Mental Health Medication Exam Questions & Answers Latest Update
Mental Health Medication Exam
Questions & Answers Latest Update
What neurotransmitter do antipsychotics affect? - ✔✔✔ - Dopamine
How long does it take antipsychotics to work? - ✔✔✔ - 2-4 weeks
Antipsychotic side effects - ✔✔✔ - Orthostatic BP, extreme weight gain, photophobia
What medication interactions are we worried about with antipsychotics? - ✔✔✔ - Antihypertensives
(due to orthostatic BP)
How do you treat tardive dyskinesia? - ✔✔✔ - Stop and change medication
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome signs and symptoms - ✔✔✔ - Hyperthermia (up to 104 degrees),
muscle rigidity (stove pipe), and altered mental status
How to treat neuroleptic malignant syndrome - ✔✔✔ - Stop medication and use symptomatic care
What is the function of benztropine (Cogentin)? - ✔✔✔ - Treatment of EPS symptoms
What drug category is benztropine (Cogentin)? - ✔✔✔ - Antiparkinson
Positive psychotic symptoms - ✔✔✔ - Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thought and speech
Negative psychotic symptoms - ✔✔✔ - Flat affect, reduced social interaction, anhedonia, avolition,
alogia, catatonia
©®™ Page 1
, Mental Health Medication Exam Questions & Answers Latest Update
Anhedonia - ✔✔✔ - no feeling of enjoyment
Avolition - ✔✔✔ - lack of motivation
Alogia - ✔✔✔ - speaking less
Catatonia - ✔✔✔ - moving less
Typical antipsychotic medications - ✔✔✔ - Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and haloperidol (Haldol)
Typical antipsychotics side effects - ✔✔✔ - Positive symptoms and EPS symptoms
Why is haloperidol (Haldol) prescribed? - ✔✔✔ - For aggitation and aggression
Atypical antipsychotic medications - ✔✔✔ - Clozapine (Clozaril)**, aripiprazole (Ambilify), olanzapine
(Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal)**, ziprasidone (Geodon)
Clozapine (Clorazil) teaching - ✔✔✔ - Causes agranulocytosis, weekly blood draws for first 6 months
(decreases compliance), and watch for signs and symptoms of infection (sore throat/fever)
Risperidone (Risperdal) teaching - ✔✔✔ - Used for agitation, but can cause gynecomastia in men
How long does it take antidepressants to work? - ✔✔✔ - 2-4 weeks
Antidepressants side effects - ✔✔✔ - Orthostatic BP, headache, weight gain, and insomnia
©®™ Page 2
Mental Health Medication Exam
Questions & Answers Latest Update
What neurotransmitter do antipsychotics affect? - ✔✔✔ - Dopamine
How long does it take antipsychotics to work? - ✔✔✔ - 2-4 weeks
Antipsychotic side effects - ✔✔✔ - Orthostatic BP, extreme weight gain, photophobia
What medication interactions are we worried about with antipsychotics? - ✔✔✔ - Antihypertensives
(due to orthostatic BP)
How do you treat tardive dyskinesia? - ✔✔✔ - Stop and change medication
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome signs and symptoms - ✔✔✔ - Hyperthermia (up to 104 degrees),
muscle rigidity (stove pipe), and altered mental status
How to treat neuroleptic malignant syndrome - ✔✔✔ - Stop medication and use symptomatic care
What is the function of benztropine (Cogentin)? - ✔✔✔ - Treatment of EPS symptoms
What drug category is benztropine (Cogentin)? - ✔✔✔ - Antiparkinson
Positive psychotic symptoms - ✔✔✔ - Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thought and speech
Negative psychotic symptoms - ✔✔✔ - Flat affect, reduced social interaction, anhedonia, avolition,
alogia, catatonia
©®™ Page 1
, Mental Health Medication Exam Questions & Answers Latest Update
Anhedonia - ✔✔✔ - no feeling of enjoyment
Avolition - ✔✔✔ - lack of motivation
Alogia - ✔✔✔ - speaking less
Catatonia - ✔✔✔ - moving less
Typical antipsychotic medications - ✔✔✔ - Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and haloperidol (Haldol)
Typical antipsychotics side effects - ✔✔✔ - Positive symptoms and EPS symptoms
Why is haloperidol (Haldol) prescribed? - ✔✔✔ - For aggitation and aggression
Atypical antipsychotic medications - ✔✔✔ - Clozapine (Clozaril)**, aripiprazole (Ambilify), olanzapine
(Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal)**, ziprasidone (Geodon)
Clozapine (Clorazil) teaching - ✔✔✔ - Causes agranulocytosis, weekly blood draws for first 6 months
(decreases compliance), and watch for signs and symptoms of infection (sore throat/fever)
Risperidone (Risperdal) teaching - ✔✔✔ - Used for agitation, but can cause gynecomastia in men
How long does it take antidepressants to work? - ✔✔✔ - 2-4 weeks
Antidepressants side effects - ✔✔✔ - Orthostatic BP, headache, weight gain, and insomnia
©®™ Page 2
