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1000+ Basics of Neurology Multiple Choice Question Answer [Solved]

Thursday 9th of March 2023

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1. Topic: Delirium Tremens
Subject: Medicine
You see a 49-year-old man in the emergency room with a 20-year-history of alcohol abuse. He is agitated and floridly psychotic, with visual hallucinations and persecutory delusions. On examination his blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate are all increased. He is disoriented, sweaty, and has abdominal cramps.
What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Subdural hematoma
B. Alcohol intoxication
C. Hepatic encephalopathy
D. Delirium tremens
Answer : D
2. Topic: Mini Mental Status Exam (or MMSE)
Subject: Medicine
In healthy adults, performance on the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination is affected by which one of the following?

A. Educational attainment
B. Socioeconomic status
C. Gender
D. Race
Answer : A
3. Topic: MMSE
Subject: Medicine
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) tests for:

A. Mood
B. Behavior
C. Intelligence quotient
D. Cognitive function
Answer : D
4. Topic: Huntington disease
Subject: Medicine
A 42-year-old white male is brought to your department by his wife because of the progressive loss of his mental abilities, irritability, and some irregular involuntary movements of his hands. She says that she can remember when they were newlyweds, her husbands father had a similar condition at the age of 45 and he died few years later because there was not much doctors could do for him back then. She wants to know if their children may eventually develop a similar condition in the future. None in her family has ever had this type of condition. Which of the following would be the most appropriate answer?

A. Only their male children are at risk
B. If one child develops the disease, siblings are not at risk
C. All their children will inherit the disease
D. Each child has 50% risk of inheriting the disease
Answer : D
5. Topic: Temporal Arteritis
Subject: Medicine
A 70-year-old woman returns to the office because of aching and weakness in her arms to the point where she cannot lift her arm to brush her hair. Physical examination shows no muscle tenderness or other evidence of joint disease in both arms. The aching improves when she takes the prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). She also describes tenderness over the right temporal area of her scalp. Physical examination of the scalp shows no lesions.
Which of the following is the most appropriate next step?

A. Increase the dose of the NSAID
B. Order determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate
C. Order determination of serum rheumatoid factor
D. Order x-ray films of the cervical spine
Answer : B
6. Topic: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Subject: Medicine
A 76-year-old male is brought to your office by his son. The patient complains of dizziness that has slowly been worsening over the past year. His description is vague, but he says that he notices the dizziness when he tries to walk. The review of systems is normal, except for increasing problems with his prostate in the last 6 months, with dribbling and accidents at times. The patient admits to going more often, and sometimes without warning. The son states that his father seems more forgetful, slower of speech, and not as full of life as he used to be. A neurologic examination reveals the patient to be oriented x 3, with a somewhat flat affect and a wide-based, slow, shuffling gate. The examination is otherwise normal. His Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score is 22 out of 30. No tremor is noted. A CBC, creatinine level, TSH level, vitamin B12 level and VDRL are all normal.
Which one of the following should you do next?

A. Order a brain MRI
B. Prescribe sertraline (Zoloft)
C. Prescribe carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet)
D. Order physical therapy
Answer : A
7. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 52-year-old man with a history of seizure attacks suffered from loss of consciousness and tonic and clonic muscular contractions. His tongue fell back into his throat and he choked. What is the best diagnostic test for assessment of the presenting condition of this patient?

A. X-rays
B. CT-Scan
C. Electroencephalogram
D. Discography
Answer : C
8. Topic: Intracranial Hemorrhage
Subject: Medicine
The most significant risk factor for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage is:

A. Atrial fibrillation
B. Cigarette smoking
C. Excessive alcohol use
D. Hypertension
Answer : D
9. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 36-year-old male with a history of a seizure disorder is brought to the emergency department with generalized tonic-clonic activity. Emergency medical personnel report this has been ongoing for 20 minutes.
After initial resuscitative measures, the preferred medication in this situation is:

A. Phenytoin (Dilantin)
B. Fosphenytoin (Cerebyx)
C. Naloxone
D. Lorazepam (Ativan)
Answer : D
10. Topic: Korsakoff's Psychosis
Subject: Medicine
In a patient with recent onset of alcohol amnestic disorder, the mental status test most likely to be done poorly is memory of:

A. Political figures of 10 years ago
B. Digits (forward)
C. His own name
D. Three items for 5 minutes
Answer : D
11. Topic: Alzheimer's Disease
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following has NOT been identified as a risk factor for Alzheimer-type dementia (AD)?

