Pediatric Neurology MCQs

  • Which of the following is the most common cause of seizures in children?
    • A) Epilepsy
    • B) Fever
    • C) Head trauma
    • D) Brain tumor
      Answer: B) Fever
  • What is the hallmark feature of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) affecting the nervous system?
    • A) Chronic headaches
    • B) Encephalitis
    • C) Peripheral neuropathy
    • D) Uveitis
      Answer: C) Peripheral neuropathy
  • Which imaging study is typically used to diagnose brain tumors in children?
    • A) X-ray
    • B) MRI
    • C) CT scan
    • D) Ultrasound
      Answer: B) MRI
  • What is the first-line treatment for an acute seizure in a child?
    • A) Antiepileptic drugs
    • B) Benzodiazepines
    • C) Steroids
    • D) Surgery
      Answer: B) Benzodiazepines
  • Which genetic disorder is characterized by developmental delay and intellectual disability, often accompanied by seizures?
    • A) Down syndrome
    • B) Fragile X syndrome
    • C) Rett syndrome
    • D) Turner syndrome
      Answer: C) Rett syndrome
  • What is the typical age of onset for childhood absence seizures?
    • A) 1-2 years
    • B) 3-6 years
    • C) 7-12 years
    • D) 13-18 years
      Answer: B) 3-6 years
  • Which condition is characterized by a sudden loss of muscle tone, often resulting in falls?
    • A) Myoclonus
    • B) Atonic seizures
    • C) Tonic-clonic seizures
    • D) Absence seizures
      Answer: B) Atonic seizures
  • What is the most common type of headache in children?
    • A) Migraine
    • B) Tension-type headache
    • C) Cluster headache
    • D) Sinus headache
      Answer: B) Tension-type headache
  • Which of the following is a common feature of pediatric multiple sclerosis?
    • A) Transient episodes of limb weakness
    • B) Persistent fever
    • C) Chronic cough
    • D) Gastrointestinal symptoms
      Answer: A) Transient episodes of limb weakness
  • What is the primary treatment approach for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
    • A) Surgery
    • B) Behavioral therapy
    • C) Medication
    • D) Physical therapy
      Answer: C) Medication
  • Which condition is associated with a progressive loss of motor skills and muscle weakness in children?
    • A) Duchenne muscular dystrophy
    • B) Cerebral palsy
    • C) Spina bifida
    • D) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
      Answer: A) Duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • Which test is commonly used to assess the electrical activity of the brain in children?
    • A) MRI
    • B) EEG
    • C) CT scan
    • D) PET scan
      Answer: B) EEG
  • Which condition is characterized by the presence of developmental regression, loss of purposeful hand movements, and gait abnormalities?
    • A) Rett syndrome
    • B) Autism spectrum disorder
    • C) Asperger syndrome
    • D) Down syndrome
      Answer: A) Rett syndrome
  • What is the primary symptom of a brain abscess in children?
    • A) Fever
    • B) Seizures
    • C) Headache
    • D) Vomiting
      Answer: C) Headache
  • Which type of cerebral palsy is characterized by muscle stiffness and spasticity?
    • A) Spastic cerebral palsy
    • B) Dyskinetic cerebral palsy
    • C) Ataxic cerebral palsy
    • D) Mixed cerebral palsy
      Answer: A) Spastic cerebral palsy
  • Which developmental disorder is characterized by severe intellectual disability, motor impairment, and behavioral abnormalities, and is often identified in early childhood?
    • A) Rett syndrome
    • B) Fragile X syndrome
    • C) Down syndrome
    • D) Prader-Willi syndrome
      Answer: B) Fragile X syndrome
  • What is the most common cause of stroke in infants and young children?
    • A) Trauma
    • B) Hemorrhage
    • C) Cardiac anomalies
    • D) Infection
      Answer: C) Cardiac anomalies
  • Which type of seizure involves sudden, brief jerks or muscle contractions?
    • A) Tonic-clonic seizure
    • B) Absence seizure
    • C) Myoclonic seizure
    • D) Atonic seizure
      Answer: C) Myoclonic seizure
  • What is the most common cause of developmental delay in a child?
    • A) Genetic disorders
    • B) Prenatal exposure to drugs
    • C) Environmental factors
    • D) Infection
      Answer: A) Genetic disorders
  • Which condition is characterized by a loss of ability to coordinate voluntary movements, often affecting balance and gait?
    • A) Ataxia
    • B) Athetosis
    • C) Chorea
    • D) Dystonia
      Answer: A) Ataxia
  • What is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability in children?
    • A) Down syndrome
    • B) Fragile X syndrome
    • C) Williams syndrome
    • D) Angelman syndrome
      Answer: B) Fragile X syndrome
  • Which condition involves a sudden, transient loss of consciousness with no postictal state?
    • A) Tonic-clonic seizure
    • B) Absence seizure
    • C) Complex partial seizure
    • D) Atonic seizure
      Answer: B) Absence seizure
  • What is the primary clinical feature of a child with Guillain-Barré syndrome?
    • A) Rapidly progressive muscle weakness
    • B) Chronic muscle pain
    • C) Persistent headache
    • D) Seizures
      Answer: A) Rapidly progressive muscle weakness
  • Which condition involves the degeneration of the myelin sheath in the central nervous system, leading to motor and sensory dysfunction?
    • A) Multiple sclerosis
    • B) Parkinson’s disease
    • C) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
    • D) Huntington’s disease
      Answer: A) Multiple sclerosis
  • Which pediatric neurological condition is associated with a “cherry-red spot” on fundoscopy?
    • A) Tay-Sachs disease
    • B) Niemann-Pick disease
    • C) Sandhoff disease
    • D) Gaucher disease
      Answer: A) Tay-Sachs disease
  • What is the primary treatment for an infant with hydrocephalus?
