UT TYLER FNP NURS 5350 PATHO STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Temporal lobe - ✔✔auditory area
contains Wernicke area
Hearing, smell, memory, comprehension of speech
✔✔Brain Functions -- Cerebral Cortex :
-Precentral gyrus
-postcentral gyrus
-Broca speech area
-Wernicke area - ✔✔-motor functions
-sensory functions
-expressive speech
-receptive speech
✔✔Circle of willis - ✔✔protective mechanism, provides a alternative source of blood
✔✔Venous outflow - ✔✔Brain cannott tolerate to much pressure, as blood enters, blood
also leaves keeping the pressure normal
✔✔Blood-Brain Barrier - ✔✔protective mechanism. doesnt allow toxins into the brain
✔✔Neuron - ✔✔require glucose and oxygen for metabolism, the myelin sheath is very
important for fast impulse.
Cannot undergo cell division
✔✔How does Nerve Impluse conduction work? - ✔✔by neurotransmitters. that connect
through synapse.
✔✔Synapse - ✔✔provides a connection between two or more neurons or a neron and
effector side.
✔✔Cerebral perfusion pressure - ✔✔80-90mm/Hg
required to perfuse brain cells
Amount of "push"
✔✔What is the most important factor in cerebral blood flow and pressure? - ✔✔cerebral
oxygenation
✔✔Cerebral intracranial pressure (ICP) - ✔✔5-15 mm/Hg
too much pressure inside brain will damage it.
,✔✔what is the 1st indication of increased intracranial pressure? - ✔✔is usually a
decreased level of consciousness
✔✔What are the causes of increased intracranial pressure (ICP)? - ✔✔increased ICP is
common in many neurological problem including brain hemorrhage, trauma, cerebral
edema, infection, tumors.
✔✔What are side effects of increased ICP? - ✔✔Cerebral edema, vasogenic, cytoxic,
interstitial, ischemic
✔✔Increased ICP grater than 15 causes what? - ✔✔severe headache, vomiting,
papilledema, changes in breathing patterns, and confusion.
✔✔What are signs of ICP? - ✔✔Papilledema
many signs are seen in the eyes
pupils change- fixed and dilated
ptosis-(droopy eyelids)
✔✔What are the vital signs of increased ICP? - ✔✔cerebral ischemia developes which
causes a powerful response from the vasomotor centers. Vasoconstriction occurs to
increase systemic blood pressure and force blood into the brain. Baroreceptors in
carotid arteries respond to the increased blood pressure by slowing heart rate.
Chemoreceptors respond to increased carbon dioxide by reducing respiratory rate.
Circulation is improved shortly then cycle repeats.
✔✔Hydrocephalus - ✔✔is common
condition in which excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulates within the skull,
compressing brain tissue and blood vessels.
✔✔Name 4 Cerebrovascular Disorders? - ✔✔Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA)
Intracranial aneurysm
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)
✔✔Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - ✔✔results from a temporary localized reduction of
blood flow in the brain. Will resolve itself in 24 hours. Can be from a clot that the body
can desolve.
✔✔What are Signs of TIA? - ✔✔short episodes of impaired function, such as muscle
weakness in a arm or leg, visual disturbances, or numbness and paresthesia in the
face.
Signs disappear after attack.
, ✔✔What is the pathophysiology of transient ischemic attack? - ✔✔may be caused by
partial occlusion of an artery, caused by atherosclerosis, small embolus, etc. can be a
good thing if served as a warning sign of CVA
must have constant source of glucose and oxygen.
✔✔Cerebrocascular Accidents (CVA) - ✔✔a infarctionof brain tissue that results from
lack of blood.
There are 2 types:
-from a blockage
-from bleeding
✔✔What are 2 types of blockage CVAs? - ✔✔thrombotic-occulsion of artery by an
atheroma
Embolic-a sudden obstruction caused by embolus lodging into a cerebral artery
✔✔What is a type of bleeding CVA? - ✔✔Hemorrhagic- blood goes into the brain and
increases ICP; high blood pressure (hypertension)
✔✔What Cerebrovascular disorder is caused by ruptured cerebral artery in a patient
with sever hypertension? - ✔✔Hemorrhagic Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA)
✔✔What is the goal medically for a CVA? - ✔✔goal is to remove occlusion and maintain
adequate perfusion to limit area of perminant damage.
✔✔What are signs of cerebrovascular accidents? - ✔✔the stroke scale! remember the
FAST acronym
determine capacity for speech, level of consciousness, motor abilities, and assessment
of eye movements.
✔✔What is the FAST acronym stand for? - ✔✔Face--facial droop/numbness, uneven
smile, visual disturbances
Arm&Leg-- weakness, numbness, difficulty waking
Speech-- Slurred, Mute, Inappropriate words
Time-- time is critical in saving tissue nerves.
✔✔Intracranial Aneurysm - ✔✔a localized dilation in an artery. Are frequently multiple
and usually occur at the points of bifurcation of circle of willis.
the force of blood leads to bulging in the wall, which is aggravated by hypertension.
Initially they are small and asymptomatic, but enlarge over the years and then ruptures.
Bleeding occurs in the subarachnoid space and CSF.