A. Trisomy 18
B. Head trauma
C. Advanced age
D. Obesity and hypertension
Answer : A
12. Topic: Horner's Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
A 66-year-old diabetic man presents with constriction of the pupil, drooping of the upper lid, and anhidrosis on the left. Which one of the following nerves is most likely involved?

A. Oculomotor
B. Sympathetic
C. Trochlear
D. Trigeminal
Answer : B
13. Topic: Cholinergic Toxidrome
Subject: Medicine
A 37 year old male arrives at the Emergency Department unconcious. He is warm and sweaty. His heart rate is 52 bpm, his BP is 90/60. His pupils are constricted, his eyes are teary, and he is drooling. You assume he is suffering from a toxidrome.
What antidote will you give him?

A. Flumazenil
B. Naloxone
C. Glucagon
D. Atropine
Answer : D
14. Topic: Hepatic Encephalopathy
Subject: Medicine
A 50-year-old man with a history of hemochromatosis presents to the emergency room vomiting up bright red blood. He had his most recent phlebotomy yesterday. His blood pressure is 110/85 mm Hg, his pulse 115/min; his face is flushed, and he is diaphoretic. During the physical examination splenomegaly and a venous pattern on his chest and abdomen are noted. He seems somewhat drowsy and confused but has no focal neurologic signs.
What is the probable source of this patient's confusion?

A. Severe anemia
B. Hepatic encephalopathy
C. Subarachnoid hemorrhage
D. Vitamin B12 deficiency
Answer : B
15. Topic: Temporal Lobe Lesion
Subject: Medicine
A 40 year old man presents with sporadically occurring behaviour automatisms and olfactory hallucinations. Which one of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Schizophrenia
B. Schizophreniform psychosis
C. Hysterical personality disorder
D. Temporal lobe lesion
Answer : D
16. Topic: Essential Tremor
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following is most likely to be of benefit in patients with essential tremor of the hand?

A. Isoniazid
B. Diazepam
C. Primidone
D. Clonidine
Answer : C
17. Topic: Guillain-Barr� syndrome
Subject: Medicine
A 43-year-old man presents 2 weeks after you see him for infectious diarrhea caused by C. jejuni. He has now developed bilateral proximal lower limb weakness and bilateral distal parasthesia and decreased ankle tendon reflex.
What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Guillain-Barr� syndrome
B. Multiple Sclerosis
C. Myasthenia Gravis
D. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Answer : A
18. Topic: Amnesia
Subject: Medicine
Which of the following medications may cause amnesia as a side effect?

A. Hydroxyzine
B. Fluoxetine
C. Triazolam
D. Clonidine
Answer : C
19. Topic: Essential Tremor
Subject: Medicine
A 66 year old white female consults you because she has developed a tremor of her right hand that interferes with her ability to do needlework. She has noticed that the tremor improves when she rests her hands in her lap and gets worse when she holds them up against gravity. She has developed a slight quiver to her voice as well. Her symptoms started gradually over 6 months ago and have progressed slowly. She remembers her mother having similar problems in her later years. She takes no medications, and her physical examination corroborates her history. No other abnormalities are noted. A multiple chemistry screen and TSH level are normal.
Which one of the following is most likely to alleviate her tremor?

A. Propranolol (Inderal)
B. Paroxetine (Paxil)
C. Carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet)
D. Bromocriptine (Parlodel)
Answer : A
20. Topic: Alzheimer's Disease
Subject: Medicine
An 84-year-old black female is brought to your office by her daughter, who is concerned that the mother has memory problems and is neglecting to pay her monthly bills. The mother also is forgetting appointments and asks the same questions repeatedly. This problem has been steadily worsening over the last 1-2 years. The patient has very little insight into her problems, scores 24 out of a possible 30 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination, and has difficulty with short-term recall and visuospatial tasks. Her physical examination and a thorough laboratory workup are normal. A CT scan of the brain reveals diffuse atrophy. Which one of the following is the most likely etiology for the patients memory problem?

A. Alzheimers disease
B. Dementia resulting from depression
C. Lewy body dementia
D. Multi-infarct dementia
Answer : A
21. Topic: Guillain-Barr� syndrome
Subject: Medicine
Guillain-Barr� syndrome is not associated with which of the following?

