brainstem :D
Which network in the brainstem is involved in arousal, respiration and cardiovascular regulation?
Reticular formation
What is the tree-like branching pattern of white matter within the cerebellum called?
Arbor vitae
A stroke causes significantly greater weakness in the contralateral leg than the arm. Which cerebral artery is most likely affected?
Anterior cerebral artery (ACA)
What is the potentially salvageable region of tissue surrounding the core of an ischaemic infarct called?
Ischaemic penumbra
A patient develops sudden unilateral weakness that completely resolves within 15 minutes, with no evidence of infarction. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
In the brainstem, are sensory cranial nerve nuclei located medially or laterally to motor nuclei?
Laterally. Motor nuclei are positioned medially.
A patient develops vertigo, nystagmus and problems with balance. Which functional division of the cerebellum is most likely affected?
Vestibulocerebellum (flocculonodular lobe)
A patient has right face and arm weakness with difficulty producing speech. Which arterial territory is most likely affected?
Left middle cerebral artery (MCA)
Which type of cerebral oedema occurs when the blood-brain barrier becomes disrupted, allowing fluid to accumulate extracellularly?
Vasogenic oedema
What's the difference between a thrombotic and an embolic ischaemic stroke?
Thrombotic: clot forms locally.
Embolic: clot or other material originates elsewhere and travels to a cerebral vessel.
Which dorsal column fasciculus carries sensory information from the lower limbs?
Fasciculus gracilis
A patient has a wide-based gait and struggles to maintain posture while sitting. Which cerebellar region is most likely affected?
Vermis of the spinocerebellum
Which paired arteries connect the anterior and posterior cerebral circulations in the Circle of Willis?
Posterior communicating arteries
During cerebral ischaemia, ATP depletion leads to failure of which membrane pump, contributing to cytotoxic oedema?
Na+/K+ -ATPase
Several weeks after a stroke, a patient regains some movement despite permanent neuronal loss. How can surviving neural networks help restore function?
Neuroplasticity so surviving circuits reorganise, and this includes synaptogenesis and cortical remapping.
A patient has right lower facial weakness but can still wrinkle their forehead. Is this an UMN or LMN lesion, and which side is affected?
Left-sided UMN lesion
Which cerebellar peduncle carries most cerebellar efferent output, and which part of the brainstem does it connect to?
Superior cerebellar peduncle and it connects to midbrain
Which deep branches of the MCA supply parts of the basal ganglia and internal capsule and are involved in lacunar strokes?
Lenticulostriate arteries
Brain tissue is examined 2-3 weeks after an ischaemic infarct. What cellular changes would you expect to see?
Phagocytosis and reactive astrocytosis (gliosis)
A patient survives a ruptured berry aneurysm causing subarachnoid haemorrhage. What vascular complication can subsequently cause additional cerebral ischaemia?
Cerebral vasospasm
A lesion damages both the left lateral corticospinal and left spinothalamic tracts in the spinal cord. Which side develops motor weakness, and which side loses pain and temperature sensation?
Left-sided UMN weakness and right-sided loss of pain and temperature below the lesion
During fine motor movement planning, signals from the cerebral cortex reach the cerebellum through which relay nuclei and peduncle? Which deep nucleus is involved in sending output?
Pontine nuclei goes to the middle cerebellar peduncle goes to lateral cerebellar hemisphere
and the output is via dentate nucleus
An occlusion occurs at the bifurcation of the basilar artery. Which paired cerebral arteries are at risk, and name two brain regions they supply.
Posterior cerebral arteries (PCA); examples are the occipital cortex and the thalamus
An elderly patient has recurrent lobar haemorrhages, while another patient with longstanding hypertension develops a deep basal ganglia haemorrhage. What underlying pathology is associated with each pattern?
Lobar: cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
Deep: hypertensive vascular disease
Two patients have MCA strokes. One has impaired language comprehension, while the other has impaired lateralised attention. Which hemisphere is more likely involved in each case?
Language comprehension: left (dominant) hemisphere.
Lateralised attention: right (non-dominant) hemisphere.