Neuroanatomy: parietal lobe syndromes: 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: parietal lobe syndromes

Sample item

A 58-year-old right-handed man after a stroke cannot write, cannot perform simple calculations, cannot name his own fingers, and confuses left and right. Where is the lesion?

ANon-dominant (right) parietal lobeBDominant (left) angular gyrus of the parietal lobeCLeft superior temporal gyrusDLeft inferior frontal gyrus

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Dominant (left) angular gyrus of the parietal lobe

Gerstmann syndrome (agraphia, acalculia, finger agnosia and left-right disorientation) results from a lesion of the dominant angular gyrus in the inferior parietal lobule, supplied by the inferior division of the middle cerebral artery. A non-dominant parietal lesion causes neglect and constructional apraxia.

Option by option

A. Non-dominant (right) parietal lobe
A right parietal lesion causes contralateral neglect and constructional apraxia.
B. Dominant (left) angular gyrus of the parietal lobe (correct)
Correct. The tetrad localises to the dominant angular gyrus.
C. Left superior temporal gyrus
The left superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke area) lesion causes fluent aphasia with poor comprehension.
D. Left inferior frontal gyrus
The left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca area) lesion causes non-fluent aphasia.

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.

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is B, Dominant (left) angular gyrus of the parietal lobe. Gerstmann syndrome (agraphia, acalculia, finger agnosia and left-right disorientation) results from a lesion of the dominant angular gyrus in the inferior parietal lobule, supplied by the inferior division of the middle cerebral artery.

Why is "Non-dominant (right) parietal lobe" not the answer?

A right parietal lesion causes contralateral neglect and constructional apraxia.

Why is "Left superior temporal gyrus" not the answer?

The left superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke area) lesion causes fluent aphasia with poor comprehension.

Why is "Left inferior frontal gyrus" not the answer?

The left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca area) lesion causes non-fluent aphasia.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Neuroanatomy: parietal lobe syndromes in Anatomy. A non-dominant parietal lesion causes neglect and constructional apraxia.

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: parietal lobe syndromes?

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.