NPLEX 1 LATEST 2026 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔MC cause of childhood diarrhea - ✔✔Rotavirus
✔✔Second MC cause of childhood diarrhea - ✔✔Adenovirus
✔✔MC cause of diarrhea worldwide - ✔✔Norovirus
✔✔Which Hepatitis is a DNA virus (others are RNA) - ✔✔Hep B
✔✔What are the TORCH diseases - ✔✔T = Toxiplasmosis
O = other (syphilis, varicella zoster, parvovirus B19)
R = Rubella
C = Cytomegalovirus
H = Herpes
✔✔Where does each CN originate from in the brainstem? - ✔✔Midbrain: 3,4
Pons: 5,6,7,8
Medulla: 9,10,11,12
(1,2 from diencephalon, above brainstem)
✔✔Which muscles do CN 4 and 6 control? - ✔✔CN4: Trochlear = superior oblique =
down and out
CN6: Abducens = lateral rectus = out
✔✔Which muscle does CN9 innervate? - ✔✔CN9: Glossopharyngeal =
stylopharyngeus
✔✔Which sense is associated with the lateral geniculate nucleus vs the medial
geniculate nucleus? - ✔✔Lateral = Vision
Medial = Hearing
✔✔What results from a lesion to Wernicke's area or Broca's area in the left
hemisphere? - ✔✔Wernicke: Sensory aphasia (can't understand)
Brocas: Motor aphasia (can't speak)
✔✔UMN vs LMN lesion - ✔✔UMN: "Uptight" = spastic paralysis, hyperreflexia, +
babinski
LMN: flaccid paralysis, atrophy, fibrillations, hyporeflexia, neg babinski
✔✔MC cause of meningitis - ✔✔Strep pneumoniae
, ✔✔Which enzyme synthesizes ACh and which degrades it? - ✔✔Synthesis: Choline
acetylase
Degradation: Acetylcholine esterase (AChE)
✔✔Which enzyme is deficient in PKU - ✔✔Phenylalanine hydroxylase
✔✔Which enzyme is present only in the Adrenal Medulla and converts NE to Epi? -
✔✔N Methyl Transferase
✔✔Which brain areas filter motor output to create smooth movement? - ✔✔Basal
ganglia, cerebellum, diencephalon
✔✔CNS vs PNS demyelinating disorders - ✔✔CNS: MS
PNS: Guillain-Barre
✔✔Differentiate Huntington's vs Parkinson's basal ganglia movement disorders based
on which neurotransmitter is involved - ✔✔Huntington's: Genetic. Loss of GABA = loss
of inhibition = chorea (jerky movement)
Parkinson's: Loss of DA = loss of excitatory = pill rolling, resting tremor
✔✔Ascending vs Descending paralysis - ✔✔Ascending: Guillain Barre
Descending: Botulism
✔✔Viral inclusion seen in Herpes - ✔✔Cowdry body
✔✔Viral inclusion seen in Rabies - ✔✔Negri body
✔✔Pellagra - ✔✔B3 (Niacin) deficiency. Dementia, Dermatitis, Diarrhea, Death
✔✔Wernicke-Korsakoff - ✔✔B1 (Thiamine) deficiency. EtOH uses B1 in metabolism.
