APEA PMHNP MYQBANK | 2025/2026
LATEST EDITION STUDY GUIDE –
PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL-HEALTH NP
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
CONTENTS
- Scientific Foundation (22 questions)
- Advanced Practice Skills (27 questions)
- Diagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders (22 questions)
- Treatment & Psychopharmacology (20 questions)
- Psychotherapy & Related Theories (9 questions)
- Ethics, Legal & Cultural Care (20 questions)
Scientific Foundation
1. The primary neurotransmitter in the mesolimbic reward
pathway implicated in addiction is:
A) Serotonin
B) Dopamine
C) GABA
D) Acetylcholine
,Correct Answer B
2. HPA axis hyperactivity is most classically associated with which
disorder?
A) Schizophrenia
B) Major depressive disorder
C) Generalized anxiety disorder
D) ADHD
Correct Answer B
3. Which enzyme primarily metabolizes serotonin and
norepinephrine in the synaptic cleft?
A) MAO
B) COMT
C) AChE
D) CYP2D6
Correct Answer A
4. Neuroplasticity is best defined as:
A) The brain’s ability to form new neural connections throughout
life
B) Irreversible neuronal loss after age 25
C) Fixed synaptic strength
, D) Glial cell apoptosis
Correct Answer A
5. (Select all that apply) Key structures of the limbic system
include:
A) Amygdala
B) Hippocampus
C) Prefrontal cortex
D) Hypothalamus
E) Cerebellum
Correct Answer A, B, D
6. The blood-brain barrier most effectively restricts passage of:
A) Lipid-insoluble / water-soluble substances
B) Highly lipid-soluble drugs
C) Small gases (O₂, CO₂)
D) Glucose
Correct Answer A
7. Epigenetic modifications in psychiatric illness most commonly
involve:
A) Changes in gene expression without altering DNA sequence
B) Point mutations in promoter regions
, C) Chromosomal translocations
D) Mitochondrial DNA deletions
Correct Answer A
8. Executive functions (planning, impulse control) are primarily
mediated by the:
A) Prefrontal cortex
B) Occipital lobe
C) Temporal lobe
D) Cerebellum
Correct Answer A
9. Glutamate is the brain’s primary:
A) Excitatory neurotransmitter
B) Inhibitory neurotransmitter
C) Modulatory neuropeptide
D) Neuromuscular transmitter
Correct Answer A
10. Beta-amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles are
hallmark pathologies of:
A) Alzheimer disease
B) Lewy body dementia
LATEST EDITION STUDY GUIDE –
PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL-HEALTH NP
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
CONTENTS
- Scientific Foundation (22 questions)
- Advanced Practice Skills (27 questions)
- Diagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders (22 questions)
- Treatment & Psychopharmacology (20 questions)
- Psychotherapy & Related Theories (9 questions)
- Ethics, Legal & Cultural Care (20 questions)
Scientific Foundation
1. The primary neurotransmitter in the mesolimbic reward
pathway implicated in addiction is:
A) Serotonin
B) Dopamine
C) GABA
D) Acetylcholine
,Correct Answer B
2. HPA axis hyperactivity is most classically associated with which
disorder?
A) Schizophrenia
B) Major depressive disorder
C) Generalized anxiety disorder
D) ADHD
Correct Answer B
3. Which enzyme primarily metabolizes serotonin and
norepinephrine in the synaptic cleft?
A) MAO
B) COMT
C) AChE
D) CYP2D6
Correct Answer A
4. Neuroplasticity is best defined as:
A) The brain’s ability to form new neural connections throughout
life
B) Irreversible neuronal loss after age 25
C) Fixed synaptic strength
, D) Glial cell apoptosis
Correct Answer A
5. (Select all that apply) Key structures of the limbic system
include:
A) Amygdala
B) Hippocampus
C) Prefrontal cortex
D) Hypothalamus
E) Cerebellum
Correct Answer A, B, D
6. The blood-brain barrier most effectively restricts passage of:
A) Lipid-insoluble / water-soluble substances
B) Highly lipid-soluble drugs
C) Small gases (O₂, CO₂)
D) Glucose
Correct Answer A
7. Epigenetic modifications in psychiatric illness most commonly
involve:
A) Changes in gene expression without altering DNA sequence
B) Point mutations in promoter regions
, C) Chromosomal translocations
D) Mitochondrial DNA deletions
Correct Answer A
8. Executive functions (planning, impulse control) are primarily
mediated by the:
A) Prefrontal cortex
B) Occipital lobe
C) Temporal lobe
D) Cerebellum
Correct Answer A
9. Glutamate is the brain’s primary:
A) Excitatory neurotransmitter
B) Inhibitory neurotransmitter
C) Modulatory neuropeptide
D) Neuromuscular transmitter
Correct Answer A
10. Beta-amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles are
hallmark pathologies of:
A) Alzheimer disease
B) Lewy body dementia
