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Basics of Neurology MCQ Solved Paper for SSC Stenographer

Thursday 9th of March 2023

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1. 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
2. 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
3. Topic: Trigeminal Neuralgia
Subject: Medicine
A 55-year-old man complains of extremely severe, sharp, shooting pain in his face. He describes 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. Topic: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Subject: Medicine
An 81-year-old female is brought to your office by her son. He reports a decrease in his mothers memory and prolonged delays in her responses to questions. She also has developed urinary incontinence. MRI shows dilated ventricles, but no other pathology, and a lumbar puncture reveals a normal opening pressure.
Which one of the following would provide additional evidence of normal pressure hydrocephalus?

A. Monocular visual loss
B. Internuclear ophthalmoplegia
C. Headache
D. Apraxia of gait
Answer : D
9. Topic: Absence Seizures
Subject: Medicine
The treatment of choice for absence seizures is:

A. Lamotrigine
B. Ethosuximide
C. Phenobarbital
D. Phenytoin
Answer : B
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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. Rigt-sided loss of proprioception
C. Left-sided decreased sensitivity to pinprick
D. Left-sided decreased vibration sense
Answer : D
14. Topic: Seizure
Subject: Medicine
A 75-year-old male is brought to your office 1 month after a stroke that involved the left anterior cerebral artery, manifested by leg weakness, initial incontinence, and slowness in mentation. He experienced seizure activity on the second day after his stroke, but this was controlled by phenytoin (Dilantin). He has improved significantly and is now ambulatory. His family states that he now has episodic confusion, sleepiness, and clumsiness, which is preceded by paresthesias and dizziness, although no tonicclonic activity has been noted. He remains very drowsy for several hours after these episodes. He was wearing a cardiac monitor during one episode, but it showed nothing remarkable. His phenytoin level is therapeutic, and a CBC, metabolic profile, and magnesium level are all normal.
Which one of the following would be the most appropriate next step?

A. Discontinue the phenytoin
B. Add phenobarbital to the phenytoin
C. Begin bupropion (Wellbutrin)
D. Begin lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Answer : D
15. 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
16. Topic: Essential Tremor
Subject: Medicine
A 75 year old white male complains of a tremor which has been progressive over the past 2 years. The tremor interferes with writing, pouring liquids, and eating soup. He has no other medical problems. He abstains from alcohol and tobacco products. Physical examination is remarkable for an action tremor of the upper extremities and a head tremor. No rigidity or gait disorder is noted. Of the following agents, which one is most appropriate as initial drug therapy for this problem?

A. Alprazolam (Xanax)
B. Clonazepam (Klonopin)
C. Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
D. Propranolol (Inderal)
Answer : D
17. Topic: Diagnostic Investigations
Subject: Medicine
A 52 year old male with a history of psychosis presents with muscle stiffness and resting tremors, associated with difficulty in balance and initiating movements. What is the best diagnostic method for detection of the above condition?

A. Serum dopamine levels
B. Computed tomography scan
C. Positron emission tomography scan
D. Magnetic resonance imaging
Answer : C
18. 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
19. 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
20. Topic: Brain Death
Subject: Medicine
A 57-year-old white male with coronary artery disease suffered a cardiac arrest while jogging 10 days ago. He was resuscitated after 45 minutes but has remained unresponsive and on a ventilator since then.
Which one of the following is required to diagnose brain death in this patient?

A. Hypothermia
B. Continuous mechanical ventilation
C. The absence of spontaneous body movements
D. Electroencephalographic confirmation
Answer : D
21. 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
22. 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
23. Topic: Bell's Palsy
Subject: Medicine
A 53-year-old male accountant comes to your office with progressive facial weakness on the left side that began yesterday. He also reports pain behind the left ear and decreased lacrimation from the left eye. He has been in good health and had his yearly physical examination 1 week ago, which was normal. His lipid levels, chemistry profile, and CBC were all normal. He has not been involved in any outdoor activities, nor does he engage in any high-risk sexual behavior. On examination, there is flattening of the left nasolabial fold and decreased ability to close the left eye. The mouth appears to be drawn to the right. The remainder of his general examination and neurologic examination are normal.
Which one of the following would be the most appropriate management at this time?

A. Carotid ultrasonography
B. High-resolution CT
C. MRI with gadolinium enhancement
D. Prednisone and valacyclovir (Valtrex)
Answer : D
24. 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
25. Topic: Adverse Drug Effect
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following is most associated with falls in older adults?

A. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
B. Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
C. Metformin (Glucophage)
D. Memantine (Namenda)
Answer : A
26. Topic: Cholinergic Toxidrome
Subject: Medicine
A 37 year old male arrives at the Emergency Department unconscious. 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
27. 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
28. Topic: Alzheimer's Disease
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following is most predictive of the progression from mild cognitive impairment to frank Alzheimers dementia?

A. Self-reported memory deficits
B. Memory deficits reported by a family member
C. A normal MRI scan of the brain
D. The absence of the apolipoprotein E4 allele
Answer : B
29. 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
30. 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
31. Topic: Glasgow Coma Scale
Subject: Medicine
A 27 year old man is brought into the ER after a bicycling accident. A car door suddenly opened in front of him, of which he smashed into and was thrown 15 feet. On examination, he is drowsy and confused. He opens his eyes when his name is called. When he speaks, you understand his words but the sentences do not make sense. He moves all four limbs but does not respond to any commands. He is able to pull both hands away when pinched and squirms when his sternum is rubbed, making no effort to stop you.
What is his Glasgow Coma Scale score?

A. 11
B. 10
C. 9
D. 8
Answer : B
32. 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
33. Topic: Mini Mental Status Exam (or MMSE)
Subject: Medicine
A 63-year-old retired teacher shared with his primary care physician (PCP) during a routine office visit that he has noticed increasing difficulty with his memory. Otherwise he is in good health and requiring no medication.
Which one of the following psychological tests is a valuable screening device to be used by primary care physicians in this type of situation?

A. MMPI
B. WAIS
C. Thematic Apperception Test
D. Mini-Mental State Exam
Answer : D
34. 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
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: 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 likely diagnosis of this presentation?

A. Petit mal seizure
B. Grand mal seizure
C. Myoclonic seizure
D. Atonic seizure
Answer : B
37. Topic: Adverse Drug Effect
Subject: Medicine
A 68-year-old man with ahistory 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. He is treated with valproic acid.
What are the most common side effects caused by this medication?

A. Weight gain
B. Rash
C. Nausea and headache
D. Tardive dyskinesia
Answer : C
38. 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-orange cerebrospinal 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
39. 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
40. Topic: Alzheimer's Disease
Subject: Medicine
Which one of the following is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimers disease?

A. A positive homozygous genotype for apolipoprotein E4
B. Elevated serum aluminum
C. Elevated serum alpha-tocopherol
D. Decreased serum Beta-carotene
Answer : A
41. Topic: Trigeminal Neuralgia
Subject: Medicine
A man complains that recently when he shaves he has a shooting type of pain in his face. It happens once in a while and then goes away. You suspect trigeminal neuralgia.
What is the treatment of choice?

A. Fluoxetine
B. Prednisone
C. Acyclovir
D. Carbamazepine
Answer : D
42. Topic: Tension headache.
Subject: Medicine
A woman presents with chief complaint of tightening, band-like headaches that usually occur upon rising in the morning. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Migraine headache
B. Premenstrual headache
C. Tension headache
D. Cluster headache
Answer : C
43. 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
44. Topic: Dementia
Subject: Medicine
Clinical features of multi-infarct dementia may include all of the following, except:

A. Parkinsonism
B. Deteriorating course
C. Evidence of cerebrovascular disease
D. Focal neurologic signs
Answer : A
45. Topic: Heatstroke
Subject: Medicine
A 72-year-old male is brought to your office by a friend because of increasing confusion, irritability, and difficulty walking. This began shortly after the patients car broke down and he had to walk a mile to get to a phone and call the friend. The temperature outdoors has been near 39.5°C (100°F).
On examination you note a rectal temperature of 39.5°C (103.1°F). His pulse rate is 110 beats/min and his blood pressure is 100/60 mm Hg.
Which one of this patients findings indicates that he has heatstroke rather than heat exhaustion?

A. Confusion
B. Sweating
C. His temperature
D. His heart rate
Answer : A
46. Topic: MMSE
Subject: Medicine
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) tests for:

A. Mood
B. Behavior
C. Intelligence quotient
D. Cognitive function
Answer : D
47. 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
48. 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
49. 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
50. Topic: Horner's Syndrome
Subject: Medicine
A 54-year-old white male presents with drooping of his right eyelid for 3 weeks. On examination, he has ptosis of the right upper lid, miosis of the right pupil, and decreased sweating on the right side of his face. Extraocular muscle movements are intact. In addition to a complee history and physical examination, which one of the following would be most appropriate at this point?

A. A chest radiograph
B. MRI of the brain and orbits
C. 131 Iodine thyroid scanning
D. A fasting blood glucose level
Answer : A

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