Lesion of mammillary bodies
✔✔Intracranial hemorrhage types - ✔✔Epidural hematoma: Rupture of middle
meningeal artery. Lucid interval
Subdural hematoma: Rupture of bridging veins. Slow, low pressure bleed.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage: Rupture of aneurysm or AVM. Worst headache of my life
Intraparenchymal (hypertensive) hemorrhage: D/t systemic HTN
✔✔Stroke types - ✔✔Hemorrhagic stroke: Intracerebral bleed d/t HTN, anticoagulation,
cancer
Ischemic stroke: Blockage of vessel -> ischemia. Thrombotic, Embolic (usually cardio),
or Hypoxic
Transient Ischemic attack: Brief, reversible, focal neurologic dysfunction
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔MC cause of childhood diarrhea - ✔✔Rotavirus
✔✔Second MC cause of childhood diarrhea - ✔✔Adenovirus
✔✔MC cause of diarrhea worldwide - ✔✔Norovirus
✔✔Which Hepatitis is a DNA virus (others are RNA) - ✔✔Hep B
✔✔What are the TORCH diseases - ✔✔T = Toxiplasmosis
O = other (syphilis, varicella zoster, parvovirus B19)
R = Rubella
C = Cytomegalovirus
H = Herpes
✔✔Where does each CN originate from in the brainstem? - ✔✔Midbrain: 3,4
Pons: 5,6,7,8
Medulla: 9,10,11,12
(1,2 from diencephalon, above brainstem)
✔✔Which muscles do CN 4 and 6 control? - ✔✔CN4: Trochlear = superior oblique =
down and out
CN6: Abducens = lateral rectus = out
✔✔Which muscle does CN9 innervate? - ✔✔CN9: Glossopharyngeal =
stylopharyngeus
✔✔Which sense is associated with the lateral geniculate nucleus vs the medial
geniculate nucleus? - ✔✔Lateral = Vision
Medial = Hearing
✔✔What results from a lesion to Wernicke's area or Broca's area in the left
hemisphere? - ✔✔Wernicke: Sensory aphasia (can't understand)
Brocas: Motor aphasia (can't speak)
✔✔UMN vs LMN lesion - ✔✔UMN: "Uptight" = spastic paralysis, hyperreflexia, +
babinski
LMN: flaccid paralysis, atrophy, fibrillations, hyporeflexia, neg babinski
✔✔MC cause of meningitis - ✔✔Strep pneumoniae
, ✔✔Which enzyme synthesizes ACh and which degrades it? - ✔✔Synthesis: Choline
acetylase
Degradation: Acetylcholine esterase (AChE)
✔✔Which enzyme is deficient in PKU - ✔✔Phenylalanine hydroxylase
✔✔Which enzyme is present only in the Adrenal Medulla and converts NE to Epi? -
✔✔N Methyl Transferase
✔✔Which brain areas filter motor output to create smooth movement? - ✔✔Basal
ganglia, cerebellum, diencephalon
✔✔CNS vs PNS demyelinating disorders - ✔✔CNS: MS
PNS: Guillain-Barre
✔✔Differentiate Huntington's vs Parkinson's basal ganglia movement disorders based
on which neurotransmitter is involved - ✔✔Huntington's: Genetic. Loss of GABA = loss
of inhibition = chorea (jerky movement)
Parkinson's: Loss of DA = loss of excitatory = pill rolling, resting tremor
✔✔Ascending vs Descending paralysis - ✔✔Ascending: Guillain Barre
Descending: Botulism
✔✔Viral inclusion seen in Herpes - ✔✔Cowdry body
✔✔Viral inclusion seen in Rabies - ✔✔Negri body
✔✔Pellagra - ✔✔B3 (Niacin) deficiency. Dementia, Dermatitis, Diarrhea, Death
✔✔Wernicke-Korsakoff - ✔✔B1 (Thiamine) deficiency. EtOH uses B1 in metabolism.
Lesion of mammillary bodies
✔✔Intracranial hemorrhage types - ✔✔Epidural hematoma: Rupture of middle
meningeal artery. Lucid interval
Subdural hematoma: Rupture of bridging veins. Slow, low pressure bleed.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage: Rupture of aneurysm or AVM. Worst headache of my life
Intraparenchymal (hypertensive) hemorrhage: D/t systemic HTN
✔✔Stroke types - ✔✔Hemorrhagic stroke: Intracerebral bleed d/t HTN, anticoagulation,
cancer
Ischemic stroke: Blockage of vessel -> ischemia. Thrombotic, Embolic (usually cardio),
or Hypoxic
Transient Ischemic attack: Brief, reversible, focal neurologic dysfunction
