Wilkes NSG 552 Psychopharmacology Exam 1 | 95 Questions with
Verified Answers | Advanced Psychopharmacology | Stahl's
Essential Psychopharmacology
OVERVIEW
✅ Wilkes NSG 552 Psychopharmacology Exam 1 – COMPLETE REVIEW
✅ 95 Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales
✅ Covers: Neurobiology, Neurotransmitters, Antipsychotics (FGAs & SGAs), EPS, Antide
pressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs), Mood Stabilizers, Anticonvulsants
✅ Based on Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology
✅ Wilkes University – Advanced Psychopharmacology Course
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
TOPICS COVERED:
- Neurobiology & Neurotransmitters (Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, GABA, Glutam
ate)
- Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics (CYP450, Agonists, Antagonists)
- First-Generation Antipsychotics (Haloperidol, Chlorpromazine)
- Second-Generation Antipsychotics (Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Clozapine, A
ripiprazole)
- Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) – Dystonia, Akathisia, Parkinsonism, Tardive Dyskines
ia
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
- Antidepressants – SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, Bupropion, Mirtazapine, Trazodone
- Mood Stabilizers – Lithium, Valproate, Lamotrigine, Carbamazepine
- Anticonvulsants – Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Topiramate
Section 1: Neurobiology & Neurotransmitters (Questions 1–25)
,1. A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to struggle
with understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The
mentor would base a response on the understanding that it is:
a) Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on behavioral
interventions
b) A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use in
their practice
c) Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain trauma caused
cognitive symptoms
d) Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
experiencing psychiatric disorders
Understanding neuroanatomy and neurophysiology is essential for planning psychiatric
care for all patients, especially those with psychiatric disorders. Knowledge of brain
structure and function directly informs medication selection, monitoring, and patient
education .
2. A patient asks the nurse, "My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by her
chronic depression?" Which response is supported by research data?
a) Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer
b) There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet
c) Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system
d) There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body
Chronic stress and depression can cause the release of factors that suppress the immune
system, potentially influencing disease processes. This field is known as
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which studies the interaction between psychological
processes and the nervous and immune systems .
,3. A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric
rehabilitation needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse
identify as a focus of nursing intervention?
a) Expression of emotion
b) Detecting auditory stimuli
c) Receiving visual images
d) Processing associations
The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory information, spatial awareness, and
integrating associations. Injury to this area affects the patient's ability to process
associations between sensory inputs and their meanings .
4. At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an infarct in
the right cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect to find that
the patient:
a) Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
b) Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
c) Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
d) Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own hair
The right cerebral cortex controls motor function on the left side of the body. An infarct in
the right cerebral cortex would result in left-sided motor deficits, such as difficulty holding
a spoon with the left hand .
5. A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the hippocampus.
The patient will be discharged on low doses of haloperidol. The nurse will need to
individualize the patient's medication teaching by:
a) Including the patient's caregiver in the education
b) Being careful to stress the importance of taking the medication as prescribed
c) Providing the education at a time when the patient is emotionally calm and relaxed
d) Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication to help with swallowing
, The hippocampus is critical for memory formation. Damage to this area impairs the
patient's ability to learn and retain new information, making it essential to include the
caregiver in medication teaching to ensure proper adherence and monitoring .
6. The physician tells the nurse, "The medication I'm prescribing for the patient
enhances the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system." Which patient behavior
will provide evidence that the medication therapy is successful?
a) The patient is actively involved in playing cards with other patients
b) The patient reports that, "I don't feel as anxious as I did a couple of days ago"
c) The patient reports that both auditory and visual hallucinations have decreased
d) The patient says that, "I am much happier than before I came to the hospital"
GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Enhancing the GABA system
produces anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects. Medications that enhance GABA (such as
benzodiazepines) are primarily used to treat anxiety disorders .
7. The patient's family asks whether a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease creates an
increased risk for any mental health issues. What question would the nurse ask to
assess for such a comorbid condition?
a) Has your father exhibited any signs of depression?
b) Does your father seem to experience mood swings?
c) Have you noticed your father talking about seeing things you can't see?
d) Is your dad preoccupied with behaviors that he needs to repeat over and over?
