1|Page
NURS 231 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY FINAL EXAM LATEST 2026 ACTUAL
EXAM WITH COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (100% VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY GRADED A+|
||PROFESSOR VERIFIED|| ||BRANDNEW!!!||
Obstruction of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid causes which of the
following?:
a. hydrocephalus
b. focal seizures
c. microcephalus
d. splenomegaly - ANSWER-a. hydrocephalus
When intracranial pressure equals mean systolic blood pressure,
cerebral blood flow...
a. increases
b. decreases
c. stops
d. coagulates - ANSWER-c. stops
Severely increased intracranial pressure can cause brain tissue to
____ into another cranial compartment. - ANSWER-herniate
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Huntington disease is an autosomal ____ condition characterized
by progressive loss of cognitive function, _____ motor
movements, and emotional lability - ANSWER-dominant;
involuntary
Lower motor neuron damage causes muscle _____ , but upper
motor neuron damage causes muscle ______. - ANSWER-
flaccidity; spasticity
Yawning and hiccups are motor responses integrated in the
lower... - ANSWER-brain stem
A person in a ______ state is unaware of self or environment and
has lost all cognitive function but maintains blood pressure and
breathing without support. - ANSWER-vegetative
altered consciousness can be caused by which three things? -
ANSWER-psychogenic disorder, metabolic disorder and structural
disorder.
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If altered consciousness is caused by impaired delivery of energy
substances to the brain, through hypoglycemia or ischemia for
example, what would this cause be? - ANSWER-A metabolic
cause
If altered consciousness is caused by physical damage to the
CNS, such as in cases of infections or degenerative conditions,
what would this cause be? - ANSWER-A structural disorder/cause
When assessing for cognitive arousal in a patient, what 5 things
would you assess as an RN? - ANSWER-1. eye movement
2. pupillary size and response
3. level of consciousness
4. pattern of breathing
5. motor responses
Which of the following is this: "irreversible damage at the level of
the brain stem in which the body cannot maintain internal
homeostasis"
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a. persistent vegetative state
b. irreversible coma
c. brain death
d. minimally conscious state - ANSWER-c. this is considered
brain death
Which of the following is this: "patient can follow simple
commands, say yes or no, gesture, and manipulate objects.
Speech is very basic."
a. irreversible coma
b. minimally conscious state
c. locked-in
d. persistent vegetative state - ANSWER-b. minimally conscious
state
Which of the following is this: "brainstem maintains homeostasis,
but all other brain functions are absent."
a. irreversible coma
b. brain death
NURS 231 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY FINAL EXAM LATEST 2026 ACTUAL
EXAM WITH COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (100% VERIFIED ANSWERS) |ALREADY GRADED A+|
||PROFESSOR VERIFIED|| ||BRANDNEW!!!||
Obstruction of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid causes which of the
following?:
a. hydrocephalus
b. focal seizures
c. microcephalus
d. splenomegaly - ANSWER-a. hydrocephalus
When intracranial pressure equals mean systolic blood pressure,
cerebral blood flow...
a. increases
b. decreases
c. stops
d. coagulates - ANSWER-c. stops
Severely increased intracranial pressure can cause brain tissue to
____ into another cranial compartment. - ANSWER-herniate
,2|Page
Huntington disease is an autosomal ____ condition characterized
by progressive loss of cognitive function, _____ motor
movements, and emotional lability - ANSWER-dominant;
involuntary
Lower motor neuron damage causes muscle _____ , but upper
motor neuron damage causes muscle ______. - ANSWER-
flaccidity; spasticity
Yawning and hiccups are motor responses integrated in the
lower... - ANSWER-brain stem
A person in a ______ state is unaware of self or environment and
has lost all cognitive function but maintains blood pressure and
breathing without support. - ANSWER-vegetative
altered consciousness can be caused by which three things? -
ANSWER-psychogenic disorder, metabolic disorder and structural
disorder.
,3|Page
If altered consciousness is caused by impaired delivery of energy
substances to the brain, through hypoglycemia or ischemia for
example, what would this cause be? - ANSWER-A metabolic
cause
If altered consciousness is caused by physical damage to the
CNS, such as in cases of infections or degenerative conditions,
what would this cause be? - ANSWER-A structural disorder/cause
When assessing for cognitive arousal in a patient, what 5 things
would you assess as an RN? - ANSWER-1. eye movement
2. pupillary size and response
3. level of consciousness
4. pattern of breathing
5. motor responses
Which of the following is this: "irreversible damage at the level of
the brain stem in which the body cannot maintain internal
homeostasis"
, 4|Page
a. persistent vegetative state
b. irreversible coma
c. brain death
d. minimally conscious state - ANSWER-c. this is considered
brain death
Which of the following is this: "patient can follow simple
commands, say yes or no, gesture, and manipulate objects.
Speech is very basic."
a. irreversible coma
b. minimally conscious state
c. locked-in
d. persistent vegetative state - ANSWER-b. minimally conscious
state
Which of the following is this: "brainstem maintains homeostasis,
but all other brain functions are absent."
a. irreversible coma
b. brain death
