NCLEX : Identifying Neural Conditions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for NCLEX

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Example Questions

Example Question #1086 : Nclex

A three year old patient presents for a seizure that occurred at home. To her father's knowledge, she has never had a seizure in the past. She was not ill at the time of the seizure, and she is not on any type of medication. There was no head trauma before the incident. Her father states that her older brother was diagnosed with epilepsy at age seven, and that his grandmother was also epileptic. Is it safe to assume that this child is also epileptic?

Possible Answers:

No, epilepsy is not hereditary, and must present with a history of at least two seizure episodes before diagnosis.

No, a diagnosis of epilepsy requires two or more seizures without a clear provocation.

Yes, epilepsy is defined as seizures in the absence of fever, head trauma, or medication.

Yes, she has a positive family history for epilepsy, and has had a seizure with no clear provocation.

Correct answer:

No, a diagnosis of epilepsy requires two or more seizures without a clear provocation.

Explanation:

While epilepsy may certainly be hereditary, the diagnosis of epilepsy requires the occurrence of at least two seizures during two separate incidents, regardless of positive family history. These must occur in the absence of provocative factors such as fever, head trauma, or medication. 

Example Question #1087 : Nclex

Which of the following is not a form of generalized seizure?

Possible Answers:

Complex partial

Myoclonic

Tonic clonic

Atonic

Correct answer:

Complex partial

Explanation:

Generalized seizures are defined as seizures in which both hemispheres of the brain are affected by seizure activity from the onset. There are four main types of generalized seizures: tonic-clonic, myoclonic, atonic, and absence. All of these result in loss of consciousness and may or may not cause spasm or clonus. Complex partial seizures, while also resulting in a loss of consciousness, are restricted to one hemisphere of the brain.

Example Question #1088 : Nclex

What is the most common type of seizure in adults?

Possible Answers:

Tonic clonic

Nonepileptic

Myoclonic

Simple partial

Correct answer:

Tonic clonic

Explanation:

The most common type of seizure in adults is the tonic clonic seizure, also known as grand-mal. These seizures have two stages: a tonic stage, characterized by muscle stiffening and rigidity, followed by a clonic phase, characterized by jerking and twitching of the muscles and the face. Some individuals may have a tendency to have more tonic symptoms or more clonic symptoms, or may go in a tonic-clonic-tonic pattern of alternating rigidity and jerking motions. Individuals in a tonic clonic seizure experience loss of consciousness and may experience headache, lethargy, confusion, or may want to go to sleep on recovery of consciousness.

Example Question #1089 : Nclex

Which of the following is a term for total absence of sense of smell?

Possible Answers:

Dysosmia

Hyperosmia

Hyposmia

Anosmia

Correct answer:

Anosmia

Explanation:

A total loss or absence of sense of smell is called anosmia. It may be caused by a wide variety of medical conditions, including trauma to the head, stroke, nasal blockage, various dementias, viral infection, toxic exposure, autoimmune disease, or zinc deficiency.

Hyposmia is a state in which sense of smell is reduced but not absent, while hyperosmia is an increased sensitivity to smell. Dysosmia is an alteration in the perception of smell which may include olfactory hallucinations or distortions.

Example Question #1090 : Nclex

Which of the following is a condition of reduced sensitivity to taste?

Possible Answers:

Parageusia

Ageusia

Hypogeusia

Dysgeusia

Correct answer:

Hypogeusia

Explanation:

Hypogeusia is a condition of reduced sensitivity to taste. This may be due to various causes, including brain injury, viral infection, zinc deficiency, certain medications such as chemotherapeutic agents or antibiotics. 

Dysgeusia and parageusia both describe alterations in the perception of taste. These conditions can have similar etiologies to hypogeusia. Ageusia is the total absence of taste perception.  

Example Question #1091 : Nclex

You are the nurse assessing a 16-year old girl who is the star of her high school's gymanstics team who is admitted to the hospital for fatigue and weakness. You examine her and notice that she appears hypovolemic, her hair appears thin and brittle, her parotid glands appear swollen, her knuckles have excoriations, and her teeth appear slightly yellow. You suspect that she most likely suffers from which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Bulimia nervosa

Marfan's syndrome

Exogenous testosterone administration 

Anorexia nervosa

Hypothyroidism

Correct answer:

Bulimia nervosa

Explanation:

The correct answer is bulimia nervosa. 

