NURS 305 Final Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Define ischemic/hemorrhage. - Answers Death of brain cells
When does your risk of a stroke double? - Answers Every 10 years after age 55
What are potentially modifiable risk factors for a stroke? - Answers - Hypertension
- Heart disease ~ atherosclerosis
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Tobacco use
- Abdominal obesity
- Carotid stenosis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Dyslipidemia
- Excessive alcohol
- Physical inactivity and obesity
- Sleep apnea
- Hypercoagulability
- illegal drugs (ex; cocaine)
What are non-modifiable risk factors for a stroke? - Answers - Increased age
- Gender
- Hereditary
- Ethnicity
- Low birth weight
- Previous stroke or TIA
- Congenital heart disease
- Valve disorders/endocarditis
- Blood disorders (increased RBCs; sickle cell anemia)
,What is the frontal lobe responsible for? (5) - Answers - Problem solving
- Emotional traits
- Reasoning (judgement)
- Speaking
- Voluntary motor activity
What is the parietal lobe responsible for? (4) - Answers - Knowing right from left
- Sensation
- Reading
- Body orientation
What is the occipital lobe responsible for? (2) - Answers - Vision
- Colour perception
What is the cerebellum responsible for? (3) - Answers - Balance
- Coordination and control of voluntary movement
- Fine muscle control
What is the brain stem responsible for? (5) - Answers - Breathing
- Body temperature
- Digestion
- Alertness/sleep
- Swallowing
What is the temporal lobe responsible for? (4) - Answers - Understanding language
- Behaviour
- Memory
- Hearing
What is auto-regulation of cerebral blood flow? - Answers The automatic alteration in diameter
of cerebral blood vessels during changes in blood pressure
When does auto-regulation of cerebral blood flow fail? (2) - Answers - If MAP < 50 mmHg or >
,150 mmHg
What is normal intracranial pressure? - Answers 5-15 mmHg
At what intracranial pressure level is treatment required? - Answers Above 20 mmHg
At what intracranial pressure level will cell death occur? - Answers 25-30 mmHg
What happens to the intracranial pressure when there are increased CO2 levels? - Answers
Increased CO2 causes increase in blood flow, increasing intracranial pressure
What happens to the intracranial pressure when there are decreased CO2 levels? - Answers
Decreasing CO2 causes a decrease in blood flow, decreasing intracranial pressure
What is cerebral perfusion pressure? - Answers The pressure needed to ensure adequate brain
tissue perfusion
What happens to the intracranial pressure when mean arterial pressure decreases? - Answers
Decreased ICP
What are the two types of strokes? - Answers Ischemic and hemorrhagic
What are the types of ischemic strokes? (3) - Answers - Transient ischemic attack
- Thrombotic stroke
- Embolic stroke
What are the types of hemorrhagic strokes? (2) - Answers - Intracerebral
- Subarachnoid
What is a thrombotic stroke? - Answers Cerebral thrombosis is a narrowing of the artery by fatty
deposits called plaque. Plaque can cause a clot to form, which blocks the passageway of blood
through the artery
What is an embolic stroke? - Answers An embolus is a blood clot or other debris circulating in
the blood. When it reaches an artery in the brain that is too narrow to pass through, it lodges
there and blocks the flow of blood
What is a hemorrhagic stroke? - Answers A burst blood vessel may allow blood to seep into and
damage brain tissues until clotting shuts off the leak
- Often a sudden onset of symptoms, with progression over minutes to hours because of
ongoing bleeding
, - Leakage of blood - causing edema, compression of brain tissue, spasm of adjacent blood
vessels
- 15% of strokes
What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA) caused by? - Answers A temporary state of decreased
blood flow in a portion of blood
What is usually a precursor to an ischemic stroke? - Answers Transient ischemic stroke (TIA)
What does a TIA result in? - Answers A sudden brief decrease in brain function, typically lasts <
1 hour
Do TIAs cause long term deficits? - Answers No
What do signs and symptoms of TIA's depend on? - Answers Depends on the area involved
What are the signs and symptoms of a TIA affecting the carotid system? (4) - Answers - Loss of
vision in one eye
- Motor function (hemiparesis)
- Numbness or loss of sensation
- Sudden inability to speak
What are the signs and symptoms of a TIA affecting the vertebrobasilar system? (8) - Answers -
Tennitus
- Vertigo
- Vision (darkened, blurred, doubled)
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty swallowing
- Loss of muscle control
- Ptosis (eyelid droop)
- Numbness or weakness
What is the management of TIA? - Answers - Platelet aggregation inhibitors (low risk - ASA, high
risk - dual therapy - ASA and clopidogrel or Ticagrelor)
- Reduction of risk factors
