APEA Neurology Practice Test 2026 - Free Neurology Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

Meningitis causes irritation of the meninges, so the signs most often tested are those that reflect meningeal irritation: a stiff neck (nuchal rigidity) and specific signs that appear when the brain or spinal cord is maneuvered. Kernig’s sign shows up as pain or resistance when the knee is extended with the hip flexed, while Brudzinski’s sign occurs when neck flexion leads to involuntary hip and knee flexion. Babinski sign, on the other hand, is an upper motor neuron sign indicating corticospinal tract dysfunction and is not a typical indicator of meningeal irritation. Therefore, Babinski sign is not a classic sign of meningitis.