NR 546 Advanced Pharmacology
Psychopharmacology
for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner
Midterm Exam
1. Which of the following is considered the pleasure center of the brain?
A. Cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical loop
B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
C. Mesocortical dopamine pathway
D. None of the above
:Ans>> B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
,2. A 35-year-old cigarette smoker would like to quit but is nervous because
she typically craves a cigarette approximately every 2 hrs. The craving and
withdrawal are due to :Ans>>
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors
:Ans>> D. Resensitization of muscarinicreceptors
3. The reactive reward system signals the immediate prospect of pleasure or
pain and triggers drug-seeking behavior.
A. True
B. False
:Ans>> True
4. What role does the amygdala play in substance abuse?
A. Releases phasic bursts of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens when drugsof
abuse are present
,B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to drugs of
abuse are present
C. Site of binding for most drugs of abuse
D. A and B
E. A, B, and C
:Ans>> B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues relatedto drugs
of abuse are present
5. A 45-year-old patient has tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking several times
over the past ten years. Nicotine's actions at which receptors are considered
primarily responsible for its reinforcing effects?
A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmental area
B. Alpha 7 postsynaptic receptors in the prefrontal cortex C. A and B
D. Neither A nor B
:Ans>> A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmentalarea
6. A 35-year-old cigarette smoker would like to quit but is nervous because
she typically craves a cigarette approximately every 2 hrs. The craving and
, withdrawal are due to
:Ans>>
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
Psychopharmacology
for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner
Midterm Exam
1. Which of the following is considered the pleasure center of the brain?
A. Cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical loop
B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
C. Mesocortical dopamine pathway
D. None of the above
:Ans>> B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
,2. A 35-year-old cigarette smoker would like to quit but is nervous because
she typically craves a cigarette approximately every 2 hrs. The craving and
withdrawal are due to :Ans>>
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors
:Ans>> D. Resensitization of muscarinicreceptors
3. The reactive reward system signals the immediate prospect of pleasure or
pain and triggers drug-seeking behavior.
A. True
B. False
:Ans>> True
4. What role does the amygdala play in substance abuse?
A. Releases phasic bursts of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens when drugsof
abuse are present
,B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to drugs of
abuse are present
C. Site of binding for most drugs of abuse
D. A and B
E. A, B, and C
:Ans>> B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues relatedto drugs
of abuse are present
5. A 45-year-old patient has tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking several times
over the past ten years. Nicotine's actions at which receptors are considered
primarily responsible for its reinforcing effects?
A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmental area
B. Alpha 7 postsynaptic receptors in the prefrontal cortex C. A and B
D. Neither A nor B
:Ans>> A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmentalarea
6. A 35-year-old cigarette smoker would like to quit but is nervous because
she typically craves a cigarette approximately every 2 hrs. The craving and
, withdrawal are due to
:Ans>>
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
