Hinkle Chap. 65 Assessment of Neurologic Function

A nurse and nursing student are caring for a client recovering from a lumbar puncture yesterday. The client reports a headache despite being on bedrest overnight. The physician plans an epidural blood patch this morning. The student asks how this will help the headache. The correct reply from the nurse is which of the following?

"The blood will seal the hole in the dura and prevent further loss of cerebral spinal fluid."

Major transmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system; usually excitatory; parasympathetic effects sometimes inhibitory

Acetylcholine (Ach)

A client is ordered to undergo CT of the brain with IV contrast. Before the test, the nurse should complete which action first?

Assess the client for medication allergies.

A patient recently noted difficulty maintaining his balance and controlling fine movements. The nurse explains that the provider will order diagnostic studies for the part of his brain known as the:

Cerebellum

What part of the brain controls and coordinates muscle movement?

Cerebellum

Which is a sympathetic effect of the nervous system?

Dilated pupils

Usually inhibitory neurotransmitter; affects behavior (attention, emotions) and fine movement

Dopamine

Which term refers to a method of recording, in graphic form, the electrical activity of a muscle?

Electromyography

What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

It cushions the brain and spinal cord.

major transmitter of the sympathetic nervous system; usually excitatory; affects mood and overall activity

Norepinephrine

A client is diagnosed with a brain tumor. The nurse's assessment reveals that the client has difficulty interpreting visual stimuli. Based on these findings, the nurse suspects injury to which lobe of the brain?

Occipital

Located posterior to the parietal lobe, this lobe is responsible for visual interpretation and memory.

Occipital lobe

Predominantly sensory lobe posterior to the frontal lobe. This lobe analyzes sensory information and relays the interpretation of this information to other cortical areas and is essential to a person's awareness of body position in space, size and shape discrimination, and right-left orientation

Parietal lobe

Inhibitory neurotransmitter; helps control mood and sleep, inhibits pain pathways

Serotonin

Which neurotransmitter demonstrates inhibitory action, helps control mood and sleep, and inhibits pain pathways?

Serotonin

Located inferior to the frontal and parietal lobes, this lobe contains the auditory receptive areas and plays a role in memory of sound and understanding of language and music.

Temporal lobe

The nurse is preparing the client for a diagnostic test to evaluate blood flow within intracranial blood vessels. For which test is the nurse preparing the client?

Transcranial Doppler

The nurse is completing a neurologic assessment and uses the whisper test to assess which cranial nerve?

VIII - Vestibulocochlear (Acoustic)

A nurse is completing a neurological assessment and determines that the client has significant visual deficits. A brain tumor is considered. Considering the functions of the lobes of the brain, which area will most likely contain the neurologic deficit?

occipital

Which cranial nerve is responsible for muscles that move the eye and lids?

oculomotor

The spinal cord is composed of 31 pairs of spinal nerves. How many pairs of thoracic nerves are contained within the spinal column?

twelve

A nurse is caring for a client who has a history of a cerebral aneurysm. Which diagnostic test does the nurse anticipate to monitor the status of the aneurysm?

Cerebral angiography

The nurse is assisting the physician in completing a lumbar puncture. Which would the nurse note as a concern?

Cerebrospinal fluid is cloudy in nature.

The largest lobe, located in the front of the brain. The major functions of this lobe are concentration, abstract thought, information storage or memory, and motor function.

Frontal lobe

The nurse has completed evaluating the client's cranial nerves. The nurse documents impairment of the right cervical nerves (CN IX and CN X). Based on these findings, the nurse should instruct the client to

refrain from eating or drinking for now

A client has undergone a lumbar puncture as part of a neurological assessment. The client is put under the care of a nurse after the procedure. Which important postprocedure nursing intervention should be performed to ensure the client's maximum comfort?

Encourage the client to drink liberal amounts of fluids