NMNC 4410 EXAM 3 2025 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Cranial vault contents? (3)
Percentage for each? - ANS - brain tissue 80%
- blood 10%
- cerebrospinal fluid 10%
Risk factors for impaired intracranial regulation? (6) - ANS - age
- HTN
- diabetes
- smoking
- obesity
- CVD
What GCS score is concerning for brain damage? - ANS 8 or lower
Posturing: decorticate? - ANS hands pulled up to the core of the body
**turning arms to the "core" of the body
Posturing: decerebrate? - ANS hands at sides away from body
- usually indicative of more severe trauma
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,Cranial nerve 1? - ANS olfactory - sense of smell
Cranial nerve 2? - ANS sense of vision
Cranial nerve 3? (2) - ANS - pupillary light response
- most movement of the eye and eyelids
Cranial nerve 4? - ANS trochlear - rotates eyes inward and downward (cross-eyed)
Cranial nerves 3, 4, and 6 together?
Absence of what they normally do?
In which skull fx do we not test this? - ANS oculocephalic reflex (doll's eyes)
eyes move in the direction opposite the direction the head is turned.
- absence indicates brainstem injury.
- don't do this for people w/ basilar skull fxs.
Cranial nerves 5 and 7 together? (2) - ANS - responsible for facial movement - ask pt to open
eyes really wide, give big smile, scrunch face
- corneal reflex: response to visual threat (want to close their eye when you touch q-tip to
eyeball)
Cranial nerves 7, 9, and 10 together? - ANS sense of taste
Cranial nerves 9 and 10 together? - ANS swallowing and gag reflex
Cranial nerve 11?
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, How is it assessed? - ANS spinal accessory nerve
- assess by having pts shrug their shoulders
Cranial nerves 10 and 12 together?
How is it assessed? - ANS tongue movements.
- have pt stick out tongue and move it from side to side.
Cranial nerves 3 and 6 together? - ANS Abducens
- ex. if I look to my right, CN 6 is responsible for my R eye moving that way and CN 3 is
responsible for my L eye moving that way.
What does it mean if pupils are slow to react to light? - ANS pt could have intracranial
regulation issues.
What does it mean if the pupils are unequal w/ one dilated?
In what condition is this normal at baseline? - ANS concerned that dilated one has
compression of cranial nerve 3.
- anisocoria: at baseline, pts pupils are unequal in size.
What does it mean if pt has bilateral dilated, fixed pupils? - ANS ominous sign
sign of increasing ICP and brain death.
- these pupils do not react to light.
What does it mean if the pupils are pinpoint?
In what condition is this normal at baseline? - ANS - pons damage or drugs.
- Horner's syndrome pupils are like this at baseline.
Cheyne-Stokes respiration?
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AND ANSWERS
Cranial vault contents? (3)
Percentage for each? - ANS - brain tissue 80%
- blood 10%
- cerebrospinal fluid 10%
Risk factors for impaired intracranial regulation? (6) - ANS - age
- HTN
- diabetes
- smoking
- obesity
- CVD
What GCS score is concerning for brain damage? - ANS 8 or lower
Posturing: decorticate? - ANS hands pulled up to the core of the body
**turning arms to the "core" of the body
Posturing: decerebrate? - ANS hands at sides away from body
- usually indicative of more severe trauma
Copyright ©2025 BRIGHTSTARS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Cranial nerve 1? - ANS olfactory - sense of smell
Cranial nerve 2? - ANS sense of vision
Cranial nerve 3? (2) - ANS - pupillary light response
- most movement of the eye and eyelids
Cranial nerve 4? - ANS trochlear - rotates eyes inward and downward (cross-eyed)
Cranial nerves 3, 4, and 6 together?
Absence of what they normally do?
In which skull fx do we not test this? - ANS oculocephalic reflex (doll's eyes)
eyes move in the direction opposite the direction the head is turned.
- absence indicates brainstem injury.
- don't do this for people w/ basilar skull fxs.
Cranial nerves 5 and 7 together? (2) - ANS - responsible for facial movement - ask pt to open
eyes really wide, give big smile, scrunch face
- corneal reflex: response to visual threat (want to close their eye when you touch q-tip to
eyeball)
Cranial nerves 7, 9, and 10 together? - ANS sense of taste
Cranial nerves 9 and 10 together? - ANS swallowing and gag reflex
Cranial nerve 11?
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, How is it assessed? - ANS spinal accessory nerve
- assess by having pts shrug their shoulders
Cranial nerves 10 and 12 together?
How is it assessed? - ANS tongue movements.
- have pt stick out tongue and move it from side to side.
Cranial nerves 3 and 6 together? - ANS Abducens
- ex. if I look to my right, CN 6 is responsible for my R eye moving that way and CN 3 is
responsible for my L eye moving that way.
What does it mean if pupils are slow to react to light? - ANS pt could have intracranial
regulation issues.
What does it mean if the pupils are unequal w/ one dilated?
In what condition is this normal at baseline? - ANS concerned that dilated one has
compression of cranial nerve 3.
- anisocoria: at baseline, pts pupils are unequal in size.
What does it mean if pt has bilateral dilated, fixed pupils? - ANS ominous sign
sign of increasing ICP and brain death.
- these pupils do not react to light.
What does it mean if the pupils are pinpoint?
In what condition is this normal at baseline? - ANS - pons damage or drugs.
- Horner's syndrome pupils are like this at baseline.
Cheyne-Stokes respiration?
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