WGU: D027: Advanced Patho
pharmacological Foundations
EXAM (2026) UPDATE Verified
Questions And Answers | Latest
Already Graded A+
What are some physical changes from Alzheimer's dementia?
- Brain shrinks dramatically; nerve cell death and tissue loss
- Cardinal signs: plaques (abnormal clusters of protein fragments)
and tangles (twisted strands of another protein)
How is Alzheimer's treated?
- There is no cure, but there are pharmacological and non-
pharmacological treatments
- Cholinesterase inhibitors
- Memantine (Namenda)
What are cholinesterase inhibitors prescribed for?
- To treat symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment,
and other processes
- Helps delay or slow the worsening of symptoms
What does cholinesterase inhibitors do?
- Prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that
is important for learning and memory
- Supports communication among nerve cells by keeping the
acetylcholine high
What are some commonly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors?
- Donepezil (Aricept)
- Galantamine (Raza dyne)
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
,Which cholinesterase inhibitor can be used for all stages of
Alzheimer's?
- Donepezil (Aricept)
Which cholinesterase inhibitor can be used for mild-to-moderate
stages of Alzheimer's?
- Galantamine (Raza dyne)
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
Which cholinesterase inhibitor can be used for mild-to-moderate
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's?
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
What medication combination is used to treat moderate-to-severe
Alzheimer's?
- Memantine (Namenda) and donepezil (Aricept)
What is memantine (Namenda) used for?
- Prescribed to improve memory, attention, reason, language, and the
ability to perform simple tasks
- Can be used alone or with other Alzheimer's disease treatments
How does memantine (Namenda) work?
- Regulates the activity of glutamate, a chemical involved in
information processing, storage, and retrieval
- Improves mental functioning and ability to perform daily activities
for some people
What is the difference in MOA between cholinesterase inhibitors and
memantine (Namenda)?
- Cholinesterase inhibitors prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine,
whereas memantine (Namenda) regulates the activity of glutamate
What is ataxia?
- Also known as cerebellum attacks
- Degenerative disease of the nervous system
- Many symptoms mimic those of being drunk (i.e. slurred speech,
stumbling, falling, and incoordination)
What causes the symptoms of ataxia?
- The damage caused to the cerebellum, the part of the brain that is
responsible for coordinating movements
- Can also be caused by damage to part of the spinal cord and nerves
What is the treatment for ataxia?
- No treatment
- In some cases, treating the underlying causes (i.e. stopping
medications that cause ataxia)
- In other cases, it is a result from chicken pox or other viral infections
,(likely to resolve on its own)
- Genetic causes/predisposed disposition is usually chronic
What causes ataxia in the pediatric population?
- Genetic predisposition
- Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS)
- Prader-Willie Syndrome
What is Fragile X syndrome (FXS)?
- A genetic condition inherited from parents which results in various
developmental problems
- Rare, but may be dangerous or life-threatening
- Present at birth and is a lifelong condition
- Rarely requires lab testing or imaging
- Often linked to autism (1/3 do have autism)
- X-linked disorder
Since Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is an X-linked disorder, does a
specific gender have a greater risk?
- Often, females are carriers and males are affected
- However, both males and females can be carriers, and both can be
affected by the condition
- Usually milder in females
How did Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) get its name?
- The gene Fragile X (the FMR1 gene) is on the X syndrome
- Mutation of the FMR1 gene
What is the difference between Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia
Syndrome (FXTAS) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS)?
- Both caused by mutations on the FMR1 gene, but they are caused by
different changes in this gene
- FXS is caused by a full mutation
- FXTAS is a premutation
- FXS is present at birth, but display these features in early life
- FXTAS develops in adulthood (usually after age 50) and the
symptoms may appear slowly and develop over the years
- FXTAS individuals are usually healthy with normal cognitive skills
prior to the onset
How is Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS)
diagnosed?
- Being a FMR1 premutation carrier
- The appearance of neurological features such as ataxia (balance
problems), tremors, and other symptoms
- MRI findings (changes in the brain)
, What is Prader-Willie Syndrome?
- Genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body and their
growth
- Causes mental and behavioral problems
- Can be dangerous or life threatening if untreated
- Combination of contraceptives contraindicated in breast feeding
- More common in females
- Confirmed from laboratory findings
What is the cause of Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- Depletion of chromosome 15 from father
- Missing or non-working genes on chromosome 15 (15q11-q13)
- Most cases are not inherited and occur randomly
- Depletion of genes (genes from the region are missing)
- Uniparental disomy - both chromosomes are inherited from the
mother
- Imprinting mutation - genes on the paternal chromosome is inactive
What does Prader-Willi Syndrome do to the body?
- Caused the hypothalamus to malfunction (the area of the brain that
affects hunger, thirst, sex and growth hormones)
- In infancy, an individual does not meet development milestones
suck as sitting up and walking
- Their eyes lack coordination
What is a key feature of Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- A constant sense of hunger that usually begins around 2 years of
age
- People with Prader-Willi Syndrome want to eat constantly because
they never feel full
What are some symptoms in infants with Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- Hypotonia with floppy structure and poor muscle tone
- Distinct facial features affecting the shape and size of eyes, lips,
forehead, etc.
- Poor sucking ability making it difficult to feed
- Always lethargic and poor responsiveness
- Underdeveloped genitals
What is celiac disease?
- Autoimmune disease
- Damages to the small intestinal epithelium when there is ingestion
of gluten
- Loss of mucosal surface and brush border enzymes leads to severe
malabsorption that is more pronounced in the duodenum and jejunum
pharmacological Foundations
EXAM (2026) UPDATE Verified
Questions And Answers | Latest
Already Graded A+
What are some physical changes from Alzheimer's dementia?
