Material Covered: Reticular Formation, Vestibular System, Auditory System,
Visual System, Diencephalon and Cerebellum

Use the following letters to indicate your answer:

A: Only I is true
B: Only II is true
C: Both are true
D: Both are false

1.      I. The posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) branches from the basilar artery.

         II. The cavernous sinus contains the oculomotor, trochlear, abducens nerves and
            the three branches of the trigeminal nerve.
 

2.      I. Cranial nerves 7 and 8 egress from the cranial vault via the internal acoustic meatus.

         II. Choroid plexus is not found in the posterior horn of the lateral ventricles.
 

3.      I. The superior and inferior colliculi form part of the anterior wall of the quadrageminal
            cistern.

         II. Cervical nerve 8 leaves the spinal column inferior to cervical vertebra 8.
 

4.      I.  The lateral spinothalamic tracts carry pain and temperature from the ipsilateral side
            of the body.

       II. Fasciculus gracilis carries conscious proprioception from the ipsilateral lower half of
            the body.
 

5.      I. Enkephalin inhibits the release of substance P onto neurons in the substantia gelatinosa
            to modulate pain.

         II. Brodmann’s area 4 (post central gyrus) is one of the motor areas of the brain.
 

6.      I. The spinothalamic tracts are medial to the spinocerebellar tracts in the brain stem.

         II. Complete ablation of the inferior olivary nucleus will destroy the fiber tracts of the
            glossophyrngeal nerve.
 

7.      I. The dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus supplies parasympathetic input to the heart.

         II. The inferior salivatory nucleus of the glossopharyngeal nerve sends preganglionic
            axons to the otic ganglion.  That ganglion in turn, projects postganglionic fibers to
            the parotid gland, as well as the mucosa of the oral and nasal pharynx.
 

8.      I. Approximately 80% of CVA’s are ruptured blood vessels.

         II. The neurotransmitter released by the locus ceruleus neurons is epinephrine.
 

9.      I. Fine touch and conscious position sense conveyed through the trigeminal nerve,
            synapses on the chief sensory nucleus.  The chief sensory neurons project
            bilaterally to the thalamus.

         II. At the level of the inferior colliculus, the fine touch fiber tracts for the upper half
            of the body are located in the anterior region of the medial lemniscus.
 

10.     I. The axons from the superior cerebellar peduncle cross at the level of the superior
            colliculus.

          II. One of the aspects of Parkinson’s disease is the loss of the neurotransmitter
            GABA in the substantia nigra.
 

11.     I.  The stapes ossicle covers the round window of the inner ear.

          II. The malleus is attached to the tympanic membrane.
 

12.     I.  In the up right position, the saccule of the vestibular system is maximally stimulated.

          II. The crista ampularis detects motion within the utricle and saccule by movement
            of endolymph, which causes the stereocilia and kinocilium to move.
 

13.     I.  When the stereocilia bend towards the kinocilium there is an increase in auditory hair
            cell K+ influx and an increase in glutamate release.

          II. Axons that carry vestibular signals to the extraocular motor nuclei (via vertical and
            horizontal gaze centers), travel in the medial lemniscus.
 

14.     I. Axons from the vestibular nucleus travel to the antigravity muscles in the spine through
            the lateral vestibulospinal tracts.

          II. Axons from the vestibular nucleus travel through the inferior cerebellar peduncle to
            the flocculonodular lobe of the cerebellum.
 

15.     I.  Perilymph can flow to and from the ampulla, into or out of the semicircular canal,
            for the detection of motion.

          II. If you place warm water in the left ear for a caloric test, you should see a left beating
            nystagmus, if the patient is normal.
 

16.     I. The lateral semicircular canal forms part of the wall of the middle ear.

          II. When the head moves to the left, the left vestibulocochlear nucleus sends inhibitor
            commissural fibers to the right vestibulocochlear nucleus.  These inhibit neurons that
            project to the left abducens nucleus.
 

17.     I.  The vestibulocochlear nucleus sends inhibitory fibers to the ipsilateral abducens nucleus.

          II. The abducens nucleus sends axons to the contralateral oculomotor nucleus via the medial
            longitudinal fasiculus.
 

18.     I.  Destruction of the right semicircular canals will cause a left beating nystagmus.

          II. If there is a lesion of the axons from the right vestibular nucleus traveling to the contralateral
            abducens nucleus, the patient will still be able to follow a pen moving left to right with her eyes.
 

19.     I. If you spin yourself around and around, then stop, you will have a nystagmus that beats
            in the opposite direction of the spinning.

          II. Loss of tracts from the inferior cerebellar peduncle may lead to “cerebellar nystagmus”
            which is not considered a true nystagmus.
 

20.     I. Otoliths are calcium carbonates that are distributed throughout the cupula.  The ortholiths
            aid in the movement of the kinocilia.

          II. The spiral ganglion extends dendrites to the bottom part of the vestibular hair cells.
            Receptors on these dendrites bind neurotransmitters released from stimulated hair cells.
 

21.     I. Pressure waves enter the cochlear perilymph via the round window.

          II. High frequency sound has high energy therefore it travels farther into the cochlea than
            low energy, low frequency sounds.
 

22.     I.  The cochlear duct is filled with perilymph, which is in contact with the organ of Corti.

          II. Reissner’s membrane connects the organ of Corti to the modiolus.
 

23.     I.  The basilar membrane of the organ of Corti forms part of the wall for the scala vestibuli.

          II. The cochlear nucleus sends both ipsi and contralateral axons to the inferior olivary nucleus.
 
 

24.     I. The auditory signals from the right ear project to both the right and left Brodmann’s
            area 41 and 42.

