Health Assessment Neurological Assessment Questions With Correct Answers

Which assessment finding would be the earliest and most sensitive indicator that there is an alteration in intracranial regulation? A. Change in level of consciousness B. Inability to focus visually C. Loss of primitive reflexes D. Unequal pupil size - Answer A. Change in level of consciousness What is the CNS comprised of? - Answer the brain and spinal cord What is the peripheral nervous system? - Answer all the nerve fibers (outside of the brain and spinal cord) including 12 pairs of cranial nerves, 31 pairs of spinal nerves and all of their branches What does the thalamus do? - Answer relays information for the cerebral cortex What does the brain stem do? - Answer controls breathing, heart rate, function The nurse observes that a patient's gait is unsteady and assesses a positive Romberg sign. Which area of the brain is most likely affected? A. Hypothalamus B. Medulla oblongata C. Cerebellum D. Left hemisphere - Answer C. Cerebellum What is the cerebral cortex involved in? - Answer thoughts, memory, reasoning, sensation and voluntary movement What are the four lobes of the cerebrum? - Answer frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal Where is Wernicke's area and what does it do? - Answer temporal lobe, language comprehension Where is Broca's area and what does it do? - Answer frontal lobe, motor speech Damage to the cerebral cortex occurs when highly specialized neurologic cells are what? What is an example? - Answer deprived of blood supply, such as when a cerebral artery becomes occluded What occurs in Wernicke's aphasia? - Answer trouble associating words to situations What occurs in Broca's aphasia? - Answer know what they want to say but they cant get the words out On most people speech is located on the _______ side of the brain - Answer left What is global aphasia? - Answer when both wernicke's and broca's aphasia occurs Left cerebral cortex receives sensory information from and controls motor function to __________ side of the body - Answer right The nurse is performing a mental status examination on a patient diagnosed with subdural hematoma. This test assesses which of the following? A. Cerebellar function B. Intellectual function C. Cerebral function D. Sensory function - Answer C. Cerebral function What are the four main parts of the peripheral nervous system? - Answer reflexes, cranial nerves, spinal nerves, autonomic nervous system What are reflexes? - Answer basic defense mechanisms of nervous system What are the four types of reflexes? - Answer deep tendon, superficial, visceral, pathologic The cranial nerves enter and exit what? - Answer the brain rather than the spinal cord What are spinal nerves? - Answer 31 pairs of nerves that go from the spinal cord to the rest of the body What is a dermatone? - Answer Circumscribed skin area supplied mainly from one spinal cord segment through particular nerve What are the 3 parts of the autonomic nervous system? - Answer sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric What do autonomic fibers innervate? (3) - Answer smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands The autonomic system mediates _________________ activity - Answer unconscious/involuntary What nervous system is involved with referred pain? - Answer ANS (autonomic nervous system) When would you do a neurological exam on a client? - Answer screening (nothing really wrong with them, just screening them), complete neurologic exam (when you suspect something wrong or when there is something wrong), neurologic recheck (want to be able to pick up on changes different then baseline) What are the two types of strokes? - Answer embolic (clot) and hemorrhagic What are risk factors for stroke? - Answer hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, inactivity, obesity What ethnic group has strokes earlier in life and with more severe results than whites? - Answer african americans What additional questions should you specifically ask to the aging adults (in regards to neurological function)? - Answer any problems with dizziness, memory, tremors, vision changes What are the two types of tremors? - Answer intentional (when you are moving), resting (more pathological). Caffeine and medications can also cause tremors What is the sequence for complete neurologic examinations? (5) - Answer mental status, cranial nerves, motor system, sensory system and reflexes How do you test a patient's orientation? - Answer do you know your name, DOB, where you are? What are the four sections of the mental status exam that you are examining? - Answer (ABCT) appearance, behavior, cognition, thought process What are the cranial nerves (in order)? - Answer olfactory, optic, oculomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, abducens, facial, acoustic (vestibulocochlear), glossopharyngeal, vagus, spinal accessory, hypoglossal What is the mnemonic to remember what cranial nerves are sensory/motor/both - Answer Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter Most What is the function of CN 1? - Answer smell What is the function of CN 2? - Answer vision What is the function of CN 3? (4) - Answer most extraocular muscle movement, opening of eyelids and pupil constriction and lens accomodation What is the function of CN 4? - Answer down and inward movement of eye What is the function of CN 5? - Answer muscles of mastication, sensation of face, scalp, cornea, mucous membranes of mouth and nose What is the function of CN 6? - Answer lateral movement of eye What is the function of CN 7? - Answer facial muscles, close eye, labial speech, close mouth, taste on anterior two thirds of tongue What is the function of CN 8? - Answer hearing and equillibrium What is the function of CN 9? - Answer pharynx (phonation and swallowing), taste on one third of tongue, gage reflex, parotid gland and carotid reflex What is the function of CN 10? - Answer pharynx and larynx (talking and swallowing), general sensations from carotid body, carotid sinus, pharynx and visera