NBCOT/COTA - EXAM PREP QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
In infant development, which comes first: bilaterality or unilaterality? - answer- precedes
unilaterality in infant development
When does hand dominance begin to develop? - answer- Hand dominance begins to
develop at 3 to 6 years, and is not fully defined until 6 years
Can someone with receptive aphasia participate in sensory testing? - answer-
Individuals with this disorder cannot comprehend spoken or written words or symbols.
Individuals cannot understand verbal directions or respond to sensory stimuli.
What is agnosia? - answer- Agnosia is a category of defecits where the patient lacks
recognition of familiar object as perceived by the senses. This could involve all the
senses and manifests with problems in body scheme, such as somatognosia and
anosognosia.
What is somatognosia? - answer- Lack of awareness of one's body parts.
What is anosognosia? - answer- Anosognosia: Transient, severe form of neglect.
Patient does not recognize the presence or severity of his paralysis.
What is prosopagnosia? - answer- Face blindness. Inability to identify an individual by
their face.
What is visual-spacial agnosia? - answer- Affects perception of spatial relationship
between objects, or between objects and self.
What is auditory agnosia? - answer- Inability to recognize sounds, words and non-
words.
What is visual agnosia? - answer- Lack of ability to recognize common objects and
demonstrate their use in an activity.
What is apraxia? - answer- Loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned (familiar)
movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the
movements
What is ideomotor apraxia? - answer- Inability to imitate gestures or perform a
purposeful motor task on command, even though the patient is able to fully understand
the idea or concept of a task. This is often associated with left hemisphere damage.
,What is ideational apraxia? - answer- The disability of carrying out complex sequential
motor acts. Caused by a disruption of the conception, rather than execution. (Loss of
tool function knowledge)
What is constructional apraxia? - answer- Unable to produce designs in 2 or three
dimensions by copying, drawing, or constructing.
What is oral apraxia? - answer- Difficulty in forming and organizing intelligable words,
though the musculature required to do so is in tact. Differs from disarthria because no
muscles are affected and speech is not slurred.
What is a neuroma? - answer- A ______ is an unorganized mass of nerve fibers
resulting from a laceration (either surgical or accidental) or amputation in which the
nerve regrows in unorganized bundles. Results in sharp, radiating pain.
By what age does an infant sit erect and unsupported for several minutes? - answer- By
8 to 9 months, an infant can sit erect and unsupported.
What is reflex sympathetic dystrophy? - answer- __________ is caused by trauma,
post-surgical inflammation, infection, or laceration to an extremity. Characterized by
pain, edema, shiny skin, blotchy skin, and excessive sweating or dryness.
What is another name for reflex sympathetic dystrophy? - answer- Complex regional
pain syndrome.
What is a symmetric tonic neck reflex? - answer- When an infant's neck is extended, the
elbows extend and the hips flex. When the head is lowered, the elbows flex and the hips
extend.
What is a bunny hop pattern? - answer- A bunny hop pattern is a result of symmetric
tonic neck reflex utilization in order to elicit movement at the hips and elbows for
mobility.
What is a neuroma? - answer- A complication of nerve structure or amputation. A
traumatic ______ is an unorganized mass of nerve fibers resulting from accidental or
surgical cutting of the nerve. Results in sharp, radiating pain.
What sensory region does the radial nerve innervate on the hand? - answer- Radial
Nerve
What sensory region does the ulnar nerve innervate in the hand? - answer- Ulnar Nerve
What sensory region in the hand is innervated by the median nerve? - answer- Median
Nerve
,What stage is initiated by looking at and reaching for food? - answer- The oral
preparatory phase.
What behavior would a child with poor modulation of tactile input display? - answer-
Children with autism often are unpredictable, both craving and avoiding sensory stimuli
at various times.
After swallowing a pureed substance, you notice the individual has a wet, gurgling
voice. What might this indicate? - answer- Possible aspiration. A videoflouroscopy is
often times needed to determine is this is the case.
In an acute care psychiatric setting, which group treatment is the most appropriate for
individuals with disorganized psychosis? - answer- Directive group treatment: a highly
structured approach used in acute care for minimally functional individuals.
What are the normal ROM limits of horizontal abduction? - answer- 0-40 degrees
What are the normal ROM limits of shoulder internal rotation? - answer- 0-70 degrees in
shd abduction
0-60 degrees in shd adduction
What are the normal ROM limits of shoulder external rotation? - answer- 0-90 degrees
in shd abduction
0-80 degrees in shd adduction
What are the normal ROM limits of elbow flexion? - answer- 0-140 degrees
What are the normal ROM limits of elbow extension? - answer- 0 degrees
What are the normal ROM limits for pronation and supination? - answer- 0-80/90
degrees
What are precautions of neuroleptic medications? - answer- Power tools and sharp
instruments should be avoided, and sun exposure should be limited.
What is extrapyramidal syndrome? - answer- Extrapyramidal syndrome is a neurological
side effect of anti-psychotic medication that mimics the effects of Parkinson's disease.
