150 MCQ Practice Test- DPAP Neuroanatomy Fall 2026

A lesion of the left precentral gyrus would most likely produce:

A. Left-sided weakness

B. Right-sided weakness

C. Bilateral weakness

D. Right-sided sensory loss

B. Right-sided weakness

The primary motor cortex is located in the:

A. Postcentral gyrus

B. Superior temporal gyrus

C. Precentral gyrus

D. Cingulate gyrus

C. Precentral gyrus

The primary somatosensory cortex is located in the:

A. Precentral gyrus

B. Postcentral gyrus

C. Cuneus

D. Insula

B. Postcentral gyrus

The lower extremity representation of the motor homunculus is found primarily in the:

A. Inferior frontal gyrus

B. Postcentral gyrus

C. Paracentral lobule

D. Temporal pole

C. Paracentral lobule

An ACA stroke would most likely affect which body region?

A. Face

B. Upper extremity

C. Lower extremity

D. Tongue

C. Lower extremity

The area most responsible for language production is:

A. Wernicke area

B. Broca area

C. Primary visual cortex

D. Hippocampus

B. Broca area

Damage to Wernicke area produces:

A. Dysphagia

B. Nonfluent aphasia

C. Fluent aphasia with impaired comprehension

D. Ataxia

C. Fluent aphasia with impaired comprehension

Which structure is the largest commissural pathway connecting the cerebral hemispheres?

A. Fornix

B. Internal capsule

C. Corpus callosum

D. Cingulum

C. Corpus callosum

The fornix is most closely associated with:

A. Vision

B. Hearing

C. Memory circuits

D. Motor control

C. Memory circuits

The hippocampus is particularly important for:

A. Coordination

B. Memory consolidation

C. Fine touch

D. Speech production

B. Memory consolidation

The amygdala is most associated with:

A. Vision

B. Emotion

C. Balance

D. Fine motor control

B. Emotion

Which diencephalic structure serves as a major sensory relay station?

A. Hypothalamus

B. Thalamus

C. Amygdala

D. Putamen

B. Thalamus

The VPL nucleus relays sensory information from:

A. Retina

B. Face

C. Body

D. Cerebellum

C. Body

The VPM nucleus relays sensory information from:

A. Face

B. Leg

C. Arm

D. Eye

A. Face

Visual information is relayed through the:

A. VPM

B. LGN

C. VPL

D. Subthalamic nucleus

B. LGN

Which structure lies medial to the internal capsule?

A. Putamen

B. Globus pallidus

C. Thalamus

D. Substantia nigra

C. Thalamus

Which structure lies lateral to the internal capsule?

A. Thalamus

B. Putamen

C. Hypothalamus

D. Caudate head

B. Putamen

The posterior limb of the internal capsule lies between:

A. Caudate and putamen

B. Thalamus and lentiform nucleus

C. Hippocampus and amygdala

D. Pons and medulla

B. Thalamus and lentiform nucleus

The lentiform nucleus is composed of:

A. Caudate + putamen

B. Putamen + globus pallidus

C. Caudate + globus pallidus

D. Thalamus + putamen

B. Putamen + globus pallidus

The caudate nucleus is separated from the putamen by:

A. Internal capsule

B. Corpus callosum

C. Fornix

D. Thalamus

A. Internal capsule

A patient develops resting tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity. Dysfunction of which structure is most likely?

A. Hippocampus

B. Substantia nigra

C. VPL

D. LGN

B. Substantia nigra

Parkinson disease is classified as:

A. Hyperkinetic

B. Sensory

C. Hypokinetic

D. Cerebellar

C. Hypokinetic

Huntington disease is classified as:

A. Hypokinetic

B. Hyperkinetic

C. UMN

D. LMN

B. Hyperkinetic

Hemiballismus is most commonly associated with damage to the:

A. Caudate

B. Putamen

C. Subthalamic nucleus

D. Thalamus

C. Subthalamic nucleus

Which basal ganglia structure is NOT located superior to the brainstem?

