Which of the following is considered the pleasure center of the brain?
A. Cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical loop
B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
C. Mesocortical dopamine pathway
D. None of the above - ANSWER B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
The reactive reward system signals the immediate prospect of pleasure or pain and triggers drug-
seeking behavior.
A. True
B. False - ANSWER A. True
What role does the amygdala play in substance abuse?
A. Releases phasic bursts of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens when drugs of abuse are present
B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to drugs of abuse are present
C. Site of binding for most drugs of abuse
D. A and B E. A, B, and C - ANSWER B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to
drugs of abuse are present
A 45-year-old patient has tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking several times over the past ten years.
Nicotine's actions at which receptors are considered primarily responsible for its reinforcing effects?
A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmental area B. Alpha 7 postsynaptic receptors
in the prefrontal cortex
C. A and B
D. Neither A nor B - ANSWER A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmental area
,A 35-year-old cigarette smoker would like to quit but is nervous because she typically craves a cigarette
approximately every 2 hrs. The craving and withdrawal are due to:
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors - ANSWER B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
A 44-year-old patient has schizophrenia and comorbid alcohol abuse disorder. Alcohol has what effect
on GABA and glutamate in the ventral tegmental area?
A. Increases GABA and decreases glutamate
B. Increases both GABA and glutamate C. Decreases GABA and increases glutamate
D. Decreases both GABA and glutamate - ANSWER A. Increases GABA and decreases glutamate
A 26-year-old patient with ADHD has recently entered a drug rehabilitation center following arrest for
possession of cocaine. The cocaine use in this patient may be an attempt at self-medication for ADHD
symptoms because it inhibits the dopamine transporter (but is not itself taken up into the neuron by the
transporter). Thus, cocaine has the same action at the dopamine transporter as:
A. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as amphetamine B. Cocaine has the same
actions at the dopamine transporter as methylphenidate
C. A and B
D. Neither A nor B - ANSWER B. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as
methylphenidate
Patrick is a 22-year-old male who recently experienced a psychotic-like episode after trying MDMA
("ecstasy") while at a party. A key binding site for hallucinogens is the:
A. GABA-A receptor
B. Cannabinoid 1 receptor
C. Serotonin 2A receptor
D. Serotonin 2C receptor - ANSWER C. Serotonin 2A receptor
, 29-year-old patient is morbidly obese and reports that he is "addicted to food". Hunger circuitry is
connected to reward circuitry via dopaminergic projections from the hypothalamus to the nucleus
accumbens.
A. True
B. False - ANSWER A. True
Examples of neurotransmitters produced specifically as retrograde neurotransmitters (i.e., those that
communicate from postsynaptic neuron to presynaptic neuron) include: A. GABA
B. Galanin
C. Histamine
D. Nitric oxide - ANSWER D. Nitric oxide
An example of volume neurotransmission is:
A. Dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
B. Dopamine in the striatum
C. Norepinephrine in the prefrontal cortex
D. Norepinephrine in the striatum - ANSWER A. Dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
In a G protein-linked signal transduction cascade, the second messenger can be synthesized:
A. Intracellularly
B. Extracellularly
C. Either intra- or extracellularly - ANSWER A. Intracellularly
Transport of monoamines requires energy, which is supplied by a:
A. Calcium pump
B. Potassium pump
C. Sodium pump - ANSWER C. Sodium Pump
A. Cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical loop
B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
C. Mesocortical dopamine pathway
D. None of the above - ANSWER B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
The reactive reward system signals the immediate prospect of pleasure or pain and triggers drug-
seeking behavior.
A. True
B. False - ANSWER A. True
What role does the amygdala play in substance abuse?
A. Releases phasic bursts of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens when drugs of abuse are present
B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to drugs of abuse are present
C. Site of binding for most drugs of abuse
D. A and B E. A, B, and C - ANSWER B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to
drugs of abuse are present
A 45-year-old patient has tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking several times over the past ten years.
Nicotine's actions at which receptors are considered primarily responsible for its reinforcing effects?
A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmental area B. Alpha 7 postsynaptic receptors
in the prefrontal cortex
C. A and B
D. Neither A nor B - ANSWER A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmental area
,A 35-year-old cigarette smoker would like to quit but is nervous because she typically craves a cigarette
approximately every 2 hrs. The craving and withdrawal are due to:
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors - ANSWER B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
A 44-year-old patient has schizophrenia and comorbid alcohol abuse disorder. Alcohol has what effect
on GABA and glutamate in the ventral tegmental area?
A. Increases GABA and decreases glutamate
B. Increases both GABA and glutamate C. Decreases GABA and increases glutamate
D. Decreases both GABA and glutamate - ANSWER A. Increases GABA and decreases glutamate
A 26-year-old patient with ADHD has recently entered a drug rehabilitation center following arrest for
possession of cocaine. The cocaine use in this patient may be an attempt at self-medication for ADHD
symptoms because it inhibits the dopamine transporter (but is not itself taken up into the neuron by the
transporter). Thus, cocaine has the same action at the dopamine transporter as:
A. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as amphetamine B. Cocaine has the same
actions at the dopamine transporter as methylphenidate
C. A and B
D. Neither A nor B - ANSWER B. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as
methylphenidate
Patrick is a 22-year-old male who recently experienced a psychotic-like episode after trying MDMA
("ecstasy") while at a party. A key binding site for hallucinogens is the:
A. GABA-A receptor
B. Cannabinoid 1 receptor
C. Serotonin 2A receptor
D. Serotonin 2C receptor - ANSWER C. Serotonin 2A receptor
, 29-year-old patient is morbidly obese and reports that he is "addicted to food". Hunger circuitry is
connected to reward circuitry via dopaminergic projections from the hypothalamus to the nucleus
accumbens.
A. True
B. False - ANSWER A. True
Examples of neurotransmitters produced specifically as retrograde neurotransmitters (i.e., those that
communicate from postsynaptic neuron to presynaptic neuron) include: A. GABA
B. Galanin
C. Histamine
D. Nitric oxide - ANSWER D. Nitric oxide
An example of volume neurotransmission is:
A. Dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
B. Dopamine in the striatum
C. Norepinephrine in the prefrontal cortex
D. Norepinephrine in the striatum - ANSWER A. Dopamine in the prefrontal cortex
In a G protein-linked signal transduction cascade, the second messenger can be synthesized:
A. Intracellularly
B. Extracellularly
C. Either intra- or extracellularly - ANSWER A. Intracellularly
Transport of monoamines requires energy, which is supplied by a:
A. Calcium pump
B. Potassium pump
C. Sodium pump - ANSWER C. Sodium Pump
