Module 6 Case Study
QUESTION 1
Donna, a 42-year- old mother of two, has been experiencing intermittent tingling
and numbness in both of her feet. She has also had trouble holding a pen while
writing. In the past few months, the tingling and numbness in her extremities
seemed to subside on its own, so she was not very concerned. Recently, though,
the symptoms have spread to her knees and thighs and are persisting.
Yesterday, she stumbled when getting out of bed in the morning. When she tried to stand,
her right leg was too weak to hold her weight and she fell again. She noticed that she
scraped her right knee during the fall, but does not feel any pain from the wound. Donna
notices that she has blurry vision and thinks that might be the reason she fell.
All of the following indicate sensory deficits EXCEPT:
Muscular weakness
Tingling in her feet
Numbness in her legs
Blurry vision
QUESTION 2
Donna does not feel the wound on her knee. In a normal situation, describe
how this sensory input of a scraped knee would result in the feeling of pain.
A scrape to the knee is categorized as a nociceptive pain, this kind of pain is caused by an
injury to the tissues of the body such as a scrape, cut, burn, or fracture (myDr, 2012).
Nociceptive pain tends to feel like aching, sharp, or throbbing pain that can be constant or
intermittent (myDr, 2012). This pain is recognized by the body due to sensory receptors in the
skin. A -beta nerve fibers then send signals through the spinal cord and central nervous system
to the brain where the sensation of pain is registered, processed, and perceived (myDr, 2012).
Reference:
https://www.mydr.com.au/pain/pain-and-how-you-sense-it
QUESTION 3
Donna has weakness in her right leg, but her left leg is functioning normally.
Which components of the nervous system are involved with skeletal muscle
movement? Be specific about how the motor impulse moves through the body.
Muscle movement is controlled by the somatic nervous system. The motor impulse is
sent from neuron to another throughout the body by synapse and also moving along
motor fibers. A response is then carried out once the signal reaches the muscle.
Reference:
https://biologydictionary.net/somatic-nervous-system/
QUESTION 4
, Which of the following correctly defines a motor unit?
A single muscle and its largest associated nerve
All motor units are afferent neurons
A single neuron and all the muscle cells it innervates
A single muscle and all the neurons that innervate it
QUESTION 5
Which of the following statements is true?
Donna is experiencing problems related to sensory neurons only.
Donna’s symptoms are most likely only related to the brain, and not peripheral nerves.
Donna is experiencing problems related to motor neurons only.
Donna is experiencing both motor and sensory deficits.
QUESTION 6
List and describe any and all symptoms in Donna’s history that could be
related to a pathology of her motor neurons.
Holding a pen while writing which could be caused by damage to the nerves in the hand
or could be caused by neuron syndrome.
Reference:
https://www.buoyhealth.com/symptoms-a-z/hand-weakness/
QUESTION 7
Donna’s primary care physician wants to screen her for Multiple Sclerosis. Which
of the following tests would provide the most definitive diagnosis for MS?
MRI
Bone scan
Complete blood count
Muscle strength test
QUESTION 8
If Donna does have MS, the disease is affecting her myelin sheath. Briefly
describe what happens to the myelin sheath and how it disrupts nerve function
in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
QUESTION 1
Donna, a 42-year- old mother of two, has been experiencing intermittent tingling
and numbness in both of her feet. She has also had trouble holding a pen while
writing. In the past few months, the tingling and numbness in her extremities
seemed to subside on its own, so she was not very concerned. Recently, though,
the symptoms have spread to her knees and thighs and are persisting.
Yesterday, she stumbled when getting out of bed in the morning. When she tried to stand,
her right leg was too weak to hold her weight and she fell again. She noticed that she
scraped her right knee during the fall, but does not feel any pain from the wound. Donna
notices that she has blurry vision and thinks that might be the reason she fell.
All of the following indicate sensory deficits EXCEPT:
Muscular weakness
Tingling in her feet
Numbness in her legs
Blurry vision
QUESTION 2
Donna does not feel the wound on her knee. In a normal situation, describe
how this sensory input of a scraped knee would result in the feeling of pain.
A scrape to the knee is categorized as a nociceptive pain, this kind of pain is caused by an
injury to the tissues of the body such as a scrape, cut, burn, or fracture (myDr, 2012).
Nociceptive pain tends to feel like aching, sharp, or throbbing pain that can be constant or
intermittent (myDr, 2012). This pain is recognized by the body due to sensory receptors in the
skin. A -beta nerve fibers then send signals through the spinal cord and central nervous system
to the brain where the sensation of pain is registered, processed, and perceived (myDr, 2012).
Reference:
https://www.mydr.com.au/pain/pain-and-how-you-sense-it
QUESTION 3
Donna has weakness in her right leg, but her left leg is functioning normally.
Which components of the nervous system are involved with skeletal muscle
movement? Be specific about how the motor impulse moves through the body.
Muscle movement is controlled by the somatic nervous system. The motor impulse is
sent from neuron to another throughout the body by synapse and also moving along
motor fibers. A response is then carried out once the signal reaches the muscle.
Reference:
https://biologydictionary.net/somatic-nervous-system/
QUESTION 4
, Which of the following correctly defines a motor unit?
A single muscle and its largest associated nerve
All motor units are afferent neurons
A single neuron and all the muscle cells it innervates
A single muscle and all the neurons that innervate it
QUESTION 5
Which of the following statements is true?
Donna is experiencing problems related to sensory neurons only.
Donna’s symptoms are most likely only related to the brain, and not peripheral nerves.
Donna is experiencing problems related to motor neurons only.
Donna is experiencing both motor and sensory deficits.
QUESTION 6
List and describe any and all symptoms in Donna’s history that could be
related to a pathology of her motor neurons.
Holding a pen while writing which could be caused by damage to the nerves in the hand
or could be caused by neuron syndrome.
Reference:
https://www.buoyhealth.com/symptoms-a-z/hand-weakness/
QUESTION 7
Donna’s primary care physician wants to screen her for Multiple Sclerosis. Which
of the following tests would provide the most definitive diagnosis for MS?
MRI
Bone scan
Complete blood count
Muscle strength test
QUESTION 8
If Donna does have MS, the disease is affecting her myelin sheath. Briefly
describe what happens to the myelin sheath and how it disrupts nerve function
in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
