NURS 5357 Neurobiology Exam 2 Questions With Complete
Solutions
A 19-year-old female requires a hospital consultation after she
was admitted following an attempted suicide. Her family reports
that she has been suffering from severe depression for the last
three years. What area of the brain may best be described as
hypothetically involved in her feelings of worthlessness and
suicidality? Correct Answers Amygdala
A 21-year-old female has been suffering from severe depression
for the last 3 years. She has had partial response with her current
treatment; however, she has residual complaints of physical
fatigue, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating.
What pharmacological strategies may be most likely to target
these residual symptoms? Correct Answers Boost
norepinephrine and/or dopamine
All of the following are true about the monoamine hypothesis
except? Correct Answers It explains the delay in response seen
with depression treatments
Antidepressants may decrease depressive symptoms and
improve neuronal survival through which of the following
effects? Correct Answers Decrease glucocorticoids and
increase BDNF.
Arnold is a 28-year-old man with moderate depression who
achieves remission after 16 weeks on a therapeutic dose of a
monoaminergic antidepressant.
, According to the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, which
of the following is most likely true of his BDNF expression
before and after his successful treatment? Correct Answers
BDNF expression was abnormally low while he was depressed,
and increased during monoaminergic antidepressant treatment
Goals for effective treatment of depression include all of the
following except? Correct Answers Awaken the prefrontal
cortex
James comes to you presenting with depressed mood,
anhedonia, and loss of energy. These symptoms can be
conceptualized as reflecting reduced positive affect; such a
categorization is theoretically useful because it may direct
treatment choice. Specifically, symptoms of reduced positive
affect are hypothetically more likely to respond to agents that
enhance: Correct Answers Dopamine and possibly
norepinephrine function
Malfunctioning in the striatum hypothetically matches which of
the following symptoms seen in mania? Correct Answers
Motor/agitation
Michael is a 42-year-old with bipolar I disorder who frequently
exhibits impulsive symptoms of mania including risk taking and
pressured speech during his manic episodes. Compared to a
healthy brain, neuroimaging of this patient's brain during a no-
go task (designed to test response inhibition) would likely show:
Correct Answers Decreased activity in the orbitofrontal cortex
Solutions
A 19-year-old female requires a hospital consultation after she
was admitted following an attempted suicide. Her family reports
that she has been suffering from severe depression for the last
three years. What area of the brain may best be described as
hypothetically involved in her feelings of worthlessness and
suicidality? Correct Answers Amygdala
A 21-year-old female has been suffering from severe depression
for the last 3 years. She has had partial response with her current
treatment; however, she has residual complaints of physical
fatigue, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating.
What pharmacological strategies may be most likely to target
these residual symptoms? Correct Answers Boost
norepinephrine and/or dopamine
All of the following are true about the monoamine hypothesis
except? Correct Answers It explains the delay in response seen
with depression treatments
Antidepressants may decrease depressive symptoms and
improve neuronal survival through which of the following
effects? Correct Answers Decrease glucocorticoids and
increase BDNF.
Arnold is a 28-year-old man with moderate depression who
achieves remission after 16 weeks on a therapeutic dose of a
monoaminergic antidepressant.
, According to the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, which
of the following is most likely true of his BDNF expression
before and after his successful treatment? Correct Answers
BDNF expression was abnormally low while he was depressed,
and increased during monoaminergic antidepressant treatment
Goals for effective treatment of depression include all of the
following except? Correct Answers Awaken the prefrontal
cortex
James comes to you presenting with depressed mood,
anhedonia, and loss of energy. These symptoms can be
conceptualized as reflecting reduced positive affect; such a
categorization is theoretically useful because it may direct
treatment choice. Specifically, symptoms of reduced positive
affect are hypothetically more likely to respond to agents that
enhance: Correct Answers Dopamine and possibly
norepinephrine function
Malfunctioning in the striatum hypothetically matches which of
the following symptoms seen in mania? Correct Answers
Motor/agitation
Michael is a 42-year-old with bipolar I disorder who frequently
exhibits impulsive symptoms of mania including risk taking and
pressured speech during his manic episodes. Compared to a
healthy brain, neuroimaging of this patient's brain during a no-
go task (designed to test response inhibition) would likely show:
Correct Answers Decreased activity in the orbitofrontal cortex
