Neuroanatomy Practice Questions

Question 1

You are seeing a patient in clinic who presents with complaints of weakness. Her physical exam is notable for right sided hyperreflexia, as well as the reflex finding shown in the image below. Where is the most likely location of this patient's lesion?

Accepted Answer

Internal capsule

Answer

Postcentral gyrus

Answer

Neuromuscular junction

Answer

Lateral geniculate nucleus

Answer

Subthalamic nucleus

Question 2

A 69-year-old man is brought in by his wife with acute onset aphasia for the past 5 hours. The patient's wife says that they were sitting having dinner when suddenly he was not able to speak. They delayed coming to the hospital because he had a similar episode 2 months ago which resolved within an hour. His past medical history is significant for hypercholesterolemia, managed with rosuvastatin, and a myocardial infarction (MI) 2 months ago, status post percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty complicated by residual angina. His family history is significant for his father who died of MI at age 60. The patient reports a 15-pack-year smoking history but denies any alcohol or recreational drug use. The vital signs include: temperature 37.0℃ (98.6℉), blood pressure 125/85 mm Hg, pulse 96/min, and respiratory rate 19/min. On physical examination, the patient has expressive aphasia. There is a weakness of the right-sided lower facial muscles. The strength in his upper and lower extremities is 4/5 on the right and 5/5 on the left. There is also a decreased sensation on his right side. A noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the head is unremarkable. CT angiography (CTA) and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain are acquired, and the findings are shown in the exhibit (see image). Which of the following is the best course of treatment in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Mechanical thrombectomy

Answer

Aspirin

Answer

Mannitol

Answer

IV tPA

Answer

Low molecular weight heparin

Question 3

A 24-year-old man presents to the emergency department after a motor vehicle collision. He was in the front seat and unrestrained driver in a head on collision. His temperature is 99.2°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 90/65 mmHg, pulse is 152/min, respirations are 16/min, and oxygen saturation is 100% on room air. Physical exam is notable for a young man who opens his eyes spontaneously and is looking around. He answers questions with inappropriate responses but discernible words. He withdraws from pain but does not have purposeful movement. Which of the following is this patient's Glasgow coma scale?

Accepted Answer

11

Answer

9

Answer

15

Answer

7

Answer

13

Question 4

A 66-year-old man is brought into the emergency department by his daughter for a change in behavior. Yesterday the patient seemed more confused than usual and was asking the same questions repetitively. His symptoms have not improved over the past 24 hours, thus the decision to bring him in today. Last year, the patient was almost completely independent but he then suffered a "series of falls," after which his ability to care for himself declined. After this episode he was no longer able to cook for himself or pay his bills but otherwise had been fine up until this episode. The patient has a past medical history of myocardial infarction, hypertension, depression, diabetes mellitus type II, constipation, diverticulitis, and peripheral neuropathy. His current medications include metformin, insulin, lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, sodium docusate, atorvastatin, metoprolol, fluoxetine, and gabapentin. On exam you note a confused man who is poorly kept. He has bruises over his legs and his gait seems unstable. He is alert to person and place, and answers some questions inappropriately. The patient's pulse is 90/minute and his blood pressure is 170/100 mmHg. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Vascular dementia

Answer

Normal aging

Answer

Lewy body dementia

Answer

Pseudodementia (depression-related cognitive impairment)

Answer

Alzheimer's dementia

Question 5

A 45-year-old man presents to the emergency department with complaints of right-sided weakness and slurring of speech for 1 hour. There is no history of head trauma, myocardial infarction, recent surgery, gastrointestinal or urinary bleeding. He has hypertension, chronic atrial fibrillation, and a 20 pack-year cigarette smoking history. The medication list includes valsartan and rivaroxaban. The vital signs include: blood pressure 180/92 mm Hg, pulse 144/min and irregular, and temperature 37.2°C (99.0°F). On physical examination, there is a facial asymmetry with a deviation of angle of mouth to the left side on smiling. Muscle strength is reduced in both upper and lower limbs on the right side while on the left side it’s normal. Random blood glucose is 104 mg/dL. A complete blood count is normal. A CT scan of the head is shown in the image. What is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

Accepted Answer

Aspirin

Answer

Heparin

Answer

Amiodarone

Answer

Metoprolol

Answer

Tissue plasminogen activator

Question 6

A 62-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his wife because she thinks he has had a stroke. He has hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Current medications include enalapril and metformin. He has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes per day for the past 35 years. His blood pressure is 162/95 mm Hg. A CT scan of the brain shows a lacunar stroke involving the left subthalamic nucleus. The patient most likely presented with which of the following findings on physical examination?

Accepted Answer

Hemiballismus

Answer

Cogwheel rigidity

Answer

Dystonia

Answer

Hemispatial agnosia

Answer

Vertical gaze palsy

Question 7

Which neurotransmitter primarily mediates slow synaptic transmission in the enteric nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Nitric oxide

Answer

Substance P

Answer

Serotonin

Answer

Acetylcholine

Question 8

An 82-year-old right-handed woman is brought in by ambulance after being found down in her home. On presentation, she is found to be awake but does not follow directions or respond to questions. She is able to speak and produces a fluent string of nonsensical words and sounds. She does not appear to be bothered by her deficits. Subsequent neurologic exam finds that the patient is unable to comprehend any instructions and is also unable to repeat phrases. CT scan reveals an acute stroke to her left hemisphere. Damage to which of the following structures would be most likely to result in this pattern of deficits?

Accepted Answer

Superior temporal gyrus

Answer

Precentral gyrus

Answer

Arcuate fasciculus

Answer

Inferior frontal gyrus

Answer

Watershed zone

Question 9

A 56-year-old male comes to the physician because of a 2-month history of excessive sleepiness. He reports that he has been sleeping for an average of 10 to 12 hours at night and needs to take multiple naps during the day. Six months ago, he was diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma and underwent prophylactic cranial irradiation. This patient's symptoms are most likely caused by damage to which of the following structures?

Accepted Answer

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

Answer

Subthalamic nucleus

Answer

Ventromedial nucleus

Answer

Preoptic nucleus

Answer

Supraoptic nucleus

Question 10

A 67-year-old female patient is brought to the emergency department after her daughter noticed she has been having meaningless speech. When assessing the patient, she calls the chair a table, and at times would make up new words. She does not appear to be aware of her deficit, and is carrying on an empty conversation. Her speech is fluent, but with paraphasic errors. Her repetition is impaired. On physical examination, a right upper quadrant field-cut is appreciated, with impairment in comprehension and repetition. Which of the following structures is most likely involved in this patient’s presentation?

Accepted Answer

Superior temporal gyrus

Answer

Arcuate fasciculus

Answer

Inferior frontal gyrus

Answer

Frontal lobe, sparing Brodmann's area 44 and 45

Answer

Arcuate fasciculus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus

Neuroanatomy

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Cerebral cortex and lobes

Basal ganglia

Thalamus and hypothalamus

Limbic system

Cerebellum

Spinal cord organization

CSF production and circulation

Meninges and blood-brain barrier

Sensory pathways

Motor pathways

Functional neuroanatomy of vision

Functional neuroanatomy of hearing and balance

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