MRI ARRT Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (21–30)

Question 1

Which structure of the limbic system is most commonly associated with memory consolidation and is frequently affected early in Alzheimer's disease?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Hippocampus. The hippocampus, located in the medial temporal lobe, plays a central role in converting short-term memories into long-term memories. It is among the earliest structures to show atrophy and tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

Question 2

On coronal MRI the amygdala is located immediately anterior and slightly superior to the hippocampal head. Both structures lie in which lobe?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Medial temporal lobe. The amygdaloid complex and hippocampus are both mesial (medial) temporal lobe structures. The amygdala sits just rostral to the hippocampal head within the uncus.

Question 3

The fornix carries efferent fibers from the hippocampus primarily to which structure?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Mammillary bodies. The main postcommissural fornix fibers project from the hippocampus (subiculum) to the mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus, which then relay to the anterior thalamic nuclei via the mammillothalamic tract — a key segment of the Papez circuit.

Question 4

On sagittal MRI, the posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) normally appears as:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Hyperintense on T1 (bright spot). The normal posterior pituitary contains arginine vasopressin (ADH) bound to neurophysin stored in granules; this causes characteristic T1 hyperintensity — the 'posterior pituitary bright spot.' Its absence can indicate central diabetes insipidus.

Question 5

Bitemporal hemianopia is caused by compression of which anatomical structure at the level of the sella?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Optic chiasm. The optic chiasm sits just above the sella turcica. Suprasellar masses (e.g., pituitary macroadenoma, craniopharyngioma) compress the decussating nasal retinal fibers at the chiasm, interrupting the temporal visual fields bilaterally — classic bitemporal hemianopia.

Question 6

The cisterna magna is a CSF cistern located between which structures?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Inferior cerebellum and dorsal medulla. The cisterna magna (cerebellomedullary cistern) is located posterior to the medulla oblongata and inferior to the cerebellar vermis, between the inferior surface of the cerebellum and the dorsal surface of the medulla.

Question 7

On axial MRI at the level of the pons, the basilar artery is typically seen:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Anterior to the pons in the prepontine cistern. The basilar artery runs in the prepontine cistern, lying in the basilar groove on the anterior surface of the pons. It is formed by the junction of the two vertebral arteries at the pontomedullary junction.

Question 8

The facial (CN VII) and vestibulocochlear (CN VIII) nerves enter the temporal bone through which foramen and can be identified on high-resolution MRI?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Internal auditory meatus (IAM). Both CN VII and CN VIII travel through the internal auditory canal (internal auditory meatus). High-resolution T2 sequences (e.g., FIESTA, CISS) depict the fluid-filled IAC and the individual nerve fascicles within it.

Question 9

On axial MRI of the cervical spine, the gray matter of the spinal cord produces a characteristic 'H' or butterfly shape. The anterior (ventral) horns of the gray matter contain primarily:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Lower motor neuron cell bodies. The anterior (ventral) horns of spinal gray matter contain the cell bodies of alpha and gamma motor neurons (lower motor neurons) whose axons exit via the ventral roots to innervate skeletal muscle.

Question 10

The cervical enlargement of the spinal cord occurs approximately at which vertebral levels?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

C4–C8. The cervical enlargement, where cord cross-sectional area is greatest due to the neurons supplying the upper limbs, spans approximately C4–C8 (sometimes listed as C5–T1). This region gives rise to the brachial plexus.

MRI ARRT Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (21–30)

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