Question 1

Your patient reported each of the following facts when questioned about his family's health history.Which fact prompts you to question him further to determine if he might have a familial neurological disease?

Accepted Answer

A)  His father was paralyzed at age 45 from a spinal cord tumor. 
B)  His older brother has a seizure disorder. 
C)  His grandfather died of complications related to diabetes. 
D)  His grandmother had hypertension and died of complications resulting from a cerebrovascular accident.

Question 2

After completing the assessment of a patient for light touch and pain,you record your findings of bilateral lower-extremity hypesthesia and hypalgesia,which indicate

Accepted Answer

A)  absence of touch sensation and absence of sensation to pain. 
B)  diminished sense of touch and pain sensitivity. 
C)  increased sensitivity to touch and pain. 
D)  tingling and burning sensations.

Question 3

In an assessment of the level of consciousness of a patient who does not respond to environmental stimuli such as noise,the proper sequence to follow is to next assess the patient's response to

Accepted Answer

A)  light touch, verbal stimuli, and then painful stimuli. 
B)  verbal stimuli, light touch, and then painful stimuli. 
C)  pressure to a nail bed of each extremity, pinching the trapezius muscle, and pressure applied to the supraorbital ridge or manubrium. 
D)  gentle shaking, shining a light in the patient's eyes, and then painful stimuli.

Question 4

Extrapyramidal rigidity is characterized by

Accepted Answer

A)  sustained contraction of extensor muscles with extension of legs, arched neck, and clenched teeth. 
B)  sustained contraction of flexor muscles, with hyperflexion of the arms and legs. 
C)  sustained spasticity and rhythmic oscillation of involuntary muscle contraction. 
D)  resistance to passive movement of flexor and extensor muscles in all directions.

Question 5

When instructed to touch his nose and then touch your index finger positioned about 18 inches away,Mr.M misjudges the distance and overshoots.This response is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  dyssynergy. 
B)  dysmetria. 
C)  dysdiadochokinesia. 
D)  apraxia.

Question 6

In deep coma,deep tendon reflexes are

Accepted Answer

A)  diminished or absent. 
B)  normal. 
C)  hyperactive. 
D)  delayed, but full strength.

Question 7

An abnormal emotional state characterized by feelings of sadness,despair,and discouragement describes

Accepted Answer

A)  dementia. 
B)  depression. 
C)  delirium. 
D)  acute confusion.

Question 8

The nurse is assigned to a 28-year-old patient,whose chief complaint is headaches and lightheadedness.The patient reports that at times he has sensations that he is moving in space,and occasionally it feels as if objects in the room are moving around him.The nurse recognizes that the patient is describing

Accepted Answer

A)  syncope. 
B)  vertigo. 
C)  paresthesia. 
D)  an epileptic aura.

Question 9

When a patient makes eight errors within 1.5 minutes while performing serial 7s,the nurse concludes that the patient has which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  normal calculation ability 
B)  confabulation 
C)  dyscalculia 
D)  constructional apraxia

Question 10

A patient's inability to identify a key placed in his hand with his eyes closed is called

Accepted Answer

A)  dysesthesia. 
B)  stereognosis. 
C)  anesthesia. 
D)  astereognosis.

Question 11

An assessment of the cognitive function of attention is typically conducted by asking the patient to

Accepted Answer

A)  repeat a list of numbers, starting with two numbers (e.g., 3, 5) and progressing to five or six (e.g., 1, 5, 4, 9, 0). 
B)  repeat a series of numbers with seven digits backward and forward. 
C)  recite her home telephone number backward. 
D)  recite a personal identification number such as her social security number.

Question 12

A patient is considered to be in a coma if he has a Glasgow Coma Scale score below

Accepted Answer

A)  12. 
B)  10. 
C)  6. 
D)  3.

Question 13

Patients with Ménière's disease typically report vertigo that can last for hours.They may also experience

Accepted Answer

A)  pressure behind the eyes. 
B)  progressive hearing loss. 
C)  facial palsy. 
D)  increased incidence of otitis media.

Question 14

While assessing a patient,who has Broca's aphasia,you are most likely to observe

Accepted Answer

A)  impaired auditory comprehension and speech content. 
B)  intact comprehension and inability to recall names of objects or places. 
C)  slow, hesitant speech with difficulty in selecting and organizing words. 
D)  substitution of incorrect sounds for another sound, and difficulty repeating words.

Question 15

Observing for elevation of the soft palate on phonation,the presence of a gag reflex,and the ability to swallow water are included in an assessment of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  vagus and hypoglossal nerves 
B)  facial and glossopharyngeal nerves 
C)  glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves 
D)  cerebellar function

Question 16

During your assessment of a patient for doll's eyes phenomenon,you observe that the patient's eyes remain fixed.This response most likely indicates

Accepted Answer

A)  a normal finding. 
B)  damage to the lower brainstem. 
C)  injury to cranial nerves III, IV, and VI. 
D)  hematoma formation behind his eyes.

Question 17

Equilibratory coordination refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  smooth, precise, and harmonious muscular activity. 
B)  small movements of the extremities. 
C)  performing rapid, alternating movements. 
D)  maintaining an upright stance.

Question 18

Severe pain,spasms,and resistance occur when you gently flex Ms.N's neck,indicating that

Accepted Answer

A)  the meningeal infection has spread to the neck muscles. 
B)  death is imminent. 
C)  there is a spinal cord tumor in the cervical region. 
D)  the meningeal irritation has caused nuchal rigidity.

Question 19

Long-term memory is assessed by asking the patient to repeat

Accepted Answer

A)  the foods he ate for breakfast that morning. 
B)  his mother's maiden name. 
C)  the three items shown to the patient 5 minutes previously. 
D)  one of the headline stories from the morning newspaper or television newscast.

Question 20

Information obtained during a health history usually is sufficient to assess a patient's mental status.A more specific mental assessment is indicated in a patient with

Accepted Answer

A)  head trauma. 
B)  a lack of formal schooling. 
C)  an abnormal gait. 
D)  hypertension.

Exam 20: Mental Status And Neurological Techniques