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Quiz: Brain Injury, Stroke, and Epilepsy

Test your understanding of Chapter 14. Choose the best answer, then click Show Answer to check.

Question 1

According to the CDC, which statement about concussions is true?

  1. A concussion only counts if the person is knocked out, even briefly
  2. Most concussions happen without any loss of consciousness
  3. A concussion can only be caused by a direct blow to the head
  4. Concussions are always visible on a CT scan
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. CDC has stated that most concussions occur without loss of consciousness. Fogginess, headache, memory trouble, and balance problems are enough to suspect one. Option A is the most common myth. Option C is wrong because a hit to the body that whips the head back and forth can also cause a concussion.

Concept Tested: Concussion Bloom's Level: Remember

Question 2

About what share of all strokes are ischemic, according to the CDC?

  1. About 13%
  2. About 25%
  3. About 50%
  4. About 87%
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. CDC reports that about 87% of strokes are ischemic, caused by a clot or particle blocking an artery. Option A reverses the numbers: hemorrhagic strokes make up the smaller remaining share.

Concept Tested: Ischemic Stroke Bloom's Level: Remember

Question 3

Which of these is one of the Epilepsy Foundation's "Stay, Safe, Side" seizure first aid steps?

  1. Turn the person on their side if they are not awake and aware
  2. Place a spoon or soft object between the teeth
  3. Hold the arms and legs still so the jerking stops sooner
  4. Give the person a sip of water as soon as the shaking slows
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. Turning the person gently onto one side, mouth pointing to the ground, keeps their airway clear. Option B is dangerous: a person cannot swallow their tongue, and CDC warns that an object in the mouth can hurt their teeth or jaw. Restraining (C) doesn't stop a seizure, and food or water (D) should wait until the person is fully awake.

Concept Tested: Seizure First Aid Bloom's Level: Remember

Question 4

Why do hospitals scan a stroke patient's brain, usually with CT, before giving a clot-busting medicine?

  1. To measure how many neurons have already died
  2. To decide which arm is weaker
  3. To check for bleeding, because clot busters would make a hemorrhagic stroke worse
  4. To confirm that the stroke started less than one hour ago
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. Clot busters dissolve clots in ischemic strokes, but in a hemorrhagic stroke they would worsen the bleeding, so doctors must rule out bleeding first. Option D sounds plausible because timing matters, but a CT scan can't show exactly when symptoms began. That comes from the history, which is why bystanders should note the time.

Concept Tested: Clot-Busting Treatment Bloom's Level: Understand

Question 5

Which statement about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is accurate?

  1. It is caused by a single mild concussion in most people
  2. It can currently be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after death
  3. It is diagnosed with a routine blood test after each game
  4. It is the same disease as Alzheimer's disease
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. CTE is defined by a distinctive pattern of tau buildup that can currently be confirmed only by studying brain tissue after death. Living people may be evaluated with research criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Option D is a tempting distractor because tau is also involved in Alzheimer's disease, but the pattern in CTE is different.

Concept Tested: Chronic Traumatic Enceph. Bloom's Level: Understand

Question 6

A tackle hits a player in the chest, but nothing touches the player's head. Why can this still injure the brain?

  1. The impact sends blood pressure in the brain to dangerously high levels
  2. Force travels through the spinal cord and directly damages the cortex
  3. The hit triggers a seizure, which is what injures the brain
  4. The head whips back and forth, so the brain moves inside the skull and axons can stretch
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. The brain floats in fluid inside the skull. When the head speeds up or stops suddenly, the brain keeps moving and can strike the skull, and twisting stretches long axons. Option B sounds anatomical but is not how the injury happens. The damage comes from the brain's own motion.

Concept Tested: Traumatic Brain Injury Bloom's Level: Understand

Question 7

You're having lunch with your grandmother. Suddenly her speech is slurred and, when you ask her to raise both arms, her left arm drifts down. The symptoms began about three minutes ago. What should you do?

  1. Call 911 right away and note the time the symptoms started
  2. Drive her to the hospital yourself because it will be faster
  3. Have her lie down and wait 30 minutes to see if the symptoms pass
  4. Give her a glass of water and check her again in an hour
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. Arm drift and slurred speech are BE-FAST warning signs, and "Time" means calling 911 immediately and noting when symptoms began. Option B seems faster, but CDC advises calling 911 because the ambulance crew can start care on the way. Waiting (C) wastes brain-saving time, even if this turns out to be a brief TIA.

Concept Tested: BE-FAST Warning Signs Bloom's Level: Apply

Question 8

A soccer player recovering from a concussion has been cleared to start CDC's return-to-play steps. On Step 3 (moderate activity), her headache comes back. What should happen next?

  1. Push through the headache, since mild symptoms are normal at this stage
  2. Skip ahead to non-contact drills, which are less tiring than jogging
  3. Stop, contact her health care provider, and after more rest restart at the previous step
  4. Start the entire recovery process over from the day of the injury
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. CDC's rule is to move forward only when there are no new symptoms. If symptoms return, the athlete stops, contacts the provider, and after more rest restarts at the previous step. Option D sounds cautious but is not what CDC describes. The athlete steps back one level rather than starting over.

Concept Tested: Return-to-Learn and Play Bloom's Level: Apply

Question 9

A patient suddenly develops weakness of the right face and right arm (the right leg is only mildly weak) and has trouble finding words. Which blocked artery best explains this pattern?

  1. Right middle cerebral artery
  2. Left middle cerebral artery
  3. Left anterior cerebral artery
  4. Left posterior cerebral artery
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. Right-sided weakness points to the left hemisphere. Face and arm weakness worse than the leg points to the MCA, which feeds the face and arm areas of the motor strip and, in most people, the left-hemisphere language areas. Option C would weaken the right leg more than the arm, and option A would affect the left side of the body.

Concept Tested: Stroke Bloom's Level: Analyze

Question 10

Which person meets the usual definition of epilepsy?

  1. A toddler who had one seizure during a high fever
  2. A teen who had one seizure after a night with no sleep and no seizures since
  3. An adult who had a seizure while their blood sugar was very low
  4. A student who has had two unprovoked seizures, three weeks apart
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. Epilepsy is usually diagnosed after two or more unprovoked seizures more than 24 hours apart. Options A and C describe provoked seizures with a clear temporary cause, and option B is a single seizure linked to a known trigger, so none of them meets the usual definition on its own.

Concept Tested: Epilepsy Bloom's Level: Analyze