A. Proximal muscle weakness
B. Areflexia
C. Infection with C. jejuni
D. Treatment with corticosteroids
Answer : D
22. Topic: Peripheral Neuropathy
Subject: Medicine
A 68-year-old male presents to your department complaining of a very horrible sensation in his legs that started out 4 weeks ago as pins and needles tickling him but now has progressed and feels like being stabbed in his feet. He has started to use a walker because he feels that when he walks it feels like stepping on eggshells. The pain has not been responsive to acetaminophen and ibuprofen. The patients past medical history is significant for diabetes type II treated with metformin and glimepiride. The patient has not been very compliant with medications, especially metformin because he feels it causes him an upset stomach. His most recent HbA1C level was 9.8%. He also has hypercholesterolemia treated with lovastatin and hypertension treated with Lisinopril and amlodipine. His vital signs are temperature 37.4°C, BP is 125/70 mmHg, pulse 85/min, and respirations 15/min. The dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial pulses are +2 bilaterally. No distal muscles weakness or atrophy is observed. Manual esthesiometer with monofilaments is used and reveals decreased sensation from the midfoot distally on both feet. There is no evidence of erythema, edema, or any wounds on either foot. He has tenderness to light touch on both feet. Labs reveal normal Vitamin B12 and thyroid function.
Which of the following would be the most appropriate treatment for this patients pain?

A. Daily metformin compliance
B. Metoclopramide
C. Pregabalin
D. Alpha lipoic acid
Answer : C
23. Topic: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Subject: Medicine
A 36-year-old female presents with the sudden onset of severe headache, nausea, and photophobia. Her level of consciousness is progressively diminishing. Which one of the following would be the most appropriate next step?

A. Head CT without contrast
B. Head CT with contrast
C. Head MRI
D. Lumbar puncture
Answer : A
24. Topic: Trigeminal Neuralgia
Subject: Medicine
A 55-year-old man complains of extremely severe, sharp, shooting pain in his face. Hedescribes the episodes as being like a bolt of electricity that are brought about by touching a specific area, last about 60 seconds, and occur many times during the day. Neurologic examination is completely normal, but it is noted that part of his face is unshaven because he fears to touch that area. Gadoliniumenhanced MRI shows no abnormalities of the trigeminal nerve.
Which of the following is the most appropriate initial treatment?

A. Anticonvulsants
B. Aspirin
C. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
D. Vasoconstrictors
Answer : A
25. Topic: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Subject: Medicine
A previously alert, otherwise healthy 74-year-old black male has a history of slowly developing progressive memory loss and dementia associated with urinary incontinence and gait disturbance resembling ataxia.
This presentation is most consistent with:

A. Normal pressure hydrocephalus
B. Alzheimers disease
C. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
D. Multiple sclerosis
Answer : A
26. Topic: Alzheimer's Disease
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following tests is most useful for the initial workup of suspected Alzheimers disease?

A. Carotid Doppler ultrasonography
B. An erythrocyte sedimentation rate
C. A cardiac stress test
D. A TSH level
Answer : D
27. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 52-year-old male with a history of seizure attacks suffered from loss of consciousness and tonic-clonic muscular contractions. His tongue fell back into his throat and he choked.
What is the medication of choice for the treatment of this patient's condition?

A. Phenytoin
B. Valproic acid
C. Tiagabine
D. Phenobarbital
Answer : B
28. Topic: Absence Seizures
Subject: Medicine
The treatment of choice for absence seizures is:

A. Lamotrigine
B. Ethosuximide
C. Phenobarbital
D. Phenytoin
Answer : B
29. Topic: Alzheimer's Disease
Subject: Medicine
A 62 year old woman has demonstrated increasing loss of recent memory over a 5 year period, now associated with reduced affect and nominal dysphasia. She dresses neatly and social amenities are preserved. There are no localizing motor or sensory findings.
Which one of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Cerebral vascular disease
B. Hydrocephalus
C. Huntington's disease
D. Alzheimer's disease
Answer : D
30. Topic: Status Epilepticus
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following should be given intravenously in the initial treatment of status epilepticus?

A. Propofol (Diprivan)
B. Phenobarbital
C. Lorazepam (Ativan)
D. Midazolam (Versed)
Answer : C
31. Topic: Huntington Chorea
Subject: Medicine
A patient previously diagnosed with Huntington chorea (HC) comes for a family planning consult with his wife. He states that his father had the disease and his mother was unaffected. They ask you what is the likelihood having a son with this condition?

