Neurologic system
The area of the nervous system that is responsible for mediating reflexes is the:
ANS: spinal cord. The spinal cord is the main highway for ascending and descending fiber tracts that connect the brain to the spinal nerves, and it mediates reflexes.
When taking the history on a patient with a seizure disorder, the nurse assesses whether the patient has an aura. Which of these would be the best question for obtaining this information?
ANS: "Do you have any warning sign before your seizure starts?" Aura is a subjective sensation that precedes a seizure; it could be auditory, visual, or motor. The other questions are not correct regarding asking about an aura.
In obtaining a history on a 74-year-old patient the nurse notes that he drinks alcohol daily and that he has noticed a tremor in his hands that affects his ability to hold things. With this information, what should the nurse's response be?
ANS: "Does the tremor change when you drink the alcohol?" Senile tremor is relieved by alcohol, although this is not a recommended treatment. The nurse should assess whether the person is abusing alcohol in an effort to relieve the tremor.
A 70-year-old woman tells the nurse that every time she gets up in the morning or after she's been sitting she gets "really dizzy" and feels like she is going to fall over. The nurse's best response would be:
ANS: "You need to get up slowly when you've been lying or sitting." Aging is accompanied by a progressive decrease in cerebral blood flow. In some people this causes dizziness and a loss of balance with position change. These people need to be taught to get up slowly. The other responses are incorrect.
During the assessment of deep tendon reflexes, the nurse finds that a patient's responses are normal bilaterally. What number is used to indicate "normal" deep tendon reflexes when the documenting this finding. _____+
ANS: 2 Responses to assessment of deep tendon reflexes are graded on a 4-point scale. A rating of 2+ indicates normal or average response. A rating of 0 indicates no response, and a rating of 4+ indicates very brisk, hyperactive response with clonus, which is indicative of disease.
The nurse is reviewing a patient's medical record and notes that he is in a coma. Using the Glasgow Coma Scale, which number indicates that the patient is in a coma?
ANS: 6 A fully alert, normal person has a score of 15, whereas a score of 7 or less reflects coma on the Glasgow Coma Scale. See Figure 23-59.
In a person with an upper motor neuron lesion such as a cerebrovascular accident, which of these physical assessment findings should the nurse expect to see?
ANS: Hyperreflexia Hyperreflexia, diminished or absent superficial reflexes, and increased muscle tone or spasticity can be expected with upper motor neuron lesions. The other options reflect a lesion of lower motor neurons. See Table 23-7.
A man who was found wandering in a park at 2 AM has been brought to the emergency department for an examination because he said he fell and hit his head. During the examination, the nurse asks him to use his index finger to touch the nurse's finger, then his own nose, then the nurse's finger again (which has been moved to a different location). The patient is clumsy, unable to follow the instructions, and overshoots the mark, missing the finger. The nurse should suspect which of the following?
ANS: Acute alcohol intoxication During the finger-to-finger test, if the person has clumsy movement with overshooting the mark, either a cerebellar disorder or acute alcohol intoxication should be suspected. The person's movements should be smooth and accurate. The other options are not correct.
To test for gross motor skill and coordination of a 6-year-old child, which of these techniques would be appropriate?
ANS: Ask child to hop on one foot. Normally a child can hop on one foot and can balance on one foot for about 5 seconds by 4 years of age, and can balance on one foot for 8 to 10 seconds at 5 years of age. Children enjoy performing these tests. Failure to hop after 5 years of age indicates incoordination of gross motor skill. Touching the finger to the nose checks fine motor coordination. Having the child make "funny" faces tests cranial nerve VII. It is not appropriate to ask a child to stand on his or her head.
The nurse places a key in the hand of a patient and he identifies it as a penny. What term would the nurse use to describe this finding?
ANS: Astereognosis Stereognosis is the person's ability to recognize objects by feeling their forms, sizes, and weights. Astereognosis is an inability to identify objects correctly, and it occurs in sensory cortex lesions. Tactile discrimination tests fine touch. Extinction tests the person's ability to feel sensations on both sides of the body at the same point.
During the history of a 78-year-old man, his wife states that he occasionally has problems with short-term memory loss and confusion: "He can't even remember how to button his shirt." In doing the assessment of his sensory system, which action by the nurse is most appropriate?
