Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications 5th
Edition
by Stephen M. Stahl
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TEST BANK
,Stephen: Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications
Chapter 1 Chemical neurotransmission
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, My mother says depression is a
chemical disorder. What does she mean? The nurses response is based on the theory
that depression primarily involves which of the following neurotransmitters?
a. Cortisol and GABA
b. COMT and glutamate
c. Monamine and glycine
d. Serotonin and norepinephrine
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ANS: D
One possible cause of depression is thought to involve one or more neurotransmitters. pr
Serotonin and norepinephrine have been found to be important in the regulation of de
pression. There is no research to support that the other options play a significant role i
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n the development of depression.
2. A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has resulted in pr
damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this pr
diagnosis?
pt
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
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c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both hands
ANS: B
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Accidents or strokes that damage Brocas area may result in the inability to speak (i.e., pr
motor aphasia). Fine motor skills, blood pressure control, and muscle strength are not pr
controlled by the Broca area of the left frontal lobe.
3. The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic medications are
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always prescribed by the doctor. The nurses answer will be based on information that pr
the therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is the result of their effect on:
a. The temporal lobe; especially Wernickes area
b. Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
c. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
d. The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic medications
,ANS: C
Medications used to treat psychiatric disorders operate in and around the synaptic cleft pr
and have action at the neurotransmitter level, especially in the case of schizophrenia, o
n dopamine. The Wernickes area, dendrite function, or the sensitivity of the peripheral
nervous system are not relevant to either schizophrenia or psychotropic medications.
4. A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to struggle with pr
understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The mentor w
ould base a response on the understanding that it is:
Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on pr pr
a. behavioral interventions
A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use pr pr
b. in their practice
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Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain pr
c. traumacaused cognitive symptoms
Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
pr pr
d. experiencing psychiatric disorders
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ANS: D
Nurses must understand that many symptoms of psychiatric disorders have a neurolo
pr
gic basis, although the symptoms are manifested behaviorally. This understanding fa
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cilitates effective care planning. The foundation of knowledge is not used exclusively
pr pr pr
by advanced practice psychiatric nurses nor is it relevant for only behavior therapies
pr
or brain trauma since dealing with the results of normal and abnormal brain function
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pr pr
is a responsibility of all nurses providing all types of care to the psychiatric patient.
pr
5. A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by her
pr
chronic depression? Which response is supported by research data?
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pr
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
pr
b. There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet.
c. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system.
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pr
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body
pr
ANS: C
Research indicates that stress causes a release of corticotropin-
releasing factors that suppress the immune system. Studies indicate that psychiatric di
sorders such as mood disorders are sometimes associated with decreased functioning o
r
f the immune system.Research does not support a connection between many cancers a
nd stress. There is a significant amount of research about stress and the body. Researc
h has shown that there are some connections between stress and physical disease.
, 6. A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric rehabilita
tion needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse identifyas a focu
s of nursing intervention?
a. Expression of emotion
b. Detecting auditory stimuli
c. Receiving visual images
d. Processing associations
ANS: D
The parietal lobe is responsible for associating and processing sensory information thpr
at allows for functions such as following directions on a map, reading a clock, dressin pr
g self, keeping appointments, and distinguishing right from left. Emotional expressio
n is associated with frontal lobe function. Detecting auditory stimuli is a temporal lob
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pr
e function. Receiving visual images is related to occipital lobe function. pr
7. At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an infarct in the pr
right cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect to find that the pat
pr
ient:
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a. Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
pr pr
c. Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
pt
pr
d. Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own hair
pr
ANS: B
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The cerebral hemispheres are responsible for functions such as control of muscles. Th
pr
e right hemisphere mainly controls the motor and sensory functions on the left sideof
the body. Damage to the right side would result in impaired function on the left side o
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f the body. The motor cortex controls voluntary motor activity. Brocas area controls
pr
motor speech. Cognitive functions are attributed to the association cortex.
pr
The right side of the bodys motor activity is controlled by the left cerebral cortex.
pr
8. A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the hippocampus. The
pr pr
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patient will be discharged on low doses of haloperidol. The nurse will need to indivi
pr pr
dualize the patients medication teaching by:
pr pr
a. Including the patients caregiver in the education
b. Being careful to stress the importance of taking the medication as prescribed
Providing the education at a time when the patient is emotionally calm and pr
c. relaxed
Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication to help with pr
d. swallowing
ANS: A