ATI RN
Pediatric Neurology Question Bank Questions
Question 1 of 5
Elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein (MSAFP) strongly indicatspina bifida , an open NTD where AFP leaks into amniotic fluid and maternal blood, per screening protocols (e.g., ACOG). Levels rise significantly by 16-18 weeks. Hydrocephalus alone donot typically elevate MSAFP unless paired with an open defect, which is rare. Both A and B overgeneralizes, as hydrocephaluss link is indirect. Neither dismissspina bifidas established marker. Spina bifidas direct AFP correlation, rooted in its pathophysiology, make B the correct answer, distinguishing it from hydrocephaluss imaging-based diagnosis.
Question 2 of 5
The Gowers sign demonstrates
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Gowers sign indicatproximal motor weakness, seen in muscular dystrophi(e.g., Duchenne), where patients use hands to walk up their legs to stand due to hip and thigh weakness. Poor reflexare nonspecific, not Gowers-specific. Spinal dysraphism and tethered cord affect lower limbs or sphincters, not proximal strength. Hysterical paralysis lacks organic basis. Gowerss biomechanical pattern, per neuromuscular literature, makes D the correct answer.
Question 3 of 5
Landau-Kleffner syndrome is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) involvonset around 3-7 years , acquired aphasia , normal hearing , and multiple seizur, but is more common in boys, not girls . This rare epilepsy disrupts language via temporal lobe discharges. Gender prevalence (boys > girls, ~2:1) per literature contrasts with more common in girls, making B the exception and correct answer, aligning with epidemiologic data.
Question 4 of 5
Neurofibromatosis type I, an autosomal dominant disorder (gene on chromosome 17), is defined by six or more café au lait maculover 5 mm in prepubertal or greater than 15 mm in postpubertal children plus at least one of the following EXCEPT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: NF1 diagnostic criteria (NIH) include café au lait maculplus freckling , Lisch nodul, neurofibromas , osseous lesions , optic gliomas , or family history . Ash leaf maculare hypopigmented spots in tuberous sclerosis, not NF1. This phenotypic distinction makes D the exception and correct answer.
Question 5 of 5
The MOST common cause of static neurologic abnormalitiwhich are observed early in life is
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of static neurologic abnormalitiin early life, per CDC, affecting ~1-4 per 1,000 births. It results from prenatal/perinatal brain injury (e.g., hypoxia), causing non-progressive motor deficits like spasticity or ataxia. Demyelinating and autoimmune diseas(e.g., MS) are progressive or relapsing, rare in infancy. Vascular diseasand stroke cause acute, not static, deficits. CPs early onset, stability, and prevalence rooted in fixed lesions make A the correct answer, distinct from evolving pathologies.