TEST BANK
,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
ANS: D
One possible cause of depression is thought to involve one or more
neurotransmitters. Serotonin and norepinephrine have been found to be important in
the regulation of depression. There is no research to support that the other options
play a significant role in the development of depression.
2. A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has resulted in
damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this
diagnosis?
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both hands
ANS: B
Accidents or strokes that damage Brocas area may result in the inability to speak
(i.e., motor aphasia). Fine motor skills, blood pressure control, and muscle strength
are not controlled by the Broca area of the left frontal lobe.
3. The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic medications are
always prescribed by the doctor. The nurses answer will be based on information
that 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 and have action at the neurotransmitter level, especially in the case of
schizophrenia, on 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 understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The
mentor would base a response on the understanding that it is:
Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on
a. behavioral interventions
A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use
b. in their practice
Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain
c. traumacaused cognitive symptoms
Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
d. experiencing psychiatric disorders
ANS: D
Nurses must understand that many symptoms of psychiatric disorders have a
neurologic basis, although the symptoms are manifested behaviorally. This
understanding facilitates effective care planning. The foundation of knowledge is
not used exclusively by advanced practice psychiatric nurses nor is it relevant for
only behavior therapies or brain trauma since dealing with the results of normal and
abnormal brain function is a responsibility of all nurses providing all types of care
to the psychiatric patient.
5. A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by
her chronic depression? Which response is supported by research data?
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
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.
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body
ANS: C
Research indicates that stress causes a release of corticotropin-releasing factors that
suppress the immune system. Studies indicate that psychiatric disorders such as
mood disorders are sometimes associated with decreased functioning of the immune
system. Research does not support a connection between many cancers and stress.
There is a significant amount of research about stress and the body. Research has
shown that there are some connections between stress and physical disease.
, 6. zA zpatient zwho zhas za zparietal zlobe zinjury zis zbeing zevaluated zfor zpsychiatric
zrehabilitation zneeds. zOf zthe zaspects zof zfunctioning zlisted, zwhich zwill zthe znurse
zidentify zas za zfocus zof znursing zintervention?
a. Expression zof zemotion z
b. Detecting zauditory zstimuli z
c. Receiving zvisual zimages z
d. Processing zassociations z
ANS: zD
The zparietal zlobe zis zresponsible zfor zassociating zand zprocessing zsensory
zinformation zthat zallows zfor zfunctions zsuch zas zfollowing zdirections zon za zmap,
zreading za zclock, zdressing zself, zkeeping zappointments, zand zdistinguishing zright
zfrom zleft. zEmotional zexpression zis zassociated zwith zfrontal zlobe zfunction.
zDetecting zauditory zstimuli zis za ztemporal zlobe zfunction. zReceiving zvisual zimages
zis zrelated zto zoccipital zlobe zfunction. z7. zAt zadmission, zthe znurse zlearns zthat
zsome ztime zago zthe zpatient zhad zan zinfarct zin zthe zright zcerebral zcortex. zDuring
zassessment, zthe znurse zwould zexpect zto zfind zthat zthe zpatient:
a. Demonstrates zmajor zdeficiencies zin zspeech z
b. Is zunable zto zeffectively zhold za zspoon zin zthe zleft zhand z
c. Has zdifficulty zexplaining zhow zto zgo zabout zusing zthe ztelephone z
d. Cannot zuse zhis zright zhand zto zshave zhimself zor zcomb zhis zown zhair z
ANS: zB
The zcerebral zhemispheres zare zresponsible zfor zfunctions zsuch zas zcontrol zof
zmuscles. zThe zright zhemisphere zmainly zcontrols zthe zmotor zand zsensory zfunctions
zon zthe zleft zside zof zthe zbody. zDamage zto zthe zright zside zwould zresult zin zimpaired
zfunction zon zthe zleft zside zof zthe zbody. zThe zmotor zcortex zcontrols zvoluntary
zmotor zactivity. zBrocas zarea zcontrols zmotor zspeech. zCognitive zfunctions zare
zattributed zto zthe zassociation zcortex. zThe zright zside zof zthe zbodys zmotor zactivity
zis zcontrolled zby zthe zleft zcerebral zcortex.
8. zA zpatient zwith zchronic zschizophrenia zhad za zstroke zinvolving zthe
zhippocampus. zThe zpatient zwill zbe zdischarged zon zlow zdoses zof zhaloperidol. zThe
znurse zwill zneed zto zindividualize zthe zpatients zmedication zteaching zby:
a. Including zthe zpatients zcaregiver zin zthe zeducation z
b. Being zcareful zto zstress zthe zimportance zof ztaking zthe zmedication zas
zprescribed zProviding zthe zeducation zat za ztime zwhen zthe zpatient zis
zemotionally zcalm zand z
c. relaxed z
Encouraging zthe zpatient zto zcrush zor zdissolve zthe zmedication zto zhelp zwith
,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
ANS: D
One possible cause of depression is thought to involve one or more
neurotransmitters. Serotonin and norepinephrine have been found to be important in
the regulation of depression. There is no research to support that the other options
play a significant role in the development of depression.
