Brainstem nuclei — MCQs

A 62-year-old woman presents with sudden onset of vertigo, difficulty walking, sensory changes on the left side of her face and the right side of the body, and left facial drooping. Her past medical history is significant for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. On physical examination, there is left-sided Horner’s syndrome, hypoesthesia on the left side of the face, hypoesthesia on the right side of the body, left facial paralysis, and left-sided limb ataxia, as well as dysmetria. There is also a loss of taste sensation in the anterior 2/3 of the tongue. Based on the above findings, where is the most likely location of the vascular occlusion in this patient?

A 67-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his wife due to dizziness, trouble with walking, and progressively worsening headache. These symptoms began approximately two hours prior to arriving to the hospital and were associated with nausea and one episode of vomiting. Medical history is significant for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type II diabetes mellitus, which is managed with lisinopril, atorvastatin, and metformin. His temperature is 99°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 182/106 mmHg, pulse is 102/min, and respirations are 20/min. On physical examination, the patient has right-sided dysmetria on finger-to-nose testing and right-sided dysrhythmia on rapid finger tapping. This patient's abnormal physical exam findings are best explained by decreased neuronal input into which of the following nuclei?