View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Sacks concludes the book by talking about how there is a tendency for the ________ to take on specific patterns.

2. Some patients can respond to _________ as many migraines are sensitive to suggestion during the episode.

3. Sacks points out that many doctors and patients are still looking for the _____________ to help with migraine pain management.

4. After a migraine, there is a period described as a _________, which often lasts around three hours after the pain subsides.

5. In some cases, all three of the possible hallucinations can be seen during a single migraine ________, according to the author.

Short Essay Questions

1. What sort of person does Sacks say is someone who might actually be self-destructive or may have a desire toward self-punishment?

2. What does Sacks point out as causing complications in terms of finding accurate and consistent diagnoses?

3. What are the two categories of hallucinations that are most often attributed to migraine experiences?

4. What does Sacks say is uniquely human about the experience of migraines in humans, though he does not dispute that animals can have migraines too?

5. What does Sacks have to say about patients who have to face chronic migraines in their lives?

6. What does Sacks point out is more needed in the animal world than in the human world?

7. Why was Lashley mostly dismissed by his contemporaries in the migraine research field, according to the last section of this book?

8. What are some of the typical pieces of advice which Sacks might offer to a patient who is suffering from migraines?

9. What does Sacks say becomes an important part of the study of migraines, according to this section of the book?

10. What happens when Sacks has a patient who will only agree to be treated with medications for their migraines?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Case histories are used to illustrate the concept of a migraine.

Part 1: Why are case histories important in medical treatment of disorders?

Part 2: Is there a case history in the book that doesn't seem to help the discussion of migraines? Why not?

Part 3: How do you think case histories might be harmful to the discussion of a condition?

Essay Topic 2

Reymond is a doctor who discusses his own pain in order to help other migraine sufferers.

Part 1: Do you think that a firsthand experience is the best way to learn about a disorder?

Part 2: How do you think Reymond's condition might affect his ability to describe migraines?

Part 3: Why do you think that migraines are important to Sacks if he doesn't suffer from them?

Essay Topic 3

Doctors don't seem to be able to point out just one cause for a migraine, making treatment all the more difficult.

Part 1: Why do you think it's difficult to diagnose the cause of migraines?

Part 2: How do you think research could be changed to find the causes of migraines?

Part 3: Do you think there is one single cause of migraines? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 715 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample