The parasympathetic nervous system is capable of producing a “rest and digest” response. The sympathetic nervous system is capable of producing a “fight or flight” response.

Question 11

Destruction of a nerve:

1. myelography
2. vagotomy
3. neurectomy
4. neurolysis

Answer 11

neurolysis

The destruction (-lysis) of a nerve (neur/o) is neurolysis.

Question 12

Efferent nerves are also called:

1. motor nerves
2. peripheral nerves
3. interneurons
4. sensory nerves

Answer 12

motor nerves

Efferent means away from the center. Efferent, or motor, nerve cells carry information away from the central nervous system, toward the muscles and glands. Afferent, or sensory, neurons send impulses to the brain and spinal cord from special receptors in all parts of the body.

Question 13

Cutting of a specific nerve to reduce the secretion of gastric acid is:

1. vagotomy
2. rhizotomy
3. cordotomy
4. neurotomy

Answer 13

vagotomy

A vagotomy is the incision (-tomy) of the vagus nerve (vag/o) in order to reduce the secretion of gastric acid.

Question 14

**Incision of the skull as a surgical approach or to relieve intracranial pressure is:
**
1. craniectomy
2. CSF shunt
3. stereotaxic radiosurgery
4. trephination

Answer 14

trephination

Trephination, or craniotomy, is an incision of the skull either as a surgical approach or to relieve cranial pressure. A CSF shunt is a tube inserted into the brain to relieve the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on the brain in cases of hydrocephalus.

Question 15

The ____________________ nervous system is capable of producing a “fight or flight” response.
1. central
2. sympathetic
3. vagus
4. parasympathetic

Answer 15

sympathetic

The sympathetic nervous system is capable of producing the “fight or flight” response. Think of this nervous system as being the most sympathetic to your gravest needs: life-or-death. Beyond (para-) that, once your safety is ensured, the parasympathetic nervous system is free to produce the “rest and digest” response.

Question 16

A serious head injury characterized by loss of consciousness, amnesia, seizures, or a change in mental status is:
1. concussion
2. cerebral contusion
3. coma
4. syncope

Answer 16

concussion

A concussion is a serious head injury that may result in loss of consciousness, amnesia, seizures, or a change in mental status.

Question 17

A method of pain control effected by the application of electrical impulses to the skin is:
1. EEG
2. nerve conduction test
3. TENS
4. EP

Answer 17

TENS

Transcutaneous (through the skin) electrical nerve stimulation sends a painless electrical current to specific nerves. The current may be delivered intermittently. The mild electrical current generates heat to relieve stiffness, improve mobility, and relieve pain. The treatment is believed to stimulate the body’s production of endorphins or natural pain killers.

Question 18

A test of the functioning of the peripheral nerves is:

1. Babinski reflex
2. evoked potential study
3. nerve conduction test
4. Babinski sign

Answer 18

nerve conduction test

The nerve conduction test is a test that assesses peripheral nerve function by measuring the amount of time it takes for an impulse to travel through a nerve after a stimulus is applied. Evoked potential is an electrical response from the brainstem or cerebral cortex produced in response to specific stimuli.

Question 19

Incision of the spinal cord to relieve pain is:

1. craniotomy
2. cordotomy
3. rhizotomy
4. vagotomy

Answer 19

cordotomy

Incision (-tomy) of the spinal cord (cord/o) to relieve pain is cordotomy.

Question 20

A progressive, neurodegenerative disease in which patients exhibit an impairment of cognitive functioning is:
1. multiple sclerosis
2. Alzheimer disease
3. Guillain-Barré syndrome
4. dementia

Answer 20

Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease in which patients exhibit impaired cognitive functioning. It is the most common form of dementia.

Question 21

**Muscular weakness or slight paralysis on the left or right side of the body is:
**
1. hemiplegia
2. paraplegia
3. hemiparesis
4. diplegia

Answer 21

hemiparesis

Hemiparesis is weakness or slight paralysis (-paresis) on the left or right side of the body.** Hemi- means half.
**

Question 22

Choose the correct spelling of the medical term for fainting.

