NR 546 Midterm Practice Exam – Psychopharmacology for
PMHNP Includes Verified Answers & In-Depth Rationales (Latest
2025 Edition)
1. A 22-year-old patient with bipolar disorder refuses medication saying “I’m not
crazy.” Which factor contributes to nonadherence?
✅ Answer: A. Client factors
Rationale:
Client factors include personal beliefs, insight into illness, stigma, and attitudes toward
medications. The patient’s denial and stigma perception are client-related barriers. Structural
factors involve cost or access, not attitudes.
2. According to Dell’Osso et al.’s sequential framework, which step is defined by
explaining mechanism, side effects, and onset time?
✅ Answer: B. Medication education
Rationale:
This step emphasizes educating the patient on medication purpose, side effects, and
expectations to increase adherence. Diagnosis and monitoring are separate phases.
3. Stroke affecting speech comprehension involves which brain area?
✅ Answer: D. Wernicke’s area
Rationale:
Wernicke’s area (in the left temporal lobe) governs language comprehension. Broca’s area
manages speech production.
,4. Ethical concern when prescribing psychiatric medications?
✅ Answer: B. Patient poses risk to self with hallucinations
Rationale:
When a patient is unsafe to self, the ethical principle of nonmaleficence and duty to protect
overrides autonomy.
5. Lobe controlling visual processing?
✅ Answer: C. Occipital lobe
Rationale:
The occipital lobe integrates visual input and interpretation.
6. The cerebellum, cerebrum, and spinal cord contain what type of matter with
neural cell bodies and synapses?
✅ Answer: C. Gray matter
Rationale:
Gray matter consists of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, and synapses—responsible for
processing information.
7. Function of the central sulcus?
✅ Answer: B. Separates the frontal from parietal lobe
Rationale:
The central sulcus is the boundary between motor (frontal) and sensory (parietal) cortex regions.
8. Brain area associated with motor coordination?
✅ Answer: D. Thalamus
Rationale:
The thalamus relays sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum also
coordinates motor activity.
, 9. Lobe handling memory and anxiety?
✅ Answer: C. Temporal lobe
Rationale:
The temporal lobe houses the amygdala and hippocampus — key for memory, emotion, and
anxiety regulation.
10. Damage to the anterior parietal lobe causes?
✅ Answer: C. Asterogenesis
Rationale:
The parietal lobe processes sensory input; damage can cause inability to recognize objects by
touch (astereognosis).
11. Part of a neuron that receives signals?
✅ Answer: C. Dendrites
Rationale:
Dendrites receive incoming messages from other neurons or sensory stimuli.
12. Structure separating frontal and parietal lobes?
✅ Answer: B. Central sulcus
Rationale:
The central sulcus marks the division between these two brain regions.
13. Lobe responsible for executive function and voluntary movement?
✅ Answer: C. Frontal lobe
Rationale:
The frontal lobe manages planning, reasoning, language, and motor activity.
14. Brain area regulating long-term memory?
PMHNP Includes Verified Answers & In-Depth Rationales (Latest
2025 Edition)
1. A 22-year-old patient with bipolar disorder refuses medication saying “I’m not
crazy.” Which factor contributes to nonadherence?
✅ Answer: A. Client factors
Rationale:
Client factors include personal beliefs, insight into illness, stigma, and attitudes toward
medications. The patient’s denial and stigma perception are client-related barriers. Structural
factors involve cost or access, not attitudes.
2. According to Dell’Osso et al.’s sequential framework, which step is defined by
explaining mechanism, side effects, and onset time?
✅ Answer: B. Medication education
Rationale:
This step emphasizes educating the patient on medication purpose, side effects, and
expectations to increase adherence. Diagnosis and monitoring are separate phases.
3. Stroke affecting speech comprehension involves which brain area?
✅ Answer: D. Wernicke’s area
Rationale:
Wernicke’s area (in the left temporal lobe) governs language comprehension. Broca’s area
manages speech production.
,4. Ethical concern when prescribing psychiatric medications?
✅ Answer: B. Patient poses risk to self with hallucinations
Rationale:
When a patient is unsafe to self, the ethical principle of nonmaleficence and duty to protect
overrides autonomy.
5. Lobe controlling visual processing?
✅ Answer: C. Occipital lobe
Rationale:
The occipital lobe integrates visual input and interpretation.
6. The cerebellum, cerebrum, and spinal cord contain what type of matter with
neural cell bodies and synapses?
✅ Answer: C. Gray matter
Rationale:
Gray matter consists of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, and synapses—responsible for
processing information.
7. Function of the central sulcus?
✅ Answer: B. Separates the frontal from parietal lobe
Rationale:
The central sulcus is the boundary between motor (frontal) and sensory (parietal) cortex regions.
8. Brain area associated with motor coordination?
✅ Answer: D. Thalamus
Rationale:
The thalamus relays sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum also
coordinates motor activity.
, 9. Lobe handling memory and anxiety?
✅ Answer: C. Temporal lobe
Rationale:
The temporal lobe houses the amygdala and hippocampus — key for memory, emotion, and
anxiety regulation.
10. Damage to the anterior parietal lobe causes?
✅ Answer: C. Asterogenesis
Rationale:
The parietal lobe processes sensory input; damage can cause inability to recognize objects by
touch (astereognosis).
11. Part of a neuron that receives signals?
✅ Answer: C. Dendrites
Rationale:
Dendrites receive incoming messages from other neurons or sensory stimuli.
12. Structure separating frontal and parietal lobes?
✅ Answer: B. Central sulcus
Rationale:
The central sulcus marks the division between these two brain regions.
13. Lobe responsible for executive function and voluntary movement?
✅ Answer: C. Frontal lobe
Rationale:
The frontal lobe manages planning, reasoning, language, and motor activity.
14. Brain area regulating long-term memory?
