NRSG 2500 – Nursing Review Notes, Key
Terms, Disorders, and Communication
Strategies|A+ Results| Sure to
Pass|Latest Release 2025/2026
1. What is an iatrogenic condition? - ANSWER A condition that is brought
on by treatment
2. Which cartilage is the shape of signet ring (back taller, front shorter)? -
ANSWER Cricoid
3. What is Wernicke's area responsible for? - ANSWER Makes sure that
language makes sense
4. Explain a reinnervation - ANSWER Used to rewire the larynx
5. What style of speech is used after a tracheo-esophageal puncture? -
ANSWER Burping
6. What is the Rancho Los Amigos Scale? - ANSWER A medical scale used
to assess individuals after a closed head injury, including TBI, based on
cognitive and behavioral presentations.
7. What is dyphagia? - ANSWER Difficulty swallowing
8. What does the corticospinal tract connect? - ANSWER The cortex to the
spinal cord to enable movement of extremities
9. Where do lower motor neurons originate? - ANSWER Brain stem or
spinal cord
10.What is the largest cartilage of the larynx? - ANSWER Thyroid
11.What is elder speak? - ANSWER A condescending way of speaking to
older adults resembling baby talk
12.Examples of low tech AAC options - ANSWER Notepad, photos, picture
communication board, alphabet board, topic board
13.What is dysarthria? - ANSWER A neuromuscular speech production
deficit (problem with production, not programming)
14.What does MS damage? - ANSWER De-myelination; myelin sheath is
damaged by disease
15.Describe the comprehension of a person with Wernicke's Aphasia -
ANSWER Impaired
16.What is aspiration in dysphagia? - ANSWER Food, fluid, secretions pass
below the vocal folds into the trachea, evoking strong cough
,17.List the four lobes of the brain - ANSWER Frontal, parietal, occipital,
temporal
18.Amyotrophic Lateral Schlerosis (ALS) is also known as... - ANSWER
Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease
19.How is a TEP valve replaced? - ANSWER SLP does this
20.Spasmodic dysphonia causes... - ANSWER Intermittent spasms of
laryngeal muscles
21.What are phonosurgeries? - ANSWER Surgeries done to improve voice
22.Describe the speech of a person with Broca's Aphasia - ANSWER Non-
fluent, effortful, better with some words than others
23.Where are the cell bodies of cranial nerves? - ANSWER Ganglia
24.Describe the language structure of a person with right hemisphere
lesions - ANSWER Remains intact
25.Cranial Nerves - ANSWER 12 pairs; some sensory only (olfactory, optic),
some sensory and motor (facial), some motor only (hypoglossal)
26.What predicts Parkinson’s symptoms? - ANSWER Cells that produce
dopamine in basal ganglia deteriorate
27.Which tract is the major neuronal pathway providing voluntary motor
function? - ANSWER Corticospinal tract
28.What is a nosocomial infection? - ANSWER An infection picked up from
the hospital
29.What is the difference between Broca's Aphasia and Wernicke's
Aphasia? - ANSWER Broca's leaves limited language, Wernicke’s causes
fluent but nonsensical speech (“word salad”)
30.Papilloma - ANSWER Wart-like growths on vocal folds that originate from
a virus
31.Function of the occipital lobe - ANSWER Vision
32.Direct message selection (AAC) - ANSWER Choosing an item available
from a list; more efficient, requires motor precision
33.Spastic dysarthria - ANSWER Bilateral upper motor neuron damage; over-
contraction, strained voice, effortful speech
34.Mixed dysarthria - ANSWER Any combination of subtypes
35.What is the TNM staging system? - ANSWER T: tumor size, N: lymph
node metastasis, M: distant metastasis
36.Apraxia co-occurs with... - ANSWER Broca's aphasia
37.Define frailty - ANSWER 3 out of 5: weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue,
slow walking, low activity
38.Describe the syntax of a person with Wernicke's Aphasia - ANSWER
Relatively intact
, 39.What does the corticobulbar tract control? - ANSWER Muscles of the
face, head, and neck
40.What are nueromuscular junctions? - ANSWER Synapse allowing nerve
to connect to muscle fiber and trigger contraction
41.• How many cranial nerves are there? - ANSWER 12
42.• Describe selective neck dissection - ANSWER Cancer hasn’t spread far,
only a few lymph nodes are removed
43.• What is apraxia? - ANSWER A planning/programming deficit (not with
ability to speak, but with ability to plan)
44.• What is the goal of restorative therapy for dementia? - ANSWER
Restore or improve cognitive function
45.• Flaccid dysarthria - ANSWER Lower motor neuron damage. Weakness,
atrophy, low tone, weak reflexes, breathy voice
46.• Which tract connects the cortex to cranial nerves? - ANSWER
Corticobulbar tract
47.• Indirect message selection (AAC) - ANSWER Choose by scanning
through a list; slower, more cognitively demanding, more precise
48.• What is the difference between synthetic and digitized/recorded
SGDs? - ANSWER Synthetic: device generates speech. Digitized: only
plays pre-recorded items.
