NSG 3280 EXAM 2 FINAL PAPER 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
1. What is ischemia? Answer: Cell death.
2. What is hypoxia? Answer: Decreased oxygen leading to mitochondrial
failure and cell damage.
3. What is the main CNS neurotransmitter? Answer: Glutamate.
4. What effect does ischemia have on glutamate? Answer: Ischemia increases glutamate
release.
5. What are the effects of too much glutamate? Answer: Increased calcium and water
enter the cell, causing calcium overload and cytotoxic edema.
6. What does excessive glutamate production lead to? Answer:
7. Increased production of nitrous oxide, free radical formation, and cell death.
,8. What is the normal range for intracranial pressure (ICP)? Answer: 0-15 mmHg
9. At what ICP level does brain impairment occur? Answer: > 22 mmHg for > 5
minutes
10. What are the three main components of the cranial cavity according to the
Monroe-Kellie doctrine? Answer: Brain,
11. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Blood
12. What is intracranial compliance? Answer: The ability of the cranial components
to adjust to changes in volume to minimize impact on ICP.
13. Name an everyday activity that can cause slight changes in ICP. Answer: Sneeze,
cough, bending, laugh
14. What is interstitial edema? Answer: Swelling caused by fluid,
15. electrolytes, and proteins forced into the intercellular space due to vessel damage or
increased pressure.
16. What causes intracellular edema? Answer: Global ischemia leading to cellular energy
failure and Na+ accumulation, attracting water into the cell.
,17. What is the most sensitive clinical manifestation of increased ICP?
Answer: Change in level of consciousness (LOC), often increased drowsiness.
18. What are common symptoms of increased ICP? Answer:
Headache, nausea/vomiting, blurred vision, slow pupillary response.
19. What is Cushing's Triad? Answer: A late sign of increased ICP characterized by
↑BP, ↓HR, and respiratory changes.
20. What does a decrease in the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score indicate? Answer: A
potential decrease in consciousness or brain function.
21. What is the maximum score for eye opening on the Glasgow Coma Scale? Answer: 4 for
spontaneous eye opening.
22. What is the maximum score for verbal response on the Glasgow Coma Scale?
Answer: 5 for oriented verbal response.
23. What is the maximum score for motor response on the Glasgow Coma Scale?
Answer: 6 for following commands.
, 24. What does decreased pupil response indicate? Answer: Increased intracranial pressure
(ICP).
25. What is the normal response in the Doll's Eyes Test? Answer: Eyes move in the opposite
direction of head movement.
26. What does an absent response in the Cold Calorics test indicate? Answer: No eye
movement, suggesting potential brain dysfunction.
27. What is the normal response of the corneal reflex? Answer: Blinking when a
cotton swab touches the cornea.
28. What does fixed and dilated pupils indicate? Answer: Poor brain perfusion.
29. What does small (pinpoint) pupils suggest? Answer: Possible pons issue or drug
effects.
30. Focal (Coup) Answer: Injury localized to the site of impact
31. Polar (Coup-countercoup) Answer: Injury at site of impact and on opposite side of the
brain (due to brain's forward-backward
32. movement within the skull)
ANSWERS GRADED A+
1. What is ischemia? Answer: Cell death.
2. What is hypoxia? Answer: Decreased oxygen leading to mitochondrial
failure and cell damage.
3. What is the main CNS neurotransmitter? Answer: Glutamate.
4. What effect does ischemia have on glutamate? Answer: Ischemia increases glutamate
release.
5. What are the effects of too much glutamate? Answer: Increased calcium and water
enter the cell, causing calcium overload and cytotoxic edema.
6. What does excessive glutamate production lead to? Answer:
7. Increased production of nitrous oxide, free radical formation, and cell death.
,8. What is the normal range for intracranial pressure (ICP)? Answer: 0-15 mmHg
9. At what ICP level does brain impairment occur? Answer: > 22 mmHg for > 5
minutes
10. What are the three main components of the cranial cavity according to the
Monroe-Kellie doctrine? Answer: Brain,
11. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Blood
12. What is intracranial compliance? Answer: The ability of the cranial components
to adjust to changes in volume to minimize impact on ICP.
13. Name an everyday activity that can cause slight changes in ICP. Answer: Sneeze,
cough, bending, laugh
14. What is interstitial edema? Answer: Swelling caused by fluid,
15. electrolytes, and proteins forced into the intercellular space due to vessel damage or
increased pressure.
16. What causes intracellular edema? Answer: Global ischemia leading to cellular energy
failure and Na+ accumulation, attracting water into the cell.
,17. What is the most sensitive clinical manifestation of increased ICP?
Answer: Change in level of consciousness (LOC), often increased drowsiness.
18. What are common symptoms of increased ICP? Answer:
Headache, nausea/vomiting, blurred vision, slow pupillary response.
19. What is Cushing's Triad? Answer: A late sign of increased ICP characterized by
↑BP, ↓HR, and respiratory changes.
20. What does a decrease in the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score indicate? Answer: A
potential decrease in consciousness or brain function.
21. What is the maximum score for eye opening on the Glasgow Coma Scale? Answer: 4 for
spontaneous eye opening.
22. What is the maximum score for verbal response on the Glasgow Coma Scale?
Answer: 5 for oriented verbal response.
23. What is the maximum score for motor response on the Glasgow Coma Scale?
Answer: 6 for following commands.
, 24. What does decreased pupil response indicate? Answer: Increased intracranial pressure
(ICP).
25. What is the normal response in the Doll's Eyes Test? Answer: Eyes move in the opposite
direction of head movement.
26. What does an absent response in the Cold Calorics test indicate? Answer: No eye
movement, suggesting potential brain dysfunction.
27. What is the normal response of the corneal reflex? Answer: Blinking when a
cotton swab touches the cornea.
28. What does fixed and dilated pupils indicate? Answer: Poor brain perfusion.
29. What does small (pinpoint) pupils suggest? Answer: Possible pons issue or drug
effects.
30. Focal (Coup) Answer: Injury localized to the site of impact
31. Polar (Coup-countercoup) Answer: Injury at site of impact and on opposite side of the
brain (due to brain's forward-backward
32. movement within the skull)
