Question 1

Which of the following best describes the primary function of the cerebellum?

Accepted Answer

Coordinates ongoing voluntary movement to reduce motor error

Question 2

A patient presents with difficulty initiating voluntary movement and a resting tremor. Which brain structure is most likely affected?

Accepted Answer

Basal nuclei, specifically the substantia nigra

Question 3

Which pathway is responsible for transmitting discriminative touch and proprioceptive information from the body to the cerebral cortex?

Accepted Answer

Posterior columns/medial lemniscal system

Question 4

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the blood brain barrier?

Accepted Answer

It is formed by tight junctions between endothelial cells of brain capillaries

Question 5

Damage to Broca’s area would most likely result in which clinical finding?

Accepted Answer

Inability to produce fluent, grammatically correct speech

Question 6

Which structure acts as the 'main entrance' to the cerebral cortex for most sensory information (except olfaction)?

Accepted Answer

Thalamus

Question 7

A patient with a lesion in the right parietal association cortex is most likely to exhibit which of the following symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Neglect of the left side of their visual field

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the function of the reticular activating system (RAS)?

Accepted Answer

Arouses the cerebral cortex from sleep and maintains wakefulness

Question 9

Which of the following is a correct sequence for the conduction of an action potential through the cerebral white matter?

Accepted Answer

Projection fibers → Association fibers → Commissural fibers

Question 10

Which of the following is a function of the hypothalamus?

Accepted Answer

Regulates body temperature, hunger, and the sleep/wake cycle

Question 11

A patient is unable to feel pain and temperature on the left side of their body after a spinal cord injury. Which tract is most likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

Right spinothalamic tract

Question 12

Which of the following best explains why phantom limb pain occurs after amputation?

Accepted Answer

The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) retains a 'map' of the missing limb

Question 13

Which of the following is a characteristic of REM sleep?

Accepted Answer

Muscle paralysis and brain waves resembling the awake state

Question 14

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the formation and flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

Accepted Answer

CSF is formed by the choroid plexuses and reabsorbed into the blood via arachnoid granulations

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the role of the basal nuclei in movement?

Accepted Answer

They inhibit inappropriate movements and help initiate voluntary movement

Question 16

Which brain region is primarily responsible for the consolidation of declarative (fact) memories?

Accepted Answer

Hippocampus

Question 17

A patient with damage to the left temporal cortex would most likely have difficulty with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Naming objects and understanding language

Question 18

Which of the following is a function of the reticular formation?

Accepted Answer

Regulation of pain transmission and arousal

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the function of the corpus callosum?

Accepted Answer

Connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres

Question 20

Which of the following is a correct statement about the organization of gray and white matter in the CNS?

Accepted Answer

In the spinal cord, gray matter is internal and white matter is superficial

The Central Nervous System: Structure, Function, and Integration

Study Guide - Practice Questions