OTA Neurological Rehabilitation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with left hemisphere stroke demonstrates difficulty understanding spoken language but can speak fluently with jargon. Which type of aphasia is this?
- Broca's aphasia
- Wernicke's aphasia (Correct answer)
- Global aphasia
- Anomic aphasia
Correct answer: Wernicke's aphasia
Wernicke's aphasia results from damage to the left posterior temporal lobe, causing fluent but meaningless speech and impaired comprehension.
Question 2: When positioning a client with hemiplegia in supine, the OTA should place the affected upper extremity in which position to prevent contracture?
- Shoulder adduction, elbow flexion, wrist flexion
- Shoulder abduction, elbow extension, wrist neutral (Correct answer)
- Shoulder internal rotation, forearm pronation, finger flexion
- Shoulder adduction, forearm supination, wrist extension
Correct answer: Shoulder abduction, elbow extension, wrist neutral
The affected arm should be positioned in shoulder abduction, elbow extension, and wrist neutral to counteract the typical spastic pattern and prevent contractures.
Question 3: Which standardized assessment tool is most appropriate for measuring functional independence in a client following traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
- Functional Independence Measure (FIM) (Correct answer)
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
- Rancho Los Amigos Scale
Correct answer: Functional Independence Measure (FIM)
The FIM measures independence in ADLs and cognition across 18 items, making it the standard tool for tracking functional recovery after TBI.
Question 4: A client with Parkinson's disease is having difficulty initiating gait. Which compensatory strategy is MOST effective for improving gait initiation?
- Verbal commands to 'walk faster'
- Visual cues such as floor tape lines (Correct answer)
- Reducing environmental distractions
- Practicing backward walking
Correct answer: Visual cues such as floor tape lines
Visual cues such as floor tape lines help bypass the basal ganglia dysfunction in Parkinson's disease and trigger gait initiation through an alternate neural pathway.
Question 5: A client with C6 spinal cord injury (SCI) retains which key function that is important for occupational therapy interventions?
- Active finger flexion and extension
- Active wrist extension (Correct answer)
- Active elbow extension against gravity
- Active grip strength
Correct answer: Active wrist extension
Individuals with C6 SCI retain active wrist extension (extensor carpi radialis), which enables tenodesis grasp and supports many adaptive functional tasks.
Question 6: Which stage on the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning scale is characterized by agitation, confusion, and inappropriate behavior?
- Level III - Localized Response
- Level IV - Confused/Agitated (Correct answer)
- Level V - Confused/Inappropriate
- Level VI - Confused/Appropriate
Correct answer: Level IV - Confused/Agitated
Level IV (Confused/Agitated) is marked by heightened state of activity, bizarre and non-purposeful behavior, agitation, and inability to cooperate with treatment.
Question 7: An OTA is working with a client who has multiple sclerosis and reports severe fatigue by mid-afternoon. Which energy conservation strategy is MOST appropriate?
- Encourage the client to push through fatigue to build endurance
- Schedule the most demanding activities in the morning (Correct answer)
- Recommend eliminating all leisure activities
- Suggest increasing total activity duration each day
Correct answer: Schedule the most demanding activities in the morning
Scheduling demanding activities in the morning, when energy levels are highest, is a key energy conservation strategy for clients with MS-related fatigue.
OTA Neurological Rehabilitation 1
A client with left hemisphere stroke demonstrates difficulty understanding spoken language but can speak fluently with jargon.
Which type of aphasia is this?