    • A) Antiepileptic drugs
    • B) Surgery to place a ventriculoperitoneal shunt
    • C) Steroids
    • D) Physical therapy
      Answer: B) Surgery to place a ventriculoperitoneal shunt
  • Which condition is characterized by a sudden onset of severe headache, often described as a “thunderclap” headache?
    • A) Migraine
    • B) Tension headache
    • C) Cluster headache
    • D) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
      Answer: D) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • What is the primary symptom of a child with a brain tumor located in the posterior fossa?
    • A) Ataxia
    • B) Seizures
    • C) Visual disturbances
    • D) Personality changes
      Answer: A) Ataxia
  • Which condition involves the abnormal proliferation of nerve cells and can present as neurocutaneous disorders?
    • A) Neurofibromatosis
    • B) Tuberous sclerosis
    • C) Sturge-Weber syndrome
    • D) Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome
      Answer: A) Neurofibromatosis
  • What is the most common cause of acquired intellectual disability in children?
    • A) Genetic disorders
    • B) Prenatal exposure to alcohol
    • C) Trauma
    • D) Infection
      Answer: B) Prenatal exposure to alcohol
  • Which condition is characterized by a progressive loss of motor function due to degeneration of the motor neurons?
    • A) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
    • B) Spinal muscular atrophy
    • C) Multiple sclerosis
    • D) Parkinson’s disease
      Answer: B) Spinal muscular atrophy
  • What is the primary clinical feature of a child with a Chiari malformation?
    • A) Cerebellar symptoms
    • B) Severe headaches
    • C) Vision loss
    • D) Epileptic seizures
      Answer: A) Cerebellar symptoms
  • Which genetic syndrome is associated with the presence of café-au-lait spots and freckling?
    • A) Neurofibromatosis type 1
    • B) Neurofibromatosis type 2
    • C) Tuberous sclerosis
    • D) Sturge-Weber syndrome
      Answer: A) Neurofibromatosis type 1
  • What is the first-line medication for treating epilepsy in children?
    • A) Carbamazepine
    • B) Phenytoin
    • C) Valproic acid
    • D) Lamotrigine
      Answer: C) Valproic acid
  • Which condition is characterized by progressive atrophy of the brain and is associated with a “cocktail party” personality?
    • A) Huntington’s disease
    • B) Wilson’s disease
    • C) Alzheimer’s disease
    • D) Frontotemporal dementia
      Answer: D) Frontotemporal dementia
  • What is the most common symptom of a child with a neuroblastoma?
    • A) Abdominal mass
    • B) Persistent cough
    • C) Bone pain
    • D) Seizures
      Answer: A) Abdominal mass
  • Which of the following is a common sign of a congenital brain malformation?
    • A) Microcephaly
    • B) Hyperactivity
    • C) Developmental delay
    • D) Muscle weakness
      Answer: A) Microcephaly
  • What is the most common type of primary brain tumor in children?
    • A) Medulloblastoma
    • B) Glioma
    • C) Ependymoma
    • D) Germinoma
      Answer: A) Medulloblastoma
  • Which condition involves the presence of “supratentorial” tumors in the brain?
    • A) Ependymoma
    • B) Glioblastoma
    • C) Craniopharyngioma
    • D) Medulloblastoma
      Answer: C) Craniopharyngioma
  • What is a common feature of myasthenia gravis in children?
    • A) Muscle weakness that worsens with activity
    • B) Seizures
    • C) Persistent headache
    • D) Sensory deficits
      Answer: A) Muscle weakness that worsens with activity
  • Which condition is characterized by a loss of motor skills and the presence of dystonia in children?
    • A) Wilson’s disease
    • B) Huntington’s disease
    • C) Cerebral palsy
    • D) Rett syndrome
      Answer: C) Cerebral palsy
  • What is the primary imaging modality used to evaluate suspected spinal cord injury in children?
    • A) MRI
    • B) CT scan
    • C) X-ray
    • D) Ultrasound
      Answer: A) MRI
  • Which condition involves a severe form of developmental delay with a characteristic “rocking” motion?
    • A) Rett syndrome
    • B) Autism spectrum disorder
    • C) Down syndrome
    • D) Williams syndrome
      Answer: A) Rett syndrome
  • What is a common feature of neurocutaneous syndromes?
    • A) Skin lesions
    • B) Seizures
    • C) Developmental delay
    • D) Hearing loss
      Answer: A) Skin lesions
  • Which condition is characterized by the presence of a “windmill” deformity of the legs and frequent falls?
    • A) Spastic diplegia
    • B) Ataxic cerebral palsy
    • C) Athetoid cerebral palsy
    • D) Dystonic cerebral palsy
      Answer: A) Spastic diplegia
  • What is the most common cause of hydrocephalus in infants?
    • A) Congenital brain malformations
    • B) Tumors
    • C) Infections
    • D) Traumatic injury
      Answer: A) Congenital brain malformations
  • Which condition is characterized by sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleepiness and muscle weakness?
    • A) Narcolepsy
    • B) Insomnia
    • C) Sleep apnea
    • D) Restless legs syndrome
      Answer: A) Narcolepsy
  • What is the most common initial symptom of childhood epilepsy?
    • A) Seizures
    • B) Headaches
    • C) Developmental delay
    • D) Behavioral problems
      Answer: A) Seizures
  • Which condition is characterized by an exaggerated startle response and motor abnormalities in children?
    • A) Myoclonus
    • B) Tonic-clonic seizures
    • C) Absence seizures
    • D) Atonic seizures
      Answer: A) Myoclonus
  • What is a common sign of early-onset Parkinson’s disease in children?
    • A) Tremors
    • B) Rigidity
    • C) Bradykinesia
    • D) All of the above
      Answer: D) All of the above