Neuroanatomy Final Exam Questions And
Correct Answers
In the examination room, a patient upon lying down with eyes closed complains of a
sense that the head is rotating. If the lesion is in the inner ear the most likely source for
the abnormal impulses would arise from the:
A. vestibule
B. saccule
C. semicircular ducts
D. otoliths
E. endolymphatic duct - ANSWER C. semicircular ducts
A patient with advanced diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy becomes
progressively more clumsy when getting out of bed in the middle of the night and
walking in the dark. During the day or when in a lighted room, movement appears
normal. A Romberg sign is present. What would account for the ataxia?
A. further peripheral nerve damage caused by the diabetes
B. damage to the vestibular system
C. pathology; involving the cerebellar fastigial nuclei
D. damage to the dorsal column nuclei
E. damage to the cochlear nuclei - ANSWER B. damage to the vestibular system
Conduction deafness must result from damage to the:
A. incus
B. spiral ganglion
C. spiral organ
D. lateral lemniscus
,E. cochlear nuclei - ANSWER A. incus
A patient with the inability to recognize the source of sounds may be expected to have
damage to which of the following nuclei?
A. inferior colliculi
B. superior olivary
C. inferior olivary
D. trapezoid
E. cochlear - ANSWER B. superior olivary
A poor patient complains of difficulty hearing. Using tuning forks, an examiner can
inexpensively determine the type of deafness and laterality. On placing the vibrating
tuning fork at the middle of the forehead, the tone is not equally perceived in both the
right and left ears-the patient hears it louder in the right ear. On holding the vibrating
tuning fork next to the ears, it is heard on the left much louder and longer than on the
right. When the tuning fork is placed against the mastoid process on the right side, the
sound is heard. This patient is suffering from:
A. conduction deafness of the left side
B. nerve deafness of the left side
C. conduction deafness on the right side
D. nerve deafness on the right side
E. none of the above ANSWER C. conduction deafness on the right side
A healthy 28-year-old male presents with loss of a portion of the visual fields in both
eyes, for a duration of 1 week. Detailed history taken from the patient does not reveal
any previous ophthalmological or neurological deficits. In the examination of the visual
field, Right Homonymous Hemianopsia is demonstrated. The rest of the neurological
examinations were unremarkable. In particular, there were pupils with diameters of 2
mm, equal, and reactive to light. There was no relative afferent pupillary defect. Where
are plausible sites in the visual pathway at which a single lesion could produce the
indicated visual field deficit? (THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE CORRECT ANSWER)
A. Left Optic Nerve
B. Optic Chiasm
, C. Right Optic Tract
D. Left Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
E. Right Optic Radiation in Temporal Lobe
F. Left Visual Cortex - ANSWER D. Left Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
F. Left Visual Cortex
A patient with homonymous hemianopsia and absence of the direct and consensual
pupillary light reflexes upon shining a small pin-point beam of light onto only the blind
half of either retina has a lesion in the:
A. optic nerve
B. optic chiasm
C. optic tract
D. optic radiation
E. primary visual cortex - ANSWER C. optic tract
A patient complains of a history of progressive loss of visual sensations from a limited
area of the field of vision. Temporally staggered imaging studies identify a slowly
expanding mass within the white matter of the right temporal lobe. This likely tumor is
likely damaging:
A. projections to the right superior brachium
B. geniculocortical radiations to all of the right primary visual cortex
C. right loop of Meyer
D. right optic tract
E. right cuneus gyrus - ANSWER C. right loop of Meyer
A visual deficit caused by a tumor/lesion that is damaging the right loop of Meyer will
result in:
A. left homonymous superior quadrantic anopsia
B. right nasal hemianopsia
Correct Answers
In the examination room, a patient upon lying down with eyes closed complains of a
sense that the head is rotating. If the lesion is in the inner ear the most likely source for
the abnormal impulses would arise from the:
A. vestibule
B. saccule
C. semicircular ducts
D. otoliths
E. endolymphatic duct - ANSWER C. semicircular ducts
A patient with advanced diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy becomes
progressively more clumsy when getting out of bed in the middle of the night and
walking in the dark. During the day or when in a lighted room, movement appears
normal. A Romberg sign is present. What would account for the ataxia?
A. further peripheral nerve damage caused by the diabetes
B. damage to the vestibular system
C. pathology; involving the cerebellar fastigial nuclei
D. damage to the dorsal column nuclei
E. damage to the cochlear nuclei - ANSWER B. damage to the vestibular system
Conduction deafness must result from damage to the:
A. incus
B. spiral ganglion
C. spiral organ
D. lateral lemniscus
,E. cochlear nuclei - ANSWER A. incus
A patient with the inability to recognize the source of sounds may be expected to have
damage to which of the following nuclei?
A. inferior colliculi
B. superior olivary
C. inferior olivary
D. trapezoid
E. cochlear - ANSWER B. superior olivary
A poor patient complains of difficulty hearing. Using tuning forks, an examiner can
inexpensively determine the type of deafness and laterality. On placing the vibrating
tuning fork at the middle of the forehead, the tone is not equally perceived in both the
right and left ears-the patient hears it louder in the right ear. On holding the vibrating
tuning fork next to the ears, it is heard on the left much louder and longer than on the
right. When the tuning fork is placed against the mastoid process on the right side, the
sound is heard. This patient is suffering from:
A. conduction deafness of the left side
B. nerve deafness of the left side
C. conduction deafness on the right side
D. nerve deafness on the right side
E. none of the above ANSWER C. conduction deafness on the right side
A healthy 28-year-old male presents with loss of a portion of the visual fields in both
eyes, for a duration of 1 week. Detailed history taken from the patient does not reveal
any previous ophthalmological or neurological deficits. In the examination of the visual
field, Right Homonymous Hemianopsia is demonstrated. The rest of the neurological
examinations were unremarkable. In particular, there were pupils with diameters of 2
mm, equal, and reactive to light. There was no relative afferent pupillary defect. Where
are plausible sites in the visual pathway at which a single lesion could produce the
indicated visual field deficit? (THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE CORRECT ANSWER)
A. Left Optic Nerve
B. Optic Chiasm
, C. Right Optic Tract
D. Left Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
E. Right Optic Radiation in Temporal Lobe
F. Left Visual Cortex - ANSWER D. Left Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
F. Left Visual Cortex
A patient with homonymous hemianopsia and absence of the direct and consensual
pupillary light reflexes upon shining a small pin-point beam of light onto only the blind
half of either retina has a lesion in the:
A. optic nerve
B. optic chiasm
C. optic tract
D. optic radiation
E. primary visual cortex - ANSWER C. optic tract
A patient complains of a history of progressive loss of visual sensations from a limited
area of the field of vision. Temporally staggered imaging studies identify a slowly
expanding mass within the white matter of the right temporal lobe. This likely tumor is
likely damaging:
A. projections to the right superior brachium
B. geniculocortical radiations to all of the right primary visual cortex
C. right loop of Meyer
D. right optic tract
E. right cuneus gyrus - ANSWER C. right loop of Meyer
A visual deficit caused by a tumor/lesion that is damaging the right loop of Meyer will
result in:
A. left homonymous superior quadrantic anopsia
B. right nasal hemianopsia
