BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025
Medical Surgical Nursing
Easy
Which of the following disorders of the brain affects the thermoregulatory response of the body?
Appeared in: BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025
Explanation
- The hypothalamus, located in the brain, functions as the body's primary thermostat, controlling mechanisms for heat production and heat loss.
- It integrates signals from peripheral nerves and the temperature of the blood to maintain a stable core body temperature (homeostasis).
- According to medical literature, injury or disease affecting the hypothalamus (e.g., trauma, hemorrhage, tumors) directly disrupts this control center, leading to abnormalities in thermoregulation such as hyperthermia or hypothermia.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option B: A brain stem glioma affects the brainstem, which is primarily responsible for vital functions like breathing, heart rate, and consciousness, not directly thermoregulation.
- Option C: Guillain-Barré (GB) syndrome is an autoimmune disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It does not affect the central thermoregulatory center within the brain.
- Option D: Epilepsy is a seizure disorder resulting from abnormal electrical activity in the cerebral cortex. It does not involve the primary thermoregulatory functions of the hypothalamus.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Neurological control of thermoregulation as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nurses must meticulously monitor the temperature of patients with hypothalamic injuries, as they are at high risk for life-threatening hyperthermia or hypothermia, a condition known as poikilothermia.
- Interventions for unstable temperatures in these patients may include active warming (e.g., warming blankets) or cooling (e.g., cooling blankets, ice packs) to prevent complications.
- What if? If a patient with a brainstem glioma develops a fever, the nurse's first assumption should not be a primary thermoregulatory failure. Instead, the priority is to investigate for an infectious cause, such as pneumonia or a urinary tract infection, as these patients are often susceptible to infections.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the key concept in the question stem: 'thermoregulatory response of the body'. This asks which part of the brain controls body temperature.
- Second, analyze the options provided by recalling the primary functions of each listed neurological structure or condition.
- Evaluate 'Hypothalamic brain injury'. Recall that the hypothalamus is the master regulator of homeostasis, including body temperature. An injury here would logically disrupt this function.
- Evaluate 'Brain stem glioma'. The brainstem controls basic life functions like breathing and heart rate, not primarily temperature.
- Evaluate 'GB syndrome'. This is a peripheral nerve disorder, not a central brain disorder affecting a control center.
- Evaluate 'Epilepsy'. This is a disorder of cortical electrical activity (seizures), not temperature regulation.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Neurological control of thermoregulation
- Stem keywords: disorders of the brain, thermoregulatory response
- Lead-in keywords: Which
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QeOgzMSja5KUhtuoz8cwUw
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2310-2312
E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 175-177
E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 896-898
Practise the full BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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