✔✔What is associated with cushings reflex? - ✔✔increased intracranial pressure (ICP)
✔✔How soon is Increased ICP detected? - ✔✔ICP is normally significantly elevated
before signs become apparent.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Temporal lobe - ✔✔auditory area
contains Wernicke area
Hearing, smell, memory, comprehension of speech
✔✔Brain Functions -- Cerebral Cortex :
-Precentral gyrus
-postcentral gyrus
-Broca speech area
-Wernicke area - ✔✔-motor functions
-sensory functions
-expressive speech
-receptive speech
✔✔Circle of willis - ✔✔protective mechanism, provides a alternative source of blood
✔✔Venous outflow - ✔✔Brain cannott tolerate to much pressure, as blood enters, blood
also leaves keeping the pressure normal
✔✔Blood-Brain Barrier - ✔✔protective mechanism. doesnt allow toxins into the brain
✔✔Neuron - ✔✔require glucose and oxygen for metabolism, the myelin sheath is very
important for fast impulse.
Cannot undergo cell division
✔✔How does Nerve Impluse conduction work? - ✔✔by neurotransmitters. that connect
through synapse.
✔✔Synapse - ✔✔provides a connection between two or more neurons or a neron and
effector side.
✔✔Cerebral perfusion pressure - ✔✔80-90mm/Hg
required to perfuse brain cells
Amount of "push"
✔✔What is the most important factor in cerebral blood flow and pressure? - ✔✔cerebral
oxygenation
✔✔Cerebral intracranial pressure (ICP) - ✔✔5-15 mm/Hg
too much pressure inside brain will damage it.
,✔✔what is the 1st indication of increased intracranial pressure? - ✔✔is usually a
decreased level of consciousness
✔✔What are the causes of increased intracranial pressure (ICP)? - ✔✔increased ICP is
common in many neurological problem including brain hemorrhage, trauma, cerebral
edema, infection, tumors.
✔✔What are side effects of increased ICP? - ✔✔Cerebral edema, vasogenic, cytoxic,
interstitial, ischemic
✔✔Increased ICP grater than 15 causes what? - ✔✔severe headache, vomiting,
papilledema, changes in breathing patterns, and confusion.
✔✔What are signs of ICP? - ✔✔Papilledema
many signs are seen in the eyes
pupils change- fixed and dilated
ptosis-(droopy eyelids)
✔✔What are the vital signs of increased ICP? - ✔✔cerebral ischemia developes which
causes a powerful response from the vasomotor centers. Vasoconstriction occurs to
increase systemic blood pressure and force blood into the brain. Baroreceptors in
carotid arteries respond to the increased blood pressure by slowing heart rate.
Chemoreceptors respond to increased carbon dioxide by reducing respiratory rate.
Circulation is improved shortly then cycle repeats.
✔✔Hydrocephalus - ✔✔is common
condition in which excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulates within the skull,
compressing brain tissue and blood vessels.
✔✔Name 4 Cerebrovascular Disorders? - ✔✔Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA)
Intracranial aneurysm
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)
✔✔Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - ✔✔results from a temporary localized reduction of
blood flow in the brain. Will resolve itself in 24 hours. Can be from a clot that the body
can desolve.
✔✔What are Signs of TIA? - ✔✔short episodes of impaired function, such as muscle
weakness in a arm or leg, visual disturbances, or numbness and paresthesia in the
face.
Signs disappear after attack.
, ✔✔What is the pathophysiology of transient ischemic attack? - ✔✔may be caused by
partial occlusion of an artery, caused by atherosclerosis, small embolus, etc. can be a
good thing if served as a warning sign of CVA
must have constant source of glucose and oxygen.
✔✔Cerebrocascular Accidents (CVA) - ✔✔a infarctionof brain tissue that results from
lack of blood.
There are 2 types:
-from a blockage
-from bleeding
✔✔What are 2 types of blockage CVAs? - ✔✔thrombotic-occulsion of artery by an
atheroma
Embolic-a sudden obstruction caused by embolus lodging into a cerebral artery
✔✔What is a type of bleeding CVA? - ✔✔Hemorrhagic- blood goes into the brain and
increases ICP; high blood pressure (hypertension)
✔✔What Cerebrovascular disorder is caused by ruptured cerebral artery in a patient
with sever hypertension? - ✔✔Hemorrhagic Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA)
✔✔What is the goal medically for a CVA? - ✔✔goal is to remove occlusion and maintain
adequate perfusion to limit area of perminant damage.
✔✔What are signs of cerebrovascular accidents? - ✔✔the stroke scale! remember the
FAST acronym
determine capacity for speech, level of consciousness, motor abilities, and assessment
of eye movements.
✔✔What is the FAST acronym stand for? - ✔✔Face--facial droop/numbness, uneven
smile, visual disturbances
Arm&Leg-- weakness, numbness, difficulty waking
Speech-- Slurred, Mute, Inappropriate words
Time-- time is critical in saving tissue nerves.
✔✔Intracranial Aneurysm - ✔✔a localized dilation in an artery. Are frequently multiple
and usually occur at the points of bifurcation of circle of willis.
the force of blood leads to bulging in the wall, which is aggravated by hypertension.
Initially they are small and asymptomatic, but enlarge over the years and then ruptures.
Bleeding occurs in the subarachnoid space and CSF.
✔✔What is associated with cushings reflex? - ✔✔increased intracranial pressure (ICP)
✔✔How soon is Increased ICP detected? - ✔✔ICP is normally significantly elevated
before signs become apparent.
