Free NPTE® Sample Practice Questions

We understand that it’s all about the content. That’s why we our have high-yield practice questions written and screened by high-performing physical therapists, and why they are updated on a regular basis to ensure our SmartBanks stay up-to-date with exam blueprint changes.

See what we mean with this free physical therapy board exam sample question.

Your Free NPTE Practice Question

A physical therapist is conducting an initial examination with a patient who has an incomplete spinal cord injury. The physical therapist assesses proprioception of the right ankle during their sensory testing and finds it to be absent. WHICH spinal tract is affected?

• Dorsal column medial lemniscus
• Lateral corticospinal
• Medial corticospinal
• Spinothalamic

The Answer and Explanation

The correct answer is Dorsal column medial lemniscus. The dorsal column medial lemniscus relays light touch and conscious proprioception in the spinal cord.

Absent proprioception of the right ankle suggests that the incomplete injury occurred on the right side above the level of innervation of the ankle since the dorsal column carries the sensations of light touch and proprioception from the same side of the body until it crosses in the medulla.

Incorrect Answer Explanations:

Lateral corticospinal
The lateral corticospinal tract relays motor information from the motor cortex through the spinal cord to the distal extremities.

Medial corticospinal
The medial corticospinal tract relays motor information from the motor cortex through the spinal cord to the proximal muscles of the trunk and extremities.

Spinothalamic
The spinothalamic tract relays pain and temperature information in the spinal cord.

Bottom Line:

The dorsal column medial lemniscus relays light touch and conscious proprioception in the spinal cord. Depending on which tracts of the spinal cord are affected, patients will demonstrate different patterns of motor and sensory deficits, which will require the physical therapist to adjust their treatment plan and patient education accordingly.