Neuroanatomy: hypothalamic thermoregulation: 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: hypothalamic thermoregulation

Sample item

After surgery near the base of the brain, a patient cannot dissipate heat and becomes hyperthermic in a warm room, with absent sweating and cutaneous vasodilation. Which hypothalamic region is damaged?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Preoptic and anterior hypothalamus

The preoptic and anterior hypothalamus senses a rise in temperature and triggers sweating and vasodilation. The posterior hypothalamus drives heat conservation and production, so its damage causes failure to respond to cold.

Option by option

  • A. Lateral hypothalamic area

    The lateral hypothalamic area is the feeding centre.

  • B. Ventromedial nucleus

    The ventromedial nucleus is the satiety centre.

  • C. Posterior hypothalamus

    Posterior hypothalamic damage impairs heat conservation, so the patient is poikilothermic in the cold.

  • D. Preoptic and anterior hypothalamus (correct)

    Correct. Anterior hypothalamic damage abolishes heat-loss responses and causes hyperthermia.

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, Preoptic and anterior hypothalamus. The preoptic and anterior hypothalamus senses a rise in temperature and triggers sweating and vasodilation.

Why is "Lateral hypothalamic area" not the answer?

The lateral hypothalamic area is the feeding centre.

Why is "Ventromedial nucleus" not the answer?

The ventromedial nucleus is the satiety centre.

Why is "Posterior hypothalamus" not the answer?

Posterior hypothalamic damage impairs heat conservation, so the patient is poikilothermic in the cold.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Neuroanatomy: hypothalamic thermoregulation in Anatomy. The posterior hypothalamus drives heat conservation and production, so its damage causes failure to respond to cold.

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: hypothalamic thermoregulation?

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.