ANS: Before testing, the nurse would assess the patient's mental status and ability to follow directions at this time. The nurse should ensure validity of the sensory system testing by making sure the patient is alert, cooperative, comfortable, and has an adequate attention span. Otherwise, the nurse may obtain misleading and invalid results.
A 30-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has been very unsteady and has had difficulty in maintaining her balance. Which area of the brain would the nurse be concerned about with these findings?
ANS: Cerebellum The cerebellar system coordinates movement, maintains equilibrium, and helps maintain posture. The thalamus is the main relay station where sensory pathways of the spinal cord, cerebellum, and brainstem for synapses on their way to the cerebral cortex. The brainstem consists of the midbrain, pons, and medulla and has various functions, especially concerning autonomic centers. The extrapyramidal tract maintains muscle tone for gross automatic movements, such as walking.
The nurse knows that determining whether a person is oriented to his or her surroundings will test the functioning of which of these structures?
ANS: Cerebrum The cerebral cortex is responsible for thought, memory, reasoning, sensation, and voluntary movement. The other options structures are not responsible for a person's level of consciousness.
A 50-year-old woman is in the clinic for weakness in her left arm and leg that she has noticed for the past week. The nurse should perform which type of neurologic examination?
ANS: Complete neurologic examination The nurse should perform a complete neurologic examination on persons who have neurologic concerns (e.g., headache, weakness, loss of coordination) or who have shown signs of neurologic dysfunction. The Glasgow Coma scale is used to define a person's level of consciousness. The neurologic recheck examination is appropriate for persons with demonstrated neurologic deficits. The screening neurologic examination is performed on seemingly well persons who have no significant subjective findings from the history.
In assessing a 70-year-old patient who has had a recent cerebrovascular accident, the nurse notices right-sided weakness. What might the nurse expect to find when testing his reflexes on the right side?
ANS: Hyperactive reflexes Hyperreflexia is the exaggerated reflex seen when the monosynaptic reflex arc is released from the influence of higher cortical levels. This occurs with upper motor neuron lesions (e.g., a cerebrovascular accident). The other responses are incorrect.
Which of these tests would the nurse use to check the motor coordination of an 11-month-old infant?
ANS: Denver II To screen gross and fine motor coordination, the nurse should use the Denver II with its age-specific developmental milestones. Stereognosis tests a person's ability to recognize objects by feeling them, and is not appropriate for an 11-month-old infant. Testing of the deep tendon reflexes is not appropriate for checking motor coordination. Testing rapid alternating movements is appropriate for testing coordination in adults.
A 69-year-old patient has been admitted to an adult psychiatric unit because his wife thinks he is getting more and more confused. He laughs when he is found to be forgetful, saying "I'm just getting old!" After the nurse completes a thorough neurologic assessment, which findings would be indicative of Alzheimer's disease? Select all that apply.
ANS: Difficulty performing familiar tasks, such as placing a telephone call Misplacing items, such as putting dish soap in the refrigerator Rapid mood swings, from calm to tears, for no apparent reason Getting lost in one's own neighborhood Difficulty performing familiar tasks, misplacing items, rapid mood swings, and getting lost in one's own neighborhood can be warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. Occasionally forgetting names or appointments, and sometimes having trouble finding the right word are part of normal aging. For other examples see Table 23-2.
The nurse is doing an assessment on a 29-year-old woman who visits the clinic complaining of "always dropping things and falling down." While testing rapid alternating movements, the nurse notices that the woman is unable to pat both her knees. Her response is very slow and she misses frequently. What should the nurse suspect?
ANS: Dysfunction of the cerebellum When a person performs rapid, alternating movements, slow, clumsy, and sloppy responses occur with cerebellar disease. The other responses are incorrect.
When the nurse is testing the triceps reflex, what is the expected response?
ANS: Extension of the forearm The normal response of the triceps reflex is extension of the forearm. The normal response of the biceps reflex causes flexion of the forearm. The other responses are incorrect.
A 59-year-old patient has a herniated intervertebral disk. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect to see on physical assessment of this individual?
ANS: Hyporeflexia With a herniated intervertebral disk or lower motor neuron lesion there is loss of tone, flaccidity, atrophy, fasciculations, and hyporeflexia or areflexia. No Babinski's sign or pathologic reflexes would be seen. The other options reflect a lesion of upper motor neurons. See Table 23-7.
