, NR546 Advanced Psychopharmacology Midterm
Examination
Comprehensive Practice Exam with 50 Questions, Correct Answers, and Rationales
Question 1: Which of the following neurotransmitters is primarily implicated in the pathophysiology
and treatment of depression, specifically mediating mood, anxiety, and psychomotor activation?
A. Acetylcholine
B. Serotonin (5-HT)
C. GABA
D. Histamine
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Serotonin pathways (originating primarily in the raphe nuclei) play a central role in mood
regulation, impulse control, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. SSRIs and SNRIs target
these pathways.
Question 2: A patient is prescribed a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). Which receptor
blockade or stimulation profile is primarily responsible for the therapeutic antidepressant effect?
A. Blockade of the serotonin transporter (SERT)
B. Stimulation of postsynaptic muscarinic receptors
C. Blockade of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B)
D. Inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: SSRIs exert their therapeutic antidepressant and anxiolytic effects by inhibiting the
serotonin transporter (SERT), thereby increasing synaptic availability of serotonin in the synaptic
cleft.
Question 3: Which of the following side effects is most commonly associated with the initiation of
SSRI therapy due to 5-HT2C receptor stimulation?
A. Weight gain and sedation
B. Anxiety, agitation, and nausea
C. Orthostatic hypotension
D. Anticholinergic dry mouth
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Acute stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors (especially 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C) upon SSRI initiation
frequently leads to transient anxiety, restlessness, jitteriness, and nausea before receptor
desensitization occurs.
Examination
Comprehensive Practice Exam with 50 Questions, Correct Answers, and Rationales
Question 1: Which of the following neurotransmitters is primarily implicated in the pathophysiology
and treatment of depression, specifically mediating mood, anxiety, and psychomotor activation?
A. Acetylcholine
B. Serotonin (5-HT)
C. GABA
D. Histamine
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Serotonin pathways (originating primarily in the raphe nuclei) play a central role in mood
regulation, impulse control, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. SSRIs and SNRIs target
these pathways.
Question 2: A patient is prescribed a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). Which receptor
blockade or stimulation profile is primarily responsible for the therapeutic antidepressant effect?
A. Blockade of the serotonin transporter (SERT)
B. Stimulation of postsynaptic muscarinic receptors
C. Blockade of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B)
D. Inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: SSRIs exert their therapeutic antidepressant and anxiolytic effects by inhibiting the
serotonin transporter (SERT), thereby increasing synaptic availability of serotonin in the synaptic
cleft.
Question 3: Which of the following side effects is most commonly associated with the initiation of
SSRI therapy due to 5-HT2C receptor stimulation?
A. Weight gain and sedation
B. Anxiety, agitation, and nausea
C. Orthostatic hypotension
D. Anticholinergic dry mouth
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Acute stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors (especially 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C) upon SSRI initiation
frequently leads to transient anxiety, restlessness, jitteriness, and nausea before receptor
desensitization occurs.
