Question 1

When an individual experiences a collapse of the soft tissue in the back of the throat that partially blocks the airway, they are diagnosed with ____.

Accepted Answer

Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by the collapse of the soft tissue in the back of the throat, which partially blocks the airway during sleep, leading to breathing interruptions.

Question 2

Which disorder would be characterized with episodes of intense fear occurring during sleep?

Accepted Answer

Sleep terrors, also known as night terrors, are characterized by episodes of intense fear that occur during sleep, often involving screaming, intense crying, and flailing while still in a deep sleep phase, typically without any recollection of the event upon waking.

Question 3

Skip undergoes a surgical procedure in which electrodes are implanted in his brain to reduce his tremors and other motor disturbances. Which disorder is being treated?

Accepted Answer

Parkinson's disease is often treated with a surgical procedure known as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), where electrodes are implanted in the brain to reduce tremors and other motor symptoms.

Question 4

A handout on Alzheimer's disease says, "Alzheimer's is the third leading cause of dementia in older persons. It only affects the elderly, it causes marked deterioration in mental functioning without emotional disturbances, and it has no cure." Which portion of this statement is accurate ?

Accepted Answer

Alzheimer's disease currently has no cure, which makes this statement accurate. Alzheimer's can affect younger individuals (early-onset Alzheimer's), it is the leading cause of dementia (not the third), and it can involve emotional disturbances along with cognitive decline.

Question 5

Danny works a short series of overnight shifts and then finds that he is having trouble getting back on a regular sleep schedule. When he sees a doctor he is told he has a type of dyssomnia. What will Danny need to do?

Accepted Answer

Danny needs to establish a consistent bedtime routine to help reset his sleep schedule and clear his mind, which can aid in overcoming dyssomnia.

Question 6

Which nocturnal activity would increase the risk of dyssomnia?

Accepted Answer

Eating a late heavy meal can disrupt sleep patterns and increase the risk of dyssomnia by causing discomfort, indigestion, or acid reflux, which can interfere with the ability to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Question 7

Dr. Wayne says during a differential diagnosis, "We know that the patient's cognitive disorder is caused by an infectious agent. That automatically rules out ____."

Accepted Answer

Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder, not caused by an infectious agent, unlike the other options listed.

Question 8

Why might having AIDS produce dementia?

Accepted Answer

The AIDS virus can invade the brain and directly impact neurological function, leading to cognitive impairments and dementia.

Question 9

Bethany starts working as a nurse on the night shift, and therefore, must change her normal sleeping patterns to accommodate her job. As a result, she has trouble sleeping. What would be the likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Bethany's difficulty in adjusting her sleep pattern due to her night shift job is indicative of a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. This condition arises when there's a misalignment between a person's sleep pattern and the external environment, often seen in shift workers or those with jet lag.

Question 10

It is a rare, genetically transmitted disorder that involves twitching movements, dementia, and death. Its symptoms begin to appear in childhood to late in life, and onset most typically occurs during midlife. What is it?

Accepted Answer

Huntington's disease is a rare, genetically transmitted disorder characterized by movement disorders (including chorea or twitching movements), cognitive decline (dementia), and psychiatric issues, leading to death. Its symptoms can start at any age but most commonly begin in midlife.

Question 11

Which statement about parasomnias is accurate ?

Accepted Answer

Parasomnias, which are disorders characterized by abnormal behavior or physiological events occurring in association with sleep, sleep stages, or partial arousals from sleep, often remit spontaneously, especially in children. The etiology of parasomnias is not well established, making option A incorrect. Parasomnias are not defined by a dysfunction in physiological sleep systems versus psychological systems, as suggested in option B, but rather by unusual or undesirable physical events or experiences that occur during entry into sleep, within sleep, or during arousals from sleep. They are not characterized by an inability to get to sleep, which makes option C incorrect.

Question 12

Neurofibrillary tangles, memory loss, and senile plaques are all related to ____.

Accepted Answer

Neurofibrillary tangles, memory loss, and senile plaques are characteristic features of Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder.

Question 13

Which of the following has been identified as a factor that can help reduce the risk and help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease?

Accepted Answer

A healthy cardiovascular system has been identified as a factor that can help reduce the risk and help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Question 14

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is ____.

Accepted Answer

Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. Neither excessive drinking, the natural aging process, nor excessive blood flow in the brain are recognized as direct causes of Alzheimer's disease.

Question 15

Cade has been having trouble waking up and staying awake during the day. He sleeps long hours at night and still feels tired all of the time. What would be a likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Hypersomnolence disorder is characterized by excessive sleepiness despite getting a normal amount of sleep, which aligns with Cade's symptoms of sleeping long hours and still feeling tired.

Question 16

Sybil becomes somewhat dazed as she hits her head against an open cabinet door. She has experienced the mildest form of head injury, known as a ____.

Accepted Answer

A concussion is the mildest form of head injury, often resulting from a blow to the head that causes the brain to shake inside the skull, leading to temporary cognitive symptoms like dizziness or confusion, as described in the scenario.

Question 17

What is the strongest risk factor for dementia?

Accepted Answer

Age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia. The likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly as a person gets older.

Question 18

A physician says, "Most people know that AIDS leaves people open to deadly infections, but few are aware that cognitive impairment may be the first sign of HIV infection or AIDS. In serious cases, a diagnosis of AIDS delirium complex (ADC) is made. Prevalence of ADC among persons with HIV infection is between 30 to 40 percent in Western countries. Recently, medications have proven to improve symptoms of ADC once they develop." What about the physician's comments is correct ?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A physician says, "Most people know that...

Question 19

At age 64, Mrs. Willis began a long mental decline. She first showed memory loss and irritability, then delusions, social withdrawal, dementia, and finally death at age 68. An autopsy showed neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in her brain. Mrs. Willis died of ____.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described, including memory loss, irritability, delusions, social withdrawal, dementia, and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques found during the autopsy, are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

Question 20

Which of the following organic brain disorders are incurable and always fatal?

Accepted Answer

Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease are both incurable and always fatal. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia, and Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.

Quiz 13: Neurocognitive and Sleep-Wake Disorders