NEUROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMS UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE
A+
✔✔What abnormal gait is this: Leg length discrepancy >2.5 cm (1 inch). Vertical
telescoping of affected side, which dips as person walks. Appearance of gait varies,
depending on amount of accompanying muscle dysfunction. - ✔✔Short leg
✔✔What should you look at if you are trying to see if a patient has legs that are equal in
length? - ✔✔hips and shoulders
✔✔A patient is admitted with a neurologic disorder. In order to assess gait, the nurse
has the patient take a few steps; with each step, the patient's feet make a half circle.
How would the nurse document this finding?
A. Ataxic
B. Dystrophic
C. Helicopod
D. Steppage - ✔✔C. Helicopod
✔✔What are you testing for when testing the patient's spinothalamic tract? - ✔✔pain
(broken tongue depressor), temperature and light touch
, ✔✔Posterior (dorsal) column fibers conduct sensations of what? (3) - ✔✔position
(kinesthesia) vibration, and finely localized touch
✔✔What is stereognosis? - ✔✔a person's ability to recognize objects by feeling their
forms, sizes and weights
✔✔What is graphesthesia? - ✔✔ability to "read" a number by having it traced on skin
✔✔What is the two-point discrimination test used for? - ✔✔to test the patient's ability to
distinguish separation of two simultaneous pin points on skin
✔✔How do you test for extinction? - ✔✔simultaneously touch both sides of body at
same point; normally, both sensations are felt (someone with a stroke might not=big
safety issue)
✔✔What is the point location test? - ✔✔touch patient skin and withdraw stimulus
promptly; ask person to point to where they were touched
✔✔What is peripheral neuropathy? - ✔✔loss of sensation involves all modalities; loss
most severe distally at feet and hands
✔✔Measurement of stretch reflexes reveals intactness of _____________ at specific
spinal levels - ✔✔reflex arc
✔✔How should the limb and muscles be when stimulating DTRs? - ✔✔Limb should be
relaxed and muscle partially stretched
✔✔How do you stimulate deep tendon reflexes? - ✔✔by directing short, snappy blow of
reflex hammer onto muscle's insertion tendon
✔✔How are reflex responses graded? - ✔✔on a 4 point scale
✔✔What is a reflex response of 4+? - ✔✔very brisk, hyperactive with clonus (disease)
✔✔What is a reflex response of 3+? - ✔✔brisker than average, may indicate disease
✔✔What is a reflex response of 2+? - ✔✔average or normal response
✔✔What is a reflex response of 1+? - ✔✔diminished, low normal or occurs with
reinforcement
✔✔What is a reflex response of 0? - ✔✔no response
EXAMS UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE
A+
✔✔What abnormal gait is this: Leg length discrepancy >2.5 cm (1 inch). Vertical
telescoping of affected side, which dips as person walks. Appearance of gait varies,
depending on amount of accompanying muscle dysfunction. - ✔✔Short leg
✔✔What should you look at if you are trying to see if a patient has legs that are equal in
length? - ✔✔hips and shoulders
✔✔A patient is admitted with a neurologic disorder. In order to assess gait, the nurse
has the patient take a few steps; with each step, the patient's feet make a half circle.
How would the nurse document this finding?
A. Ataxic
B. Dystrophic
C. Helicopod
D. Steppage - ✔✔C. Helicopod
✔✔What are you testing for when testing the patient's spinothalamic tract? - ✔✔pain
(broken tongue depressor), temperature and light touch
, ✔✔Posterior (dorsal) column fibers conduct sensations of what? (3) - ✔✔position
(kinesthesia) vibration, and finely localized touch
✔✔What is stereognosis? - ✔✔a person's ability to recognize objects by feeling their
forms, sizes and weights
✔✔What is graphesthesia? - ✔✔ability to "read" a number by having it traced on skin
✔✔What is the two-point discrimination test used for? - ✔✔to test the patient's ability to
distinguish separation of two simultaneous pin points on skin
✔✔How do you test for extinction? - ✔✔simultaneously touch both sides of body at
same point; normally, both sensations are felt (someone with a stroke might not=big
safety issue)
✔✔What is the point location test? - ✔✔touch patient skin and withdraw stimulus
promptly; ask person to point to where they were touched
✔✔What is peripheral neuropathy? - ✔✔loss of sensation involves all modalities; loss
most severe distally at feet and hands
✔✔Measurement of stretch reflexes reveals intactness of _____________ at specific
spinal levels - ✔✔reflex arc
✔✔How should the limb and muscles be when stimulating DTRs? - ✔✔Limb should be
relaxed and muscle partially stretched
✔✔How do you stimulate deep tendon reflexes? - ✔✔by directing short, snappy blow of
reflex hammer onto muscle's insertion tendon
✔✔How are reflex responses graded? - ✔✔on a 4 point scale
✔✔What is a reflex response of 4+? - ✔✔very brisk, hyperactive with clonus (disease)
✔✔What is a reflex response of 3+? - ✔✔brisker than average, may indicate disease
✔✔What is a reflex response of 2+? - ✔✔average or normal response
✔✔What is a reflex response of 1+? - ✔✔diminished, low normal or occurs with
reinforcement
✔✔What is a reflex response of 0? - ✔✔no response
