BBH 101 CORE REVIEWS ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS
SET A+
✔✔Why can chronic stress be harmful? - ✔✔Stress systems designed for short-term
challenges can become damaging when activated repeatedly or for prolonged periods.
✔✔SNS vs. HPA axis - ✔✔SNS produces rapid neural stress responses; HPA produces
a slower hormonal response involving cortisol.
✔✔What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)? - ✔✔The minimum energy expenditure
required to maintain essential physiological functions while at rest under standardized
conditions.
✔✔What factors can influence BMR? - ✔✔Age, body composition, sex, genetics,
hormones, and other physiological factors.
✔✔What is drug tolerance? - ✔✔A decrease in response to a drug after repeated
exposure, often requiring more of the drug to produce the same effect.
✔✔What is withdrawal? - ✔✔Physical and/or psychological symptoms that occur when
a drug is reduced or stopped after physiological adaptation has developed.
✔✔Why does tolerance develop? - ✔✔The nervous system adapts to repeated drug
exposure, reducing the drug's effects.
✔✔What is dependence? - ✔✔A state in which the body has adapted to a drug such
that stopping it can produce withdrawal.
✔✔Tolerance vs. withdrawal - ✔✔Tolerance is reduced response during continued use;
withdrawal occurs when drug use is reduced or stopped.
✔✔What is Parkinson's disease? - ✔✔A neurodegenerative disorder characterized by
progressive dysfunction of movement-related neural systems.
, ✔✔What neurotransmitter is strongly associated with Parkinson's disease? -
✔✔Dopamine.
✔✔What happens to dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease? - ✔✔Dopamine-
producing neurons, especially in the substantia nigra, progressively degenerate.
✔✔Major motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease - ✔✔Tremor, rigidity,
bradykinesia/slowness of movement, and postural instability.
✔✔Why does dopamine loss cause Parkinsonian symptoms? - ✔✔Dopamine normally
helps regulate motor circuits; loss disrupts basal ganglia signaling involved in
movement.
✔✔How is Parkinson's commonly treated? - ✔✔Medications such as
levodopa/carbidopa and other dopamine-related therapies; advanced cases may use
deep brain stimulation.
✔✔What is Alzheimer's disease? - ✔✔A progressive neurodegenerative disorder
characterized by cognitive decline and dementia.
✔✔What pathological features are associated with Alzheimer's? - ✔✔Accumulation of
beta-amyloid plaques and abnormal tau protein/tangles, along with neuronal dysfunction
and loss.
✔✔What neurotransmitter is commonly associated with Alzheimer's treatment? -
✔✔Acetylcholine.
✔✔Why are cholinesterase inhibitors used in Alzheimer's? - ✔✔They increase the
availability of acetylcholine by slowing its breakdown, potentially improving symptoms
temporarily.
✔✔What do Alzheimer's treatments generally do? - ✔✔They may temporarily improve
or stabilize symptoms but do not cure the underlying neurodegeneration.
✔✔Parkinson's vs. Alzheimer's - ✔✔Parkinson's prominently involves motor dysfunction
and dopamine loss; Alzheimer's prominently involves progressive cognitive impairment
with amyloid/tau pathology.
✔✔What are common symptoms of diabetes? - ✔✔Excessive thirst, frequent urination,
increased hunger, fatigue, and sometimes unexplained weight loss or blurred vision.
✔✔Why does diabetes cause frequent urination? - ✔✔High blood glucose exceeds the
kidney's reabsorption capacity, causing glucose and water to remain in the urine.
SET A+
✔✔Why can chronic stress be harmful? - ✔✔Stress systems designed for short-term
challenges can become damaging when activated repeatedly or for prolonged periods.
✔✔SNS vs. HPA axis - ✔✔SNS produces rapid neural stress responses; HPA produces
a slower hormonal response involving cortisol.
✔✔What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)? - ✔✔The minimum energy expenditure
required to maintain essential physiological functions while at rest under standardized
conditions.
✔✔What factors can influence BMR? - ✔✔Age, body composition, sex, genetics,
hormones, and other physiological factors.
✔✔What is drug tolerance? - ✔✔A decrease in response to a drug after repeated
exposure, often requiring more of the drug to produce the same effect.
✔✔What is withdrawal? - ✔✔Physical and/or psychological symptoms that occur when
a drug is reduced or stopped after physiological adaptation has developed.
✔✔Why does tolerance develop? - ✔✔The nervous system adapts to repeated drug
exposure, reducing the drug's effects.
✔✔What is dependence? - ✔✔A state in which the body has adapted to a drug such
that stopping it can produce withdrawal.
✔✔Tolerance vs. withdrawal - ✔✔Tolerance is reduced response during continued use;
withdrawal occurs when drug use is reduced or stopped.
✔✔What is Parkinson's disease? - ✔✔A neurodegenerative disorder characterized by
progressive dysfunction of movement-related neural systems.
, ✔✔What neurotransmitter is strongly associated with Parkinson's disease? -
✔✔Dopamine.
✔✔What happens to dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease? - ✔✔Dopamine-
producing neurons, especially in the substantia nigra, progressively degenerate.
✔✔Major motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease - ✔✔Tremor, rigidity,
bradykinesia/slowness of movement, and postural instability.
✔✔Why does dopamine loss cause Parkinsonian symptoms? - ✔✔Dopamine normally
helps regulate motor circuits; loss disrupts basal ganglia signaling involved in
movement.
✔✔How is Parkinson's commonly treated? - ✔✔Medications such as
levodopa/carbidopa and other dopamine-related therapies; advanced cases may use
deep brain stimulation.
✔✔What is Alzheimer's disease? - ✔✔A progressive neurodegenerative disorder
characterized by cognitive decline and dementia.
✔✔What pathological features are associated with Alzheimer's? - ✔✔Accumulation of
beta-amyloid plaques and abnormal tau protein/tangles, along with neuronal dysfunction
and loss.
✔✔What neurotransmitter is commonly associated with Alzheimer's treatment? -
✔✔Acetylcholine.
✔✔Why are cholinesterase inhibitors used in Alzheimer's? - ✔✔They increase the
availability of acetylcholine by slowing its breakdown, potentially improving symptoms
temporarily.
✔✔What do Alzheimer's treatments generally do? - ✔✔They may temporarily improve
or stabilize symptoms but do not cure the underlying neurodegeneration.
✔✔Parkinson's vs. Alzheimer's - ✔✔Parkinson's prominently involves motor dysfunction
and dopamine loss; Alzheimer's prominently involves progressive cognitive impairment
with amyloid/tau pathology.
✔✔What are common symptoms of diabetes? - ✔✔Excessive thirst, frequent urination,
increased hunger, fatigue, and sometimes unexplained weight loss or blurred vision.
✔✔Why does diabetes cause frequent urination? - ✔✔High blood glucose exceeds the
kidney's reabsorption capacity, causing glucose and water to remain in the urine.