Gross Anatomy & Internal Capsule
During a neuroanatomy examination, a student is asked to identify the deep groove on the brain’s lateral surface that separates the frontal and parietal lobes. Which of the following anatomical landmarks is this?
A. Lateral sulcus
B. Central sulcus
C. Calcarine sulcus
D. Longitudinal fissure
Answer: B. Central sulcus
A neuroanatomy instructor asks students to locate the cranial nerve responsible for facial expression. This nerve exits at the junction of the pons and medulla. Which cranial nerve is this?
A. Abducens nerve (CN VI)
B. Facial nerve (CN VII)
C. Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
D. Vagus nerve (CN X)
Answer: B. Facial nerve (CN VII)
Which spinal cord tract carries fine touch, vibration, and proprioception from the lower limbs?
A. Lateral spinothalamic tract
B. Gracile fasciculus
C. Cuneate fasciculus
D. Ventral spinocerebellar tract
Answer: B. Gracile fasciculus
The left optic tract carries which visual field information?
A. Right eye only
B. Right retina only
C. Right visual field
D. Left visual field
Answer: C. Right visual field
Which brain region degenerates in a disease, resulting in resting tremor and bradykinesia?
A. Caudate nucleus
B. Subthalamic nucleus
C. Substantia nigra pars compacta
D. Dentate nucleus
Answer: C. Substantia nigra pars compacta
A 68-year-old woman is unable to speak fluently, though she understands speech well. An MRI shows a lesion in the dominant hemisphere involving a structure critical for speech production. Which of the following areas is most likely involved?
A. Superior temporal gyrus
B. Angular gyrus
C. Inferior frontal gyrus
D. Middle frontal gyrus
Answer: C. Inferior frontal gyrus
Baroreceptor input from the carotid sinus and taste from the posterior tongue are transmitted to which of the following brainstem nuclei?
A. Nucleus ambiguus
B. Solitary nucleus
C. Dorsal motor nucleus of vagus
D. Trigeminal sensory nucleus
Answer: B. Solitary nucleus
Where do the majority of motor fibers in the lateral corticospinal tract cross to the contralateral side?
A. Internal capsule
B. Medullary pyramids
C. Cervical spinal cord
D. Midbrain
Answer: B. Medullary pyramids
A 50-year-old man with a large pituitary tumor develops visual field loss on both temporal sides. Which structure is being compressed?
A. Optic nerves
B. Optic chiasm
C. Optic radiations
D. Lateral geniculate body
Answer: B. Optic chiasm
In the basal ganglia's direct pathway, dopamine from SNpc acts on which receptor to promote movement?
A. D2 receptor on indirect pathway
B. D1 receptor on direct pathway
C. GABA receptor on thalamus
D. Glutamate receptor on subthalamic nucleus
Answer: B. D1 receptor on direct pathway
A 72-year-old man develops sudden right-sided weakness involving the face, arm, and leg. CT shows a small lacunar infarct in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule. Which descending pathway is most likely affected?
A. Spinothalamic tract
B. Corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts
C. Dorsal column–medial lemniscus
D. Rubrospinal tract
Answer: B. Corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts
A 59-year-old man presents with left-sided hemiparesis and right-sided facial paralysis. Imaging reveals a lesion in the ventral pons. What is the most likely syndrome?
A. Wallenberg syndrome
B. Weber syndrome
C. Millard-Gubler syndrome
D. Lateral pontine syndrome
Answer: C. Millard-Gubler syndrome
A stab wound to the right side of the spinal cord at T8 causes: Right-sided motor weakness and proprioception loss below T8 & Left-sided loss of pain and temperature below T10. What condition is this?
A. Anterior cord syndrome
B. Tabes dorsalis
C. Brown-Sequard syndrome
D. Central cord syndrome
Answer: C. Brown-Sequard syndrome
A stroke affecting the right temporal lobe causes a "pie in the sky" defect. What part of the visual pathway is damaged?
A. Optic nerve
B. Optic chiasm
C. Meyer's loop
D. Parietal optic radiation
Answer: C. Meyer's loop
A 70-year-old man develops violent, involuntary flinging of the left arm. Imaging shows a lesion in which deep brain structure?
A. Right subthalamic nucleus
B. Left putamen
C. Right caudate nucleus
D. Left red nucleus
Answer: A. Right subthalamic nucleus
A patient has slurred speech and weakness of the right lower face and tongue, accompanied by left-sided limb weakness. A small infarct is localized to a central white matter structure. Which area is most consistent with this clinical picture?
A. Anterior limb of internal capsule
B. Posterior limb
C. Genu
D. Retrolenticular limb
Answer: C. Genu
A patient presents with hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, right-sided facial numbness, and loss of pain and temperature on the left side of the body. What vascular lesion is most likely?
A. Middle cerebral artery infarct
B. Anterior spinal artery occlusion
C. Posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarct
D. Superior cerebellar artery infarct
Answer: C. Posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarct
A 60-year-old man with a history of untreated syphilis presents with wide-based gait and a positive Romberg test. Neurological exam shows loss of vibration and proprioception. What tract is most likely damaged?
A. Spinothalamic tract
B. Corticospinal tract
C. Dorsal columns
D. Rubrospinal tract
Answer: C. Dorsal columns
A patient with PCA stroke develops right homonymous hemianopia but retains central vision. What explains the preserved macular function?
A. Intact optic nerve
B. Collateral MCA blood flow
C. Lesion before optic chiasm
D. Midbrain lesion
Answer: B. Collateral MCA blood flow
A patient with vertigo, nystagmus, and balance issues likely has a lesion in which cerebellar region?
A. Lateral hemisphere
B. Dentate nucleus
C. Vermis
D. Flocculonodular lobe
Answer: D. Flocculonodular lobe