During an assessment of a 22-year-old woman who has a head injury from a car accident 4 hours ago, the nurse notices the following change: pupils were equal, but now the right pupil is fully dilated and nonreactive, left pupil is 4 mm and reacts to light. What does finding this suggest?
ANS: Increased intracranial pressure In a brain-injured person, a sudden, unilateral, dilated, and nonreactive pupil is ominous. Cranial nerve III runs parallel to the brainstem. When increasing intracranial pressure pushes the brainstem down (uncal herniation), it puts pressure on cranial nerve III, causing pupil dilation. The other responses are incorrect.
While gathering equipment after an injection, a nurse accidentally received a prick from an improperly capped needle. To interpret this sensation, which of these areas must be intact?
ANS: Lateral spinothalamic tract, thalamus, and sensory cortex The spinothalamic tract contains sensory fibers that transmit the sensations of pain, temperature, and crude or light touch. Fibers carrying pain and temperature sensations ascend the lateral spinothalamic tract, whereas those of crude touch form the anterior spinothalamic tract. At the thalamus, the fibers synapse with another sensory neuron, which carries the message to the sensory cortex for full interpretation. The other options are not correct.
The nurse is caring for a patient who has just had neurosurgery. To assess for increased intracranial pressure, what would the nurse include in the assessment?
ANS: Level of consciousness, motor function, pupillary response, and vital signs Some hospitalized persons have head trauma or a neurologic deficit from a systemic disease process. These people must be monitored closely for any improvement or deterioration in neurologic status and for any indication of increasing intracranial pressure. The nurse should use an abbreviation of the neurologic examination in the following sequence: level of consciousness, motor function, pupillary response, and vital signs.
During the neurologic assessment of a "healthy" 35-year-old patient, the nurse asks him to relax his muscles completely. The nurse then moves each extremity through full range of motion. Which of these results would the nurse expect to find?
ANS: Mild, even resistance to movement Tone is the normal degree of tension (contraction) in voluntarily relaxed muscles. It shows a mild resistance to passive stretch. Normally, the nurse will notice a mild, even resistance to movement. The other responses are not correct.
During an assessment of the cranial nerves, the nurse finds the following: asymmetry when the patient smiles or frowns, uneven lifting of eyebrows, sagging of the lower eyelids, and escape of air when the nurse presses against the right puffed cheek. This would indicate dysfunction of which of these cranial nerves?
ANS: Motor component of VII The findings listed reflect a dysfunction of the motor component of cranial nerve VII, the facial nerve.
The nurse is performing a neurologic assessment on a 41-year-old woman with a history of diabetes. When testing her ability to feel the vibrations of a tuning fork, the nurse notices that the patient is unable to feel vibrations on the great toe or ankle bilaterally, but she is able to feel vibrations on both patellae. Given this information, what would the nurse suspect?
ANS: Peripheral neuropathy Loss of vibration sense occurs with peripheral neuropathy (e.g., diabetes and alcoholism). Peripheral neuropathy is worse at the feet and gradually improves as the examiner moves up the leg, as opposed to a specific nerve lesion, which has a clear zone of deficit for its dermatome.
The nurse is testing superficial reflexes on an adult patient. When stroking up the lateral side of the sole and across the ball of the foot, the nurse notices the plantar flexion of the toes. How should the nurse document this finding?
ANS: Plantar reflex present With the same instrument, the nurse should draw a light stroke up the lateral side of the sole of the foot and across the ball of the foot, like an upside-down "J." The normal response is plantar flexion of the toes and sometimes of the whole foot. A positive Babinski sign is abnormal and occurs with the response of dorsiflexion of the big toe and fanning of all toes. The plantar reflex is not graded on a 0 to 4+ scale.
To assess the head control of a 4-month-old infant, the nurse lifts the infant up in a prone position while supporting his chest. The nurse looks for what normal response?
ANS: Raises head and arches back At 3 months of age, the infant raises the head and arches the back as if in a swan dive. This is the Landau reflex, which persists until 1 1/2 years of age. The other responses are incorrect. See Figure 23-43.