49.• Describe the comprehension of a person with Broca's Aphasia -
ANSWER Relatively intact, unless language is very complex
50.• ALS progression - ANSWER Begins gradually, progresses until death
(usually within 3 years)
51.• Examples of structural voice disorders - ANSWER Papilloma,
subglottic stenosis, phonotrauma
52.• What predicts speech deficits in dysarthria? - ANSWER Site of the
lesion
53.• Explain how esophageal speech works - ANSWER Air pushed through
UES makes it vibrate (neoglottis); shaped into speech by articulators
54.• Describe a modified barium swallow - ANSWER Radiopaque barium
added to food; SLP observes swallow under X-ray for pooling, residue,
aspiration
55.• Spasmodic Dysphonia Adductor Type - ANSWER Folds in tight closed
state
56.• Spasmodic Dysphonia Abductor Type - ANSWER Folds in overly open
state
57.• Describe the speech of a person with Wernicke's Aphasia - ANSWER
Fluent but lacking meaning (“jargon”)
Terms, Disorders, and Communication
Strategies|A+ Results| Sure to
Pass|Latest Release 2025/2026
1. What is an iatrogenic condition? - ANSWER A condition that is brought
on by treatment
2. Which cartilage is the shape of signet ring (back taller, front shorter)? -
ANSWER Cricoid
3. What is Wernicke's area responsible for? - ANSWER Makes sure that
language makes sense
4. Explain a reinnervation - ANSWER Used to rewire the larynx
5. What style of speech is used after a tracheo-esophageal puncture? -
ANSWER Burping
6. What is the Rancho Los Amigos Scale? - ANSWER A medical scale used
to assess individuals after a closed head injury, including TBI, based on
cognitive and behavioral presentations.
7. What is dyphagia? - ANSWER Difficulty swallowing
8. What does the corticospinal tract connect? - ANSWER The cortex to the
spinal cord to enable movement of extremities
9. Where do lower motor neurons originate? - ANSWER Brain stem or
spinal cord
10.What is the largest cartilage of the larynx? - ANSWER Thyroid
11.What is elder speak? - ANSWER A condescending way of speaking to
older adults resembling baby talk
12.Examples of low tech AAC options - ANSWER Notepad, photos, picture
communication board, alphabet board, topic board
13.What is dysarthria? - ANSWER A neuromuscular speech production
deficit (problem with production, not programming)
14.What does MS damage? - ANSWER De-myelination; myelin sheath is
damaged by disease
15.Describe the comprehension of a person with Wernicke's Aphasia -
ANSWER Impaired
16.What is aspiration in dysphagia? - ANSWER Food, fluid, secretions pass
below the vocal folds into the trachea, evoking strong cough
,17.List the four lobes of the brain - ANSWER Frontal, parietal, occipital,
temporal
18.Amyotrophic Lateral Schlerosis (ALS) is also known as... - ANSWER
Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease
19.How is a TEP valve replaced? - ANSWER SLP does this
20.Spasmodic dysphonia causes... - ANSWER Intermittent spasms of
laryngeal muscles
21.What are phonosurgeries? - ANSWER Surgeries done to improve voice
22.Describe the speech of a person with Broca's Aphasia - ANSWER Non-
fluent, effortful, better with some words than others
23.Where are the cell bodies of cranial nerves? - ANSWER Ganglia
24.Describe the language structure of a person with right hemisphere
lesions - ANSWER Remains intact
25.Cranial Nerves - ANSWER 12 pairs; some sensory only (olfactory, optic),
