DACNB case studies
DACNB · Put your knowledge to work in context.
This independent study page provides practice for DACNB. Its editorial learning areas include Functional neuroanatomy and neurological reasoning; Vestibular, ocular motor and balance assessment; Concussion, headache and functional recovery; Neuromusculoskeletal assessment and differential diagnosis; Neurological and musculoskeletal danger signs; Neurorehabilitation, evidence and professional limits. The questions develop subject knowledge and application through worked reasoning, distinctions between competing answers, and practical scenarios. Study the relevant guide before attempting a mixed set, then explain the evidence or calculation that supports each answer. Topics on this exam: Functional neuroanatomy and neurological reasoning, Vestibular, ocular motor and balance assessment, Concussion, headache and functional recovery, Neuromusculoskeletal assessment and differential diagnosis, Neurological and musculoskeletal danger signs, and Neurorehabilitation, evidence and professional limits. The DACNB case studies are 4 cases and about 707 words.
1Continuous dizziness and an inappropriate reassurance
A patient develops continuous severe dizziness, nausea and difficulty walking. The patient has nystagmus and describes the symptoms as unlike previous brief positional episodes. A practitioner who has watched an online eye-movement video wants to perform a few rapid head movements and declare the condition benign if one response seems reassuring. The presentation and the practitioner’s level of training do not justify that shortcut.
173 words, under 1 min2A normal brief screen before a return to risk
An adolescent reports a head impact during sport and initially feels dazed. A brief sideline score later appears normal, and the athlete wants to return because the team has no substitute. The family asks whether an apparently normal score proves recovery. The clinician considers symptoms, mechanism, neurological findings, relevant danger signs and the risks of another impact.
179 words, under 1 min3A positive shoulder test and a changed history
A patient with shoulder pain has a positive provocative maneuver that resembles a common rotator-cuff presentation. During the history, the patient also reports progressive hand weakness, new sensory symptoms and unremitting pain different from the earlier mechanical discomfort. A learner proposes treating the familiar shoulder label without further review because the test is positive. The practitioner recognizes that the test is not perfectly specific and that symptoms may have more than one cause.
181 words, under 1 min4New saddle symptoms during routine care
A person receiving care for a longstanding back problem reports new difficulty passing urine and altered sensation in the saddle region. Leg symptoms have also changed since the previous appointment. The practitioner remembers reading that a surgical procedure is sometimes discussed within a particular number of hours and considers booking a review for the following day. That interpretation confuses a research timing statement with permission to delay assessment.
174 words, under 1 min