*Depression is a common comorbidity in Parkinson's disease, affecting up to 40-50% of
patients. The neurochemical changes in Parkinson's (dopamine depletion) contribute to
mood disturbances, making depression screening essential .*
8. A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, "My mother says depression is
a chemical disorder. What does she mean?" The nurse's response is based on the
Verified Answers | Advanced Psychopharmacology | Stahl's
Essential Psychopharmacology
OVERVIEW
✅ Wilkes NSG 552 Psychopharmacology Exam 1 – COMPLETE REVIEW
✅ 95 Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales
✅ Covers: Neurobiology, Neurotransmitters, Antipsychotics (FGAs & SGAs), EPS, Antide
pressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs), Mood Stabilizers, Anticonvulsants
✅ Based on Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology
✅ Wilkes University – Advanced Psychopharmacology Course
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
TOPICS COVERED:
- Neurobiology & Neurotransmitters (Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, GABA, Glutam
ate)
- Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics (CYP450, Agonists, Antagonists)
- First-Generation Antipsychotics (Haloperidol, Chlorpromazine)
- Second-Generation Antipsychotics (Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Clozapine, A
ripiprazole)
- Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) – Dystonia, Akathisia, Parkinsonism, Tardive Dyskines
ia
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
- Antidepressants – SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, Bupropion, Mirtazapine, Trazodone
- Mood Stabilizers – Lithium, Valproate, Lamotrigine, Carbamazepine
- Anticonvulsants – Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Topiramate
Section 1: Neurobiology & Neurotransmitters (Questions 1–25)
,1. A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to struggle
with understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The
mentor would base a response on the understanding that it is:
a) Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on behavioral
interventions
b) A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use in
their practice
c) Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain trauma caused
cognitive symptoms
d) Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
experiencing psychiatric disorders
Understanding neuroanatomy and neurophysiology is essential for planning psychiatric
care for all patients, especially those with psychiatric disorders. Knowledge of brain
structure and function directly informs medication selection, monitoring, and patient
education .
2. A patient asks the nurse, "My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by her
chronic depression?" Which response is supported by research data?
a) Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer
b) There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet
c) Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system
d) There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body
Chronic stress and depression can cause the release of factors that suppress the immune
system, potentially influencing disease processes. This field is known as
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which studies the interaction between psychological
processes and the nervous and immune systems .
,3. A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric
rehabilitation needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse
identify as a focus of nursing intervention?
a) Expression of emotion
b) Detecting auditory stimuli
c) Receiving visual images
d) Processing associations
The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory information, spatial awareness, and
integrating associations. Injury to this area affects the patient's ability to process
associations between sensory inputs and their meanings .
4. At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an infarct in
the right cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect to find that
the patient:
a) Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
b) Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
c) Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
d) Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own hair
The right cerebral cortex controls motor function on the left side of the body. An infarct in
the right cerebral cortex would result in left-sided motor deficits, such as difficulty holding
a spoon with the left hand .
5. A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the hippocampus.
The patient will be discharged on low doses of haloperidol. The nurse will need to
individualize the patient's medication teaching by:
a) Including the patient's caregiver in the education
b) Being careful to stress the importance of taking the medication as prescribed
c) Providing the education at a time when the patient is emotionally calm and relaxed
d) Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication to help with swallowing
, The hippocampus is critical for memory formation. Damage to this area impairs the
patient's ability to learn and retain new information, making it essential to include the
caregiver in medication teaching to ensure proper adherence and monitoring .
6. The physician tells the nurse, "The medication I'm prescribing for the patient
enhances the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system." Which patient behavior
will provide evidence that the medication therapy is successful?
a) The patient is actively involved in playing cards with other patients
b) The patient reports that, "I don't feel as anxious as I did a couple of days ago"
c) The patient reports that both auditory and visual hallucinations have decreased
d) The patient says that, "I am much happier than before I came to the hospital"
GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Enhancing the GABA system
produces anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects. Medications that enhance GABA (such as
benzodiazepines) are primarily used to treat anxiety disorders .
7. The patient's family asks whether a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease creates an
increased risk for any mental health issues. What question would the nurse ask to
assess for such a comorbid condition?
a) Has your father exhibited any signs of depression?
b) Does your father seem to experience mood swings?
c) Have you noticed your father talking about seeing things you can't see?
d) Is your dad preoccupied with behaviors that he needs to repeat over and over?
*Depression is a common comorbidity in Parkinson's disease, affecting up to 40-50% of
patients. The neurochemical changes in Parkinson's (dopamine depletion) contribute to
mood disturbances, making depression screening essential .*
8. A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, "My mother says depression is
a chemical disorder. What does she mean?" The nurse's response is based on the
