NCS Neurological Assessment 2

Question 1

Which cranial nerve is assessed by testing the patient's ability to shrug their shoulders against resistance?

Accepted Answer

CN XI (Spinal Accessory)

Answer

CN XI (Spinal Accessory) innervates the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles, tested by shoulder shrug and head rotation against resistance.

Question 2

A patient presents with loss of pain and temperature sensation on the contralateral side with ipsilateral motor weakness below the lesion. Which spinal cord syndrome is most consistent?

Accepted Answer

Brown-Séquard syndrome

Answer

Brown-Séquard syndrome results from hemisection of the spinal cord, causing ipsilateral motor loss and contralateral loss of pain/temperature.

Question 3

When assessing the H-reflex in clinical practice, which muscle-nerve pair is most commonly tested?

Accepted Answer

Soleus via tibial nerve

Answer

The H-reflex is most reliably elicited from the soleus via tibial nerve stimulation and reflects the S1 reflex arc.

Question 4

Which assessment tool uses a 15-point scale measuring eye opening, verbal response, and motor response to quantify level of consciousness?

Accepted Answer

Glasgow Coma Scale

Answer

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores eye opening (1-4), verbal response (1-5), and motor response (1-6) for a total of 3-15.

Question 5

During two-point discrimination testing of the fingertip, what is the approximate normal threshold in a healthy adult?

Accepted Answer

2-5 mm

Answer

Normal two-point discrimination at the fingertip is approximately 2-5 mm, reflecting high receptor density in the hand.

(NCS) Neurologic Clinical Specialist Practice Test

(NCS) Neurologic Clinical Specialist Practice Test

NCS Neurological Assessment 2