Psychopharmacology Chapter 8 - Exam Questions & Verified Answers
4 ways of drugs affecting NTs increasing/decreasing production, reuptake, or release of NT. Or
facilitating/mimicking/blocking NTs at receptor sites.
2 ways of terminating synaptic activity Re-uptake and enzyme degradation
Direct agonist mimic the effect of NT at the receptor site
Indirect agonist facilitate the NT by acting on a separate receptor
Inverse agonist Produces effects opposite to the agonist
Partial agonist Works partially as well as an agonist
Direct Antagonist Blocks the agonist/NT at receptor but produces no effect of its own
Indirect antagonist decreases NT by acting on a separate process
Who commonly prescribes psychotropics Primary care, then specialists like psychiatrists
Pharmacodynamics Drugs effects on the body
Dose-response relationship Pharmacodynamics
Receptor binding and affinity Pharmacodynamics
Potency/efficacy Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacokinetics Body's effects on the drug
4 parts of pharmacokinetics Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Stuvia | Academic Year (2026-2027)
, Psychopharmacology Chapter 8 - Exam Questions & Verified Answers
2 explanations of tolerance Same dose less effects, more drug needed for the same effects
Tissue tolerance Develops tolerance to some effects but not others
Cross tolerance Develops tolerance to one drug in a class, then tolerance to all drugs in that class
What is withdrawal Physical and psychological symptoms when a drug is stopped
Withdrawal symptoms are often Opposite of the effects of the drug that was stopped
Pharmacokinetics are impacted by which demographic Race/ethnicity and age
groups?
Start low and go slow applies to which populations for Older adults, Asian and African Americans
pharmacological treatments
Medication related problems in older adults can be caused Changes to drug sensitivity, polypharmacy, and medication non-compliance
by these 3 things
The 8 categories of drugs discussed in this chapter are Antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, beta blockers, anti alcohol drugs,
psychostimulants, sedative hypnotics, and narcotic analgesics
1st gen/typical antipsychotics treat Schizophrenia, acute mania in bipolar, depression with psychotic features, and
organic psychoses
What type of drug are 1st gen/typical antipsychotics Dopamine antagonist
(agonist/partial/inverse/antagonist)
1st gen/typical antipsychotics are best at managing which Positive symptoms of psychosis
types of symptoms
1st gen/typical antipsychotics work on what receptors? D2 dopamine receptors
What is the dopamine hypothesis? That symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by excessive dopamine levels
2nd gen/atypical antipsychotics treats which disorders schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, bipolar, depression/suicidality, hostility,
movement disorders/Huntington's/Parkinson's
Stuvia | Academic Year (2026-2027)
4 ways of drugs affecting NTs increasing/decreasing production, reuptake, or release of NT. Or
facilitating/mimicking/blocking NTs at receptor sites.
2 ways of terminating synaptic activity Re-uptake and enzyme degradation
Direct agonist mimic the effect of NT at the receptor site
Indirect agonist facilitate the NT by acting on a separate receptor
Inverse agonist Produces effects opposite to the agonist
Partial agonist Works partially as well as an agonist
Direct Antagonist Blocks the agonist/NT at receptor but produces no effect of its own
Indirect antagonist decreases NT by acting on a separate process
Who commonly prescribes psychotropics Primary care, then specialists like psychiatrists
Pharmacodynamics Drugs effects on the body
Dose-response relationship Pharmacodynamics
Receptor binding and affinity Pharmacodynamics
Potency/efficacy Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacokinetics Body's effects on the drug
4 parts of pharmacokinetics Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Stuvia | Academic Year (2026-2027)
, Psychopharmacology Chapter 8 - Exam Questions & Verified Answers
2 explanations of tolerance Same dose less effects, more drug needed for the same effects
Tissue tolerance Develops tolerance to some effects but not others
Cross tolerance Develops tolerance to one drug in a class, then tolerance to all drugs in that class
What is withdrawal Physical and psychological symptoms when a drug is stopped
Withdrawal symptoms are often Opposite of the effects of the drug that was stopped
Pharmacokinetics are impacted by which demographic Race/ethnicity and age
groups?
Start low and go slow applies to which populations for Older adults, Asian and African Americans
pharmacological treatments
Medication related problems in older adults can be caused Changes to drug sensitivity, polypharmacy, and medication non-compliance
by these 3 things
The 8 categories of drugs discussed in this chapter are Antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, beta blockers, anti alcohol drugs,
psychostimulants, sedative hypnotics, and narcotic analgesics
1st gen/typical antipsychotics treat Schizophrenia, acute mania in bipolar, depression with psychotic features, and
organic psychoses
What type of drug are 1st gen/typical antipsychotics Dopamine antagonist
(agonist/partial/inverse/antagonist)
1st gen/typical antipsychotics are best at managing which Positive symptoms of psychosis
types of symptoms
1st gen/typical antipsychotics work on what receptors? D2 dopamine receptors
What is the dopamine hypothesis? That symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by excessive dopamine levels
2nd gen/atypical antipsychotics treats which disorders schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, bipolar, depression/suicidality, hostility,
movement disorders/Huntington's/Parkinson's
Stuvia | Academic Year (2026-2027)