2. A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has resulted in
damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this
diagnosis?
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both hands
ANS: B
Accidents or strokes that damage Brocas area may result in the inability to speak
(i.e., motor aphasia). Fine motor skills, blood pressure control, and muscle strength
are not controlled by the Broca area of the left frontal lobe.
3. The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic medications are
always prescribed by the doctor. The nurses answer will be based on information
that 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 and have action at the neurotransmitter level, especially in the case of
schizophrenia, on 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 understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The
mentor would base a response on the understanding that it is:
Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on
a. behavioral interventions
A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use
b. in their practice
Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain
c. traumacaused cognitive symptoms
Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
d. experiencing psychiatric disorders
ANS: D
Nurses must understand that many symptoms of psychiatric disorders have a
neurologic basis, although the symptoms are manifested behaviorally. This
understanding facilitates effective care planning. The foundation of knowledge is
not used exclusively by advanced practice psychiatric nurses nor is it relevant for
only behavior therapies or brain trauma since dealing with the results of normal and
abnormal brain function is a responsibility of all nurses providing all types of care
to the psychiatric patient.
5. A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by
her chronic depression? Which response is supported by research data?
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
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.
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body
ANS: C
Research indicates that stress causes a release of corticotropin-releasing factors that
suppress the immune system. Studies indicate that psychiatric disorders such as
mood disorders are sometimes associated with decreased functioning of the immune
system. Research does not support a connection between many cancers and stress.
There is a significant amount of research about stress and the body. Research has
shown that there are some connections between stress and physical disease.
, 6. zA zpatient zwho zhas za zparietal zlobe zinjury zis zbeing zevaluated zfor zpsychiatric
zrehabilitation zneeds. zOf zthe zaspects zof zfunctioning zlisted, zwhich zwill zthe znurse
zidentify zas za zfocus zof znursing zintervention?
a. Expression zof zemotion z
b. Detecting zauditory zstimuli z
c. Receiving zvisual zimages z
d. Processing zassociations z
ANS: zD
The zparietal zlobe zis zresponsible zfor zassociating zand zprocessing zsensory
zinformation zthat zallows zfor zfunctions zsuch zas zfollowing zdirections zon za zmap,
zreading za zclock, zdressing zself, zkeeping zappointments, zand zdistinguishing zright
zfrom zleft. zEmotional zexpression zis zassociated zwith zfrontal zlobe zfunction.
zDetecting zauditory zstimuli zis za ztemporal zlobe zfunction. zReceiving zvisual zimages
zis zrelated zto zoccipital zlobe zfunction. z7. zAt zadmission, zthe znurse zlearns zthat
zsome ztime zago zthe zpatient zhad zan zinfarct zin zthe zright zcerebral zcortex. zDuring
zassessment, zthe znurse zwould zexpect zto zfind zthat zthe zpatient:
a. Demonstrates zmajor zdeficiencies zin zspeech z
b. Is zunable zto zeffectively zhold za zspoon zin zthe zleft zhand z
c. Has zdifficulty zexplaining zhow zto zgo zabout zusing zthe ztelephone z
d. Cannot zuse zhis zright zhand zto zshave zhimself zor zcomb zhis zown zhair z
ANS: zB
The zcerebral zhemispheres zare zresponsible zfor zfunctions zsuch zas zcontrol zof
zmuscles. zThe zright zhemisphere zmainly zcontrols zthe zmotor zand zsensory zfunctions
zon zthe zleft zside zof zthe zbody. zDamage zto zthe zright zside zwould zresult zin zimpaired
zfunction zon zthe zleft zside zof zthe zbody. zThe zmotor zcortex zcontrols zvoluntary
zmotor zactivity. zBrocas zarea zcontrols zmotor zspeech. zCognitive zfunctions zare
zattributed zto zthe zassociation zcortex. zThe zright zside zof zthe zbodys zmotor zactivity
zis zcontrolled zby zthe zleft zcerebral zcortex.
8. zA zpatient zwith zchronic zschizophrenia zhad za zstroke zinvolving zthe
zhippocampus. zThe zpatient zwill zbe zdischarged zon zlow zdoses zof zhaloperidol. zThe
znurse zwill zneed zto zindividualize zthe zpatients zmedication zteaching zby:
a. Including zthe zpatients zcaregiver zin zthe zeducation z
b. Being zcareful zto zstress zthe zimportance zof ztaking zthe zmedication zas
zprescribed zProviding zthe zeducation zat za ztime zwhen zthe zpatient zis
zemotionally zcalm zand z
c. relaxed z
Encouraging zthe zpatient zto zcrush zor zdissolve zthe zmedication zto zhelp zwith