In the assessment of a 1-month-old infant, the nurse notices a lack of response to noise or stimulation. The mother reports that in the last week he has been sleeping all the time, and when he is awake all he does is cry. The nurse hears that the infant's cries are very high pitched and shrill. What should be the nurse's appropriate response to these findings?
ANS: Refer the infant for further testing. A high-pitched, shrill cry or cat-sounding screech occurs with central nervous system damage. Lethargy, hyporeactivity, hyperirritability, and parent's report of significant change in behavior all warrant referral. The other options are not correct responses.
While obtaining a history of a 3-month-old infant from the mother, the nurse asks about the infant's ability to suck and grasp the mother's finger. What is the nurse assessing?
ANS: Reflexes Questions regarding reflexes include such questions as "What have you noticed about the infant's behavior," "Do the infant's sucking and swallowing seem coordinated," and "Does the infant grasp your finger?" The other responses are incorrect.
A 21-year-old patient has a head injury resulting from trauma and is unconscious. There are no other injuries. During the assessment what would the nurse expect to find when testing the patient's deep tendon reflexes?
ANS: Reflexes will be normal. A reflex is a defense mechanism of the nervous system. It operates below the level of conscious control and permits a quick reaction to potentially painful or damaging situations.
A 78-year-old man has a history of a cerebrovascular accident. The nurse notes that when he walks his left arm is immobile against the body with flexion of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers and adduction of the shoulder. His left leg is stiff and extended and circumducts with each step. What type of gait disturbance is this individual experiencing?
ANS: Spastic hemiparesis With spastic hemiparesis, the arm is immobile against the body. There is flexion of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers and adduction of the shoulder, which does not swing freely. The leg is stiff and extended and circumducts with each step. Causes of this type of gait include cerebrovascular accident. See Table 23-6 for more information and for descriptions of the other abnormal gaits.
A patient has a severed spinal nerve as a result of trauma. Which of these statements is true in this situation?
ANS: The adjacent spinal nerves will continue to carry sensations for the dermatome served by the severed nerve. A dermatome is a circumscribed skin area that is supplied mainly from one spinal cord segment through a particular spinal nerve. The dermatomes overlap, which is a form of biologic insurance. That is, if one nerve is severed, most of the sensations can be transmitted by the spinal nerve above and spinal nerve below.
Which of these statements concerning areas of the brain is true?
ANS: The hypothalamus controls temperature and regulates sleep. The hypothalamus is a vital area with many important functions: temperature controller, sleep center, anterior and posterior pituitary gland regulator, and coordinator of autonomic nervous system activity and emotional status. The cerebellum controls motor coordination, equilibrium, and balance. The basal ganglia control autonomic movements of the body. The motor pathways of the spinal cord synapse in various areas of the spinal cord, not the thalamus.
Which of these statements about the peripheral nervous system is correct?
ANS: The peripheral nerves carry input to the central nervous system by afferent fibers and away by efferent fibers. A nerve is a bundle of fibers outside the central nervous system. The peripheral nerves carry input to the central nervous system by their sensory afferent fibers and deliver output from the central nervous system by the efferent fibers.
A patient with lack of oxygen to his heart will have pain in his chest and possibly the shoulder, arms, or jaw. The nurse knows that the statement that best explains why this occurs is which of these?
ANS: The sensory cortex does not have the ability to localize pain in the heart, so the pain is felt elsewhere. The sensory cortex is arranged in a specific pattern, forming a corresponding "map" of the body. Pain in the right hand is perceived at a specific spot on the map. Some organs are absent from the brain map, such as the heart, liver, and spleen. Pain originating in these organs is referred because no felt image exists in which to have pain. Pain is felt "by proxy" by another body part that does have a felt image. The other responses are not correct explanations.
During the assessment of an 80-year-old patient, the nurse notices that his hands show tremors when he reaches for something and his head is always nodding. There is no associated rigidity with movement. Which of these statements is most accurate?
ANS: These are normal findings resulting from aging. Senile tremors occasionally occur. These benign tremors include an intention tremor of the hands, head nodding (as if saying yes or no), and tongue protrusion. Tremors associated with Parkinson disease include rigidity, slowness, and weakness of voluntary movement. The other responses are incorrect.
