A patient has damage to several spinal
nerves. Which of the major divisions of the
nervous system has been damaged?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
All of these are correct
You’ve just touched a hot stove. What type of
reflex did you experience___ and in what way
was your brain involved in the reflex ____?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cranial/the somatosensory cortex
Visceral/only tracts that respond to pain
Complex/all the sensory tracts
Spinal/it was not involved at all
Which of the following is true concerning
the spinal cord?
1.
2.
3.
4.
The filum terminale is the end of the spinal cord.
The conus medullaris is a strand of fibrous tissue
that helps support the spinal cord.
The spinal cord of an adult ends between L1 and L2.
The amount of grey matter in the spinal cord is the
least at the cervical and lumbar enlargements.
Why are spinal nerves classified as
“mixed” nerves?
1.
2.
3.
4.
They contain both afferent and efferent fibers
They contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons
They carry mixed or conflicting information
Axons of the ventral root carry sensory
information to the spinal cord and axons of the
dorsal root control somatic and visceral effectors
Damage to which root of a spinal nerve would
interfere with motor function?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Posterior root
Anterior root
Dorsal root
Ventral root
Where is the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds
the spinal cord located?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Epidural space
Subarachnoid space
Above the dura mater
Between the pia mater and the nervous
tissue of the brain
A person with polio has lost the use of his leg
muscles. In which area of his spinal cord would
you expect the virus-infected motor neurons to
be?
1.
2.
3.
4.
anterior gray horns
lateral gray horns
posterior gray commissure
anterior white commissure
Which portion of the spinal cord would
be affected by a disease that damages
myelin sheaths?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sulci
Columns
Grey horns
Fissures
What is the clinical significance of
dermatomes?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Damage to descending tracts will be reflected in the
dermatomes.
Location of affected dermatomes provides clues to
location of injury along the spinal cord
Damage to a corresponding spinal nerve will
produce loss of sensation the region of skin supplied
by a dermatome.
2 and 3 are correct.
An anesthetic blocks the function of the dorsal rami
of the cervical spinal nerves. Which areas of the
body will be affected?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Skin and muscles of the back of the neck
Skin and muscles of the shoulders
Both 1 and 2
None of the above
Injury to which nerve plexus would interfere
with the ability to breathe ___? Which nerve is
the major nerve of this plexus?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Brachial plexus/long thoracic nerve
Cervical plexus/phrenic nerve
Cervical plexus/long thoracic nerve
Brachial plexus/pectoral nerve
If a patient has persistent numbness in the
medial two fingers, which nerve of the
brachial plexus has been damaged?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ulnar nerve
Median nerve
Radial nerve
Musculocutaneous nerve
Damage to the long thoracic nerve would
cause paralysis to which muscle(s)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Deltoid and teres minor muscles
Rhomboids and levator scapulae muscles
Latissimus dorsi muscle
Serratus anterior muscle
Compression of which nerve produces the
sensation that your leg has
“fallen asleep”?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sural nerve
Sciatic nerve
Femoral nerve
Tibial nerve
Someone with paralysis of the anterior
thigh muscles would have damage at
which spinal segments?
1.
2.
3.
4.
L4–S4
T12–L1
L2–L4
L4–S2
What is the minimum number of
neurons in a reflex arc?
1.
2.
3.
4.
One
Two
Five
Seven
Which of these is NOT an important factor
concerning reflexes?
1.
2.
3.
4.
They are rapid, automatic responses to stimuli.
They preserve homeostasis by making rapid
adjustments in the functions of organs.
They oppose potentially harmful changes in the
internal or external environment.
They involve interaction with the cerebrum.
What is the term used when one presynaptic
neuron synapses with multiple postsynaptic
neurons ___? When is this useful ____?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Parallel processing/when information must be
relayed in a stepwise fashion
Convergence/when a signal must be concentrated
Divergence/when broad distribution of a specific
input is important
All of these are correct
Reflex responses usually remove or oppose the
stimulus. Therefore this type of reflexive response
would be considered an example of ____.
1.
2.
3.
4.
A visceral reflex
Negative feedback
A reverberating circuit
Avoidance feedback
One of the first somatic reflexes to
develop is the suckling reflex. Which type
of reflex is this?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inherent reflex
Acquired reflex
Innate reflex
Visceral reflex
How would the stimulation of the muscle
spindles involved in the patellar (knee-jerk)
reflex by gamma motor neurons affect the speed
of the reflex?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Quicker reflex response
Slower reflex response
Graded reflex response
Inhibited reflex response
A weight lifter is straining to lift a 200-kg barbell.
Shortly after he lifts it to chest height, his muscles
appear to relax and he drops the barbell. Which
reflex has occurred?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Withdrawal reflex
Stretch reflex
Crossed extensor reflex
Tendon reflex
During a withdrawal reflex, what happens to the
limb on the side opposite the stimulus? What is
this response called?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Flexed/stretch reflex
Adducted/tendon reflex
Extended/crossed extensor reflex
Abducted/tendon reflex
Polysynaptic reflexes include all of the following
characteristics, except ____?
1. Involve pools of interneurons
2. Interneuron pools are contained within
one spinal segment
3. Have reverberating circuits
4. Involve reciprocal inhibition
What is reinforcement as it pertains to
spinal reflexes?
1.
2.
3.
4.
It allows brief periods of rest between sets of stimuli
A chronic depression in spinal reflexes due to
IPSPs
An enhancement of spinal reflexes due to
postsynaptic neurons entering a state of facilitation
Strengthening of both the crossed extensor reflex
and reciprocal inhibition
After injuring her back, Tina exhibits a positive
Babinski reflex. What does this imply about
Tina’s injury?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Possible paraplegia
Possible damage of sensory tracts to foot
Possible damage of ascending tracts in spinal
cord
Possible damage of descending tracts in the
spinal cord