NUR 621 MODULE 6 COMPLETE EXAM 200 QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES |LATEST
UPDATE | UTICA COLLEGE
SECTION 1: NEUROLOGY & HEADACHE DISORDERS
Q1. A 40-year-old woman is struck in the head and loses consciousness briefly. She later
experiences confusion and headache but no abnormalities are found on imaging. What
classification best describes her injury?
A) Contusion
B) Concussion
C) Penetrating brain injury
D) Diffuse axonal injury
Correct Answer: B) Concussion
Rationale: A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) characterized by brief loss of
consciousness, post-traumatic confusion, headache, and normal neuroimaging findings. Unlike
a contusion, there is no visible bruising on imaging .
,Q2. A 60-year-old male with Parkinson's disease is admitted for evaluation of progressive
difficulty initiating movements and episodes of freezing. Which neurotransmitter deficit
underlies the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
A) Acetylcholine in the spinal cord
B) Dopamine in the basal ganglia
C) Serotonin in the brainstem
D) GABA in the motor cortex
Correct Answer: B) Dopamine in the basal ganglia
Rationale: Parkinson's disease is caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the
substantia nigra pars compacta (part of the basal ganglia), leading to dopamine deficiency in
the striatum. This disrupts normal motor control and produces symptoms like bradykinesia,
rigidity, and resting tremor .
Q3. A 30-year-old female experiences focal seizures with impaired awareness, during which
she smacks her lips and exhibits repetitive hand movements. Postictally, she is confused.
What is the most likely localization of seizure onset?
A) Frontal lobe
B) Parietal lobe
C) Temporal lobe
, D) Occipital lobe
Correct Answer: C) Temporal lobe
Rationale: This patient is exhibiting features of temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common type
of focal epilepsy. Automatisms such as lip smacking and repetitive hand movements, combined
with postictal confusion, strongly suggest seizure onset in the temporal lobe .
Q4. A patient complains of unilateral progressive hearing loss and frequent headaches. What
is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Acoustic neuroma
B) Meniere's disease
C) Presbycusis
D) Conductive hearing loss
Correct Answer: A) Acoustic neuroma
Rationale: Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) is a benign tumor of the
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII). It typically presents with unilateral, progressive hearing loss,
tinnitus, and headaches. It is the most common cause of unilateral progressive hearing loss .
, Q5. A patient presents with a 3-day history of severe, unilateral, pulsating headache
accompanied by nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. She reports that the pain is
preceded by a visual aura of flashing lights. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Tension headache
B) Cluster headache
C) Migraine with aura
D) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Correct Answer: C) Migraine with aura
Rationale: Migraine with aura is characterized by recurrent headaches lasting 4-72 hours, with
pulsating quality, unilateral location, nausea/vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. The
presence of a fully reversible aura (visual, sensory, or speech disturbance) distinguishes it from
migraine without aura .
Q6. A 45-year-old male presents with severe, unilateral periorbital pain occurring daily for
two weeks. The pain is described as a boring or burning sensation lasting 30 minutes, and it is
associated with ipsilateral conjunctival injection and rhinorrhea. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
A) Migraine
B) Tension headache
AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES |LATEST
UPDATE | UTICA COLLEGE
SECTION 1: NEUROLOGY & HEADACHE DISORDERS
Q1. A 40-year-old woman is struck in the head and loses consciousness briefly. She later
experiences confusion and headache but no abnormalities are found on imaging. What
classification best describes her injury?
A) Contusion
B) Concussion
C) Penetrating brain injury
D) Diffuse axonal injury
Correct Answer: B) Concussion
Rationale: A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) characterized by brief loss of
consciousness, post-traumatic confusion, headache, and normal neuroimaging findings. Unlike
a contusion, there is no visible bruising on imaging .
,Q2. A 60-year-old male with Parkinson's disease is admitted for evaluation of progressive
difficulty initiating movements and episodes of freezing. Which neurotransmitter deficit
underlies the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
A) Acetylcholine in the spinal cord
B) Dopamine in the basal ganglia
C) Serotonin in the brainstem
D) GABA in the motor cortex
Correct Answer: B) Dopamine in the basal ganglia
Rationale: Parkinson's disease is caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the
substantia nigra pars compacta (part of the basal ganglia), leading to dopamine deficiency in
the striatum. This disrupts normal motor control and produces symptoms like bradykinesia,
rigidity, and resting tremor .
Q3. A 30-year-old female experiences focal seizures with impaired awareness, during which
she smacks her lips and exhibits repetitive hand movements. Postictally, she is confused.
What is the most likely localization of seizure onset?
A) Frontal lobe
B) Parietal lobe
C) Temporal lobe
, D) Occipital lobe
Correct Answer: C) Temporal lobe
Rationale: This patient is exhibiting features of temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common type
of focal epilepsy. Automatisms such as lip smacking and repetitive hand movements, combined
with postictal confusion, strongly suggest seizure onset in the temporal lobe .
Q4. A patient complains of unilateral progressive hearing loss and frequent headaches. What
is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Acoustic neuroma
B) Meniere's disease
C) Presbycusis
D) Conductive hearing loss
Correct Answer: A) Acoustic neuroma
Rationale: Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) is a benign tumor of the
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII). It typically presents with unilateral, progressive hearing loss,
tinnitus, and headaches. It is the most common cause of unilateral progressive hearing loss .
, Q5. A patient presents with a 3-day history of severe, unilateral, pulsating headache
accompanied by nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. She reports that the pain is
preceded by a visual aura of flashing lights. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Tension headache
B) Cluster headache
C) Migraine with aura
D) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Correct Answer: C) Migraine with aura
Rationale: Migraine with aura is characterized by recurrent headaches lasting 4-72 hours, with
pulsating quality, unilateral location, nausea/vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. The
presence of a fully reversible aura (visual, sensory, or speech disturbance) distinguishes it from
migraine without aura .
Q6. A 45-year-old male presents with severe, unilateral periorbital pain occurring daily for
two weeks. The pain is described as a boring or burning sensation lasting 30 minutes, and it is
associated with ipsilateral conjunctival injection and rhinorrhea. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
A) Migraine
B) Tension headache
