The Nervous System MCQs with Answers

1. Astrocytic processes can be demonstrated by:
A. Reticulin stain
B. Phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin (PTAH)
C. Periodic acid Schiff (PAS)
D. van Gieson

2. Normally, the most numerous of the cells in the central nervous system are:

1. A. Astrocytes
2. B. Neurons
3. C. Oligodendrocytes
4. D. Microglia

3. Arnold-Chiari malformation consists of the following except:
A. Elongation of the medulla with part of 4th ventricle
B. S-shaped bend in the medulla
C. Encephalocele
D. Lengthening and herniation of cerebellar vermix

4. Secondary hydrocephalus has the following features except:
A. There is compensatory increase of CSF
B. It occurs due to loss of neural tissue
C. There is increased intracranial pressure
D. Common causes are cerebral atrophy and infarction

5. The most common route of spread of infection to the brain is:

1. A. Via venous route
2. B. Via arterial route
3. C. Via lymphatics
4. D. Along nerves

6. Glucose content of CSF is unaltered in the following type of meningitis:

1. A. Acute pyogenic meningitis
2. B. Acute viral meningitis
3. C. Cryptococcal meningitis
4. D. Tuberculous meningitis

7. The following viral infection of the brain produces intra- cytoplasmic inclusions:

1. A. Herpes simplex virus
2. B. Cytomegalovirus
3. C. Rabies virus
4. D. Enteroviruses

8. The etiologic agent for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is as under:

1. A. HIV
2. B. JC virus
3. C. Prions
4. D. Zoster-varicella virus

9. The lowest limit of critical level of systolic pressure upto which the brain continues to be perfused is:

1. A. 70 mmHg
2. B. 60 mmHg
3. C. 50 mmHg
4. D. 40 mmHg

10. Subarachnoid haemorrhage results most often from the following:

1. A. Hypertension
2. B. Aneurysm
3. C. Vascular malformation
4. D. Bleeding diathesis

11. Acute subdural haematoma has the following features except:
A. Blood is of venous origin
B. Accumulated blood is in liquid form
C. No significant compression of gyri
D. Symptoms develop slowly

12. Neuritic plaques are seen in the brain in:
A. Multiple sclerosis
B. Alzheimer’s disease
C. Parkinsonism
D. Perivenous encephalomyelitis

13. Primary CNS tumours may arise from the following constituent cells except:

1. A. Neuroglia
2. B. Microglia
3. C. Neurons
4. D. Meninges

14. Out of the following, the most common tumour in children is:
A. Ewing’s sarcoma
B. Neuroblastoma
C. Glioma
D. Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma

15. Astrocytoma occurring in children is commonly:

1. A. Fibrillary
2. B. Pilocytic
3. C. Anaplastic
4. D. Glioblastoma multiforme

16. Small foci of calcification are frequently seen on X-ray of the following glioma:

1. A. Ependymoma
2. B. Oligodendroglioma
3. C. Astrocytoma
4. D. Choroid plexus papilloma

17. Myxopapillary ependymoma characteristically occurs at the following location:

1. A. Lateral ventricles
2. B. Fourth ventricle
3. C. Third ventricle
4. D. Filum terminale

18. The following brain tumour has a tendency to metastasise by haematogenous route:

1. A. Anaplastic astrocytoma
2. B. Glioblstoma multiforme
3. C. Medulloblastoma
4. D. Ependymoma

19. The cell of origin of meningioma is:

1. A. Dura mater
2. B. Arachnoid cap cell layer
3. C. Pia mater
4. D. Choroid plexus

20. Transection of axon is followed by:
A. Wallerian degeneration
B. Axonal degeneration

C. Segmental degeneration
D. Hypertrophy of Schwann cells

21. Angiocentric growth pattern is typical of following CNS tumour:

1. A. Glioblastoma multiforme
2. B. Haemangioblastoma
3. C. Primary CNS lymphoma
4. D. Medulloblastoma

22. The most common cause of dementia is:
A. Parkinsonism
B. Alzheimer’s disease
C. Multiple sclerosis
D. Perivenous encephalomyelitis

23. Common cause of meningitis in neonates with neural tube defects is:

1. A. Escherichia coli
2. B. Neisseria meningitides
3. C. Streptococcus pneumoniae
4. D. Staphylococcus aureus

24. Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy is caused by:

1. A. HIV
2. B. CMV
3. C. JC virus
4. D. Prions

25. Characteristic inclusions seen in parkinsonism are:

1. A. Hirano bodies
2. B. Neurofibrillary tangle
3. C. Negri bodies
4. D. Lewy bodies

26. Type of meningioma associated with extraneural metastasis:

1. A. Syncytial meningioma
2. B. Fibrous meningioma
3. C. Anaplastic meningioma
4. D. Angioblastic meningioma

27. Which of the following is not true about a schwannoma:

1. A. Unencapsulated
2. B. Antoni A pattern
3. C. Antoni B pattern
4. D. Verocay bodies

28. An 84 years old man, after an evening walk in the garden, is seen wandering in the street in search of his way back home and is helped by a passerby to find his way to home. The patient’s family gives history of his deteriorating congnitive function progressively for the last 2 years. There is no history of any head injury, diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease. What is the most likely cause of this patient’s symptoms?
A. Parkinsonism
B. Alzheimer’s disease
C. Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
D. Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

29. A 10-year-old girl develops ataxia and hydrocephalus. CT scan shows a midline cerebellar mass. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

1. A. Astrocytoma
2. B. Meningioma
3. C. Neurofibroma
4. D. Medulloblastoma

30. A one year old female child presented with an enlarging abdominal mass. Her 24-hour unrinary levels of metanephrine are elevated. Histopathology of the resected mass shows the tumour composed of numerous proliferating small round blue cells with occasional Homer-Wright rosettes. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

1. A. Hepatoblastoma
2. B. Nephroblastoma
3. C. Neuroblastoma
4. D. Embryonal rhabdosarcoma

Answer Key

1) = B, 2) = C, 3) = C, 4) = C, 5) = B, 6) = B,  7) = C,  8) = C,  9) = C, 10) = B, 11) = B, 12) = B, 13) = B, 14) = B, 15) = B, 16) = B, 17) = D, 18) = C, 19) = B, 20) = A, 21) = C, 22) = B, 23) = A, 24) = C, 25) = D, 26) = C, 27) = A, 28) = B, 29) = D, 30) = C