This can cause rigidity, bradykinesia, cogwheel and leadpipe rigidity, loss of postural
mechanisms, and a resting, pill-rolling tremor.
What is tardive dyskinesia? - answer- Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological syndrome
caused by the long-term use of neuroleptic drugs. Tardive dyskinesia is characterized
by repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements. Features of the disorder may include
grimacing, tongue protrusion, lip smacking, puckering and pursing, and rapid eye
blinking. Involuntary movements of the fingers may appear as though the individual is
playing an invisible guitar or piano.
, What is ataxia? - answer- ______ describes a lack of coordination while performing
voluntary movements. It may appear as clumsiness, inaccuracy, or instability.
What is bradykinesia? - answer- Bradykinesia means "slow movement."
What is choreoathetosis? - answer- ____________ is a movement of intermediate
speed, fluctuating between the quick, flitting movements of chorea and the slower,
writhing movements of athetosis.
What is dystonia? - answer- ________ is a neurologic movement disorder characterized
by sustained muscle contractions, usually producing twisting and repetitive movements
or abnormal postures or positions.
What is Huntington's Disease? - answer- The classic signs of HD include the
development of chorea-or involuntary, rapid, irregular, jerky movements that may affect
the face, arms, legs, or trunk-as well as the gradual loss of thought processing and
acquired intellectual abilities (dementia).
What is adiadochokinesis? - answer- The inability to perform rapid alternating
movements such as pronation/supination.
What is dysmetria? - answer- Dysmetria is the inability to estimate the ROM necessary
to meet the target. Evident when the individual tries to touch the nose.
What is nystagmus? - answer- Involuntary movement of the eyeballs in an up/down,
back/forth motion. Interferes with head control.
What is dysarthria? - answer- Explosive or slurred speech caused by incoordination of
muscles involved in speech. Classified as a neuromotor problem.
What is ballism? - answer- Rare symptom that is produced by continuous, abrupt
contractions of the axial and proximal musculature of the extremity.
What are intention tremors? - answer- Occurs during voluntary movement. Intensified at
the termination of the movement and often associated with MS.
What are resting tremors? - answer- Occurs at rest and subsides when voluntary
movement is attempted.
Seen in Parkinson's disease.
What is the first level of OT intervention? - answer- Adjunctive methods. These are
preliminary to the use of purposeful activities and may include exercise, facilitation and
inhibition techniques, positioning, sensory stim, PAMs, and splints. -OTs evaluate
performance components (innate abilities)
ANSWERS
In infant development, which comes first: bilaterality or unilaterality? - answer- precedes
unilaterality in infant development
When does hand dominance begin to develop? - answer- Hand dominance begins to
develop at 3 to 6 years, and is not fully defined until 6 years
Can someone with receptive aphasia participate in sensory testing? - answer-
Individuals with this disorder cannot comprehend spoken or written words or symbols.
Individuals cannot understand verbal directions or respond to sensory stimuli.
What is agnosia? - answer- Agnosia is a category of defecits where the patient lacks
recognition of familiar object as perceived by the senses. This could involve all the
senses and manifests with problems in body scheme, such as somatognosia and
anosognosia.
What is somatognosia? - answer- Lack of awareness of one's body parts.
What is anosognosia? - answer- Anosognosia: Transient, severe form of neglect.
Patient does not recognize the presence or severity of his paralysis.
What is prosopagnosia? - answer- Face blindness. Inability to identify an individual by
their face.
What is visual-spacial agnosia? - answer- Affects perception of spatial relationship
between objects, or between objects and self.
What is auditory agnosia? - answer- Inability to recognize sounds, words and non-
words.
What is visual agnosia? - answer- Lack of ability to recognize common objects and
demonstrate their use in an activity.
What is apraxia? - answer- Loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned (familiar)
movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the
movements
What is ideomotor apraxia? - answer- Inability to imitate gestures or perform a
purposeful motor task on command, even though the patient is able to fully understand
the idea or concept of a task. This is often associated with left hemisphere damage.
,What is ideational apraxia? - answer- The disability of carrying out complex sequential
motor acts. Caused by a disruption of the conception, rather than execution. (Loss of
tool function knowledge)
What is constructional apraxia? - answer- Unable to produce designs in 2 or three
dimensions by copying, drawing, or constructing.
What is oral apraxia? - answer- Difficulty in forming and organizing intelligable words,
though the musculature required to do so is in tact. Differs from disarthria because no
muscles are affected and speech is not slurred.
What is a neuroma? - answer- A ______ is an unorganized mass of nerve fibers
resulting from a laceration (either surgical or accidental) or amputation in which the
nerve regrows in unorganized bundles. Results in sharp, radiating pain.
By what age does an infant sit erect and unsupported for several minutes? - answer- By
8 to 9 months, an infant can sit erect and unsupported.
What is reflex sympathetic dystrophy? - answer- __________ is caused by trauma,
post-surgical inflammation, infection, or laceration to an extremity. Characterized by
pain, edema, shiny skin, blotchy skin, and excessive sweating or dryness.
