10 USMLE Neurology, Psychiatry and Anatomy Quick Review Questions with Answers (Set 1)

These 10 quick USMLE review questions test the high-yield facts that show up again and again on the exam: Parkinson disease, sensory receptors in diabetes, myasthenia gravis, herpes encephalitis, paranoia, essential tremor, Alzheimer disease, the eye, the larynx and breathing. Each question includes the correct answer.

Written by Dr. Ray Makar, MD, author of the Repeated USMLE Questions eBook series.

Prefer video? Watch daily USMLE case questions on MedFocus by Dr. Ray on YouTube.

How to use this page: read the question, pick your answer, then tap Show Answer and Explanation.

Questions

Question 1. Which one of the following symptoms is most likely found in Parkinson’s disease?

A- Chorea
B- Cogwheel rigidity
C- Intention tremors
D- Visual hallucinations

B- Cogwheel rigidity
The correct answer is B

 

Question 2. Which of the following receptors is the most likely affected in patients with diabetes mellitus?

A- End-bulbs of Krause
B- Meissner’s corpuscle
C- Pacinian corpuscle
D- Ruffini’s end organ

C- Pacinian corpuscle
The correct answer is C

 

Question 3. Which one of the following results of Tensilon test confirms the diagnosis myasthenia gravis?

A- Exaggeration of weakness
B- No effect
C- Rapid amelioration of symptoms
D- Slow and gradual amelioration of symptoms

C- Rapid amelioration of symptoms
The correct answer is C

 

Question 4. Which of the following tests is the most accurate for the diagnosis of herpes encephalitis?

A- MRI of the brain
B- PCR of CSF
C- Serological studies for herpes
D- Viral culture of CSF

B- PCR of CSF- PCR of cerebrospinal fluid is the most accurate and preferred diagnostic test for herpes encephalitis because it directly detects viral DNA. MRI may show temporal lobe abnormalities, but PCR is more definitive. Serology and viral culture are not reliable for acute diagnosis.
The correct answer is B

 

Question 5. Which of the following defense mechanisms is most likely associated with paranoia?

A- Projection
B- Splitting
C- Superego lacunae
D- Undoing

A- Projection- Paranoia is strongly linked to projection, where a person attributes their own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others. The individual believes others are hostile or threatening, when in fact these feelings originate within themselves.
The correct answer is A

 

Question 6. Which of the following is the best therapy for essential tremors?

A- Haloperidol
B- Metoclopramide
C- Physiotherapy
D- Propranolol

D- Propranolol- Propranolol is the first-line treatment for essential tremor because it significantly reduces tremor amplitude. Haloperidol and metoclopramide are dopamine blockers that can actually worsen tremors, and physiotherapy alone is not sufficient for symptom control.
The correct answer is D

 

Question 7. Which of the following is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease?

A- Lewy bodies
B- Negri bodies
C- Neurofibrillary tangles
D- Nuclear atypia

C- Neurofibrillary tangles- Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles made of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Lewy bodies are seen in Parkinson disease and Lewy body dementia, Negri bodies in rabies, and nuclear atypia is a general term not specific to Alzheimer’s.
The correct answer is C

 

Question 8. Canal of Schlemm is located at which one of the following junctions?

A- Cornea and iris
B- Cornea and sclera
C- Cornea and ciliary body
D- Ciliary body and iris

B- Cornea and sclera- The canal of Schlemm lies at the corneoscleral junction (limbus), in the anterior chamber angle. Aqueous humor drains through the trabecular meshwork into this canal; blockage of the angle causes glaucoma.
The correct answer is B

 

Question 9. Which one of the following is the epithelial covering of vocal cords?

A- Simple columnar
B- Simple cuboidal
C- Simple squamous
D- Stratified squamous

D- Stratified squamous
The correct answer is D

 

Question 10. During normal inspiration, the diaphragm?

A- Contracts
B- Does not move
C- Relaxes

A- Contracts
The correct answer is A

 

High-yield points from this set

  • Parkinson disease: tremor at rest, cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia.
  • CSF PCR is the most accurate test for herpes encephalitis.
  • Propranolol is first-line for essential tremor.
  • Neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques = Alzheimer disease.

Keep practicing

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