          II. The left inferior colliculi sends axons to the left lateral geniculate body but not the right
            geniculate body.
 

25.     I. The tectal spinal tract, located in the ventral fasciculus of the spinal cord, sends
            information to lower motor neurons for the auditory reflex.

          II. The superior colliculus sends axons to the PPRF via the MLF, as part of the
            auditory reflex.
 

26.     I. For most people, the left auditory cortex is larger than the right.

          II. Neurons from the superior olivary nucleus send axons to synapse on inhibitory neurons
            located in the cochlear nucleus. Those inhibitory neurons then project to the hair cells
            of the organ of Corti.
 

27.     I. Endolymph, which has a high potassium level, is secreted by the stria vascularis into
            cochlear duct.

          II. Hair cells of the organ of Corti release neurotransmitters that bind to the dendrites
            of neurons. The cell bodies of those neurons are located in Scarpa’s ganglion.
 

28.     I. The further from the stapes bone the cochlear basilar membrane is, the wider and
            stiffer that membrane becomes.

        II. Helicotrema connects the scala vestibuli with the scala tympani.
 

29.     I. If a patient has extreme difficulty hearing but can perceive sound when a vibrating
            tuning fork is placed on the mastoid process, then the patient is likely suffering
            from conduction loss.

          II. The modiolus is the bony region within the cochlear.
 

30.     I. The spiral ligament is connected to the basilar membrane in the organ of Corti.

          II. All axons from the cochlear nucleus synapse either on the right or left superior olivary
            nucleus.
 

31.     I. Ora serrata is the area on the sclera where the retina ends.

          II. Optic papilla, i.e., fovea, is the most sensitive part of the retina.
 

32.     I. The posterior chamber is filled with a gelatinous substance.

         II. The optic disk is located on the nasal side of the retina.
 

33.     I. The central artery of the retina is a branch of the posterior ciliary artery.

          II. The ophthalmic artery is a branch of the anterior cerebral artery.
 

34.     I. The inner nuclear layer of the retina contains the cell bodies of the bipolar neurons
            and amacrine neurons.

          II. The outer plexiform layer of the retina contains the dendrites and axons of the horizontal
            neurons.
 

35.     I. The inner plexiform layer of the retina receives its blood supply from the central artery
            of the retina.

         II. Rods have greater convergence than do the cones.
 

36.     I. Bipolar neurons connect rods and cones to the optic ganglion neurons.

         II. When a photon strikes a rhodopsin molecule, there is a decrease in potassium efflux.
 

37.     I. When the retina is exposed to light, the off-center bipolar cells decrease their
            signal to the ganglion cells.

          II. Glutamate inhibits the on-center bipolar cells.
 

38.     I. Parasympathetic input causes the AP diameter of the lens to increase and the
            sympathetic input causes the AP diameter of the lens to decrease.

         II. The corneal epithelium is stratified squamous keratinized.
 

39.     I. Brodmann’s area 8 is the region of the brain that is responsible for the saccades
            movement of the eyes.

          II. During accommodation, the AP diameter of the lens decreases.
 

40.     I. Loss of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus would lead to miosis.

          II. Orbicularis oculi muscle opens the eye lid.
 

41      I. Long ciliary nerves carry parasympathetic input to the ciliary muscle.

          II. The temporal retina sends projections to the contralateral lateral geniculate.
 

42.     I. Information from the right visual field is projected to the right lateral geniculate.

          II. The right lingual gyrus receives information from the left inferior quadrant of the
            visual field.
 

43.     I. A complete unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery will result in homonymous
            hemianopsia.

          II. A tumor in the left temporal lobe may lead to visual compromise in the right
            superior quadrant of the visual field.
 

44.     I. Checking the circuitry involved in the sympathetic light reflex entails shining a light
            in one eye for a direct response (iris constriction).  The contralateral iris will constrict,
            constituting the indirect response.

          II. Neurons in the right pretectal area project bilaterally to the Edinger-Westphal nuclei.
 

45.     I. During a visual startle reflex, neurons from the pretectal area project down the
            tectalbulbar tract to synapse on the muscles that will turn the head and upper body
            towards the light.

          II. A patient comes into your office.  When you shine a light in her left eye, there is no
            indirect response but there is a direct response.  A vascular lesion of the right red
            nucleus could account for this clinical observation.
 

46.     I. Wallenberg syndrome can result in an Argyll-Robertson pupil.

          II. A right hemisected cervical cord will lead to a contralateral Horner’s syndrome
 

47.     I. Low levels of light will stimulate neurons in the superior cervical ganglion.

          II. The pretectal area of the brain stem is caudal to the superior colliculi.
 

48.     I. Mydriasis is a symptom of complete oculomotor nucleus ablation.

          II. A thyroid tumor could lead to anhidrosis.
 

49.     I. Complete ablation of the periaqueductal gray will eliminate all pupil constriction
            of the eye.

          II. The posterior communicating arteries run inferior to the optic chiasm.
 

50.     I. A complete lesion of the left optic nerve that includes Wilbrand’s knee will result
            in total loss of vision in the left eye field and loss of vision in the superior temporal
            quadrant of the right eye.

          II. The left cuneus gyrus receives visual information from the right inferior quadrant
            of the visual field.