What is another name for reflex sympathetic dystrophy? - answer- Complex regional
pain syndrome.
What is a symmetric tonic neck reflex? - answer- When an infant's neck is extended, the
elbows extend and the hips flex. When the head is lowered, the elbows flex and the hips
extend.
What is a bunny hop pattern? - answer- A bunny hop pattern is a result of symmetric
tonic neck reflex utilization in order to elicit movement at the hips and elbows for
mobility.
What is a neuroma? - answer- A complication of nerve structure or amputation. A
traumatic ______ is an unorganized mass of nerve fibers resulting from accidental or
surgical cutting of the nerve. Results in sharp, radiating pain.
What sensory region does the radial nerve innervate on the hand? - answer- Radial
Nerve
What sensory region does the ulnar nerve innervate in the hand? - answer- Ulnar Nerve
What sensory region in the hand is innervated by the median nerve? - answer- Median
Nerve
,What stage is initiated by looking at and reaching for food? - answer- The oral
preparatory phase.
What behavior would a child with poor modulation of tactile input display? - answer-
Children with autism often are unpredictable, both craving and avoiding sensory stimuli
at various times.
After swallowing a pureed substance, you notice the individual has a wet, gurgling
voice. What might this indicate? - answer- Possible aspiration. A videoflouroscopy is
often times needed to determine is this is the case.
In an acute care psychiatric setting, which group treatment is the most appropriate for
individuals with disorganized psychosis? - answer- Directive group treatment: a highly
structured approach used in acute care for minimally functional individuals.
What are the normal ROM limits of horizontal abduction? - answer- 0-40 degrees
What are the normal ROM limits of shoulder internal rotation? - answer- 0-70 degrees in
shd abduction
0-60 degrees in shd adduction
What are the normal ROM limits of shoulder external rotation? - answer- 0-90 degrees
in shd abduction
0-80 degrees in shd adduction
What are the normal ROM limits of elbow flexion? - answer- 0-140 degrees
What are the normal ROM limits of elbow extension? - answer- 0 degrees
What are the normal ROM limits for pronation and supination? - answer- 0-80/90
degrees
What are precautions of neuroleptic medications? - answer- Power tools and sharp
instruments should be avoided, and sun exposure should be limited.
What is extrapyramidal syndrome? - answer- Extrapyramidal syndrome is a neurological
side effect of anti-psychotic medication that mimics the effects of Parkinson's disease.
This can cause rigidity, bradykinesia, cogwheel and leadpipe rigidity, loss of postural
mechanisms, and a resting, pill-rolling tremor.
What is tardive dyskinesia? - answer- Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological syndrome
caused by the long-term use of neuroleptic drugs. Tardive dyskinesia is characterized
by repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements. Features of the disorder may include
grimacing, tongue protrusion, lip smacking, puckering and pursing, and rapid eye
blinking. Involuntary movements of the fingers may appear as though the individual is
playing an invisible guitar or piano.
, What is ataxia? - answer- ______ describes a lack of coordination while performing
voluntary movements. It may appear as clumsiness, inaccuracy, or instability.
What is bradykinesia? - answer- Bradykinesia means "slow movement."
What is choreoathetosis? - answer- ____________ is a movement of intermediate
speed, fluctuating between the quick, flitting movements of chorea and the slower,
writhing movements of athetosis.
What is dystonia? - answer- ________ is a neurologic movement disorder characterized
by sustained muscle contractions, usually producing twisting and repetitive movements
or abnormal postures or positions.
What is Huntington's Disease? - answer- The classic signs of HD include the
development of chorea-or involuntary, rapid, irregular, jerky movements that may affect
the face, arms, legs, or trunk-as well as the gradual loss of thought processing and
acquired intellectual abilities (dementia).
What is adiadochokinesis? - answer- The inability to perform rapid alternating
movements such as pronation/supination.
What is dysmetria? - answer- Dysmetria is the inability to estimate the ROM necessary
to meet the target. Evident when the individual tries to touch the nose.
What is nystagmus? - answer- Involuntary movement of the eyeballs in an up/down,
back/forth motion. Interferes with head control.
What is dysarthria? - answer- Explosive or slurred speech caused by incoordination of
muscles involved in speech. Classified as a neuromotor problem.
What is ballism? - answer- Rare symptom that is produced by continuous, abrupt
contractions of the axial and proximal musculature of the extremity.
What are intention tremors? - answer- Occurs during voluntary movement. Intensified at
the termination of the movement and often associated with MS.
What are resting tremors? - answer- Occurs at rest and subsides when voluntary
movement is attempted.
Seen in Parkinson's disease.
What is the first level of OT intervention? - answer- Adjunctive methods. These are
preliminary to the use of purposeful activities and may include exercise, facilitation and
inhibition techniques, positioning, sensory stim, PAMs, and splints. -OTs evaluate
performance components (innate abilities)