A. Zero
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 75%
Answer : B
32. Topic: Diagnostic Investigations
Subject: Medicine
A 50-year-old male is brought to the emergency department because of a syncopal episode. Prior to the episode, he felt bad for 30 minutes, then developed nausea followed by vomiting. During a second bout of vomiting he blacked out and fell to the floor. His wife did not observe any seizure activity, and he was unconscious only for a few seconds. His history is otherwise negative, his past medical history is unremarkable, and he currently takes no medications. A physical examination is normal.
Which one of the following would be the most helpful next step?

A. CT of the head
B. Carotid ultrasonography
C. A CBC and complete metabolic profile
D. An EKG
Answer : D
33. Topic: Status Epilepticus
Subject: Medicine
A 58-year-old male with a history of seizure attacks suffered from a 30min loss of consciousness with repetitive seizures with no recovery of consciousness between attacks. What is the best initial treatment for his condition?

A. Lorazepam
B. Phenytoin
C. Phenobarbital
D. Carbamazepine
Answer : A
34. Topic: Status Epilepticus
Subject: Medicine
A 58-year-old male with a history of seizure attacks suffered from a 30 min loss of consciousness with repetitive seizures with no recovery of consciousness between attacks. What is the disorder this patient is suffering from?

A. Tonic-clonic seizure
B. Absence seizure
C. Atonic seizure
D. Status epilepticus
Answer : D
35. Topic: Horner's Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
A 70-year-old man presented with ptosis, myosis and anhydrosis on the left side. Which one of the following is the most likely cause of this condition?

A. Tumour induced exophthalmos
B. Fourth cranial nerve palsy
C. Apical pulmonary carcinoma
D. Enlarged thyroid gland
Answer : C
36. Topic: Fragile X Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
You are asked to see a mentally challenged 45-yearold male from a nearby group home who has groin pain. On examination you notice that he has large ears, a prominent jaw, and large symmetric testicles.
These findings are consistent with:

A. A variant form of Down syndrome
B. Aspergers syndrome
C. Klinefelters syndrome
D. Fragile X syndrome
Answer : D
37. Topic: Postherpetic Neuralgia
Subject: Medicine
When given during acute herpes zoster (varicella) infection, which one of the following drugs has been shown to reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia?

A. Imipramine (Tofranil)
B. Capsaicin (Zostrix)
C. Amitriptyline
D. Acyclovir (Zovirax)
Answer : D
38. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 52-year-old male with a history of seizure attacks suffered from loss of consciousness and tonic and clonic muscular contractions. His tongue fell back into the throat and he choked. What is the most ikely diagnosis of this presentation?

A. Petit mal seizure
B. Grand mal seizure
C. Myoclonic seizure
D. Atonic seizure
Answer : B
39. Topic: Temporal Arteritis
Subject: Medicine
A 75-year-old female presents with a 2-month history of bilateral headache, diffuse myalgias, and diplopia. On examination she has substantially diminished vision in her left eye, but no other neurologic findings. A moderately tender, cordlike structure is palpable just anterior to her ear and extending up to her lateral scalp. Blood tests show a markedly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Which one of the following would be most appropriate at this point?

A. Clopidogrel (Plavix)
B. High-dose corticosteroids
C. NSAIDs
D. Dipyridamole/aspirin (Aggrenox)
Answer : B
40. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 32-year-old female experiences an episode of unresponsiveness associated with jerking movements of her arms and legs. Which one of the following presentations would make a diagnosis of true seizure more likely?

A. Post-event confusion
B. Eye closure during the event
C. A history of fibromyalgia
D. A history of chronic back pain
Answer : A
41. Topic: Dementia
Subject: Medicine
An 85 year old white male is brought to you for the first time by his son. The father has recently seen a neurologist who performed a workup for dementia and diagnosed moderate Alzheimers disease. Which one of the following is true regarding the use of a cholinesterase inhibitor in this patient?