some sensory and motor (facial), some motor only (hypoglossal)
26.What predicts Parkinson’s symptoms? - ANSWER Cells that produce
dopamine in basal ganglia deteriorate
27.Which tract is the major neuronal pathway providing voluntary motor
function? - ANSWER Corticospinal tract
28.What is a nosocomial infection? - ANSWER An infection picked up from
the hospital
29.What is the difference between Broca's Aphasia and Wernicke's
Aphasia? - ANSWER Broca's leaves limited language, Wernicke’s causes
fluent but nonsensical speech (“word salad”)
30.Papilloma - ANSWER Wart-like growths on vocal folds that originate from
a virus
31.Function of the occipital lobe - ANSWER Vision
32.Direct message selection (AAC) - ANSWER Choosing an item available
from a list; more efficient, requires motor precision
33.Spastic dysarthria - ANSWER Bilateral upper motor neuron damage; over-
contraction, strained voice, effortful speech
34.Mixed dysarthria - ANSWER Any combination of subtypes
35.What is the TNM staging system? - ANSWER T: tumor size, N: lymph
node metastasis, M: distant metastasis
36.Apraxia co-occurs with... - ANSWER Broca's aphasia
37.Define frailty - ANSWER 3 out of 5: weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue,
slow walking, low activity
38.Describe the syntax of a person with Wernicke's Aphasia - ANSWER
Relatively intact
, 39.What does the corticobulbar tract control? - ANSWER Muscles of the
face, head, and neck
40.What are nueromuscular junctions? - ANSWER Synapse allowing nerve
to connect to muscle fiber and trigger contraction
41.• How many cranial nerves are there? - ANSWER 12
42.• Describe selective neck dissection - ANSWER Cancer hasn’t spread far,
only a few lymph nodes are removed
43.• What is apraxia? - ANSWER A planning/programming deficit (not with
ability to speak, but with ability to plan)
44.• What is the goal of restorative therapy for dementia? - ANSWER
Restore or improve cognitive function
45.• Flaccid dysarthria - ANSWER Lower motor neuron damage. Weakness,
atrophy, low tone, weak reflexes, breathy voice
46.• Which tract connects the cortex to cranial nerves? - ANSWER
Corticobulbar tract
47.• Indirect message selection (AAC) - ANSWER Choose by scanning
through a list; slower, more cognitively demanding, more precise
48.• What is the difference between synthetic and digitized/recorded
SGDs? - ANSWER Synthetic: device generates speech. Digitized: only
plays pre-recorded items.
49.• Describe the comprehension of a person with Broca's Aphasia -
ANSWER Relatively intact, unless language is very complex
50.• ALS progression - ANSWER Begins gradually, progresses until death
(usually within 3 years)
51.• Examples of structural voice disorders - ANSWER Papilloma,
subglottic stenosis, phonotrauma
52.• What predicts speech deficits in dysarthria? - ANSWER Site of the
lesion
53.• Explain how esophageal speech works - ANSWER Air pushed through
UES makes it vibrate (neoglottis); shaped into speech by articulators
54.• Describe a modified barium swallow - ANSWER Radiopaque barium
added to food; SLP observes swallow under X-ray for pooling, residue,
aspiration
55.• Spasmodic Dysphonia Adductor Type - ANSWER Folds in tight closed
state
56.• Spasmodic Dysphonia Abductor Type - ANSWER Folds in overly open
state
57.• Describe the speech of a person with Wernicke's Aphasia - ANSWER
Fluent but lacking meaning (“jargon”)
