WGU D574 Neuropsychology Actual Exam 2026/2027:
Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed Rationales
| 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 | Neuroanatomy and Brain Structures | Q1 – Q10
Section 2 | Neural Communication and Neurotransmitters | Q11 – Q20
Section 3 | Cognitive Functions and Localization | Q21 – Q30
Section 4 | Neurological Disorders and Assessment | Q31 – Q40
Section 5 | Plasticity, Recovery, and Rehabilitation | Q41 – Q50
Instructions: Choose the single best answer. Pass: 80% in 90 minutes.
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SECTION 1: NEUROANATOMY AND BRAIN STRUCTURES Q1 – Q10
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Question 1 of 50
A 62-year-old man presents to a neurology clinic with a resting tremor in his right hand
and increasing difficulty initiating movement when standing from a chair. His gait is
shuffling and he shows reduced arm swing. The neurologist suspects degeneration in a
specific subcortical structure.
A. Cerebellum
B. Hippocampus
C. Substantia nigra ✓ CORRECT
D. Hypothalamus
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The substantia nigra pars compacta produces dopamine for the basal
ganglia, and its degeneration causes the classic motor symptoms of Parkinson's
disease including resting tremor and bradykinesia. The cerebellum coordinates
,movement but does not produce tremor at rest, and hippocampal damage affects
memory rather than motor initiation. Early Parkinson's diagnosis often begins with
observation of these classic subcortical signs.
Question 2 of 50
A 28-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after a head injury and
brief loss of consciousness. The attending physician checks her pupillary reflexes and
respiratory rhythm to assess brainstem integrity. The physician explains that one
brainstem structure serves as the major bridge between the cerebellum and cerebrum
and contains respiratory centers.
A. Medulla oblongata
B. Pons ✓ CORRECT
C. Midbrain
D. Thalamus
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The pons contains respiratory centers and serves as the major bridge
connecting the cerebellum to the cerebral cortex via cerebellar peduncles. The medulla
regulates vital functions like heart rate but is not the primary pontine connection to the
cerebellum. Clinicians often assess pontine function through pupillary and respiratory
reflexes in head trauma cases.
Question 3 of 50
A 45-year-old man suffers a stroke affecting his primary motor cortex and presents with
weakness in his hand and face. The neurosurgeon explains to the family that the cortex
is organized in a specific map-like arrangement where different body parts are
represented in distinct areas.
A. Reticular formation
, B. Corpus callosum
C. Motor homunculus ✓ CORRECT
D. Basal ganglia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The motor homunculus is the topographic map of body representation on the
primary motor cortex, with cortical areas sized by functional importance rather than
physical size. The basal ganglia and reticular formation are not organized as cortical
maps. Understanding the homunculus helps clinicians predict which body functions will
be affected by cortical strokes.
Question 4 of 50
A 35-year-old patient with hydrocephalus undergoes brain imaging that shows enlarged
fluid-filled spaces within the cerebral hemispheres. The radiologist explains that these
spaces produce and circulate cerebrospinal fluid throughout the central nervous
system.
A. Cerebral aqueducts
B. Subarachnoid spaces
C. Meningeal layers
D. Ventricles ✓ CORRECT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The ventricles are the brain's fluid-filled cavities that produce and circulate
cerebrospinal fluid, and their enlargement is the hallmark of hydrocephalus.
Subarachnoid spaces contain CSF but are not the primary production sites, and
meningeal layers surround rather than contain the fluid. Ventricular enlargement can be
seen readily on CT and indicates impaired CSF dynamics.
Question 5 of 50
Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed Rationales
| 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 | Neuroanatomy and Brain Structures | Q1 – Q10
Section 2 | Neural Communication and Neurotransmitters | Q11 – Q20
Section 3 | Cognitive Functions and Localization | Q21 – Q30
Section 4 | Neurological Disorders and Assessment | Q31 – Q40
Section 5 | Plasticity, Recovery, and Rehabilitation | Q41 – Q50
Instructions: Choose the single best answer. Pass: 80% in 90 minutes.
══════════════════════════════════════
SECTION 1: NEUROANATOMY AND BRAIN STRUCTURES Q1 – Q10
══════════════════════════════════════
Question 1 of 50
A 62-year-old man presents to a neurology clinic with a resting tremor in his right hand
and increasing difficulty initiating movement when standing from a chair. His gait is
shuffling and he shows reduced arm swing. The neurologist suspects degeneration in a
specific subcortical structure.
A. Cerebellum
B. Hippocampus
C. Substantia nigra ✓ CORRECT
D. Hypothalamus
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The substantia nigra pars compacta produces dopamine for the basal
ganglia, and its degeneration causes the classic motor symptoms of Parkinson's
disease including resting tremor and bradykinesia. The cerebellum coordinates
,movement but does not produce tremor at rest, and hippocampal damage affects
memory rather than motor initiation. Early Parkinson's diagnosis often begins with
observation of these classic subcortical signs.
Question 2 of 50
A 28-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after a head injury and
brief loss of consciousness. The attending physician checks her pupillary reflexes and
respiratory rhythm to assess brainstem integrity. The physician explains that one
brainstem structure serves as the major bridge between the cerebellum and cerebrum
and contains respiratory centers.
A. Medulla oblongata
B. Pons ✓ CORRECT
C. Midbrain
D. Thalamus
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The pons contains respiratory centers and serves as the major bridge
connecting the cerebellum to the cerebral cortex via cerebellar peduncles. The medulla
regulates vital functions like heart rate but is not the primary pontine connection to the
cerebellum. Clinicians often assess pontine function through pupillary and respiratory
reflexes in head trauma cases.
Question 3 of 50
A 45-year-old man suffers a stroke affecting his primary motor cortex and presents with
weakness in his hand and face. The neurosurgeon explains to the family that the cortex
is organized in a specific map-like arrangement where different body parts are
represented in distinct areas.
A. Reticular formation
, B. Corpus callosum
C. Motor homunculus ✓ CORRECT
D. Basal ganglia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The motor homunculus is the topographic map of body representation on the
primary motor cortex, with cortical areas sized by functional importance rather than
physical size. The basal ganglia and reticular formation are not organized as cortical
maps. Understanding the homunculus helps clinicians predict which body functions will
be affected by cortical strokes.
Question 4 of 50
A 35-year-old patient with hydrocephalus undergoes brain imaging that shows enlarged
fluid-filled spaces within the cerebral hemispheres. The radiologist explains that these
spaces produce and circulate cerebrospinal fluid throughout the central nervous
system.
A. Cerebral aqueducts
B. Subarachnoid spaces
C. Meningeal layers
D. Ventricles ✓ CORRECT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The ventricles are the brain's fluid-filled cavities that produce and circulate
cerebrospinal fluid, and their enlargement is the hallmark of hydrocephalus.
Subarachnoid spaces contain CSF but are not the primary production sites, and
meningeal layers surround rather than contain the fluid. Ventricular enlargement can be
seen readily on CT and indicates impaired CSF dynamics.
Question 5 of 50
