Back to Chapter 1 part 4

Self-Assessment

Please choose the correct answer for the following.

1.      Memory can be impaired with:

A. decreased motivation
B. symptoms of depression
C. inattention
D. all of the above

2.      The anatomy of memory involves all EXCEPT the:

A. hippocampus
B. subthalamic nucleus
C. dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus
D. fornix
E. mammillary bodies

3.      Disturbances in calculations are seen in lesions of the:

A. Non-dominant parietal lobe
B. thalamus
C. angular gyrus of the dominant hemisphere
D. cingulate gyrus

4.      Match pupil size with lesion.

Metabolic disease                                 A. Pinpoint pupil
Midbrain lesion                                     B. 4-5 mm fixed pupil
Pontine lesion                                        C. 2 mm and nonreactive
Thalamic lesions                                    D. Sluggishly reactive
Mass effect with herniation                     E. Unilateral dilated pupil

5.      The doll’s eye maneuver:

A. should only be done after cervical spine disease or fracture is ruled out.
B. is done with the head of the bed raised 30°.
C. is positive when the eyes move toward the cold water stimulus on the tympanic     membrane
D. all of the above

6.      Decorticate posturing is:

A. manifest  as  tonic adduction and extension of the arms and legs
B. suggests a lesion at the level of the pons.
C. manifest as tonic adduction and extension of the lower extremities only
D. manifest by tonic flexion of the arms and extension of the legs.         

7.      The primary sensory cortex is located in the:

A. frontal lobes
B. parietal lobes 
C. occipital lobes
D. precentral gyrus
E. none of the above

8.      Root lesions are:

A. associated with pain 
B. most frequent in the thoracic spine
C. never associated with sensory loss
D. none of the above

9.      All are true EXCEPT:

A. proprioceptive fibers and touch fibers travel in the ipsilateral dorsal columns.
B. pain and temperature fibers travel in the contralateral lateral spinothalamic tract
C. impairment in 2-point discrimination implies a lesion in the thalamus 
D. vibration is tested with a 256 Hz tuning fork on a distal bony prominence

10.  The extra pyramidal system:

A. receives input from the primary motor cortex
B. consists of subcortical nuclei called the basal ganglia
C. receives input from the  motor cortex
D. degeneration can lead to movement disorders
E. all of the above      

11.  The neurological exam in a patient with Parkinson’s disease will show all EXCEPT:

A. tremor
B. rigidity
C. flexed posture
D. hyperkinetic speech
E. Bradykinesia

12.  The pyramidal system:

A. effects voluntary movements
B. begins in the cortex, the fibers travels in the internal capsule and travel ipsilateral in the     spinal cord fibers
C. descend in the medial corticospinal tract.
D. lesions cause loss of legs tendon reflexes.

13.  The cerebellum helps control motor coordination.  Which are true:

A. lesions that affect the vermis produce limb ataxia
B. lesions of the anterior lobe produce gait ataxia 
C. lesions of the lateral hemispheres produce truncal ataxia
D. lesions are contralateral to the affected side

14.  Peripheral nerve lesions may produce all EXCEPT:

A. muscle atrophy
B. sensory loss
C. weakness
D. increased deep tendon reflexes 
E. distal paresthesias on tapping the lesion site.

15.  Match the muscle to the nerve root.

Muscle                                                          Nerve Roots
Quadriceps                                                     A. L4-5
Biceps                                                             B. L2, 3, 4
Rectal Sphincter                                              C. L5, S1, S2
Anterior tibial                                                   D. C5, 6
Gluteus Maximus                                              E. S3, 4

16.  Match type of aphasia with deficit

Wernicke’s                              A. inability to repeat
Broca’s                                    B. mute and unable to comprehend
Conduction                              C. understands, but cannot produce speech
Global                                      D. can repeat, but may not make sense or may be able                                                      to find words
Transcortical                            E. Copious speech that is not intelligible