A. It is too late to initiate cholinesterase therapy
B. Agitation is often intensified by these agents
C. Memory is likely to improve significantly
D. Nursing-home placement may be delayed a year or longer
Answer : D
42. Topic: Cauda Equina Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
A 65-year-old male presents with a 1-month history of problems passing urine. He says that his bladder will feel full when he needs to urinate, but the urine stream is weak and his bladder does not feel as if it has emptied completely. The symptoms have become increasingly severe over the past week. Other symptoms include upper respiratory congestion for 3 days which he has treated with an over-thecounter decongestant with some relief, constipation with no passage of stool in the past 9 days, and increasing low back pain incompletely relieved with ibuprofen, with associated weakness in both legs. Examination shows a healthy-appearing male who is moderately overweight. He is afebrile and vital signs are normal. There is no abdominal tenderness and no masses are detected. A rectal examination reveals a large amount of hard stool in the rectum; a markedly enlarged (4+), boggy, tender prostate gland; laxity of the anal sphincter; and numbness in the perianal area. Urinalysis shows trace protein and 10-20 WBCs/hpf. Ultrasonography shows a post-void residual volume of 250 mL (normal for age <100).
Which one of the following must be done urgently in this patient?

A. Foley catheterization
B. Hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics
C. Digital disimpaction of the rectum, and Fleet enemas until clear
D. MRI of the lumbosacral spine
Answer : D
43. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 68-year-old man with a history of urolithiasis, suffered from a seizure attack which involved loss of consciousness with tonic and clonic muscular contractions. His tongue fell back into his throat and he choked.
Which of the following medications is contraindicated in this patient's treatment?

A. Levetiracetam
B. Phenytoin
C. Topiramate
D. Carbamazepine
Answer : C
44. Topic: Brown-Sequard Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
Which of the following would not be expected in a right-sided Brown-S�quard syndrome?

A. Right-sided hemi-paresis
B. Right-sided loss of proprioception
C. Left-sided decreased sensitivity to pinprick
D. Left-sided decreased vibration sense
Answer : D
45. Topic: Postherpetic Neuralgia
Subject: Medicine
A 78-year-old male comes to your office with a 3- day history of pain in the right side of his chest. The pain is described as burning and intense. Two days ago he noted a rash at that site. Examination reveals groups of vesicles on an erythematous base in a T-5 dermatome distribution on the right.
Which one of the following would be the most appropriate treatment to minimize the chance of post-herpetic neuralgia?

A. Famiciclovir (Famvir)
B. Prednisone
C. Capsaicin (Zostrix)
D. Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Answer : A
46. Topic: Adverse Drug Effect
Subject: Medicine
During the morning rounds, a second year resident presents a patient as a 58-year-old female who suffers from rigidity and tremors. She has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease involving the depigmentation of substantia nigra and loss of dopaminergic input to basal ganglia. Identify the medication that would worsen rather than improve this patient's condition?

A. Levodopa
B. Bromocriptine
C. Chlorpromazine
D. Pergolide
Answer : C
47. Topic: Benign Positional Vertigo
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following is characteristic of benign positional vertigo?

A. A duration of 10-15 minutes
B. Associated hearing loss and tinnitus
C. Associated diplopia and facial numbness
D. Being triggered by turning the head
Answer : D
48. Topic: Horner's Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
A 70-year-old man presented with ptosis, myosis and anhydrosis on the left side. Which one of the following is the most likely cause of this condition?

A. Tumour induced exophthalmos
B. Fourth cranial nerve palsy
C. Apical pulmonary carcinoma
D. Enlarged thyroid gland
Answer : C
49. Topic: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Subject: Medicine
A 25-year-old male presents 5 hours after the onset of the worst headache of my life. His temperature is 37.0°C (98.6°F), blood pressure 140/90 mm Hg, respiratory rate 20/min, and pulse rate 90 beats/min. The patient is lethargic but oriented; there are no focal neurologic findings, but neck stiffness is present. Unenhanced CT of the head is negative. You elect to perform a lumbar puncture. At this time, which one of the following findings in bloody spinal fluid would indicate a diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage?

A. Yellow-orangecerebrospinal fluid supernatant
B. A WBC:RBC ratio of 1/1000
C. A protein (g/L) to RBC (count/L) of 1/1000
D. A glucose level below 2.2 mmol/L
Answer : A
50. Topic: Dementia
Subject: Medicine
A 60-year-old white female presents for her annual physical examination. She tells you that since her last visit she has begun taking ginkgo biloba to improve her memory. She takes no other medications. The evidence supporting a benefit from ginkgo biloba is best for which one of the following?

A. Tinnitus
B. Benign prostatic hyperplasia
C. Dementia
D. Intermittent claudication
Answer : C

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