Comd 4500 exam 3 comprehensive
questions with complete solutions
2025/2026
What the SLP can and cannot diagnose - ANS ✔✔Cannot diagnose a medical problem, you can
only diagnose a speech problem
Ex: you couldn’t diagnose Parkinson's but you could diagnose dysphasia
Input signals to neurons - ANS ✔✔A neuron sending a signal (i.e., a presynaptic neuron)
releases a chemical called a neurotransmitter, which binds to a receptor on the surface of the
receiving (i.e., postsynaptic) neuron. Neurotransmitters are released from presynaptic
terminals, which may branch to communicate with several postsynaptic neurons.
-excitatory input means that it's going to bring the cell away from its negative resting state and
closer to its threshold, making it more likely to fire. So this is rather like it receiving some votes
to say go ahead and fire. An inhibitory signal is going to make it more negative or take it further
away from its threshold, making it less likely to fire. So that means the incoming signal is like a
no vote, encouraging it not to fire.
frontal lobe function - ANS ✔✔voluntary movement, cognition
occipital lobe function - ANS ✔✔vision
parietal lobe function - ANS ✔✔sense of taste, touch, movement
temporal lobe function - ANS ✔✔hearing & memory processes
,Cranial nerve basics (where cell body located, the target they attach to) - ANS ✔✔• 12 pairs
• some sensory only - e.g., olfactory
• some sensory and motor - e.g., facial
• some motor only - e.g., hypoglossal all originate from the brain
Upper motor neuron - ANS ✔✔• not an anatomic description, but a role in a hierarchy
• central nervous system - both origin and destination
• both direct and indirect pathways
• complex inter-connections• originating, planning, refining movements
lower motor nueron - ANS ✔✔• peripheral motor nerves
• origin in the brainstem or spinal cord
• destination: the neuromuscular junction
• input from several sources: direct, indirect, reflexive pathways
• a.k.a. final common pathway
corticospinal tract - ANS ✔✔it originates in the cortex and goes to the spinal cord. It allows us to
have volitional control of the muscles of the abdomen and thorax, as well as the arms and the
legs.
corticobulbar tract - ANS ✔✔originates in the cortex and goes to the nuclei of the cranial
nerves. So this is the pathway you would use if you wanted to open up close your mouth or stick
out your tongue or cause your voice to start or stop, or do any form of articulation.
cerebral angiography - ANS ✔✔- uses x-ray images
- catheter into right femoral artery
, - passed via aorta to carotid
- radio-opaque dye injected
- frontal and lateral views
- images taken during, after injection
- arteries, then veins visible
angiography advantages - ANS ✔✔- available in most hospitals
- reveals speed of circulation
- shows occlusions, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
- allows inferences about tissue
- tumors may displace vessels
- tumors can have large, irregular vessels
angiography risks - ANS ✔✔- an invasive procedure
- bleeding at artery puncture
- stroke (1 in 200)
- emboli can form at catheter tip
- dye reaction (1 in 10,000)
- exposure to x-rays
computed tomography (CT) - ANS ✔✔-Greek 'tomos' means 'cut'
• much more sensitive
-based on x-ray technology
• 2-D image of a 2-D slice
questions with complete solutions
2025/2026
What the SLP can and cannot diagnose - ANS ✔✔Cannot diagnose a medical problem, you can
only diagnose a speech problem
Ex: you couldn’t diagnose Parkinson's but you could diagnose dysphasia
Input signals to neurons - ANS ✔✔A neuron sending a signal (i.e., a presynaptic neuron)
releases a chemical called a neurotransmitter, which binds to a receptor on the surface of the
receiving (i.e., postsynaptic) neuron. Neurotransmitters are released from presynaptic
terminals, which may branch to communicate with several postsynaptic neurons.
-excitatory input means that it's going to bring the cell away from its negative resting state and
closer to its threshold, making it more likely to fire. So this is rather like it receiving some votes
to say go ahead and fire. An inhibitory signal is going to make it more negative or take it further
away from its threshold, making it less likely to fire. So that means the incoming signal is like a
no vote, encouraging it not to fire.
frontal lobe function - ANS ✔✔voluntary movement, cognition
occipital lobe function - ANS ✔✔vision
parietal lobe function - ANS ✔✔sense of taste, touch, movement
temporal lobe function - ANS ✔✔hearing & memory processes
,Cranial nerve basics (where cell body located, the target they attach to) - ANS ✔✔• 12 pairs
• some sensory only - e.g., olfactory
• some sensory and motor - e.g., facial
• some motor only - e.g., hypoglossal all originate from the brain
Upper motor neuron - ANS ✔✔• not an anatomic description, but a role in a hierarchy
• central nervous system - both origin and destination
• both direct and indirect pathways
• complex inter-connections• originating, planning, refining movements
lower motor nueron - ANS ✔✔• peripheral motor nerves
• origin in the brainstem or spinal cord
• destination: the neuromuscular junction
• input from several sources: direct, indirect, reflexive pathways
• a.k.a. final common pathway
corticospinal tract - ANS ✔✔it originates in the cortex and goes to the spinal cord. It allows us to
have volitional control of the muscles of the abdomen and thorax, as well as the arms and the
legs.
corticobulbar tract - ANS ✔✔originates in the cortex and goes to the nuclei of the cranial
nerves. So this is the pathway you would use if you wanted to open up close your mouth or stick
out your tongue or cause your voice to start or stop, or do any form of articulation.
cerebral angiography - ANS ✔✔- uses x-ray images
- catheter into right femoral artery
, - passed via aorta to carotid
- radio-opaque dye injected
- frontal and lateral views
- images taken during, after injection
- arteries, then veins visible
angiography advantages - ANS ✔✔- available in most hospitals
- reveals speed of circulation
- shows occlusions, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
- allows inferences about tissue
- tumors may displace vessels
- tumors can have large, irregular vessels
angiography risks - ANS ✔✔- an invasive procedure
- bleeding at artery puncture
- stroke (1 in 200)
- emboli can form at catheter tip
- dye reaction (1 in 10,000)
- exposure to x-rays
computed tomography (CT) - ANS ✔✔-Greek 'tomos' means 'cut'
• much more sensitive
-based on x-ray technology
• 2-D image of a 2-D slice