PROBLEM:
A 66-year-old retired schoolteacher was referred for headaches.  The patient’s headaches dated back to age 30, when she developed migraine headaches.  They were characterized by right-sided throbbing pain associated with nausea, vomiting, and photophobia.  For the most part, her migraines were under good control with propranolol, but occasionally she took sumatriptan subcutaneously for breakthrough headaches.  The patient’s headaches worsened in the three to four months before consultation.  Although they varied in intensity, the overall severity had increased during this period.  The headaches occurred daily and were aggravated by activities such as stooping, bending or straining to have a bowel movement.  The pain was localized principally at the back of the head now and were dull in character.  Within the previous four to six weeks, she avoided gardening because stooping over to pull out weeds exacerbated the severity of the headaches.  During the past few weeks, she also experienced intermittent vomiting.  The patient ascribed this to “nerves” as she felt increasingly anxious, but could not identify why.  On further questioning, the patient admitted that she suffered from a slight limp for several years, which she attributed to an old back injury.

Neurological exam revealed normal tone and moderate impairment of strength in the left leg.  Pin prick, vibration and proprioception were intact.  Deep tendon reflexes were equal in the arms, but increased in the left leg, compared to the right.  Left Babinski was present while the right Babinski was equivocal.  On ambulation, circumduction of the left leg was apparent.

17.  What features of the patient’s exam suggest an upper motor neuron lesion?

A. weakness
B. hyperreflexia
C. Babinski
D. circumduction
E. all of the above 
F. all but D

18.   The most likely cause of the patient’s leg weakness is:

A. poorly controlled complicated migraines
B. lumbar cord compression from an old vertebral fracture
C. meningioma of the falx
D. ependymoma of the upper cervical cord
F. pontine glioma

Discussion: Meningiomas are benign, slow growing neoplasms and the brain accommodates to slow growth. Consequently clinical signs may not develop until the tumor reaches significant size. The leg is primarily affected since this tumor overlies the parasagittal primary motor cortex representing the lower extremity. Parasagittal meningiomas may also produce focal motor seizures (starting in the leg), which may then secondarily generalize.

PROBLEM:
        A 52-year-old housewife presented with generalized weakness.  Her illness commenced about ten days ago when she suffered from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  About four to five days later, she experienced tingling in both hands so that she was unable to hold a cup or use a knife and fork effectively.  During the next few days, the weakness extended into her legs.  At this stage, she was referred for consultation.  Her past medical history was remarkable for a gastric ulcer, which was successfully treated medically.  She has had no further symptoms of ulcer and her weight has slightly increased in the past year.

        The patient was afebrile and blood pressure was 180/90 mm Hg.  Physical examination was remarkable for palpable lymph nodes on both sides of the neck which were discrete, mobile and non-tender, the largest being about 2 cm in diameter.  On neurologic examination, facial expression was immobile.  She had difficulty holding air in both of her cheeks or pursing her lips.  Blinking was diminished.  The patient could not close her eyes completely on request and when she attempted to do so, it could be seen that the eyeballs turned upwards.  There was hypnotic and weakness of all limbs to the point that the patient had great difficulty lifting her limbs off the bed.  Sensory exam revealed loss of pinprick, vibration and proprioception in the hands and feet.  Deep tendon reflexes were absent in the arms and legs.  Babinski could not be elicited bilaterally.  Chest X-ray was normal.  CBC demonstrated normal WBC and hemoglobin.  Chem 7 revealed mild hyponatremia of 128.  Lumbar puncture yielded clear CSF with an opening pressure of 170 mm of water.  CSF protein was 220, glucose 60, WBC 0 and RBC 10.

19. The patient’s inability to close her eyes completely is due to:

A. bilateral upper motor neutron weakness of the facial nerve
B. bilateral lower motor neuron weakness of the facial nerve
C. bilateral frontalis muscle weakness
D. bilateral oculomotor nerve palsies
E. an abnormality of neuromuscular transmission

20. Weakness of the limbs is due to:

A. acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy     (Guillian-Barre syndrome)
B. subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord from B12 deficiency
C. cytomegalovirus polyradiculopathy
D. myasthenia gravis
E. lead neuropathy

21. Loss of pin prick, vibration, and proprioception may be due to:

A. cytomegalovirus polyradiculopathy
B. infectious myelopathy
C. dorsal column dysfunction and sensory neuropathy from B12 malabsorption
D. the effect of botulinum toxin at the neuromuscular junction
E. none of the above

