Question 1

The nurse is caring for a patient who has impaired functioning of the left glossopharyngeal (IX)nerve and the vagus (X)nerve.What intervention should the nurse plan to maintain the patient's safety while diagnostic testing is being completed?

Accepted Answer

The patient's swallowing and gag reflexes are impaired and could lead to aspiration if food or fluids are given.A.C.D.Cranial nerves (CNs)IX and X do not affect the airway,the eyes,or the ability to communicate.

Question 2

The nurse is preparing material about impulse transmission to help with a presentation on the neurological system.When discussing spinal nerves,the nurse will include that each spinal nerve is made up of the dorsal root and which other root?

Accepted Answer

Each spinal nerve has two roots,which are neurons entering or leaving the spinal cord.The dorsal root is made of sensory neurons that carry impulses into the spinal cord.The dorsal root ganglion is an enlargement of this root that contains the cell bodies of these sensory neurons.The ventral root is the motor root; it is made of motor neurons that carry impulses from the spinal cord to muscles or glands.(Their cell bodies are in the gray matter of the spinal cord.)When the two roots merge,the nerve thus formed is a mixed nerve.A.B.D.Medial,lateral,and proximal are not parts of a spinal nerve.

Question 3

The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with a cerebral tumor.For which function should the nurse expect to assess an abnormality?

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobes of the cerebrum contain the motor areas that generate the impulses that bring about voluntary movement.Each motor area controls movement on the opposite side of the body.Also in the frontal lobe,usually only the left lobe is Broca's motor speech area,which controls the movements involved in speaking.D.The medulla controls heart and respiratory rates.C.The cerebellum controls coordination and posture.A.Reflexes are controlled at the spinal cord level.

Question 4

A neurologist asks a patient to stick out the tongue.Which cranial nerve (CN)is being tested?

Accepted Answer

CN XII controls tongue movement.B.CN I controls sense of smell.C.CN IV is eyeball movement.A.CN VII is taste and facial muscles.

Question 5

A patient is diagnosed with a health problem that alters the way impulses are conducted in the neurological system.When reviewing this information with the patient,which part of a neuron should the nurse teach carries impulses toward the cell body?

Accepted Answer

A neuron may have one or many dendrites,which are extensions that carry impulses toward the cell body.A.A neuron has one axon that transmits impulses away from the cell body.C.In the peripheral nervous system,axons and dendrites are wrapped in specialized neuroglial cells called Schwann cells.The concentric layers of cell membrane of a Schwann cell's plasma membrane form the myelin sheath.D.Myelin is a phospholipid that electrically insulates neurons from one another.

Question 6

The nurse notes that a patient is not able to voluntary move the right arm.Which part of the brain should the nurse suspect is affected in this patient?

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobes contain the motor areas that generate the impulses that bring about voluntary movement.Each motor area controls movement on the opposite side of the body.C.The parietal lobes contain the general sensory areas for the cutaneous senses,conscious muscle sense (proprioception),and taste (gustation).D.The hypothalamus has varied functions.A.The functions of the cerebellum are concerned with the involuntary aspects of voluntary movement: coordination,the appropriate direction and endpoint of movements,and the maintenance of posture and balance or equilibrium.

Question 7

The nurse is reviewing the results of a patient's diagnostic tests which show changes in nerve insulation.What structure should the nurse explain to the patient that electrically insulates neurons?

Accepted Answer

Myelin is a phospholipid sheath that electrically insulates neurons from one another.B.C.The gray matter is where the cell bodies of motor neurons and interneurons are located.A.Astrocytes are part of the neuroglia.

Question 8

A patient reports nearly having a motor vehicle crash and states that his heart was pounding and he was breathing heavy and fast.Currently the patient's heart rate and breathing are within normal limits.Which neurotransmitter has resumed control after the patient's incident?

Accepted Answer

Acetylcholine mediates parasympathetic (peaceful)function.D.Norepinephrine mediates the sympathetic stress response.B.Prostaglandins are involved in pain sensation.A.Serotonin affects mood.

Question 9

The nurse is assisting a neurologist with assessment of a patient with facial muscle weakness.When the neurologist asks the patient to identify different odors,which nerve is being tested?

Accepted Answer

The olfactory nerve controls the sense of smell.A.The optic nerve controls sight.D.The acoustic nerve controls hearing and equilibrium.B.The vagus nerve controls some autonomic functions.

Question 10

The nurse is caring for a patient admitted to the emergency room after a motor vehicle crash.Which assessment is most important for the nurse to complete?

Accepted Answer

The Glasgow Coma Scale is an international scale used to assess level of consciousness and document findings and would be the highest priority.D.A visual analog scale is often used to measure pain level.A.B.Babinski and Romberg tests assess muscle function.

Question 11

The nurse is preparing a patient for an electroencephalogram (EEG).What information should be given to the patient?

Accepted Answer

Evaluation of the electrical activity of the brain is obtained through an EEG.Electrodes are attached to the scalp with an adhesive.Before the test,make sure that the patient's hair is clean and dry.C.D.Shaving and fluid restriction are not necessary.A.Needles are not inserted into the scalp for an EEG.

