NSC 350 Exam 2 Study Guide Questions With Complete
Solutions
What does infarction cause?
death of brain cells (NOT reversible)
What time is of greatest risk of stroke?
-following a transient ischemic attack (TIA)
-following a "minor" cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
What are some manifestations for acute stroke?
-focal neurological signs
-may rapidly evolve
-loss of function
What are some manifestations for TIA?
-temporary blood flow disruption in the brain
-signs/ symptoms resolve quickly
-no permanent loss of function
What are the 2 major stroke categories?
-ischemic
-hemorrhagic
What is an ischemic stroke?
brain tissue that is distal to the blood clot will become ischemic
or if not reversed, will become infarcted with altered
neurological function
What is the most common cause of ischemic stroke?
,thrombosis
What is a big factor in thrombotic stoke?
older age
What is an embolic stroke?
a clot has moved through the arterial circulation and lodged in
the brain arterial circulation, sites where vessels bifurcate are
often involved
What are common sources for embolism?
-a-fib
-intra operative embolus
-recent myocardial infarction
-bacterial endocarditis
What is a hemorrhagic stroke?
a most frequently fatal type of stroke due to spontaneous rupture
of a blood vessel in the brain
What are common risks of hemorrhagic stroke?
advancing age and hypertension
Why does headache and vomiting happen during a hemorrhagic
stroke?
increased intracranial pressure
Where do the motor tracts originate?
in cortex and cross over in the medulla in the lower brain
Where do the sensory tracts originate?
,in the periphery and cross over in the spinal cord
What does ipsilateral mean?
same side
What does contralateral mean?
opposite side
What are some common stroke clinical manifestations?
-numbness and tingling of extremeities
-eye drooping
-emotional outbursts
-loss of bowel control
-slurred speech
-aphasia
-blurred/ double vision
What does the final common pathway do in the motor control
system?
transmits all CNS commands to the skeletal muscles
What does movement require in the motor control system?
sensory input into the thalamus from the muscle spindles and
tenon organs and descending signals from the cerebral cortex
and brain stem
What is the thalamus in the motor control system?
the site where sensory input is received and interpreted and
referred for further action by the brain, spinal cord, and
peripheral muscles
, What do the cerebellum and basal ganglia influence?
the motor function indirectly, using the brain stem and cortical
pathways
What is the highest level of skilled and intentional motor and
speech functions?
the cerebral cortex
What do different brain areas control?
specific anatomic sites
What do descending nerve tracts carry?
muscle and motor messages from the cerebral cortex to cranial
and peripheral nerves
What is the neuromuscular junction?
a connector between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fiber
What do motor neurons release in neuromuscular junction?
acetylcholine at the site of the neuromuscular junction
What does the acetylcholine cross in the neuromuscular
junction?
the synaptic space to make contact with acetylcholine receptors
Where are acetylcholine receptors found?
in the end plate of the muscle fiber
Binding of acetylcholine to its specific receptors causes what?
muscle contraction
Solutions
What does infarction cause?
death of brain cells (NOT reversible)
What time is of greatest risk of stroke?
-following a transient ischemic attack (TIA)
-following a "minor" cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
What are some manifestations for acute stroke?
-focal neurological signs
-may rapidly evolve
-loss of function
What are some manifestations for TIA?
-temporary blood flow disruption in the brain
-signs/ symptoms resolve quickly
-no permanent loss of function
What are the 2 major stroke categories?
-ischemic
-hemorrhagic
What is an ischemic stroke?
brain tissue that is distal to the blood clot will become ischemic
or if not reversed, will become infarcted with altered
neurological function
What is the most common cause of ischemic stroke?
,thrombosis
What is a big factor in thrombotic stoke?
older age
What is an embolic stroke?
a clot has moved through the arterial circulation and lodged in
the brain arterial circulation, sites where vessels bifurcate are
often involved
What are common sources for embolism?
-a-fib
-intra operative embolus
-recent myocardial infarction
-bacterial endocarditis
What is a hemorrhagic stroke?
a most frequently fatal type of stroke due to spontaneous rupture
of a blood vessel in the brain
What are common risks of hemorrhagic stroke?
advancing age and hypertension
Why does headache and vomiting happen during a hemorrhagic
stroke?
increased intracranial pressure
Where do the motor tracts originate?
in cortex and cross over in the medulla in the lower brain
Where do the sensory tracts originate?
,in the periphery and cross over in the spinal cord
What does ipsilateral mean?
same side
What does contralateral mean?
opposite side
What are some common stroke clinical manifestations?
-numbness and tingling of extremeities
-eye drooping
-emotional outbursts
-loss of bowel control
-slurred speech
-aphasia
-blurred/ double vision
What does the final common pathway do in the motor control
system?
transmits all CNS commands to the skeletal muscles
What does movement require in the motor control system?
sensory input into the thalamus from the muscle spindles and
tenon organs and descending signals from the cerebral cortex
and brain stem
What is the thalamus in the motor control system?
the site where sensory input is received and interpreted and
referred for further action by the brain, spinal cord, and
peripheral muscles
, What do the cerebellum and basal ganglia influence?
the motor function indirectly, using the brain stem and cortical
pathways
What is the highest level of skilled and intentional motor and
speech functions?
the cerebral cortex
What do different brain areas control?
specific anatomic sites
What do descending nerve tracts carry?
muscle and motor messages from the cerebral cortex to cranial
and peripheral nerves
What is the neuromuscular junction?
a connector between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fiber
What do motor neurons release in neuromuscular junction?
acetylcholine at the site of the neuromuscular junction
What does the acetylcholine cross in the neuromuscular
junction?
the synaptic space to make contact with acetylcholine receptors
Where are acetylcholine receptors found?
in the end plate of the muscle fiber
Binding of acetylcholine to its specific receptors causes what?
muscle contraction
