PATHOPHYSIOLOGY PORTAGE INTENSIVE EXAM
SCRIPT 2026 FULL SOLUTION COMPILATION
▶ ADHD meds: side effects for children Answer: Watch their weight !!!!
Lack of appetite, sleep
▶ ADHD medications Answer: Atomoxetine (non-stimulant)
Lisdexamfetamine (stimulant)
Adderall (mixed amphetamine)
Methylphenidate (long acting)
Methylphenidate (short acting)
Buproprion
▶ ADHD MOA Answer: most ADHD meds work by:
1. inhibiting dopamine transporter, increasing synaptic dopamine
2. some also block norepinephrine transporters, improving alertness and
attention
results in better focus, impulse control, and executive functioning
▶ ADHD common side effects Answer: headaches
irritability
decreased appetite/weight loss
insomnia
▶ ADHD - monitor what Answer: EMC, especially if they have a cardiac
history ????
Blood pressure
▶ Cognition Answer: perception, reasoning, memory
▶ Neurocognitive disorders = decline in what Answer: cognition
▶ Cognition & Neurocognitive Disorders - Domains: Answer: attention,
memory, language, social cognition, social engagement, processing
▶ Delirium = Answer: acute, reversible, fluctuating course
AMS
, disordered thinking
often due to: UTI, sepsis, meds, metabolic imabalance, hypoxia,
▶ Dementia = Answer: chronic, progressive, losing function over time,
stable course/doesn't fluctuate
clear LOC until late in disease
usually irreversible
▶ ____ is a medical emergency Answer: delirium
▶ hallmark of delirum Answer: inattention
▶ dementia timeframe Answer: months - years
▶ delirium timeframe Answer: hours - days
▶ delirium risk factors Answer: advanced age, dementia, sleep deprivation,
immobilization, brain damage
▶ delirium - assessment priorities Answer: find underlying cause first!!!
Ensure safety
Frequent monitoring and reorientation
▶ delirium - interventions Answer: Stop suspected meds
Adequate lighting and family presence
Avoid restraints
▶ Alzheimer Disease - overview Answer: Most common form of dementia!
Progressive neurodegenerative disorder
▶ Alzheimer Disease - early onset Answer: Early onset <65 faster
▶ Alzheimer Disease - late onset Answer: Late onset >65 most common
▶ Alzheimer Disease - patho Answer: Beta-Amyloid plaques buildup: sticky
protein deposits between neurons, blocks communication and trigger
inflammation
Neurofibrillary tangles: twisted tau proteins inside neurons, disrupt cell
transport --> neuronal death
Neurotransmission dysfunction
SCRIPT 2026 FULL SOLUTION COMPILATION
▶ ADHD meds: side effects for children Answer: Watch their weight !!!!
Lack of appetite, sleep
▶ ADHD medications Answer: Atomoxetine (non-stimulant)
Lisdexamfetamine (stimulant)
Adderall (mixed amphetamine)
Methylphenidate (long acting)
Methylphenidate (short acting)
Buproprion
▶ ADHD MOA Answer: most ADHD meds work by:
1. inhibiting dopamine transporter, increasing synaptic dopamine
2. some also block norepinephrine transporters, improving alertness and
attention
results in better focus, impulse control, and executive functioning
▶ ADHD common side effects Answer: headaches
irritability
decreased appetite/weight loss
insomnia
▶ ADHD - monitor what Answer: EMC, especially if they have a cardiac
history ????
Blood pressure
▶ Cognition Answer: perception, reasoning, memory
▶ Neurocognitive disorders = decline in what Answer: cognition
▶ Cognition & Neurocognitive Disorders - Domains: Answer: attention,
memory, language, social cognition, social engagement, processing
▶ Delirium = Answer: acute, reversible, fluctuating course
AMS
, disordered thinking
often due to: UTI, sepsis, meds, metabolic imabalance, hypoxia,
▶ Dementia = Answer: chronic, progressive, losing function over time,
stable course/doesn't fluctuate
clear LOC until late in disease
usually irreversible
▶ ____ is a medical emergency Answer: delirium
▶ hallmark of delirum Answer: inattention
▶ dementia timeframe Answer: months - years
▶ delirium timeframe Answer: hours - days
▶ delirium risk factors Answer: advanced age, dementia, sleep deprivation,
immobilization, brain damage
▶ delirium - assessment priorities Answer: find underlying cause first!!!
Ensure safety
Frequent monitoring and reorientation
▶ delirium - interventions Answer: Stop suspected meds
Adequate lighting and family presence
Avoid restraints
▶ Alzheimer Disease - overview Answer: Most common form of dementia!
Progressive neurodegenerative disorder
▶ Alzheimer Disease - early onset Answer: Early onset <65 faster
▶ Alzheimer Disease - late onset Answer: Late onset >65 most common
▶ Alzheimer Disease - patho Answer: Beta-Amyloid plaques buildup: sticky
protein deposits between neurons, blocks communication and trigger
inflammation
Neurofibrillary tangles: twisted tau proteins inside neurons, disrupt cell
transport --> neuronal death
Neurotransmission dysfunction
