neurologic function quiz med surg

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

12

The nurse obtains a Snellen eye chart when assessing cranial nerve function. Which cranial nerve is the nurse testing when using the chart?

CN II- optic

What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

It cushions the brain and spinal cord.

A client comes to the emergency department with severe pain in the face that was stimulated by brushing the teeth. What cranial nerve does the nurse understand can cause this type of pain?

V

A nurse is performing a neurologic assessment on the client and notes a positive Romberg test. This test for balance is related to which of the following cranial nerves?

VIII

The provider orders the Romberg test for a client. The nurse tells the client that the provider wants to evaluate their equilibrium by assessing which cranial nerve?

VIII

The nurse is performing a neurologic assessment on a client diagnosed with a stroke and cannot elicit a gag reflex. This deficit is related to which of the following cranial nerves?

X

A nurse is performing a neurologic assessment on a client. The nurse observes the client's tongue for symmetry, tremors, and strength, and assesses the client's speech. Which cranial nerve is the nurse assessing?

XII

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

acoustic

A client preparing to undergo a lumbar puncture states they don't think they will be able to get comfortable with their knees drawn up to their abdomen and their chin touching their chest. They asks if they can lie on their left side. Which statement is the best response by the nurse?

although the required position may not be comfortable, it will make the procedure safer and easier to perform.

Which term refers to the inability to coordinate muscle movements, resulting difficulty walking?

ataxia

A client who has suffered a stroke is unable to maintain respiration and is intubated and placed on mechanical ventilator support. What portion of the brain is most likely responsible for the inability to breathe?

brain stem

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

cerebellum

Which of the following terms is used to describe rapid, jerky, involuntary, purposeless movements of the extremities?

chorea

A client is waiting in a triage area to learn the medical status of family members following a motor vehicle accident. The client is pacing, taking deep breaths, and handwringing. Considering the effects in the body systems, what does the nurse anticipate the liver will do?

convert glycogen to glucose for immediate use

There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves. Only three are sensory. Select the cranial nerve that is affected with decreased visual fields.

cranial nerve II

If a client has a lower motor neuron lesion, the nurse would expect the client to exhibit

decreased muscle tone

Low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin lead to which of the following disease processes?

depression

Which is a sympathetic effect of the nervous system?

dilated pupils

To evaluate a client's cerebellar function, a nurse should ask:

do you gave any problems with balance

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

Which neurotransmitter inhibits pain transmission?

enkephalin

Which safety action will the nurse implement for a client receiving oxygen therapy who is undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?

ensure that no client care equipment containing metal enters the room where the MRI table is located

After a plane crash, a client is brought to the emergency department with severe burns and respiratory difficulty. The nurse helps to secure a patent airway and attends to the client's immediate needs, then prepares to perform an initial neurologic assessment. The nurse should perform an:

evaluation of the corneal reflex response

Lower motor neuron lesions cause

flaccid muscles

A client had a lumbar puncture 3 days ago in the outpatient clinic and calls the nurse with reports of a throbbing headache. What can the nurse educate the client to do for relief of the discomfort? Select all that apply.

force fluids, get plenty of rest, take some over-the-counter analgesics.

Which anatomic part supplies cerebrospinal fluid to the subarachnoid space and down the spinal cord on the dorsal surface?

fourth ventricle

Which cerebral lobes is the largest and controls abstract thought?

frontal

A client sustained a head injury during a fall and has changes in personality and affect. What part of the brain does the nurse recognize has been affected in this injury?

frontal lobe

To help assess a client's cerebral function, a nurse should ask:

have you noticed a change in your memory.

A client is admitted to an acute care facility with a suspected dysfunction of the lower brain stem. The nurse should monitor this client closely for:

hypoxia

A client has expressive speaking aphasia after having a stroke. Which portion of the brain does the nurse know has been affected?

inferior posterior frontal areas

The nurse is preparing a client for a neurological examination by the health care provider and explains tests the health care provider will be doing, including the Romberg test. The client asks the purpose of this particular test. The correct reply by the nurse is which of the following?

it is a test for balance

The anatomy instructor is discussing the central nervous system. A student asks where the cerebral cortex is located. What should the anatomy instructor answer?

it is located on the surface of the cerebrum

A nurse is assisting during a lumbar puncture. How should the nurse position the client for this procedure?

lateral recumbent, with thighs flexed

The nurse is caring for a client in the emergency department with a diagnosis of head trauma secondary to a motorcycle accident. The nurse aide is assigned to clean the client's face and torso. Which action by the nurse aide would prompt the nurse to provide further instruction?

moving the client's head to clean behind the ears.

The nurse is performing the physical examination of a client with a suspected neurologic disorder. In addition to assessing other parts of the body, the nurse should assess for neck rigidity. Which method should help the nurse assess for neck rigidity correctly?

moving the head and chin toward the chest

The nurse collects neurologic data and determines that the client has significant visual deficits. A brain tumor is considered. Which area of the brain does the nurse consider to be most likely to contain the neurologic deficit?

occipital

Which lobe of the brain is responsible for spatial relationships?

parietal

A client is weak and drowsy after a lumbar puncture. The nurse caring for the client knows that what priority nursing intervention should be provided after a lumbar puncture?

position the client flat as directed

A nurse conducts the Romberg test on a client by asking the client to stand with the feet close together and the eyes closed. As a result of this posture, the client suddenly sways to one side and is about to fall when the nurse intervenes and saves the client from being injured. How should the nurse interpret the client's result?

positive Romberg test, indicating a problem with equilibrium

A geriatric nurse practitioner is assessing older adults. The nurse practitioner knows that older adults sometimes have difficulty following directions during a neurologic examination or diagnostic procedure. What strategies can the nurse practitioner use to examine older clients?

provide brief instructions, one step at a time

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 nurse is caring for a client with an injury to the central nervous system. When caring for a client with a spinal cord insult that is slowing transmission of the motor neurons, in what would the nurse anticipate a delayed reaction?

response due to interrupted impulses from the central nervous system.

A nurse is performing a neurologic assessment on a client with a stroke and cannot elicit a gag reflex. This deficit is related to cranial nerve (CN) X, the vagus nerve. What will the nurse consider a priority nursing diagnosis?

risk for aspiration

The nurse is performing a neurologic assessment and requests that the client stand with eyes open and then closed for 20 seconds to assess balance. What type of test is the nurse performing?

romberg test

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

serotonin

The nursing instructor is talking with their clinical group about the central nervous system. What should the instructor tell the students about the function of the spinal cord?

serves as a conduit for impulses to and from the brain

A nurse is evaluating a client's cranial nerves during a routine examination. To assess the function of cranial nerve XII (hypoglossal), the nurse should assess the client's ability to:

stick out the tongue and move it rapidly from side to side and in and out.

Which cerebral lobe contains the auditory receptive areas?

temporal

The nurse is caring for a client newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis who is overwhelmed by learning about the disease. The client indicates understanding that there is a disruption in the covering of axons but does not remember what the covering is called. The nurse should tell the client:

that the covering is called myelin and that it can be discussed further at the next meeting

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 health care provider 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.

The nurse assists the health care provider (HCP) in completing a lumbar puncture (LP). Which should the nurse note as a concern?

the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is cloudy in nature

A client is scheduled for standard EEG testing to evaluate a possible seizure disorder. Which nursing intervention should the nurse perform before the procedure?

withhold anticonvulsant medications for 24 to 48 hours before exam.