A 62-year-old man presents with progressive proximal lower extremity muscle weakness. He reports difficulty with climbing the stairs and getting up from a chair. He also reports that his mouth has been constantly dry. These symptoms began approximately 3 weeks prior to presentation. Medical history is significant for recently diagnosed small cell carcinoma of the lungs. On physical examination, there is no evidence of muscle atrophy. There is 4/5 strength bilaterally in the hip flexors and extensors, with absent patellar reflexes. When asking the patient to contract both quadriceps for 10 seconds, his patellar reflexes become 2+. Which of the following is most likely to be found on serology?

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Quizlet Adult Medical Surgical Head Injury Monitoring Neurological Status Questions

Question 1 of 5

A 62-year-old man presents with progressive proximal lower extremity muscle weakness. He reports difficulty with climbing the stairs and getting up from a chair. He also reports that his mouth has been constantly dry. These symptoms began approximately 3 weeks prior to presentation. Medical history is significant for recently diagnosed small cell carcinoma of the lungs. On physical examination, there is no evidence of muscle atrophy. There is 4/5 strength bilaterally in the hip flexors and extensors, with absent patellar reflexes. When asking the patient to contract both quadriceps for 10 seconds, his patellar reflexes become 2+. Which of the following is most likely to be found on serology?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Proximal weakness, dry mouth, and reflex facilitation with small cell lung cancer suggest Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, associated with anti-P/Q VGCC antibodies.

Question 2 of 5

Action potentials relay different intensities of information due to the

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Action potentials are all-or-none, but their frequency increases with stimulus intensity, encoding strength via rate coding.

Question 3 of 5

The simplest animals to display cephalization and centralization of the nervous system are

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Flatworms (e.g., planarians) show cephalization (head with nerve concentration) and a simple centralized nervous system, unlike sponges or cnidarians.

Question 4 of 5

The brain of humans is strongly oriented toward the interpretation of

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Humans have a highly developed visual cortex, emphasizing vision as a primary sensory modality.

Question 5 of 5

Schizophrenia

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Schizophrenia features hallucinations and delusions, distinguishing it from depression or dementia.

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