1. synchopy
2. syncope
3. synchophy
4. synchope

Answer 22

syncope

Question 23

**Choose the correct spelling of the term for a condition characterized by facial, limb, and vocal tics.
**
1. Touret syndrome
2. Tourett syndrome
3. Tourette syndrome
4. Tourete syndrome

Answer 23

Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome is a condition characterized by facial grimaces, tics, involuntary arm and shoulder movements, and involuntary vocalizations, including the use of offensive language. Break the word into two to remember how to spell it: Tour + ette. This is not a term built from medical word parts.

Question 24

Choose the correct spelling of the term for a procedure that uses radio waves to localize structures within 3-D space.
1. sterilotaxic radiosurgery
2. stereotaxic radiosurgery
3. steretaxic radiosurgery
4. sterotaxic radiosurgery

Answer 24

stereotaxic radiosurgery

Stereotaxic radiosurgery uses radio waves to localize structures within 3-D space.

Question 25

**Injection of a radioisotope into a vein to localize and identify intracranial masses, lesions, tumors, or infarcts, with photography done by a scintillator or scanner is: ** 1. PET scan 2. brain scan 3. echoencephalography 4. cerebral angiography

Answer 25

brain scan ## Footnote A brain scan involves the injection of a radioisotope into a vein to localize and identify intracranial masses, lesions, tumors, or infarcts. A scintillator or scanner is used to photograph the pathology. A PET scan uses radionuclides to visualize brain function. Echoencephalography is a sonographic examination of the brain. Cerebral angiography is a radiographic contrast study of the cerebral arteries.

Question 26

# A neuroblastoma is a: 1. benign fibrous tumor composed of nervous tissue 2. malignant tumor arising from star-shaped glial cells 3. malignant tumor arising from either the autonomic system or the adrenal medulla 4. usually benign tumor of the meninges

Answer 26

malignant tumor arising from either the autonomic system or the adrenal medulla ## Footnote A neuroblastoma is a highly malignant tumor arising from either the autonomic nervous system or the adrenal medulla. This cancer usually affects children under the age of 10.

Question 27

**Inability to perform purposeful movements or to use objects appropriately is: ** 1. apraxia 2. ageusia 3. agnosia 4. anosmia

Answer 27

apraxia ## Footnote **Apraxia** is the inability to perform purposeful movements or to use objects appropriately. **Ataxia** is a lack of muscle coordination. **Ageusia** is the absence of the ability to taste. **Anosmia** is a lack of the ability to smell. **Agnosia** is the inability to recognize objects visually, auditorily, or with other senses.

Question 28

**Choose the correct spelling of the term for this progressive, neurodegenerative disease in which patients exhibit cognitive impairment. ** 1. Alzheimer disease 2. Alzimer disease 3. Altzheimer disease 4. Ahlzimer disease

Answer 28

Alzheimer disease ## Footnote Alzheimer disease is the correct spelling of this progressive, neurodegenerative disease in which patients exhibit cognitive impairment.

Question 29

**Inflammation of a specific nerve causing pain and tenderness along its path through the thigh and leg is: ** 1. shingles 2. radiculitis 3. encephalitis 4. sciatica

Answer 29

sciatica ## Footnote Sciatica is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve that induces pain and tenderness along the path of the nerve through the thigh and leg and to the toes.

Question 30

# CSF is contained in the subdural space. 1. False 2. True

Answer 30

False ## Footnote Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is NOT contained in the subdural space; it is contained in the subarachnoid space and the ventricles.

Question 31

**Inventory of 16 aspects of how a patient walks to detect abnormalities is:** 1. CSF 2. GARS 3. LP 4. DTR

Answer 31

GARS ## Footnote The gait assessment rating scale (GARS) is an inventory of 16 aspects of gait (how one walks) to detect abnormalities. This is one method to evaluate cerebellar function.

Question 32

**A radiographic examination of the spinal canal after the introduction of a radiopaque substance is: ** 1. myelography 2. cerebral arteriography 3. LP 4. EMG

Answer 32

myelography ## Footnote The process of **recording (-graphy)** the **spinal cord (myel/o)** is myelography. This imaging procedure is performed after the injection of a radiopaque substance.

Question 33

**A progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized mainly by tremors and a slow, shuffling gait is: ** 1. AD 2. MS 3. PD 4. ALS

Answer 33

PD ## Footnote Parkinson disease (PD) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. The main symptoms are muscle tremors and rigidity, and a shuffling gait. Other symptoms include hypokinesia, dysphasia, and dysphagia.