NEW 2026 SCRN EXAM WITH QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
How many cranial nerves are there? - ANSWER 12 pairs
How many spinal nerves are there? - ANSWER 31 pairs
Penumbra - ANSWER Area of ischemic brain tissue that is
potentially reversible
What are the two types of hemorrhagic stroke? - ANSWER
intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage
What are some causes of intracerebral hemorrhage? - ANSWER
HTN, drug use, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, hemorrhagic tumors
What are some causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage? - ANSWER
Ruptured aneurysm (most often berry) or an AVM
What are the most common sites of a subarachnoid hemorrhage? -
ANSWER PCOM, ACOM, MCA
Risk factors for SAH? - ANSWER Females 50-60yo, polycystic
kidney disease, AVMs, smoking/drugs/ETOH, diabetes, family hx
Signs of right hemispheric stroke - ANSWER Spatial neglect, left
visual field deficits, right gaze preference, flat affect, apraxia, left
hemiplegia/hemisensory loss
Signs of left hemispheric stroke? - ANSWER Aphasia, left gaze
preference, right visual field deficits, right hemiplegia/hemisensory
loss
What two vessels supply the anterior circulation? - ANSWER
internal carotid arteries
What does the internal carotid artery branch into? - ANSWER
Anterior and middle cerebral arteries and the anterior choroidal
artery
, What two vessels supply the posterior circulation? - ANSWER
Vertebral arteries
Signs of carotid artery insufficiency? - ANSWER Contralateral
motor weakness and sensory loss, visual changes, aphasia (left
sided occlusion), neglect (right sided occlusion)
Signs of MCA insufficiency - ANSWER Contralateral upper
extremity hemiparesis (sparing of LE), contralateral sensory loss,
aphasia (left sided occlusion), left neglect (right sided occlusion)
Signs of ACA insufficiency - ANSWER Contralateral
Paralysis/weakness (leg > arm) and sensory loss, changes to frontal
lobe function (confusion/personality), gait apraxia, bladder control
issues. Face and tongue spared.
Posterior cerebral circulation includes what arteries? - ANSWER
Vertebral arteries and their branches including the posterior inferior
cerebellar artery (PICA), as well as the basilar artery and its beaches
including the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and anterior inferior
cerebellar artery (AICA)
Vertebrobasilar syndrome - ANSWER Variety of CN, cerebellar
and brainstem deficits
Areas supplied by PCA - ANSWER Occipital, thalamus, midbrain,
mesial temporal lobes
Signs of PCA stroke - ANSWER Homonymous hemianopsia, AMS,
visual agnosia, cortical blindness (bilateral PCA occlusion)
Areas supplied by basilar artery - ANSWER Cerebellum, midbrain,
pons
When this artery is occluded there is no flow to the posterior portion
of the brain - ANSWER Basilar artery
Basilar artery insufficiency caises - ANSWER Dizziness/vertigo,
dysmetria/ataxia, diploplia, dysarthria, dysconjugate gaze
ANSWERS
How many cranial nerves are there? - ANSWER 12 pairs
How many spinal nerves are there? - ANSWER 31 pairs
Penumbra - ANSWER Area of ischemic brain tissue that is
potentially reversible
What are the two types of hemorrhagic stroke? - ANSWER
intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage
What are some causes of intracerebral hemorrhage? - ANSWER
HTN, drug use, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, hemorrhagic tumors
What are some causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage? - ANSWER
Ruptured aneurysm (most often berry) or an AVM
What are the most common sites of a subarachnoid hemorrhage? -
ANSWER PCOM, ACOM, MCA
Risk factors for SAH? - ANSWER Females 50-60yo, polycystic
kidney disease, AVMs, smoking/drugs/ETOH, diabetes, family hx
Signs of right hemispheric stroke - ANSWER Spatial neglect, left
visual field deficits, right gaze preference, flat affect, apraxia, left
hemiplegia/hemisensory loss
Signs of left hemispheric stroke? - ANSWER Aphasia, left gaze
preference, right visual field deficits, right hemiplegia/hemisensory
loss
What two vessels supply the anterior circulation? - ANSWER
internal carotid arteries
What does the internal carotid artery branch into? - ANSWER
Anterior and middle cerebral arteries and the anterior choroidal
artery
, What two vessels supply the posterior circulation? - ANSWER
Vertebral arteries
Signs of carotid artery insufficiency? - ANSWER Contralateral
motor weakness and sensory loss, visual changes, aphasia (left
sided occlusion), neglect (right sided occlusion)
Signs of MCA insufficiency - ANSWER Contralateral upper
extremity hemiparesis (sparing of LE), contralateral sensory loss,
aphasia (left sided occlusion), left neglect (right sided occlusion)
Signs of ACA insufficiency - ANSWER Contralateral
Paralysis/weakness (leg > arm) and sensory loss, changes to frontal
lobe function (confusion/personality), gait apraxia, bladder control
issues. Face and tongue spared.
Posterior cerebral circulation includes what arteries? - ANSWER
Vertebral arteries and their branches including the posterior inferior
cerebellar artery (PICA), as well as the basilar artery and its beaches
including the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and anterior inferior
cerebellar artery (AICA)
Vertebrobasilar syndrome - ANSWER Variety of CN, cerebellar
and brainstem deficits
Areas supplied by PCA - ANSWER Occipital, thalamus, midbrain,
mesial temporal lobes
Signs of PCA stroke - ANSWER Homonymous hemianopsia, AMS,
visual agnosia, cortical blindness (bilateral PCA occlusion)
Areas supplied by basilar artery - ANSWER Cerebellum, midbrain,
pons
When this artery is occluded there is no flow to the posterior portion
of the brain - ANSWER Basilar artery
Basilar artery insufficiency caises - ANSWER Dizziness/vertigo,
dysmetria/ataxia, diploplia, dysarthria, dysconjugate gaze