A. Caudate

B. Putamen

C. Thalamus

D. Substantia nigra

D. Substantia nigra

CN III emerges from the:

A. Midbrain

B. Pons

C. Medulla

D. Cerebellum

A. Midbrain

CN VII emerges from the:

A. Midbrain

B. Pons

C. Medulla

D. Diencephalon

B. Pons

A lesion of a CN XII nucleus would produce:

A. Contralateral tongue weakness

B. Ipsilateral tongue weakness

C. Bilateral tongue weakness

D. Leg weakness

B. Ipsilateral tongue weakness

A lesion of a cranial nerve nucleus generally causes:

A. UMN signs

B. Contralateral deficits

C. Ipsilateral LMN deficits

D. Bilateral sensory loss

C. Ipsilateral LMN deficits

Which cranial nerves are associated with the midbrain?

A. III, IV

B. V, VI

C. VII, VIII

D. IX, X

A. III, IV

The dorsal column-medial lemniscus system carries:

A. Pain

B. Temperature

C. Fine touch

D. Itch only

C. Fine touch

The spinothalamic tract carries:

A. Vibration

B. Fine touch

C. Pain

D. Proprioception

C. Pain

Fibers of the DCML pathway cross at the:

A. Spinal cord

B. Medulla

C. Midbrain

D. Thalamus

B. Medulla

Spinothalamic fibers cross primarily in the:

A. Cortex

B. Medulla

C. Brainstem

D. Spinal cord

D. Spinal cord

A lesion of the right dorsal column at T10 causes:

A. Left vibration loss below T10

B. Right vibration loss below T10

C. Left pain loss below T10

D. Bilateral deficits

B. Right vibration loss below T10

A lesion of the right spinothalamic tract in the spinal cord causes:

A. Right pain loss

B. Left pain loss

C. Right vibration loss

D. Bilateral weakness

B. Left pain loss

A lesion of the medial lemniscus on the left causes:

A. Left vibration loss

B. Right vibration loss

C. Left pain loss

D. Bilateral vibration loss

B. Right vibration loss

The cell bodies of first-order sensory neurons are located in the:

A. VPL

B. Cortex

C. DRG

D. Cerebellum

C. DRG

The primary somatosensory cortex is found in the:

A. Frontal lobe

B. Temporal lobe

C. Postcentral gyrus

D. Insula

C. Postcentral gyrus

Which sensory modality is carried by the fasciculus gracilis?

A. Pain

B. Temperature

C. Vibration from lower limb

D. Vision

C. Vibration from lower limb

The corticospinal tract originates primarily in the:

A. Postcentral gyrus

B. Precentral gyrus

C. Thalamus

D. Cerebellum

B. Precentral gyrus

Most corticospinal fibers cross at the:

A. Internal capsule

B. Medullary pyramids

C. Pons

D. Midbrain

B. Medullary pyramids

An upper motor neuron lesion causes:

A. Flaccidity

B. Hyperreflexia

C. Muscle atrophy

D. Fasciculations

B. Hyperreflexia

A lower motor neuron lesion causes:

A. Spasticity

B. Babinski sign

C. Fasciculations

D. Hypertonia

C. Fasciculations

A right corticospinal lesion above the pyramidal decussation causes:

A. Right weakness

B. Left weakness

C. Bilateral weakness

D. No deficit

B. Left weakness

A lesion of the left corticospinal tract in the spinal cord causes:

A. Left weakness

B. Right weakness

C. Bilateral weakness

D. Left sensory loss only

A. Left weakness

Which structure is traversed by corticospinal fibers?

A. Internal capsule

B. Hippocampus

C. Amygdala

D. Cingulate gyrus

A. Internal capsule

A patient has hyperreflexia, spasticity and weakness. The lesion is most likely:

A. UMN

B. LMN

C. NMJ

D. Muscle

A. UMN

The final common pathway to skeletal muscle is the:

A. UMN

B. Thalamus

C. LMN

D. Cerebellum

C. LMN

The cortical representation of the face is located:

A. Medially

B. In the paracentral lobule

C. Inferolaterally on the precentral gyrus

D. Adjacent to the calcarine sulcus

C. Inferolaterally on the precentral gyrus

A patient suffers a stroke involving the right ACA. Which deficit is most likely?

A. Left facial weakness

B. Left arm weakness

C. Left leg weakness

D. Right leg weakness

C. Left leg weakness

A patient has a left MCA stroke. Which finding is most likely?

A. Right leg weakness only

B. Right face and arm weakness

C. Bilateral visual loss

D. Ipsilateral facial weakness

B. Right face and arm weakness

Which artery most commonly supplies Broca area?