During an assessment of a 32-year-old patient with a recent head injury, the nurse notices that the patient responds to pain by extending, adducting, and internally rotating his arms. His palms pronate and his lower extremities extend with plantar flexion. Which of these statements about these findings is accurate?
ANS: This is a very ominous sign and may indicate brainstem injury. These findings are all indicative of decerebrate rigidity, which is a very ominous condition and may indicate a brainstem injury.
The assessment of a 60-year-old patient has taken longer than anticipated. In testing his pain perception the nurse decides to complete the test as quickly as possible. When the nurse applies the sharp point of the pin on his arm several times, he is only able to identify these as one "very sharp prick." What would be the most accurate explanation for this?
ANS: This is most likely the result of the summation effect. Let at least 2 seconds elapse between each stimulus to avoid summation. With summation, frequent consecutive stimuli are perceived as one strong stimulus. The other responses are incorrect.
During an examination, the nurse notices severe nystagmus in both eyes of a patient. Which of these conclusions by the nurse is correct?
ANS: This may indicate disease of the cerebellum or brainstem. End-point nystagmus at an extreme lateral gaze occurs normally. The nurse should assess any other nystagmus carefully. Severe nystagmus occurs with disease of the vestibular system, cerebellum, or brainstem.
While assessing a 7-month-old infant, the nurse makes a loud noise and notices the following response: abduction and flexion of arms and legs; fanning of fingers, and curling of index and thumb in a C position followed by infant bringing in arms and legs to body. What does the nurse know about this response?
ANS: This reflex should have disappeared between 1 and 4 months of age. The Moro reflex is present at birth and disappears at 1 to 4 months. Absence of the Moro reflex in the newborn or persistence after 5 months of age indicates severe central nervous system injury. The other responses are incorrect.
The nurse is assessing the neurologic status of a patient who has a late-stage brain tumor. With the reflex hammer, the nurse draws a light stroke up the lateral side of the sole of the foot and inward, across the ball of the foot. In response, the patient's toes fan out, and the big toe shows dorsiflexion. The nurse interprets this result as:
ANS: a positive Babinski's sign, which is abnormal for adults. Dorsiflexion of the big toe and fanning of all toes is a positive Babinski's sign, also called "upgoing toes." This occurs with upper motor neuron disease of the corticospinal (or pyramidal) tract and is an abnormal finding for adults.
During the history, a patient tells the nurse that "it feels like the room is spinning around me." The nurse would document this as:
ANS: vertigo. True vertigo is rotational spinning caused by neurologic dysfunction or a problem in the vestibular apparatus or the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem. Dizziness is a lightheaded, swimming sensation. Syncope is a sudden loss of strength or a temporary loss of consciousness. Seizure activity is characterized by altered or loss of consciousness, involuntary muscle movements, and sensory disturbances.
The nurse is testing the deep tendon reflexes of a 30-year-old woman who is in the clinic for an annual physical examination. When striking the Achilles and quadriceps, the nurse is unable to elicit a reflex. The nurse's next response should be to:
ANS: ask the patient to lock her fingers and "pull." Sometimes the reflex response fails to appear. It is too soon to document this as "absent" reflexes. Try further encouragement of relaxation, varying the person's position or increasing the strength of the blow. Reinforcement is another technique to relax the muscles and enhance the response. Ask the person to perform an isometric exercise in a muscle group somewhat away from the one being tested. For example, to enhance a patellar reflex, ask the person to lock the fingers together and "pull."
two parts of the nervous system are the:
ANS: central and peripheral. The nervous system can be divided into two parts—central and peripheral. The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes the 12 pairs of cranial nerves, the 31 pairs of spinal nerves, and all their branches.
A 32-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has noticed "very sudden, jerky movements" mainly in her hands and arms. She says, "They seem to come and go, primarily when I am trying to do something. I haven't noticed them when I'm sleeping." This description suggests:
ANS: chorea. Chorea is characterized by sudden, rapid, jerky, purposeless movements that involve the limbs, trunk, or face. Chorea occurs at irregular intervals, and the movements are all accentuated by voluntary actions. See Table 23-5 for descriptions of athetosis, myoclonus, and tics.
