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?
- A. Babinski test
- B. Romberg test
- C. Glasgow Coma Scale
- D. Visual analogue scale
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most important assessment for evaluating the level of consciousness in a patient with a head injury. The Babinski and Romberg tests assess motor function and balance, while the visual analogue scale measures pain. The GCS provides critical information about the patient's neurological status.
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The lateral spinothalamic tract:
- A. carries fibres which terminate in the thalamus
- B. contains mainly the second-order neurones.
- C. carries fibres that carry information on temperature and pain
- D. all above
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The lateral spinothalamic tract carries second-order neurons transmitting pain and temperature information to the thalamus. It is a critical pathway for sensory perception and is involved in relaying these sensations to higher brain centers.
Trace the flow of blood for a nephron.
- A. peritubular capillaries, efferent arteriole, glomerulus, afferent arteriole
- B. efferent arteriole, glomerulus, afferent arteriole, peritubular capillaries
- C. afferent arteriole, glomerulus, efferent arteriole, peritubular capillaries
- D. afferent arteriole, glomerulus, peritubular capillaries, efferent arteriole
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct sequence is afferent arteriole, glomerulus, efferent arteriole, and peritubular capillaries. Blood enters the nephron through the afferent arteriole, is filtered in the glomerulus, exits through the efferent arteriole, and then flows into the peritubular capillaries, where reabsorption and secretion occur. This pathway ensures efficient filtration and processing of blood in the kidneys.
Which is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain?
- A. serotonin
- B. glutamate
- C. dopamine
- D. GABA
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and is involved in nearly all excitatory brain functions. It plays a key role in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Glutamate binds to receptors on postsynaptic neurons, promoting the transmission of signals. However, excessive glutamate activity can lead to excitotoxicity, causing neuronal damage and contributing to conditions like stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.
Neurons come in which different type(s)?
- A. Sensory
- B. Motor
- C. Skeletal
- D. A and B
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Neurons are classified into sensory neurons, which transmit information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system, and motor neurons, which carry signals from the central nervous system to muscles and glands. Skeletal refers to muscle tissue, not neuron types. Understanding these types helps explain how the nervous system processes and responds to information.
The upper motor neuron impairment produces the following change of muscles tone:
- A. flaccidity
- B. spasticity
- C. "cog wheel" rigidity
- D. myoclonia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Spasticity is the correct answer because upper motor neuron lesions typically result in increased muscle tone due to the loss of inhibitory signals from the brain. This leads to hyperreflexia, clonus, and rigidity, which are hallmark signs of spasticity. The condition arises from damage to the corticospinal tract, which disrupts the balance of excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the motor neurons.