BSC2346 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
Module 08 Case Study
Question 1
Joanne just celebrated her 50th birthday and knows that she should probably see her physician for a physical. She’s generally in good health, but has been experiencing some odd symptoms lately. Joanne has been experiencing mild to moderate headaches once or twice a week, usually in the morning hours. She feels that her mental acuity “isn’t what it used to be” and forgets the day of the week occasionally. Her husband often complains that she has the TV too loud, but Joanne thinks it’s a normal volume. She has noticed that her feet and toes are colder and she has to wear socks and slippers around the house to be comfortable.
A few nights a week, she wakes up in the middle of the night with tingling and numbness in her right hand. Joanne works at a desk all day and she notices a sharp, and sometimes throbbing, pain in her feet bilaterally after a long workday. She was thinking that her symptoms were just part of aging, but wonders if it could be abnormal. She has no history of major trauma, alcoholism, cancer, or inherited diseases.
Which of the following choices would best describe the symptoms in Joanne’s feet?
Answers:            
Motor neuron dysfunction
Sensory neuron dysfunction
Permanent neuron damage to the sympathetic nervous system
Both sensory and motor neuron dysfunction
Question 2         
Which of Joanne’s symptoms could be related to peripheral neuropathy?
Question 3
All of the following are possible causes for peripheral neuropathy EXCEPT:
Answers:            
Vitamin B deficiencies
Intervertebral disk herniation
Hemorrhage
Medications
Question 4
If Joanne’s neuropathy is related to diabetes, what are some complications she can expect (and try to avoid)? List and describe at least three complications.
Question 5
All of the following might be explanations for Joanne’s right hand symptoms, EXCEPT:
Answers:            
Lumbar disc herniation
Sleeping on her right shoulder, causing pressure on the brachial plexus
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Cervical disc herniation
Question 6
If Joanne’s hand symptoms area caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, which nerve would be affected?
Answers:            
Median nerve
Ulnar nerve
Radial nerve
Axillary nerve
Question 7
If Joanne’s hand symptoms are caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, which of her fingers would be affected by the numbness?
Answers:            
1st-3rd digits and medial half of the 4th digit
All digits
1st digit only
1st – 3rd digits
Question 8         
How might Joanne’s lower extremity symptoms be related to her job? Briefly describe how ergonomics might be related to the pathophysiology she is experiencing.
Question 9
Dysfunction of the following structures would explain Joanne’s numbness?
Answers:            
Ventral root
Corticospinal tract
Dorsal root
Lumbar plexus
Question 10
Dysfunction of which the following structures may be the cause of Joanne’s lower extremity symptoms?
Answers:            
Sacral plexus
Brachial plexus
Lumbar plexus
Cervical plexus
Question 11
Georgia is 20 years old. She works at a stressful full-time job, co-parents a four-year-old and is attending evening courses to finish her bachelor degree. She has no history of significant trauma or health concerns, other than well-managed type I diabetes. She woke up one morning feeling a little off. When she looked in the mirror, she noticed that her right eye looked droopy and she was unable to smile fully. She panicked, called 911, and ran to her neighbor’s house to ask for a ride to the hospital. Georgia remembers learning in one of her first aid courses that face drooping was a sign of a stroke, so she was very worried.
Question 12
When she arrives at the hospital, the attending physician believe she may be experiencing Bell’s palsy. Which of the following Cranial Nerves is affected by Bell’s palsy?
Answers:            
Vagus Nerve
Oculomotor Nerve
Facial Nerve
Trigeminal Nerve
Question 13
Which of the following statements is true regarding Cranial Nerve VII?
Answers:            
CN VII contains sensory neurons relating to vision only
CN VII contains sensory neurons only
CN VII contains motor neurons only
CN VII contains both sensory and motor neurons
Question 14
Georgia’s physician decides she does, indeed, have Bell’s palsy. The physician tells Georgia that until the disorder is resolves, she may experience a lack of taste on which part of her tongue?
Answers:            
Sublingual
Posterior 2/3rds
Lateral portions
Anterior
Question 15
Besides the Facial Nerve, which of the following also controls motor function of the facial muscles?
Answers:            
Optic Nerve
Glossopharyngeal Nerve
Trigeminal Nerve
Olfactory Nerve
Question 16
If Georgia lost the sense of taste on her entire tongue, which of the other cranial nerves may be damaged?
Answers:            
Hypoglossal Nerve
Accessory Nerve
Vagus Nerve
Glossopharyngeal Nerve
Question 17       
In this case study, you are only given one symptom that Georgia experienced- facial drooping. Now that you know she has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, list and explain at least 3 other symptoms that she may be experiencing.
Question 18
Bell’s palsy is often linked to each of the following causes, EXCEPT:
Answers:            
Mononucleosis
Lead poisoning
Herpes simplex
Influenza
Question 19
Georgia has several risk factors for Bell’s palsy. List and describe at least two risk factors given in this case study.
Question 20
While waiting to be discharged from the hospital, Georgia looked up some symptoms of cranial nerve dysfunction and found something called “tic douloureax”. She asked her nurse if she should expect to experience this painful symptom and her nurse said no, because tic douloureax is usually only associated with dysfunction of ______.
Answers:            
CN V
CN VIII
CN VII
CN I