Assessment Of Neurologic Function Flashcards
A neurotransmitter that helps control mood and sleep.
Serotonin
Parkinson disease is caused by an imbalance in the neurotransmitter known as
Dopamine
A person’s personality and judgment are controlled by the area of the brain known as the
Frontal Lobe
The lobe of the cerebral cortex that is responsible for the understanding of language and music is the
Temporal Lobe
Voluntary muscle control is governed by a vertical band of “motor cortex” located in the
Frontal Lobe
The sleep-wake cycle regulator and the site of hunger center is known as the
Hypothalamus
The “master gland” is also known as the
Pituitary gland
The major receiving and communication center for afferent sensory nerves is the
Thalamus
The normal adult produces about how many mL of cerebrospinal fluid daily from the ventricles?
150 mL
The preganglionic fibers pf the sympathetic neurons are located in the segments of the spinal cord identified as C__ to L__
C8 to L3
The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system yields impulses that are mediated by the secretion of
Acetylcholine
The dominant neurotransmitter in parasympathetic nervous system functions.
Acetylcholine
The brain center responsible for balancing and coordination is the
Cerebellum
This barrier is formed by the endothelial cels of the brain’s capillaries, which form continuous tight junctions, creating a barrier o macromolecules and many compounds.
Blood brain barrier
It regulates the activities of the internal organs such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, digestive organs, and glands.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
It is largely the responsibility of the autonomic nervous system.
Maintenance and restoration of internal homeostasis
It is the principle signs of lower motor neuron disease.
Flaccid paralysis
Atrophy of the affected muscles.
The clinical manifestations when there is destruction or dysfunction in the basal ganglia
Destruction or dysfunction of the basal ganglia leads not to paralysis but to:
- Muscle rigidity
- Disturbances of posture
- Difficulty initiating or changing movement.
A neurotransmitter responsible for the muscle and nerve inhibitory transmission
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
A neurotransmitter responsible for the inhibition of pain transmission; Excitatory.
Enkephalin
A neurotransmitter responsible for the excitatory response, mostly affecting moods.
Norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter responsible for affecting behavior, attention, and fine movement.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter primarily excitatory that can produce vagal stimulation of heart
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter that inhibits pain pathways and can control sleep
Serotonin
Cranial Nerve 1
Olfactory - Smell
Cranial Nerve 2
Optic - Vision
Cranial Nerve 3
Oculomotor - Eye movement
Cranial Nerve 4
Trochlear - Eye movement
Cranial Nerve 5
Trigeminal - Facial sensation
Cranial Nerve 6
Abducens - Eye movement
Cranial Nerve 7
Facial - Taste & Sensation
Cranial Nerve 8
Vestibulocochlear - Hearing & Equilibrium
Cranial Nerve 9
Glossopharyngeal - Taste
Cranial Nerve 10
Vagus - Swallowing, Gastric Motility, & Secretions
Cranial Nerve 11
Spinal Accessory - Trapezius and Sternomastoid Muscles
Cranial Nerve 12
Hypoglossal - Tongue movement
Grace, an 82 year old woman, is brought to the clinic by her son, who informs the nurse that his mother is not “as sharp” as she has been and has been forgetting to take some of her medication. The son asks that his mother be “checked out.”
What intervention does the nurse provide when assisting Grace to change into a gown and to sit on the examining table?
Institute safety and fall prevention measures
After the healthcare provider examines Grace, laboratory studies and a CT scan of the brain are provided. When providing education to Grace and her son, what will the nurse do in order to ensure that the education provided is understood?
- Procedures and preparations needed for diagnostic tests are explained, taking into account the possibility of impaired hearing and slowed. Responses in the older adult.
- Providing instruction at an unrushed pace and using reinforcement enhance learning and retention.
- Material should be short, concise, and concerete.
- Vocabulary is matched to the patient’s ability, and terms are clearly define.
- The older adult patient requires adequate time to receive and respond to stimuli, learn, and react.
These measures allow comprehension, memory, and formation of association and concepts.
How would the nurse differentiate delirium from dementia in assessing grace?
Delirium is seen in older adult patients who have underlying central nervous system damage or are experiencing an acute condition such as infection, adverse mediation reaction, or dehydration. Whereas, Dementia is a chronic and irreversible deterioration of cognitive status.
It is a transient mental confusion, usually with delusions and hallucinations
Delirium
A chronic and irreversible deterioration of cognitive status
Dementia
It may produce impairment of attention and memory, and should be evaluated as a possible cause of mental status change
Drug toxicity and depression
A patient arrives to have an MRI done in the outpatient department. What information provided by the patient warrants further assessment to prevent complications related to the MRI?