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a patient classically consumes large amounts of food (binge eating) and then induces vomiting (purge behavior) to expel the food prior to absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. As such, the patient restricts their ability to gain weight. Patients with bulimia nervosa are frequently successful, high-achieving individuals under a great deal of stress, and often may be adolescent athletes, as patients in this population frequently have specific weight cutoffs that they must achieve for their respective sports/activities. Some signs of bulimia nervosa, as exhibited by this patient, are thin, brittle hair, a hypovolemic appearance (due to frequent vomiting), excoriations on the knuckles (from self-inducing vomiting with their hands), yellow discoloration of the teeth (from the acidity of vomitus), and swelling of the parotid glands (colloquially known as "chipmunk cheeks") as a response to the frequent vomiting. Patients with bulimia may also use other methods to purge themselves of food and drinks including diuretic use, and/or laxative use. 

A key distinction between bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa is that in bulimia the patient exhibits a form of purge behavior following binge eating, whereas in anorexia, classically, the patient simply restricts eating rather than binging and purging. 

Hypothyroidism is not a correct answer choice because while this patient is exhibiting lethargy, weakness, and brittle hair, given the constellation of her other symptoms and exam findings, it is less consistent with her presentation than bulimia nervosa. If these symptoms persisted following treatment for bulimia, then hypothyroidism could be considered as a concurrent finding.

Exogenous use of testosterone would not account for the symptoms seen in this patient.

Marfan's syndrome would also not account for the symptoms seen in this patient.

Example Question #21 : Neural And Psychological Conditions

Patients with Alzheimer's dementia develop degeneration in which of the following memory processing centers of the brain?

Possible Answers:

Amygdala

Hippocampus

Wernicke's area

Prefrontal cortex

Occipital lobe

Correct answer:

Hippocampus

Explanation:

The hippocampus is implicated in memory formation and processing. As individual's age, the development of plaques in this area of the brain lead to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's dementia. The amygdala is the brain structure associated with fear. Wernicke's area is for language formation. The occipital lobe deals with vision. The prefrontal cortex is involved with primative behavior and impulses.

Example Question #22 : Neural And Psychological Conditions

A 34 year old man presents with severe lower back pain, a feeling of numbness around his buttocks and inner thigh, erectile dysfunction, and incontinence. Which of the following conditions is likely to be causing his symptoms?

Possible Answers:

Parkinsons disease

Prostatitis

Cauda equina syndrome

Multiple sclerosis

Correct answer:

Cauda equina syndrome

Explanation:

While any of this patient's symptoms may be present in multiple sclerosis, this specific set of symptoms is typical of cauda equina syndrome. This is a condition in which trauma or impingement within of the spinal canal compresses the cauda equina, the bundle of spinal nerves and nerve roots near the base of the spinal cord. 

Neither prostatitis or Parkinson's disease generally present with this distinct triad of back pain, saddle anesthesia, and sexual and/or urinary dysfunction.

Example Question #23 : Neural And Psychological Conditions

Which of the following tests can help identify if an individual is actively having a seizure?

Possible Answers:

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain

Pulmonary function test (PFT)

Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Correct answer:

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Explanation:

A seizure is an abnormal electrical event in the brain, usually caused by diffuse, rapid firing of neurons within the brain. An EEG is the diagnostic test used to capture events and identify where in the brain the impulse is generated from. EEG consists of electrodes placed on the scalp. The other tests mentioned cannot identify the electrical activity of the brain.

Example Question #1092 : Nclex

A 62-year old homeless male presents to the emergency department appearing agitated, confused, and panicked. You note that he is sweating profusely and when you take his vitals, he is hypertensive and tachycardic. He says that he takes "a pill from the street" every day that calms him down, but that he has not taken it for 24 hours. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Possible Answers:

Ketamine intoxication

Cocaine withdrawal

Benzodiazepine withdrawal

Benzodiazepine intoxication

Heroin intoxication

Correct answer:

Benzodiazepine withdrawal

Explanation:

The correct answer is "benzodiazepine withdrawal" because the patient's presentation, with agitation, confusion, and panic, coupled with his physical and vital sign findings (tachycardia, hypertension, profuse sweating), and historical information (has not taken a regular medication of his for 24 hours) are all consistent with benzodiazepine withdrawal. Benzodiazepines are a class of medications that have anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties, as they increase the efficacy of the neurotransmitter GABA. Given their anxiolytic properties, and in some types, their rapid speed of onset, they are a commonly abused class of drugs. 

Benzodiazepine withdrawal occurs when a patient who regularly takes benzodiazepine medications and has a physiological dependence abruptly stops taking these medications. Symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal include but are not limited to anxiety, panic, agitation, hypertension, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and inability to sleep. If untreated, this can lead to seizures and worsening confusion. As such, it is important to recognize these symptoms early and restart benzodiazepine treatment as early as possible in these patients.

Benzodiazepine intoxication, cocaine withdrawal, and heroin intoxication are incorrect as the patient would exhibit symptoms opposite those described in this example.

Ketamine intoxication is incorrect, as ketamine is a dissociative medication that would not likely cause this constellation of symptoms, and would be more likely to present with dissociative properties.

 

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