22. Loss of deep tendon reflexes may due to:

A. acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
B. sensory neuropathy from B12 deficiency
C. Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord from B12 deficiency
D. A or B 
E. B or C

PROBLEM:
The patient is a 58-year-old lawyer who was referred with the complaint of weakness.  Apart from an illness affecting her legs at age of 9 years, which had been diagnosed as poliomyelitis, she was in good health until 2.5 years prior to presentation.  She first noticed that her left foot and leg became “tired and tended to drag” when she walked for several minutes.  After a few weeks she noted a definite weakness in the left leg even at rest.  This weakness progressed to involve the right leg and foot similarly within two or three months.  Her hands later became weak so that she experienced difficulty writing or unscrewing bottle tops, and frequently dropped objects such as cups and utensils.  During the last six months her speech became less distinct and solid foods often stuck in her throat upon swallowing.  There was no nasal regurgitation of liquids, but at night, in bed, she frequently had difficulty clearing mucus from the back of her throat.  In the past month, she required assistance with ambulation, complaining of easy fatigue.   

Her fingers felt clumsy and weak such that dressing became laborious, particularly when buttoning was required.  During this period of illness, the patient’s weight dropped from 136 lbs. to 100 lbs.

        Neurologic examination was remarkable for normal cognitive function.  There was nasal intonation of voice and mild slurring of speech.  The tongue was wrinkled.  Fasciculations appeared to be present when the tongue as at rest in the floor of the mouth.  Upon gross observation of the body, generalized loss of muscle bulk was evident.  In general, the legs were more wasted than the arms.  The intrinsic hand muscles were atrophic.  Fasciculations were conspicuous in the shoulder girdle, biceps, triceps, quadriceps and calf muscles.  Tone was diminished throughout, particularly in the arms.  Strength was diminished throughout, with the greatest weakness noted where muscle atrophy was present.  Sensory exam was normal.  No difficulty with finger-nose-finger and heel-to-shin tests.  Deep tendon reflexes were exaggerated and Babinski was elicited bilaterally.  Jaw jerk was brisk.  Gait was slow with short shuffling steps and evinced a poverty of knee flexion.

23.   The most likely cause of generalized weakness is:

A. reactivation of the polio virus
B. cervical cord compression from a herniated disc
C. chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
D. brainstem glioma
E. none of the above

24.   What feature of the patient’s exam suggests lower motor neuron disease?

A. wrinkled tongue with fasciculations
B. diffuse hyperreflexia
C. slurred speech
D. slow, shuffling gait
E. none of the above

25. Which of the following suggests upper motor neuron disease?

A.  brisk jaw jerk
B. fasciculations
C. atrophy of intrinsic hand muscles
D. A and B
E. A and C

26. What feature(s) of the patient’s exam is compatible with myopathy?

A. weakness
B. wrinkled tongue
C. fasciculations
D. B and C
E. none of the above

27. Brisk deep tendon reflexes in the limbs and bilateral Babinski may be due to:

A. poliomyelitis
B. C2-3 herniated disc with cord compression
C. pontine glioma
D. A or B
E. B or C
F. A or C

28.  Nasal intonation of speech, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing in this patient is due to pathology involving the

A. motor cortex
B. Broca’s area
C. white matter of the brain
D. brainstem
E. none of the above

Answers

1. D
2. B
3. C
4. Metabolic disease                     D
    Midbrain lesion                         B
    Pontine lesion                           A
    Thalamic lesions                       C
    Mass effect with herniation        E
5. A
6. D
7. B
8. A
9. C
10. E
11. D
12. A
13. B
14. D
15. Quadriceps                   B
      Biceps                          D
      Rectal sphincter            E
      Anterior tibial                A
      Gluteus maximus           C
16. Wernicke’s                   E
      Broca’s                        C
      Conduction                   A
      Global                          B
      Transcortical                 D
17.  E
18.  C
19.  B
20.  A
21.  C
22.  D
23.  E
24.  A
25.  A
26.  A
27.  E
28.  D