USMLE Step I Exam - Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems

The USMLE Step I Exam, in addition to covering general principles related to various scientific fields, covers a wide range of information regarding the major systems of the body. The exam primarily focuses on the normal operations of each system, the diseases, disorders, and other abnormal conditions that might affect each system, how to treat each system if there is a problem, and what factors might affect a patient's treatment. The Step I Exam specifically covers information regarding the central and peripheral nervous systems related to topics such as cerebral ventricles, embryonic development, fetal maturation, neural tube derivatives, neural crest derivatives, function or organs and organ structure, perinatal changes, and the structure and function of the cells and tissue that make up the organs of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The Step I Exam also covers central and peripheral nervous system topics such as infections, immune disorders, and other types of disorders that might affect the nervous system, how the nervous system repairs itself and regenerates cells and tissue, how the nervous system changes as an individual ages, and methods for treating diseases and disorders that affect the nervous system.

The types of diseases and disorders that affect the central or peripheral nervous system covered on the exam include congenital disorders, degenerative disorders, disorders related to the senses, idiopathic disorders, infectious disorders, inflammatory disorders, immunologic disorders, mechanical disorders, metabolic disorders, neoplastic disorders, paroxysmal disorders, psychopathologic disorders, regulatory disorders, traumatic disorders, vascular disorders, and other diseases and disorders that affect the nervous system. Some specific examples of diseases and disorders covered on the exam that affect the nervous system include Alzheimer dementia, arterial aneurysms, blindness, cerebral palsy, delirium, diabetic neuropathy, epilepsy, hematomas, learning disorders, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and many other similar diseases and disorders. These diseases, disorders, and topics do not necessarily reflect every topic that will be covered on the exam, but most of the questions regarding the central and peripheral nervous systems will relate specifically to these topics.