Question 1

When doing the history on a patient with a seizure disorder,the nurse assesses whether the patient has an aura.Which of the following would be the best question to ask in order to obtain this information?

Accepted Answer

A) "Does your muscle tone seem tense or limp?" 
B) "After the seizure,do you spend a lot of time sleeping?" 
C) "Do you have any warning sign before your seizure starts?" 
D) "Do you experience any colour change or incontinence during the seizure?"

Question 2

A 59-year-old patient has a herniated intervertebral disc.Which of the following findings would the nurse expect to see on physical assessment of this individual?

Accepted Answer

A) Hyporeflexia 
B) Increased muscle tone 
C) A positive Babinski sign 
D) The presence of pathological reflexes

Question 3

Which of the following statements about the peripheral nervous system is correct?

Accepted Answer

A) The cranial nerves enter the brain through the spinal cord. 
B) Efferent fibres carry sensory input to the central nervous system through the spinal cord. 
C) The peripheral nerves are inside the central nervous system and carry impulses through their motor fibres. 
D) The peripheral nerves carry input to the central nervous system by afferent fibres and away by efferent fibres.

Question 4

When the nurse asks a 68-year-old patient to stand with his feet together,his arms at his sides,and his eyes closed,he starts to sway and moves his feet further apart.The nurse would document this finding as a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) ataxia. 
B) lack of coordination. 
C) negative Homan's sign. 
D) positive Romberg sign.

Question 5

The nurse knows that determining whether a person is oriented to his or her surroundings will test the functioning of which of the following structures?

Accepted Answer

A) Cerebrum 
B) Cerebellum 
C) Cranial nerves 
D) Medulla oblongata

Question 6

In assessing a 70-year-old patient who has had a recent cerebrovascular accident,the nurse notes right-sided weakness.What might the nurse expect to find when testing his reflexes on the right side?

Accepted Answer

A) Lack of reflexes 
B) Normal reflexes 
C) Diminished reflexes 
D) Hyperactive reflexes

Question 7

The two parts of the nervous system are:

Accepted Answer

A) motor and sensory. 
B) central and peripheral. 
C) peripheral and autonomic. 
D) hypothalamus and cerebral.

Question 8

While the nurse is taking the health history of a 68-year-old patient who sustained a head injury 3 days earlier,he tells the nurse that he is on a cruise ship and is 30 years old.The nurse knows that this finding is indicative of:

Accepted Answer

A) a great sense of humour. 
B) uncooperative behaviour. 
C) inability to understand the question. 
D) a decreased level of consciousness.

Question 9

A 30-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has been very unsteady and has had difficulty in maintaining her balance.With these findings,which area of the brain would concern the nurse?

Accepted Answer

A) Thalamus 
B) Brain stem 
C) Cerebellum 
D) Extrapyramidal tract

Question 10

To test for gross motor skill and coordination in a 6-year-old,which of the following techniques would be appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A) Ask child to hop on one foot. 
B) Have the child stand on his head. 
C) Have the child touch his finger to his nose. 
D) Have the child make "funny" faces at the nurse.

Question 11

During an assessment of a patient's cranial nerves,the nurse finds a lack of blink in the right eye with corneal reflex,intact ability to sense light touch on the face,and loss of movement with facial features on the right side.This would indicate dysfunction of which of the following cranial nerves (CNs)?

Accepted Answer

A) Motor component of CN IV 
B) Motor component of CN VII 
C) Motor and sensory components of CN XI 
D) Motor component of CN X and sensory component of CN VII

Question 12

A patient is not able to perform rapid,alternating movements such as patting her knees quickly.The nurse would document this as:

Accepted Answer

A) ataxia. 
B) astereognosis. 
C) the presence of dysdiadochokinesia. 
D) a probable abnormality in the cerebellum.

Question 13

The area of the nervous system that is responsible for mediating reflexes is the:

Accepted Answer

A) medulla. 
B) cerebellum. 
C) spinal cord. 
D) cerebral cortex.

Question 14

During the assessment of an 80-year-old patient,the nurse notes that his hands show tremors when he reaches for something and that his head is always nodding.There is no associated rigidity with movement.Which of the following statements is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A) These are normal findings resulting from aging. 
B) These could be related to hyperthyroidism. 
C) These are the result of degenerative arthropathy. 
D) This patient should be evaluated for a cerebellar lesion.

Exam 25: Neurological System