Head and neck: trigeminal ganglion: 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 · Head and neck: trigeminal ganglion

Sample item

A neurosurgeon performs percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy of the trigeminal ganglion in Meckel's cave for neuralgia. The ganglion contains cell bodies of which neurons?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Pseudounipolar sensory neurons for touch, pain and temperature of the face

The trigeminal ganglion is a sensory ganglion containing pseudounipolar neurons for general sensation from the face, oral cavity and meninges. Motor fibres to the masticatory muscles bypass it in the motor root. Proprioceptive neurons from the jaw lie in the mesencephalic nucleus within the brainstem.

Option by option

  • A. Proprioceptive neurons of the masticatory muscles

    The cell bodies for jaw proprioception lie in the mesencephalic nucleus of the brainstem.

  • B. Preganglionic parasympathetic neurons

    Parasympathetic fibres synapse in other ganglia and are not cell bodies in the trigeminal ganglion.

  • C. Motor neurons of the muscles of mastication

    The motor root passes beneath the ganglion and its cell bodies lie in the pons.

  • D. Pseudounipolar sensory neurons for touch, pain and temperature of the face (correct)

    Correct. It is a sensory ganglion for facial exteroception.

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, Pseudounipolar sensory neurons for touch, pain and temperature of the face. The trigeminal ganglion is a sensory ganglion containing pseudounipolar neurons for general sensation from the face, oral cavity and meninges.

Why is "Proprioceptive neurons of the masticatory muscles" not the answer?

The cell bodies for jaw proprioception lie in the mesencephalic nucleus of the brainstem.

Why is "Preganglionic parasympathetic neurons" not the answer?

Parasympathetic fibres synapse in other ganglia and are not cell bodies in the trigeminal ganglion.

Why is "Motor neurons of the muscles of mastication" not the answer?

The motor root passes beneath the ganglion and its cell bodies lie in the pons.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: trigeminal ganglion in Anatomy. Motor fibres to the masticatory muscles bypass it in the motor root. Proprioceptive neurons from the jaw lie in the mesencephalic nucleus within the brainstem.

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 Head and neck: trigeminal ganglion?

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.