Autonomic nervous system anatomy Practice Questions

Question 1

A 68-year-old man comes to the physician because of double vision and unilateral right eye pain that began this morning. His vision improves when he covers either eye. He has hypertension, mild cognitive impairment, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The patient has smoked two packs of cigarettes daily for 40 years. His current medications include lisinopril, donepezil, metformin, and insulin with meals. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 85/minute, respirations are 12/minute, and blood pressure is 132/75 mm Hg. His right eye is abducted and depressed with slight intorsion. He can only minimally adduct the right eye. Visual acuity is 20/20 in both eyes. Extraocular movements of the left eye are normal. An MRI of the head shows no abnormalities. His fingerstick blood glucose concentration is 325 mg/dL. Further evaluation is most likely to show which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Ptosis

Answer

Dilated and fixed pupil

Answer

Bitemporal hemianopsia

Answer

Miosis and anhidrosis

Answer

Positive swinging-flashlight test

Question 2

A 65-year-old male with a history of CHF presents to the emergency room with shortness of breath, lower leg edema, and fatigue. He is diagnosed with acute decompensated congestive heart failure, was admitted to the CCU, and treated with a medication that targets beta-1 adrenergic receptors preferentially over beta-2 adrenergic receptors. The prescribing physician explained that this medication would only be used temporarily as its efficacy decreases within 2-3 days due to receptor downregulation. Which of the following was prescribed?

Accepted Answer

Dobutamine

Answer

Epinephrine

Answer

Norepinephrine

Answer

Milrinone

Answer

Isoproterenol

Question 3

A 72-year-old woman is brought in to the emergency department after her husband noticed that she appeared to be choking on her dinner. He performed a Heimlich maneuver but was concerned that she may have aspirated something. The patient reports a lack of pain and temperature on the right half of her face, as well as the same lack of sensation on the left side of her body. She also states that she has been feeling "unsteady" on her feet. On physical exam you note a slight ptosis on the right side. She is sent for an emergent head CT. Where is the most likely location of the neurological lesion?

Accepted Answer

Medulla

Answer

Pons

Answer

Internal capsule

Answer

Cervical spinal cord

Answer

Midbrain

Question 4

A 29-year-old man presents to his primary care provider complaining of not being able to get enough rest at night. He goes to bed early enough and has otherwise good sleep hygiene but feels drained the next day. He feels he is unable to perform optimally at work, but he is still a valued employee and able to complete his share of the work. About a month ago his wife of 5 years asked for a divorce and quickly moved out. He has cut out coffee after 12 pm and stopped drinking alcohol. He also exercises 3 days per week. Today, his blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg, heart rate is 95/min, respiratory rate is 25/min, and temperature is 37.0°C (98.6°F ). On physical exam, his heart has a regular rate and rhythm and his lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally. A CMP, CBC, and thyroid test are negative. Which of the following statements best describes this patient’s condition?

Accepted Answer

Symptoms typically resolve within 6 months after the stressor ends

Answer

Symptoms are usually self-limited and may persist for 2 years

Answer

Symptoms develop within 3 months of the stressor

Answer

Symptoms may be persistent if the stressor is chronic

Answer

Symptoms represent a maladaptive response to an identifiable stressor

Question 5

A 21-year-old man was involved in a motor vehicle accident and died. At autopsy, the patient demonstrated abnormally increased mobility at the neck. A section of cervical spinal cord at C6 was removed and processed into slides. Which of the following gross anatomic features is most likely true of this spinal cord level?

Accepted Answer

Cuneate and gracilis fasciculi are present

Answer

Least amount of white matter

Answer

Prominent lateral horns

Answer

Absence of gray matter enlargement

Answer

Involvement with parasympathetic nervous system

Question 6

Which neurotransmitter is primarily responsible for parasympathetic effects on heart rate?

Accepted Answer

Acetylcholine

Answer

Norepinephrine

Answer

Dopamine

Answer

Epinephrine

Question 7

A 49-year-old male presents with a primary complaint of several recent episodes of severe headache, sudden anxiety, and a "racing heart". The patient originally attributed these symptoms to stress at work; however, these episodes are becoming more frequent and severe. Laboratory evaluation during such an episode reveals elevated plasma free metanephrines. Which of the following additional findings in this patient is most likely?

Accepted Answer

Episodic hypertension

Answer

Anhidrosis

Answer

Diarrhea

Answer

Hypoglycemia

Answer

Decreased 24 hour urine vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) levels

Question 8

An 87-year-old male presents to his neurologist for a follow-up visit. He is being followed for an inoperable tumor near his skull. He reports that he recently noticed that food has started to lose its taste. He also notes increasing difficulty with swallowing. He has a history of myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and presbycusis. He takes aspirin, metoprolol, metformin, glyburide, atorvastatin, lisinopril, and hydrochlorothiazide. On examination, the patient is a frail-appearing male sitting in a wheelchair. He is oriented to person, place, and time. Gag reflex is absent on the right side. A taste evaluation is performed which demonstrates a decreased ability to detect sour and bitter substances on the right posterior tongue. The nerve responsible for this patient’s loss of taste sensation also has which of the following functions?

Accepted Answer

Parasympathetic innervation to the parotid gland

Answer

Somatic sensory innervation to the roof of the pharynx

Answer

Parasympathetic innervation to the trachea

Answer

Somatic sensory innervation to the lower lip

Answer

Parasympathetic innervation to the submandibular gland

Question 9

A 28-year-old male presents to his primary care physician with complaints of intermittent abdominal pain and alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. His medical chart is not significant for any past medical problems or prior surgeries. He is not prescribed any current medications. Which of the following questions would be the most useful next question in eliciting further history from this patient?

Accepted Answer

"Can you tell me more about the symptoms you have been experiencing?"

Answer

"Does the diarrhea typically precede the constipation, or vice-versa?"

Answer

"Is the diarrhea foul-smelling?"

Answer

"Please rate your abdominal pain on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst pain of your life"

Answer

"Are the symptoms worse in the morning or at night?"

Question 10

A 29-year-old man presents to the emergency room with facial weakness. He first noticed that he was having trouble smiling normally while at dinner with friends the night before. He also noticed that his food had less taste than usual during the dinner. He woke up on the day of presentation with a complete inability to move the right side of his face. He recently returned from an extended camping trip in the Appalachian Mountains, but he did not find any tick bites following the camping trip. His past medical history is notable for Achilles tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. He works as a computer programmer. He smokes marijuana occasionally but does not smoke cigarettes. His temperature is 98.6°F (37°C), blood pressure is 120/75 mmHg, pulse is 80/min, and respirations are 18/min. On exam, he is well-appearing in no acute distress. There is loss of facial wrinkles along the forehead, eyelids, and nasolabial folds. He is unable to completely close his right eye, raise his eyebrows, or smile with the right side of his mouth. Sensation is intact to light touch along the forehead, maxilla, and mandible bilaterally. Where is the most likely source of this patient’s lesion?

Accepted Answer

Stylomastoid foramen

Answer

Superior orbital fissure

Answer

Petrotympanic fissure

Answer

Inferior orbital fissure

Answer

Dorsal frontal lobe

Autonomic nervous system anatomy

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Sympathetic trunk anatomy

Sympathetic ganglia and rami

Parasympathetic cranial outflow

Parasympathetic sacral outflow

Autonomic plexuses

Visceral afferent pathways

Autonomic innervation of the head and neck

Autonomic innervation of thoracic organs

Autonomic innervation of abdominal organs

Autonomic innervation of pelvic organs

Autonomic dysfunction syndromes

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