A. I am trying to quit smoking and have a patch on
B. I have been trying to get an appointment or so long
C. I have not had anything to eat or drink since 3 hours ago
D. My legs go numb sometimes when I sit too long
A. I am trying to quit smoking and have a patch on
A patient is scheduled for an electroencephalogram (EEG) in the. Morning. What foo on the patient’s tray should the nurse remove prior to the test?
A. Orange juice
B. Toast
C. Coffee
D. Eggs
C. Coffee
The nurse is assisting with a lumbar puncture and observes that when the healthcare provider obtains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), it is clear and colorless. What does this finding indicate?
A. A subarachnoid hemorrhage
B. Severe sepsis
C. A normal finding; The fluid will be sent for testing to determine other factors
D. Local trauma from the insertion of the needle.
C. A normal finding; The fluid will be sent for testing to determine other factors
A patient had a lumbar puncture 3 ays ago in the outpatient clinic and calls the nurse reporting a throbbing headache. What can the nurse educate the patient to do for relief of the discomfort? (Select all that apply)
A. Limit the amount of fluid to decrease cerebral edema
B. Force fluids (unless contraindicated)
C. Get plenty of bed rest
D. Take some over-the-counter analgesics
E. Walk around
B. Force fluids (unless contraindicated)
C. Get plenty of bed rest
D. Take some over-the-counter analgesics
A patient is having a lumbar puncture and the healthcare provider has removed 20 mL of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). What nursing intervention is a priority after the procedure?
A. Early ambulation
B. Have the patient lie flat for 6 hours
C. Have the patient lie flat for 1 hour and then sit for 1 hour before ambulating
D. Have the patient lie in a semi-fowler position with the head of the bed at 30 degrees.
B. Have the patient lie flat for 6 hours
The nurse is performing an assessment of cranial nerve function and asks the patient to cover one nostril at a time to see if he patient can smell coffee, alcohol, and mint. The patient is unable to smell any of the odors. The nurse is aware that the patient has a dysfunction of which cranial nerve?
A. CN I
B. CN II
C. CN III
D. CN IV
A. CN I
The nurse obtains a Snellen eye chart when assessing cranial nerve unction. Which cranial nerve is the nrse testing when using the chart?
A. CN I
B. CN II
C. CN III
D. CN IV
B. CN II
A patient is being tested for a gag reflex. When the nurse places the tongue blade to the back of the throat, there is no response elicited. What dysfunction does the nurse determine the patient has?
A. Dysfunction of the spinal accessor nerve
B. Dysfunction of the acoustic nerve
C. Dysfunction of the facial nerve
D. Dysfunction of the vagus nerve
D. Dysfunction of the vagus nerve
A patient sustained a head injury during a fall ad has changes in personality and affect. What part of the brain does the nurse recognize has been affected in this injury?
A. Frontal Lobe
B. Parietal Lobe
C. Occipital Lobe
d. Temporal Lobe
A. Frontal Lobe
A patient who has suffered a stroke is unable to maintain respiration and so is intubated and placed on mechanical ventilator support. What portion of the brain is most likely responsible for the inability to breathe?
A. Frontal Lobe
B. Occipital Lobe
C. Parietal Lobe
D. Brain Stem
D. Brain Stem
A patient has expressive speaking aphasia after having a stroke. Which portion of the brain does the nurse know has been affected?
A. Temporal Lobe
B. Inferior posterior frontal areas
C. Posterior frontal area
D. Parietal-occipital area
B. Inferior posterior frontal areas
The nurse is assessing the pupils of a patient who has had a head injury. What does the nurse recognize as a parasympathetic effect?
A. Dilated pupils
B. Constricted pupils
C. One pupil is dilated and the opposite pupil is normal (Anisocoria)
D. Roth Spots
B. Constricted pupil
The nurse is caring for a patent who was involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustained a head injury. When assessing deep tendon reflexes (DTR), the nurse observes diminished or hypoactive reflexes. How will the nurse document this finding?
A. 0
B. 1+
C. 2+
D. 3+
B. 1+
The nurse is performing a neurologic assessment and requests that the patient stand with eyes open and then closed for 20 seconds to assess balance. What type of test is the nurse performing?
A. Weber test
B. Rinne test
C. Romberg test
D. Watch-tick test
C. Romberg test
A patient comes to the emergency department with severe pain in the face that was stimulated by brushing the teeth. What cranial nerve does the nurse understand can cause this type of pain?
A. III
B. IV
C. V
D. VI
C. V