The ability that humans have to perform very skilled movements such as writing is controlled by the:
ANS: corticospinal tract. Corticospinal fibers mediate voluntary movement, particularly very skilled, discrete, purposeful movements, such as writing. The corticospinal tract (also known as the pyramidal tract) is a newer, "higher" motor system that humans have that permits very skilled and purposeful movements. The other responses are not related to skilled movements.
While the nurse is taking the history of a 68-year-old patient who sustained a head injury 3 days earlier, he tells the nurse that he is on a cruise ship and is 30 years old. The nurse knows that this finding is indicative of:
ANS: decreased level of consciousness. A change in consciousness may be subtle. The nurse should notice any decreasing level of consciousness, disorientation, memory loss, uncooperative behavior, or even complacency in a previously combative person. The other responses are incorrect.
The wife of a 65-year-old man tells the nurse that she is concerned because she has noticed a change in her husband's personality and ability to understand. He also cries and becomes angry very easily. The nurse recalls that the cerebral lobe responsible for these behaviors is the _____ lobe.
ANS: frontal The frontal lobe has areas concerned with personality, behavior, emotions, and intellectual function. The parietal lobe has areas concerned with sensation; the occipital lobe is responsible for visual reception; and the temporal lobe is concerned with hearing, taste and smell.
The nurse is testing the function of cranial nerve XI. Which of these best describes the response the nurse should expect if the nerve is intact? The patient:
ANS: moves the head and shoulders against resistance with equal strength. These are the expected normal findings when testing cranial nerve XI (spinal accessory nerve): The patient's sternomastoid and trapezius muscles are of equal size; the person can rotate the head both ways forcibly against resistance applied to the side of the chin with equal strength; the patient can shrug the shoulders against resistance with equal strength on both sides. Checking the patient's ability to hear normal conversation checks the function of CN VIII. Having the patient stick out the tongue checks the function of CN XII. Testing the eyes for nystagmus or strabismus is done to check CN III, IV, and VI.
A mother of a 1-month-old infant asks the nurse why it takes so long for infants to learn to roll over. The nurse knows that the reason for this is that:
ANS: myelin is needed to conduct the impulses, and the neurons of a newborn are not yet myelinated. The infant's sensory and motor development proceeds along with the gradual acquisition of myelin because myelin is needed to conduct most impulses. Very little cortical control exists, and the neurons are not yet myelinated. The other responses are not correct.
During an assessment of an 80-year-old patient, the nurse notices the following: inability to identify vibrations at the ankle and to identify position of big toe, slower and more deliberate gait, and slightly impaired tactile sensation. All other neurologic findings are normal. The nurse should interpret that these findings indicate:
ANS: normal changes due to aging. Some aging adults show a slower response to requests, especially for those calling for coordination of movements. The findings listed are normal in the absence of other significant abnormal findings. The other responses are incorrect.
During an assessment of a 62-year-old man the nurse notices the patient has a stooped posture, shuffling walk with short steps, flat facial expression, and pill-rolling finger movements. These findings would be consistent with:
ANS: parkinsonism. The stooped posture, shuffling walk, short steps, flat facial expression, and pill-rolling finger movements are all found in parkinsonism. See Table 23-8 for more information and for descriptions of the other options.
The nurse knows that testing kinesthesia is a test of a person's:
ANS: position sense. Kinesthesia, or position sense, is the person's ability to perceive passive movements of the extremities. The other options are incorrect.
When the nurse asks a 68-year-old patient to stand with feet together and arms at his side with his eyes closed, he starts to sway and moves his feet farther apart. The nurse would document this finding as a(n):
ANS: positive Romberg sign. Abnormal findings for Romberg test include swaying, falling, and widening base of feet to avoid falling. Positive Romberg sign is loss of balance that is increased by closing of the eyes. Ataxia is uncoordinated or unsteady gait. Homans' sign is used to test the legs for deep vein thrombosis.
A patient is not able to perform rapid alternating movements such as patting her knees rapidly. The nurse should document this as:
ANS: the presence of dysdiadochokinesia. Slow clumsy movements and the inability to perform rapid alternating movements occur with cerebellar disease. The condition is termed dysdiadochokinesia. Ataxia is uncoordinated or unsteady gait. Astereognosis is the inability to identify an object by feeling it. Kinesthesia is the person's ability to perceive passive movement of the extremities, or the loss of position sense.