Neuroanatomy: cerebral arteries: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Neuroanatomy: cerebral arteries

Sample item

A patient develops contralateral weakness and sensory loss that affect the leg much more than the arm or face, with a grasp reflex and abulia. Which artery is occluded?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Anterior cerebral artery

The anterior cerebral artery supplies the medial frontal and parietal lobes, including the leg area of the motor and sensory homunculus. Occlusion causes contralateral leg-predominant deficits with frontal release signs and abulia.

Option by option

  • A. Posterior cerebral artery

    Posterior cerebral occlusion causes contralateral homonymous hemianopia with macular sparing.

  • B. Middle cerebral artery

    Middle cerebral occlusion affects the face and arm more than the leg and may cause aphasia or neglect.

  • C. Anterior choroidal artery

    Anterior choroidal occlusion causes hemiparesis, hemisensory loss and hemianopia from internal capsule and optic tract involvement.

  • D. Anterior cerebral artery (correct)

    Correct. The leg representation lies on the medial surface supplied by this artery.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is D, Anterior cerebral artery. The anterior cerebral artery supplies the medial frontal and parietal lobes, including the leg area of the motor and sensory homunculus.

Why is "Posterior cerebral artery" not the answer?

Posterior cerebral occlusion causes contralateral homonymous hemianopia with macular sparing.

Why is "Middle cerebral artery" not the answer?

Middle cerebral occlusion affects the face and arm more than the leg and may cause aphasia or neglect.

Why is "Anterior choroidal artery" not the answer?

Anterior choroidal occlusion causes hemiparesis, hemisensory loss and hemianopia from internal capsule and optic tract involvement.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Neuroanatomy: cerebral arteries in Anatomy. Occlusion causes contralateral leg-predominant deficits with frontal release signs and abulia.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Neuroanatomy: cerebral arteries?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.