A. ACA

B. MCA

C. PCA

D. Basilar

B. MCA

A lesion of the left MCA in a right-handed patient may produce:

A. Broca aphasia

B. Left leg weakness only

C. Bilateral blindness

D. Ataxia

A. Broca aphasia

Occlusion of the PCA is most likely to cause:

A. Aphasia

B. Contralateral visual field deficit

C. Flaccid paralysis

D. Hearing loss

B. Contralateral visual field deficit

A patient loses vibration sensation in the right leg below T8. The lesion is most likely located in the:

A. Left spinothalamic tract

B. Right dorsal column

C. Left corticospinal tract

D. Right optic tract

B. Right dorsal column

A lesion of the left medial lemniscus causes:

A. Left-sided vibration loss

B. Right-sided vibration loss

C. Left pain loss

D. Right pain loss

B. Right-sided vibration loss

A patient loses pain and temperature sensation on the left side of the body due to a spinal cord lesion. Which tract is affected?

A. Left dorsal column

B. Right spinothalamic tract

C. Left corticospinal tract

D. Left medial lemniscus

B. Right spinothalamic tract

The first synapse of the spinothalamic pathway occurs in the:

A. VPL

B. Dorsal horn

C. Cerebellum

D. Pons

B. Dorsal horn

A lesion affecting the right postcentral gyrus would result in:

A. Right weakness

B. Left sensory loss

C. Left visual loss

D. Aphasia

B. Left sensory loss

The motor homunculus is located in the:

A. Postcentral gyrus

B. Precentral gyrus

C. Cingulate gyrus

D. Lingual gyrus

B. Precentral gyrus

Damage to the paracentral lobule would most likely affect the:

A. Face

B. Upper extremity

C. Lower extremity

D. Tongue

C. Lower extremity

A stroke involving the medial aspect of the primary motor cortex would most likely cause:

A. Facial paralysis

B. Hand weakness

C. Leg weakness

D. Blindness

C. Leg weakness

Which body region occupies the greatest amount of cortical representation?

A. Abdomen

B. Trunk

C. Hand and face

D. Lower back

C. Hand and face

A lesion of the left precentral gyrus affecting the face region produces:

A. Right facial weakness

B. Left facial weakness

C. Bilateral facial weakness

D. Tongue deviation

A. Right facial weakness

Which structure forms the lateral boundary of the posterior limb of the internal capsule?

A. Thalamus

B. Caudate

C. Lentiform nucleus

D. Fornix

C. Lentiform nucleus

Which structure lies medial to the posterior limb of the internal capsule?

A. Putamen

B. Globus pallidus

C. Thalamus

D. Amygdala

C. Thalamus

A lesion of the internal capsule commonly causes severe deficits because it contains:

A. Cranial nerve nuclei

B. Concentrated ascending and descending fibers

C. CSF pathways

D. Basal ganglia nuclei

B. Concentrated ascending and descending fibers

The caudate nucleus is located:

A. Lateral to the putamen

B. Medial to the internal capsule

C. Inferior to the medulla

D. Posterior to the cerebellum

B. Medial to the internal capsule

Which statement best describes the putamen?

A. Part of the cerebellum

B. Part of the lentiform nucleus

C. Located within the thalamus

D. Visual relay nucleus

B. Part of the lentiform nucleus

Which structure is NOT considered part of the basal ganglia?

A. Putamen

B. Caudate

C. Thalamus

D. Globus pallidus

C. Thalamus

A patient with Parkinson disease would most likely have:

A. Chorea

B. Bradykinesia

C. Hemiballismus

D. Hyperkinesia

B. Bradykinesia

A patient demonstrates uncontrollable dance-like movements. Which disease is most likely?

A. Parkinson disease

B. Huntington disease

C. ALS

D. Bell palsy

B. Huntington disease

Damage to the subthalamic nucleus classically produces:

A. Rigidity

B. Hemiballismus

C. Resting tremor

D. Ataxia

B. Hemiballismus

Which of the following is a hypokinetic disorder?

A. Huntington disease

B. Hemiballismus

C. Parkinson disease

D. Chorea

C. Parkinson disease

A lesion above the pyramidal decussation causes weakness that is:

A. Ipsilateral

B. Contralateral

C. Bilateral

D. Variable

B. Contralateral

A lesion below the pyramidal decussation causes weakness that is:

A. Contralateral

B. Ipsilateral

C. Bilateral

D. None

B. Ipsilateral

The pyramidal decussation occurs in the:

A. Midbrain

B. Pons

C. Medulla

D. Thalamus

C. Medulla

A patient has a lesion of the lateral corticospinal tract at T12 on the right. Expected finding?

