Maryville NURS 623 Exam 4 with
Complete Solution | 2021 Exam Graded
A+
This comprehensive guide contains verified questions and answers for the
Maryville University NURS 623 Exam 4, based on the 2021 exam and
aligned with updated 2025-2026 course materials. All answers include
detailed rationales for effective exam preparation.
Section 1: Neurological Conditions
Delirium vs. Dementia
Question 1: Define delirium.
Correct Answer: Underlying acute cause, abrupt onset (hours to days),
reversible, hallucinations, incoherent speech, confusion.
Rationale: Delirium is an acute, often reversible condition with rapid onset
triggered by an underlying medical cause such as infection, medication
toxicity, or metabolic disturbance .
Question 2: Define dementia.
Correct Answer: Various causes, gradual change with mental status
(months to years), progressive to irreversible (affects speech, memory,
mood, judgment).
Rationale: Dementia is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative condition
with insidious onset. Unlike delirium, dementia is generally irreversible .
,Question 3: An older adult with delirium would present with what type of
behaviors?
Correct Answer: Agitation and restlessness
Rationale: Hyperactive delirium often presents with agitation, restlessness,
and sometimes hallucinations. Hypoactive delirium presents with lethargy
and withdrawal .
Alzheimer's Disease
Question 4: At the onset of Alzheimer's, what category of medications
should be initiated?
Correct Answer: Cholinesterase inhibitors
Rationale: Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine)
are first-line for mild to moderate Alzheimer's. They increase acetylcholine
levels, temporarily improving cognitive symptoms .
Question 5: How is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed?
Correct Answer: Impaired ability to learn new information along with a
disturbance in language, function, or perception
Rationale: Diagnosis is clinical, based on history and cognitive assessment.
There is no single definitive test; diagnosis requires impairment in learning
and at least one other cognitive domain .
, Question 6: Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include: (Select all
that apply)
● A) Complaints of memory problems
● B) Increased cognitive difficulty
● C) Slow response to cognitive challenge
● D) Word-finding difficulty
● E) Difficulty with simple tasks
Correct Answer: A, B, C, D, E (All of the above)
Rationale: Alzheimer's presents with progressive memory loss, executive
dysfunction, language impairment, and difficulty performing familiar tasks .
Seizures
Question 7: Signs and symptoms of an absence seizure include:
Correct Answer: Blank stare (upward rotation of eyes)
Rationale: Absence seizures (petit mal) are brief (5-10 seconds),
generalized seizures characterized by staring and unresponsiveness, often
with eye fluttering or upward gaze .
Section 2: Headaches and Neurological Pain
Migraine Headache
Question 8: A patient reports seeing flashes 20 minutes before having a
severe headache. What type of headache is this?
Correct Answer: Classic migraine
Complete Solution | 2021 Exam Graded
A+
This comprehensive guide contains verified questions and answers for the
Maryville University NURS 623 Exam 4, based on the 2021 exam and
aligned with updated 2025-2026 course materials. All answers include
detailed rationales for effective exam preparation.
Section 1: Neurological Conditions
Delirium vs. Dementia
Question 1: Define delirium.
Correct Answer: Underlying acute cause, abrupt onset (hours to days),
reversible, hallucinations, incoherent speech, confusion.
Rationale: Delirium is an acute, often reversible condition with rapid onset
triggered by an underlying medical cause such as infection, medication
toxicity, or metabolic disturbance .
Question 2: Define dementia.
Correct Answer: Various causes, gradual change with mental status
(months to years), progressive to irreversible (affects speech, memory,
mood, judgment).
Rationale: Dementia is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative condition
with insidious onset. Unlike delirium, dementia is generally irreversible .
,Question 3: An older adult with delirium would present with what type of
behaviors?
Correct Answer: Agitation and restlessness
Rationale: Hyperactive delirium often presents with agitation, restlessness,
and sometimes hallucinations. Hypoactive delirium presents with lethargy
and withdrawal .
Alzheimer's Disease
Question 4: At the onset of Alzheimer's, what category of medications
should be initiated?
Correct Answer: Cholinesterase inhibitors
Rationale: Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine)
are first-line for mild to moderate Alzheimer's. They increase acetylcholine
levels, temporarily improving cognitive symptoms .
Question 5: How is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed?
Correct Answer: Impaired ability to learn new information along with a
disturbance in language, function, or perception
Rationale: Diagnosis is clinical, based on history and cognitive assessment.
There is no single definitive test; diagnosis requires impairment in learning
and at least one other cognitive domain .
, Question 6: Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include: (Select all
that apply)
● A) Complaints of memory problems
● B) Increased cognitive difficulty
● C) Slow response to cognitive challenge
● D) Word-finding difficulty
● E) Difficulty with simple tasks
Correct Answer: A, B, C, D, E (All of the above)
Rationale: Alzheimer's presents with progressive memory loss, executive
dysfunction, language impairment, and difficulty performing familiar tasks .
Seizures
Question 7: Signs and symptoms of an absence seizure include:
Correct Answer: Blank stare (upward rotation of eyes)
Rationale: Absence seizures (petit mal) are brief (5-10 seconds),
generalized seizures characterized by staring and unresponsiveness, often
with eye fluttering or upward gaze .
Section 2: Headaches and Neurological Pain
Migraine Headache
Question 8: A patient reports seeing flashes 20 minutes before having a
severe headache. What type of headache is this?
Correct Answer: Classic migraine
