ANCC PMHNP Exam Prep
mesocortical pathway - ANSexecutive function: attention, focus, depression
nigrostriatal pathway - ANSfrom substantia nigra (brainstem) to striatum (muscles): Parkinson's
mesolimbic pathway - ANSprojects to nucleus accumbens (part of limbic system). Pleasure,
reward, positive symptoms of schizophrenia: Addiction, gambling
Tuberoinfundibular pathway - ANSregulation of prolactin (acts on pituitary). Hypersexuality in
mania
Dopamine - ANSproduced in substania nigra and VTA. D2 & D4 receptors most important.
Elevated in the mesolimbic pathway associated with pleasure and psychosis. Antispychotics
block dopamine. travels through mesocoritcal, mesolimbic, nigrostriatal, and tuberinfundibular
pathways
Serotonin - ANS5-HT. produced in raphe nucleus. emotion, impulses, dreams. 5HT2A receptors
= atypical antipsychotics.
Norepinephrine - ANSproduced in locus coeruleus. arousal and vigilance
GABA - ANSinhibitory. produces calm in conjunction with benzodiazepines.
ACTH - ANSmotor control, learning, memory, sleep, and dreams. Helps with balance. Decrease
in Alzheimer's disease
hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) - ANSCRH, ACTH, then cortisol. Worsens with stress
and depression
hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) - ANSTRH, TSH, T4. Hypothyroid causes depression,
weight gain, slow metabolism. Hyperthyroid is opposite.
hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) - ANSGnRH, FSH, LH. Malfunctions cause infertility
problems.
gray matter - ANSneurons are found
frontal lobe - ANSexecutive function, voluntary movement, speech (Broca's area)
Temporal lobe - ANSmemory, cognition, speech, emotions (aka limbic area)
, parietal lobe - ANSreceive and process sensory input
Wernicke's area - ANStemporal and parietal lobes; speech
amygdala - ANSfear response.
hippocampus - ANSmemory. Make up limbic system with amydgala
HIPAA - ANS1. education about privacy protection, 2. access to own medical records, 3. request
amendment to health information to which they object, 4. require permission for disclosure of
medical issues
forensic nursing - ANSbased on crime committed and investigational aspects
correctional nursing - ANSoffender's current mental health and medical condition
research utilization process - ANScritique, synthesize, apply, measure
PICO question - ANSpatient, intervention, comparison, outcome
internal validity - ANSwhen the independent variable (treatment) caused a change in the
dependent variable (outcome)
external validity - ANSwhen the sample is representative of the population and the results can
be generalized
descriptive statistics - ANSused to describe the basic features of the data in the study
standard deviation - ANSindication of the possible deviations from the mean
variance - ANShow the values are dispersed around the mean - the larger the variance, the
larger the dispersion of scores
inferential statistics - ANSnumerical value that enable one to reach conclusions that extend
beyond immediate data alone - generated by quantitative research designs
t-test - ANSassess whether means of 2 groups are statistically different from each other
ANOVA - ANSanalysis of variance - tests difference of 3 or more groups
Pearson's r-correlation - ANSrelationship between 2 variables
probability - ANS0-1: likelihood of an event occurring
mesocortical pathway - ANSexecutive function: attention, focus, depression
nigrostriatal pathway - ANSfrom substantia nigra (brainstem) to striatum (muscles): Parkinson's
mesolimbic pathway - ANSprojects to nucleus accumbens (part of limbic system). Pleasure,
reward, positive symptoms of schizophrenia: Addiction, gambling
Tuberoinfundibular pathway - ANSregulation of prolactin (acts on pituitary). Hypersexuality in
mania
Dopamine - ANSproduced in substania nigra and VTA. D2 & D4 receptors most important.
Elevated in the mesolimbic pathway associated with pleasure and psychosis. Antispychotics
block dopamine. travels through mesocoritcal, mesolimbic, nigrostriatal, and tuberinfundibular
pathways
Serotonin - ANS5-HT. produced in raphe nucleus. emotion, impulses, dreams. 5HT2A receptors
= atypical antipsychotics.
Norepinephrine - ANSproduced in locus coeruleus. arousal and vigilance
GABA - ANSinhibitory. produces calm in conjunction with benzodiazepines.
ACTH - ANSmotor control, learning, memory, sleep, and dreams. Helps with balance. Decrease
in Alzheimer's disease
hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) - ANSCRH, ACTH, then cortisol. Worsens with stress
and depression
hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) - ANSTRH, TSH, T4. Hypothyroid causes depression,
weight gain, slow metabolism. Hyperthyroid is opposite.
hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) - ANSGnRH, FSH, LH. Malfunctions cause infertility
problems.
gray matter - ANSneurons are found
frontal lobe - ANSexecutive function, voluntary movement, speech (Broca's area)
Temporal lobe - ANSmemory, cognition, speech, emotions (aka limbic area)
, parietal lobe - ANSreceive and process sensory input
Wernicke's area - ANStemporal and parietal lobes; speech
amygdala - ANSfear response.
hippocampus - ANSmemory. Make up limbic system with amydgala
HIPAA - ANS1. education about privacy protection, 2. access to own medical records, 3. request
amendment to health information to which they object, 4. require permission for disclosure of
medical issues
forensic nursing - ANSbased on crime committed and investigational aspects
correctional nursing - ANSoffender's current mental health and medical condition
research utilization process - ANScritique, synthesize, apply, measure
PICO question - ANSpatient, intervention, comparison, outcome
internal validity - ANSwhen the independent variable (treatment) caused a change in the
dependent variable (outcome)
external validity - ANSwhen the sample is representative of the population and the results can
be generalized
descriptive statistics - ANSused to describe the basic features of the data in the study
standard deviation - ANSindication of the possible deviations from the mean
variance - ANShow the values are dispersed around the mean - the larger the variance, the
larger the dispersion of scores
inferential statistics - ANSnumerical value that enable one to reach conclusions that extend
beyond immediate data alone - generated by quantitative research designs
t-test - ANSassess whether means of 2 groups are statistically different from each other
ANOVA - ANSanalysis of variance - tests difference of 3 or more groups
Pearson's r-correlation - ANSrelationship between 2 variables
probability - ANS0-1: likelihood of an event occurring