- Treatment of arrhythmia
Define ischemic/hemorrhage. - Answers Death of brain cells
When does your risk of a stroke double? - Answers Every 10 years after age 55
What are potentially modifiable risk factors for a stroke? - Answers - Hypertension
- Heart disease ~ atherosclerosis
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Tobacco use
- Abdominal obesity
- Carotid stenosis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Dyslipidemia
- Excessive alcohol
- Physical inactivity and obesity
- Sleep apnea
- Hypercoagulability
- illegal drugs (ex; cocaine)
What are non-modifiable risk factors for a stroke? - Answers - Increased age
- Gender
- Hereditary
- Ethnicity
- Low birth weight
- Previous stroke or TIA
- Congenital heart disease
- Valve disorders/endocarditis
- Blood disorders (increased RBCs; sickle cell anemia)
,What is the frontal lobe responsible for? (5) - Answers - Problem solving
- Emotional traits
- Reasoning (judgement)
- Speaking
- Voluntary motor activity
What is the parietal lobe responsible for? (4) - Answers - Knowing right from left
- Sensation
- Reading
- Body orientation
What is the occipital lobe responsible for? (2) - Answers - Vision
- Colour perception
What is the cerebellum responsible for? (3) - Answers - Balance
- Coordination and control of voluntary movement
- Fine muscle control
What is the brain stem responsible for? (5) - Answers - Breathing
- Body temperature
- Digestion
- Alertness/sleep
- Swallowing
What is the temporal lobe responsible for? (4) - Answers - Understanding language
- Behaviour
- Memory
- Hearing
What is auto-regulation of cerebral blood flow? - Answers The automatic alteration in diameter
of cerebral blood vessels during changes in blood pressure
When does auto-regulation of cerebral blood flow fail? (2) - Answers - If MAP < 50 mmHg or >
,150 mmHg
What is normal intracranial pressure? - Answers 5-15 mmHg
At what intracranial pressure level is treatment required? - Answers Above 20 mmHg
At what intracranial pressure level will cell death occur? - Answers 25-30 mmHg
What happens to the intracranial pressure when there are increased CO2 levels? - Answers
Increased CO2 causes increase in blood flow, increasing intracranial pressure
What happens to the intracranial pressure when there are decreased CO2 levels? - Answers
Decreasing CO2 causes a decrease in blood flow, decreasing intracranial pressure
What is cerebral perfusion pressure? - Answers The pressure needed to ensure adequate brain
tissue perfusion
What happens to the intracranial pressure when mean arterial pressure decreases? - Answers
Decreased ICP
What are the two types of strokes? - Answers Ischemic and hemorrhagic
What are the types of ischemic strokes? (3) - Answers - Transient ischemic attack
- Thrombotic stroke
- Embolic stroke
What are the types of hemorrhagic strokes? (2) - Answers - Intracerebral
- Subarachnoid
What is a thrombotic stroke? - Answers Cerebral thrombosis is a narrowing of the artery by fatty
deposits called plaque. Plaque can cause a clot to form, which blocks the passageway of blood
through the artery
What is an embolic stroke? - Answers An embolus is a blood clot or other debris circulating in
the blood. When it reaches an artery in the brain that is too narrow to pass through, it lodges
there and blocks the flow of blood
What is a hemorrhagic stroke? - Answers A burst blood vessel may allow blood to seep into and
damage brain tissues until clotting shuts off the leak
- Often a sudden onset of symptoms, with progression over minutes to hours because of
ongoing bleeding
, - Leakage of blood - causing edema, compression of brain tissue, spasm of adjacent blood
vessels
- 15% of strokes
What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA) caused by? - Answers A temporary state of decreased
blood flow in a portion of blood
What is usually a precursor to an ischemic stroke? - Answers Transient ischemic stroke (TIA)
What does a TIA result in? - Answers A sudden brief decrease in brain function, typically lasts <
1 hour
Do TIAs cause long term deficits? - Answers No
What do signs and symptoms of TIA's depend on? - Answers Depends on the area involved
What are the signs and symptoms of a TIA affecting the carotid system? (4) - Answers - Loss of
vision in one eye
- Motor function (hemiparesis)
- Numbness or loss of sensation
- Sudden inability to speak
What are the signs and symptoms of a TIA affecting the vertebrobasilar system? (8) - Answers -
Tennitus
- Vertigo
- Vision (darkened, blurred, doubled)
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty swallowing
- Loss of muscle control
- Ptosis (eyelid droop)
- Numbness or weakness
What is the management of TIA? - Answers - Platelet aggregation inhibitors (low risk - ASA, high
risk - dual therapy - ASA and clopidogrel or Ticagrelor)
- Reduction of risk factors
- Treatment of arrhythmia
