CLINICAL NEUROANATOMY
MADE RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE
6TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)STEPHEN
GOLDBERG, M.D.
TEST BANK
) Reference
Ch. 1 — General Organization — CNS vs PNS
Clinical/Applied Stem
A patient with a hand laceration develops numbness over the
palmar thumb and index finger, but brain imaging is normal.
The deficit follows the distribution of a single named peripheral
nerve rather than a spinal cord level. Which category of the
nervous system is primarily involved?
,Options
A. Central nervous system
B. Peripheral nervous system
C. Cerebellar cortex
D. Autonomic nervous system only
Correct Answer
B. Peripheral nervous system
Rationales
Correct Answer: The peripheral nervous system includes named
nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. A focal sensory deficit
in a named nerve distribution strongly suggests a PNS lesion
rather than a CNS lesion.
A is incorrect because a normal brain image and a named
cutaneous nerve pattern point away from the CNS.
C is incorrect because cerebellar lesions produce coordination
problems, not isolated finger sensory loss.
D is incorrect because the autonomic system is not the best
explanation for a focal cutaneous sensory deficit.
Teaching Point
Named nerve pattern = peripheral nervous system.
Citation
Goldberg, S. (2022). Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously
Simple (6th ed.). Ch. 1.
2) Reference
,Ch. 1 — General Organization — Nucleus vs Ganglion
Clinical/Applied Stem
A pathology report describes a cluster of neuron cell bodies
located deep within the brain that is damaged by a small
infarct. The clinician refers to this structure using standard CNS
terminology. What is the most accurate term for this cluster?
Options
A. Ganglion
B. Nucleus
C. Fasciculus
D. Nerve
Correct Answer
B. Nucleus
Rationales
Correct Answer: A cluster of neuron cell bodies in the CNS is
called a nucleus. The same type of cluster in the PNS is called a
ganglion.
A is incorrect because ganglia are located in the peripheral
nervous system.
C is incorrect because a fasciculus is a bundle of axons, not cell
bodies.
D is incorrect because a nerve is a peripheral axon bundle, not a
cell body cluster.
Teaching Point
CNS cell bodies = nucleus; PNS cell bodies = ganglion.
, Citation
Goldberg, S. (2022). Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously
Simple (6th ed.). Ch. 1.
3) Reference
Ch. 1 — General Organization — Nucleus vs Ganglion
Clinical/Applied Stem
A patient with shingles has pain and swelling in a palpable
structure near the spinal cord where sensory neuron cell bodies
are housed. The lesion is in the structure that contains primary
sensory neuron somata in the peripheral nervous system.
Which structure is affected?
Options
A. Dorsal root ganglion
B. Ventral horn
C. Internal capsule
D. Cerebral nucleus
Correct Answer
A. Dorsal root ganglion
Rationales
Correct Answer: The dorsal root ganglion contains the cell
bodies of primary sensory neurons in the PNS. Sensory
symptoms in a radicular distribution often implicate this
structure.
B is incorrect because the ventral horn contains lower motor
MADE RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE
6TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)STEPHEN
GOLDBERG, M.D.
TEST BANK
) Reference
Ch. 1 — General Organization — CNS vs PNS
Clinical/Applied Stem
A patient with a hand laceration develops numbness over the
palmar thumb and index finger, but brain imaging is normal.
The deficit follows the distribution of a single named peripheral
nerve rather than a spinal cord level. Which category of the
nervous system is primarily involved?
,Options
A. Central nervous system
B. Peripheral nervous system
C. Cerebellar cortex
D. Autonomic nervous system only
Correct Answer
B. Peripheral nervous system
Rationales
Correct Answer: The peripheral nervous system includes named
nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. A focal sensory deficit
in a named nerve distribution strongly suggests a PNS lesion
rather than a CNS lesion.
A is incorrect because a normal brain image and a named
cutaneous nerve pattern point away from the CNS.
C is incorrect because cerebellar lesions produce coordination
problems, not isolated finger sensory loss.
D is incorrect because the autonomic system is not the best
explanation for a focal cutaneous sensory deficit.
Teaching Point
Named nerve pattern = peripheral nervous system.
Citation
Goldberg, S. (2022). Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously
Simple (6th ed.). Ch. 1.
2) Reference
,Ch. 1 — General Organization — Nucleus vs Ganglion
Clinical/Applied Stem
A pathology report describes a cluster of neuron cell bodies
located deep within the brain that is damaged by a small
infarct. The clinician refers to this structure using standard CNS
terminology. What is the most accurate term for this cluster?
Options
A. Ganglion
B. Nucleus
C. Fasciculus
D. Nerve
Correct Answer
B. Nucleus
Rationales
Correct Answer: A cluster of neuron cell bodies in the CNS is
called a nucleus. The same type of cluster in the PNS is called a
ganglion.
A is incorrect because ganglia are located in the peripheral
nervous system.
C is incorrect because a fasciculus is a bundle of axons, not cell
bodies.
D is incorrect because a nerve is a peripheral axon bundle, not a
cell body cluster.
Teaching Point
CNS cell bodies = nucleus; PNS cell bodies = ganglion.
, Citation
Goldberg, S. (2022). Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously
Simple (6th ed.). Ch. 1.
3) Reference
Ch. 1 — General Organization — Nucleus vs Ganglion
Clinical/Applied Stem
A patient with shingles has pain and swelling in a palpable
structure near the spinal cord where sensory neuron cell bodies
are housed. The lesion is in the structure that contains primary
sensory neuron somata in the peripheral nervous system.
Which structure is affected?
Options
A. Dorsal root ganglion
B. Ventral horn
C. Internal capsule
D. Cerebral nucleus
Correct Answer
A. Dorsal root ganglion
Rationales
Correct Answer: The dorsal root ganglion contains the cell
bodies of primary sensory neurons in the PNS. Sensory
symptoms in a radicular distribution often implicate this
structure.
B is incorrect because the ventral horn contains lower motor
