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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Sacks notes that those who suffer from _________ migraines experience the onset of an attack at fairly regular periods though the times vary from one patient to another.

2. Sacks believes that a single _________ or series of them might actually drive the entire migraine episode.

3. The man with an extreme aura seems to think he is in _________ when he is actually in New York.

4. What might alleviate the pain of a migraine in some patients, while this might also make the pain more severe for some patients?

5. Sacks is just not sure if ____________ or genetics are more of a cause for the migraines which seem to take place in families.

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the visual sensory hallucinations that migraine patients have seen in their experiences before migraines?

2. What happens with the aura during a classic migraine, according to the findings of Sacks?

3. What can be confusing about an aura's presence, according to Sacks in this book?

4. What does Sacks decide is the cause of a woman's migraines that occur on a monthly basis?

5. What is the meaning of aura, as Sacks uses the term in this section?

6. What are the symptoms that the German physician has when he has his migraines?

7. What does Sacks have to say about the connection between family members who experience migraines?

8. How does Sacks propose the genetic link of migraines be tested in order to assure that environmental conditions are not the cause?

9. Why do many migraine sufferers tend to rub one side of their head when they are in the midst of a migraine?

10. What is the problem that Sacks has with saying that migraines can run in families?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pain is something that can change the way a person thinks and the way a person behaves in their lives.

Part 1: How do you think chronic pain affects a person in their life?

Part 2: Why do you think chronic pain needs to be treated aggressively? Or doesn't it?

Part 3: Do you think you could manage with chronic pain? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Migraines seem to be conditions with progressive symptoms, symptoms that come on slowly as opposed to suddenly.

Part 1: Why do you think patients are not always aware of their symptoms when they come on gradually?

Part 2: Do you think a migraine patient should be able to spot their symptoms early?

Part 3: How do you think a patient can treat gradual symptoms? Or can't they?

Essay Topic 3

Migraines are associated with debilitating pain, which means that patients need pain medications.

Part 1: Do you think some people fake migraines in order to get pain medications?

Part 2: How do you think migraines could be treated without pain medications? Is this possible?

Part 3: Do you think pain medication should be the only treatment for migraines?

(see the answer keys)

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