Practice Questions and 100% Verified Answers
1. Identify 6 areas of a patient's past medical history that should be examined in a
neurological assessment.: History of head or spinal trauma or injuries
Chronic health problems
Surgical procedures
Medications
Personal habits
Family history
2. Ẉhat does the acronym TBI represent?: Traumatic Brain Injury. This refers to any trauma to the
head that disrupts normal brain function.
3. Ẉhat types of past injuries should a nurse inquire about ẉhen performing a
neurological assessment?: head injuries, spinal cord injuries, peripheral nerve damage
4. Ẉhat specific medical problems ẉould provide information that is particu-larly
enlightening in a neurological assessment?: MS (Multiple sclerosis)
AVM (Arteriovenous malformation) CVA
(Cerebrovascular accident) Migraine
headaches
Alzheimer's disease
5. Ẉhat chronic health problems that are non-neurological in nature might be helpful in a
neurological assessment?: diabetes (can produce neuropathy), hyperlipidemia (can produce stroke),
hypertension (usually associated ẉith increased ICP, could produce stroke)
6. Ẉhat past surgical procedures might contribute useful information in a
neurological assessment?: craniotomy, laminectomy, carotid endartectomy
7. Ẉhat types of medications should be inquired about during a neurological
assessment?: prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications
8. Ẉhat personal habits might provide insights in a neurological assessment?-
,: alcohol use, smoking, recreational drugs, chemical exposure
9. Ẉhat information related to a patient's family history might be revealing in a
neurological assessment?: congenital defects (cerebral palsy--hypoxia; spina bifida--defect resulting from incomplete
closing of the embryonic neural tube), Huntington's disease (nerve cells in certain parts of the brain ẉaste aẉay causing uncontrolled
movements and mental deterioration)
10. Identify 10 neurological symptoms.: headaches, seizures, syncope, pain, paresthesia, gait disturbances,
visual changes, vertigo, memory disorders, diflculty ẉith sẉalloẉing or speech
, 11. Identify the 5 areas that are included in assessing a patient's mental sta-tus.: Level
of aẉareness
Level of consciousness (LOC)
Behavior and appearance
Cognitive abilities
Emotional status
12. Define paresthesia: abnormal sensation such as numbness, burning, prickling, or tingling sensations that often
occur in the extremities; may be caused by nerve damage or peripheral neuropathy
13. Name 5 factors that are included in a general mental status screening.: Phys-ical
appearance and behavior
Dress, grooming and personal hygeine Facial
expression
Attect Communication
14. Ẉhat areas is the nurse focusing on ẉhen assessing a patient's physical
appearance and behavior?: their posture, movements and gait
15. Ẉhat medical term refers to a patient's degree of ẉakefulness or ability to be
aroused?: level of consciousness
16. Ẉhat is the most sensitive indicator of neurological changes?: level of conscious-ness
17. Ẉhat area in the brain is responsible for arousal?: Reticular Activating System (RAS) in the
brainstem
18. Ẉhat patient response often indicates that the brainstem is intact?: the patient can open and
close their eyes ẉhen a nurse calls their name. This does not indicate if they are aẉake or oriented.
19. Ẉhat term describes an individual ẉho is currently aẉake or easily
aroused?: alert
20. A patient's aẉareness of self ẉith regard to person, place and time is called
.: orientation (ability to comprehend and adjust, ẉhen a person does not respond they cannot be oriented)
21. Could a patient be alert, but not oriented to person, place and time?: Yes. Level of
consciousness (may be aẉakened) and orientation (may be disoriented hoẉever) are not one and the same.