NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS:
HEADACHES EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS. A+ GRADE
2025/2026.
What are three classifications of headaches? - ANS 1. Primary headache- starts and ends in
the brain; examples: migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cluster headaches (CH)
2. Secondary headache-uHeadache attributed to head/neck trauma, cranial/cervical vascular
disorder, substance withdraw, infection, psychiatric disorders, or other disorders of head and
neck
3. Cranial Neuralagias
-central and primary facial pain, and other headaches
-cranial neuralgias and central causes of facial pain
-ex: trigeminal neuralgia
what are the dermatomes of the head? - ANS 1. Dermatomes served by the trigeminal nerve
(Vth cranial nerve) include (face, nose, teeth),
-Opthalmic Branch; Maxillary Branch, Mandibular Branch
2. SPinal Nerves around anterior neck and ears are served by C2 and C3
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, 3. Posterior head supplied by the Greater Occipital Nerve (branch from spinal nerve C2)
Headache Pathophysiology - ANS -hypersensitization of nerve pain fibers
-trigemino-thalamic
-cervico-thalamic
-Thalamus is very involved in pain sensation and our perception of pain. Thalamas feels pain
and then sends message to frontal cortex to interpret it.
-Thalamus has several different tracts to send signals. Can send to several different areas at a
time. These nerve fibers are very sensitive and with hyperactivity they become hypersensitive-
so it sensitive more likely to get headache more quickly. There is connection between
trigemino-thalamic track and there is also a cervico-thalamic track so pain generated from
posterior part of head and then sent to the thalamus and then distributed.
-thalamus tracts:
-low serotonin activity during headaches
-SSRIs (and SNRI) are helpful to block headaches/serotonin reuptake
-serotonin agonist are also helpful (triptans and ergotamine)
Chemical Basis of Pain and Inflammation - ANS Phospholipids-(stimulus produces
phospholipase A2--> makes phospholipids into arachidonic acid. under cyclooxygenase COX-1
and COX-2 and produces prostanglandins (responsible for pain syndromes) and thyroxine
(clotting)
-Aspirin and NSAIDs work to block either COX1 or COX2 or both and that is why they are
affective in treating pain and some antiplatelet effect as they are blocking some thyroxine
What is the first line of therapy for headaches? - ANS -Aspirin; Tylenol; NSAIDs
Acetaminophen: dose, mechanism of action, max dose, and contraindications - ANS Tylenol:
325-650 mg Q4-6 hours; (may need loading dose of 1000mg)
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
HEADACHES EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS. A+ GRADE
2025/2026.
What are three classifications of headaches? - ANS 1. Primary headache- starts and ends in
the brain; examples: migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cluster headaches (CH)
2. Secondary headache-uHeadache attributed to head/neck trauma, cranial/cervical vascular
disorder, substance withdraw, infection, psychiatric disorders, or other disorders of head and
neck
3. Cranial Neuralagias
-central and primary facial pain, and other headaches
-cranial neuralgias and central causes of facial pain
-ex: trigeminal neuralgia
what are the dermatomes of the head? - ANS 1. Dermatomes served by the trigeminal nerve
(Vth cranial nerve) include (face, nose, teeth),
-Opthalmic Branch; Maxillary Branch, Mandibular Branch
2. SPinal Nerves around anterior neck and ears are served by C2 and C3
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, 3. Posterior head supplied by the Greater Occipital Nerve (branch from spinal nerve C2)
Headache Pathophysiology - ANS -hypersensitization of nerve pain fibers
-trigemino-thalamic
-cervico-thalamic
-Thalamus is very involved in pain sensation and our perception of pain. Thalamas feels pain
and then sends message to frontal cortex to interpret it.
-Thalamus has several different tracts to send signals. Can send to several different areas at a
time. These nerve fibers are very sensitive and with hyperactivity they become hypersensitive-
so it sensitive more likely to get headache more quickly. There is connection between
trigemino-thalamic track and there is also a cervico-thalamic track so pain generated from
posterior part of head and then sent to the thalamus and then distributed.
-thalamus tracts:
-low serotonin activity during headaches
-SSRIs (and SNRI) are helpful to block headaches/serotonin reuptake
-serotonin agonist are also helpful (triptans and ergotamine)
Chemical Basis of Pain and Inflammation - ANS Phospholipids-(stimulus produces
phospholipase A2--> makes phospholipids into arachidonic acid. under cyclooxygenase COX-1
and COX-2 and produces prostanglandins (responsible for pain syndromes) and thyroxine
(clotting)
-Aspirin and NSAIDs work to block either COX1 or COX2 or both and that is why they are
affective in treating pain and some antiplatelet effect as they are blocking some thyroxine
What is the first line of therapy for headaches? - ANS -Aspirin; Tylenol; NSAIDs
Acetaminophen: dose, mechanism of action, max dose, and contraindications - ANS Tylenol:
325-650 mg Q4-6 hours; (may need loading dose of 1000mg)
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