Question 12

The nurse is reviewing the vital sign measurements for a patient with a neurological problem.When analyzing these measurements what should the nurse recall as the part of the brain that regulates heart rate and blood pressure?

Accepted Answer

Within the medulla are cardiac centers that regulate heart rate,respiratory centers that regulate breathing,and vasomotor centers that regulate the diameter of blood vessels and therefore blood pressure.B.D.The hypothalamus and cerebrum have varied functions.C.The functions of the cerebellum are concerned with the involuntary aspects of voluntary movement: coordination,the appropriate direction and endpoint of movements,and the maintenance of posture and balance or equilibrium.

Question 13

The nurse is preparing material about the neurological system as part of major presentation.What should the nurse include that explains the purpose of white matter?

Accepted Answer

A nerve tract is a group of thickly myelinated neurons within the central nervous system; such tracts within white matter appear white due to the myelin sheaths.A nerve tract within the spinal cord carries either sensory or motor impulses.B.The white matter does not store white blood cells within the brain.C.The vertebral column protects the spinal nerves from potential injury.D.The white matter does not regulate movement and responses to external stimuli.

Question 14

The nurse is caring for an individual with a head injury and notes unequal pupils.Which term should the nurse use to document this finding?

Accepted Answer

Anisocoria describes unequal pupils.A.Aphasia is difficulty speaking or communicating.B.Nystagmus is involuntary movement of the eyes.D.Some patients may be unable to move one or both eyes in a specific direction; this is called ophthalmoplegia.

Question 15

A patient learns that abdominal pain is originating from the liver.The nurse should explain to the patient that the impulses from receptors in the internal organs to the central nervous system are transmitted from which type of neurons?

Accepted Answer

Sensory neurons from receptors in internal organs are called visceral sensory neurons.C.Sensory neurons from receptors in the skin,skeletal muscles,and joints are called somatic.B.Motor (efferent)neurons transmit impulses from the central nervous system to effectors-that is,muscles and glands.A.Interneurons are found entirely within the central nervous system.

Question 16

The nurse is caring for a patient who is scheduled for a computed tomography (CT)scan of the brain because of new onset of headaches.Which statement by the nurse is most accurate when preparing the patient for the scan?

Accepted Answer

The patient will need to hold the head still during the test.No special preparation is required for a head CT.A.Shampoo is done before electroencephalogram (EEG).C.Restricting fluids and radiopaque drinks is done prior to gastrointestinal tests.D.Electrodes are for EEGs,but shaving is not necessary.

Question 17

The nurse is assessing a patient's pupils for reactivity to light.Which cranial nerve (CN)is being tested?

Accepted Answer

CN III controls movement of the eyeball and constriction of the pupil for bright light or near vision.B.C> CN IV and VI control eyeball movement.D.CN XII controls tongue movement.

Question 18

A 22-year-old female patient recovering from a craniotomy begins crying and asking for her mother who is sleeping in the visitor's lounge.The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)of 15 and pupils are equal and reactive.What nursing action would be most appropriate at this time?

Accepted Answer

A GCS of 15 and other assessment findings show the patient is stable.She has been through tremendous stress and wants her mother.D.There is no reason not to ask the mother to come and stay with her.B.A sedative is not indicated and may mask assessment findings.C.There is no reason to contact the surgeon.

Question 19

The nurse notes that a patient has a history of falling.Which part of the brain should the nurse question as being affected in this patient?

Accepted Answer

The functions of the cerebellum are concerned with the involuntary aspects of voluntary movement: coordination,the appropriate direction and endpoint of movements,and the maintenance of posture and balance or equilibrium.C.The frontal lobes contain the motor areas that generate the impulses that bring about voluntary movement.Each motor area controls movement on the opposite side of the body.The frontal lobes contain the motor areas that generate the impulses that bring about voluntary movement.D.The hypothalamus has many functions.A.The medulla regulates the most vital life functions.

Question 20

The nurse is explaining the transmission of nerve impulses to a patient with a spinal cord injury.What should the nurse explain as the structure that carries nerve impulses at synapses?

Accepted Answer

The end of the axon is called the synaptic end bulb and contains a chemical neurotransmitter that is released into the synapse by the arrival of the electrical impulse.The neurotransmitter diffuses across the synapse and combines with specific receptor sites on the postsynaptic membrane.At excitatory synapses,the neurotransmitter makes the postsynaptic membrane more permeable to sodium ions,which rush into the cell,initiating an electrical impulse on the membrane of the postsynaptic neuron.A.B.C.Schwann cells,depolarization,and cell membranes are part of the neuron and its function,not the synapse.

Quiz 47: Neurologic System Function,Assessment,and Therapeutic Measures

The nurse is caring for a patient who has impaired functioning of the left glossopharyngeal (IX) nerve and the vagus (X) nerve.What intervention should the nurse plan to maintain the patient's safety while diagnostic testing is being completed?