A. Left leg weakness

B. Right leg weakness

C. Left arm weakness

D. Right facial weakness

B. Right leg weakness

A lesion of the left motor cortex causes:

A. Left-sided weakness

B. Right-sided weakness

C. Bilateral weakness

D. No weakness

B. Right-sided weakness

Spasticity is most associated with:

A. UMN lesions

B. LMN lesions

C. Muscle lesions

D. Sensory lesions

A. UMN lesions

A patient has fasciculations, severe muscle atrophy, and hyporeflexia. This suggests:

A. UMN lesion

B. LMN lesion

C. Basal ganglia lesion

D. Cerebellar lesion

B. LMN lesion

Babinski sign is characteristic of:

A. LMN lesion

B. UMN lesion

C. Cerebellar lesion

D. CN VII lesion

B. UMN lesion

Which structure carries cortical motor fibers before entering the brainstem?

A. LGN

B. Internal capsule

C. Amygdala

D. Hippocampus

B. Internal capsule

A small lesion of the posterior limb of the internal capsule may produce:

A. Profound contralateral weakness

B. Aphasia only

C. Hearing loss

D. Anosmia

A. Profound contralateral weakness

A patient cannot accurately touch their finger to their nose. This finding is:

A. Aphasia

B. Dysmetria

C. Spasticity

D. Hyperreflexia

B. Dysmetria

Which symptom suggests cerebellar dysfunction?

A. Resting tremor

B. Loss of pain sensation

C. Ataxia

D. Aphasia

C. Ataxia

A lesion of the right cerebellar hemisphere produces deficits on the:

A. Left side

B. Right side

C. Both sides

D. Face only

B. Right side

Cerebellar lesions most commonly affect:

A. Language

B. Coordination

C. Vision

D. Hearing

B. Coordination

An intention tremor is most commonly associated with:

A. Basal ganglia dysfunction

B. Cerebellar dysfunction

C. Thalamic dysfunction

D. Visual pathway dysfunction

B. Cerebellar dysfunction

A patient has weakness and hyperreflexia in the right arm and leg following a left frontal lobe infarct. The lesion most likely involves the:

A. Postcentral gyrus

B. Precentral gyrus

C. Visual cortex

D. Hippocampus

B. Precentral gyrus

A patient cannot understand spoken language but speaks fluently. Which area is damaged?

A. Broca area

B. Wernicke area

C. Primary motor cortex

D. Amygdala

B. Wernicke area

A lesion involving the left paracentral lobule would most likely produce:

A. Right leg weakness

B. Left arm weakness

C. Right facial weakness

D. Left facial weakness

A. Right leg weakness

A patient has loss of vibration sensation in the left leg and left arm but normal pain sensation. The lesion is most likely in the:

A. Left dorsal column-medial lemniscus system

B. Right spinothalamic tract

C. Left optic tract

D. Cerebellum

A. Left dorsal column-medial lemniscus system

A lesion destroys the right medial lemniscus. Which deficit results?

A. Right pain loss

B. Left vibration loss

C. Right vibration loss

D. Bilateral sensory loss

B. Left vibration loss

A patient demonstrates right-sided spastic paralysis after a left internal capsule stroke. The lesion interrupted:

A. Spinothalamic fibers

B. Corticospinal fibers

C. Optic radiations

D. Fornix

B. Corticospinal fibers

A tumor compresses the medial surface of the left frontal lobe. Which deficit is most likely?

A. Right leg weakness

B. Right facial weakness

C. Left arm weakness

D. Visual loss

A. Right leg weakness

A lesion causes loss of pain and temperature sensation on the left side of the body while vibration remains intact. Which tract is involved?

A. Right spinothalamic tract

B. Left dorsal column

C. Left medial lemniscus

D. Corpus callosum

A. Right spinothalamic tract

A patient has hyperreflexia and weakness but no significant muscle atrophy. Which diagnosis best fits?

A. UMN lesion

B. LMN lesion

C. Peripheral neuropathy

D. Myopathy

A. UMN lesion

A patient experiences inability to initiate movement, bradykinesia, and rigidity. Dysfunction of which system is most likely?

A. Cerebellum

B. Spinothalamic tract

C. Basal ganglia

D. Visual pathway

C. Basal ganglia