- Brain shrinks dramatically; nerve cell death and tissue loss
- Cardinal signs: plaques (abnormal clusters of protein fragments)
and tangles (twisted strands of another protein)
How is Alzheimer's treated?
- There is no cure, but there are pharmacological and non-
pharmacological treatments
- Cholinesterase inhibitors
- Memantine (Namenda)
What are cholinesterase inhibitors prescribed for?
- To treat symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment,
and other processes
- Helps delay or slow the worsening of symptoms
What does cholinesterase inhibitors do?
- Prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that
is important for learning and memory
- Supports communication among nerve cells by keeping the
acetylcholine high
What are some commonly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors?
- Donepezil (Aricept)
- Galantamine (Raza dyne)
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
,Which cholinesterase inhibitor can be used for all stages of
Alzheimer's?
- Donepezil (Aricept)
Which cholinesterase inhibitor can be used for mild-to-moderate
stages of Alzheimer's?
- Galantamine (Raza dyne)
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
Which cholinesterase inhibitor can be used for mild-to-moderate
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's?
- Rivastigmine (Exelon)
What medication combination is used to treat moderate-to-severe
Alzheimer's?
- Memantine (Namenda) and donepezil (Aricept)
What is memantine (Namenda) used for?
- Prescribed to improve memory, attention, reason, language, and the
ability to perform simple tasks
- Can be used alone or with other Alzheimer's disease treatments
How does memantine (Namenda) work?
- Regulates the activity of glutamate, a chemical involved in
information processing, storage, and retrieval
- Improves mental functioning and ability to perform daily activities
for some people
What is the difference in MOA between cholinesterase inhibitors and
memantine (Namenda)?
- Cholinesterase inhibitors prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine,
whereas memantine (Namenda) regulates the activity of glutamate
What is ataxia?
- Also known as cerebellum attacks
- Degenerative disease of the nervous system
- Many symptoms mimic those of being drunk (i.e. slurred speech,
stumbling, falling, and incoordination)
What causes the symptoms of ataxia?
- The damage caused to the cerebellum, the part of the brain that is
responsible for coordinating movements
- Can also be caused by damage to part of the spinal cord and nerves
What is the treatment for ataxia?
- No treatment
- In some cases, treating the underlying causes (i.e. stopping
medications that cause ataxia)
- In other cases, it is a result from chicken pox or other viral infections
,(likely to resolve on its own)
- Genetic causes/predisposed disposition is usually chronic
What causes ataxia in the pediatric population?
- Genetic predisposition
- Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS)
- Prader-Willie Syndrome
What is Fragile X syndrome (FXS)?
- A genetic condition inherited from parents which results in various
developmental problems
- Rare, but may be dangerous or life-threatening
- Present at birth and is a lifelong condition
- Rarely requires lab testing or imaging
- Often linked to autism (1/3 do have autism)
- X-linked disorder
Since Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is an X-linked disorder, does a
specific gender have a greater risk?
- Often, females are carriers and males are affected
- However, both males and females can be carriers, and both can be
affected by the condition
- Usually milder in females
How did Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) get its name?
- The gene Fragile X (the FMR1 gene) is on the X syndrome
- Mutation of the FMR1 gene
What is the difference between Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia
Syndrome (FXTAS) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS)?
- Both caused by mutations on the FMR1 gene, but they are caused by
different changes in this gene
- FXS is caused by a full mutation
- FXTAS is a premutation
- FXS is present at birth, but display these features in early life
- FXTAS develops in adulthood (usually after age 50) and the
symptoms may appear slowly and develop over the years
- FXTAS individuals are usually healthy with normal cognitive skills
prior to the onset
How is Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS)
diagnosed?
- Being a FMR1 premutation carrier
- The appearance of neurological features such as ataxia (balance
problems), tremors, and other symptoms
- MRI findings (changes in the brain)
, What is Prader-Willie Syndrome?
- Genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body and their
growth
- Causes mental and behavioral problems
- Can be dangerous or life threatening if untreated
- Combination of contraceptives contraindicated in breast feeding
- More common in females
- Confirmed from laboratory findings
What is the cause of Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- Depletion of chromosome 15 from father
- Missing or non-working genes on chromosome 15 (15q11-q13)
- Most cases are not inherited and occur randomly
- Depletion of genes (genes from the region are missing)
- Uniparental disomy - both chromosomes are inherited from the
mother
- Imprinting mutation - genes on the paternal chromosome is inactive
What does Prader-Willi Syndrome do to the body?
- Caused the hypothalamus to malfunction (the area of the brain that
affects hunger, thirst, sex and growth hormones)
- In infancy, an individual does not meet development milestones
suck as sitting up and walking
- Their eyes lack coordination
What is a key feature of Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- A constant sense of hunger that usually begins around 2 years of
age
- People with Prader-Willi Syndrome want to eat constantly because
they never feel full
What are some symptoms in infants with Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- Hypotonia with floppy structure and poor muscle tone
- Distinct facial features affecting the shape and size of eyes, lips,
forehead, etc.
- Poor sucking ability making it difficult to feed
- Always lethargic and poor responsiveness
- Underdeveloped genitals
What is celiac disease?
- Autoimmune disease
- Damages to the small intestinal epithelium when there is ingestion
of gluten
- Loss of mucosal surface and brush border enzymes leads to severe
malabsorption that is more pronounced in the duodenum and jejunum
