PMHNP Psychopharmacology Final Exam – Complete Review –
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program – Key Concepts,
Mechanisms, and Substance Effects
This comprehensive final exam study guide for the PMHNP Psychopharmacology
course covers foundational and advanced neuropharmacological principles. Topics
include neurotransmission, pharmacokinetics, drug-receptor interactions, neural
pathways, addiction models, and the mechanisms of various psychoactive substances
(e.g., alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, opioids, hallucinogens, stimulants). It also reviews
neurotransmitter systems (GABA, glutamate, dopamine), brain regions involved in
reward, tolerance, withdrawal, and drug-induced neuroadaptations. This resource is
well-suited for final exam preparation and clinical application understanding.
1. The process of releasing neurotransmitter molecules from the vesicles is
known as _____ and occurs as a result of an influx of _____: Exocytosis;
Ca2+
2. Depot binding is said to occur when drugs: Bind to inactive sites
3. During the ____ period, no additional action potentials can be created:
Absolute refractory
4. Neural transmission is generally ____ within a single neuron and ____
between neurons.: Electrical; chemical
5. The most common type of synapse in the brain is the ______ synapse:
Axodendritic
,6. Neurons rely on ____ for protection, metabolic support and insulation:
Glial cells
7. Which of the following factors does NOT affect the pharmokinetics of a
drug?
A) Route of Administration
B) Lipid solubility
C) Depot binding
D) Drug action: Drug action
8. The sac-like structures in the presynaptic terminal are called ______ and
are filled with _______: Synaptic vesicles; neurotransmitter molecules
9. In addition to environmental and sensory stimuli, psychoactive drugs
can trigger long-lasting changes in neuronal connectivity. Collectively,
these changes are termed: Synaptic plasticity
10. Axonal transport of proteins occurs along a track formed by:
Microtubules
11. When activated, somatodendritic autoreceptors: Reduce the rate of cell
firing
12. If a substance is a neurotransmitter, stimulation of the presynaptic cell
should have the same effect as: Direct application of the proposed substance to
the postsynaptic cell
13. In order for a substance to be considered a neurotransmitter it must
meet several criteria. Which of the following is NOT considered a criterion
for neurotransmitter status?
A) A synthetic mechanism should be present in the presynaptic cell
B) Vesicles containing the substance should move down the axon with the
action potentials when the neuron is stimulated
, C) Receptors for the proposed substance should be present on the postsy-
naptic cell
D) A means for inactivating the substance should be present: Vesicles
containing the substance should move down the axon with the action potentials
when the neuron is stimulated
14. The Na+/K+ pump helps to maintain the ______ by moving three Na+
ions in and two K+ ions out of the cell: Resting membrane potential
15. Activating a metabotropic receptor can result in all of the following
except for
A) Opening of a G protein-gated ion channel
B) changes in the levels of a second messenger
C)Opening of an ion channel within the receptor
D) Changes in gene expression: Changes in gene expression
16. Drug metabolism mostly occurs in the ____ and usually makes a drug
more _____ soluble.: Liver; Water
17. The ____ is best described as a result of the selective permeability of the
neuronal membrane and the uneven distribution of ions inside and
outside the cell.: Resting membrane potential
18. After drug administration has occurred, the amount of drug in the blood
that is free to bind at specific target sites is/are referred to as:
Bioavailability
19. In the dose-response curve, a decrease in potency is indicated by a
shift: To the right
20. _____ refer(s) to specific molecular changes that occur when a drug
binds to a particular target site or receptor, while ______ are the resulting
widespread alterations in function.: Drug action; drug effects
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program – Key Concepts,
Mechanisms, and Substance Effects
This comprehensive final exam study guide for the PMHNP Psychopharmacology
course covers foundational and advanced neuropharmacological principles. Topics
include neurotransmission, pharmacokinetics, drug-receptor interactions, neural
pathways, addiction models, and the mechanisms of various psychoactive substances
(e.g., alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, opioids, hallucinogens, stimulants). It also reviews
neurotransmitter systems (GABA, glutamate, dopamine), brain regions involved in
reward, tolerance, withdrawal, and drug-induced neuroadaptations. This resource is
well-suited for final exam preparation and clinical application understanding.
1. The process of releasing neurotransmitter molecules from the vesicles is
known as _____ and occurs as a result of an influx of _____: Exocytosis;
Ca2+
2. Depot binding is said to occur when drugs: Bind to inactive sites
3. During the ____ period, no additional action potentials can be created:
Absolute refractory
4. Neural transmission is generally ____ within a single neuron and ____
between neurons.: Electrical; chemical
5. The most common type of synapse in the brain is the ______ synapse:
Axodendritic
,6. Neurons rely on ____ for protection, metabolic support and insulation:
Glial cells
7. Which of the following factors does NOT affect the pharmokinetics of a
drug?
A) Route of Administration
B) Lipid solubility
C) Depot binding
D) Drug action: Drug action
8. The sac-like structures in the presynaptic terminal are called ______ and
are filled with _______: Synaptic vesicles; neurotransmitter molecules
9. In addition to environmental and sensory stimuli, psychoactive drugs
can trigger long-lasting changes in neuronal connectivity. Collectively,
these changes are termed: Synaptic plasticity
10. Axonal transport of proteins occurs along a track formed by:
Microtubules
11. When activated, somatodendritic autoreceptors: Reduce the rate of cell
firing
12. If a substance is a neurotransmitter, stimulation of the presynaptic cell
should have the same effect as: Direct application of the proposed substance to
the postsynaptic cell
13. In order for a substance to be considered a neurotransmitter it must
meet several criteria. Which of the following is NOT considered a criterion
for neurotransmitter status?
A) A synthetic mechanism should be present in the presynaptic cell
B) Vesicles containing the substance should move down the axon with the
action potentials when the neuron is stimulated
, C) Receptors for the proposed substance should be present on the postsy-
naptic cell
D) A means for inactivating the substance should be present: Vesicles
containing the substance should move down the axon with the action potentials
when the neuron is stimulated
14. The Na+/K+ pump helps to maintain the ______ by moving three Na+
ions in and two K+ ions out of the cell: Resting membrane potential
15. Activating a metabotropic receptor can result in all of the following
except for
A) Opening of a G protein-gated ion channel
B) changes in the levels of a second messenger
C)Opening of an ion channel within the receptor
D) Changes in gene expression: Changes in gene expression
16. Drug metabolism mostly occurs in the ____ and usually makes a drug
more _____ soluble.: Liver; Water
17. The ____ is best described as a result of the selective permeability of the
neuronal membrane and the uneven distribution of ions inside and
outside the cell.: Resting membrane potential
18. After drug administration has occurred, the amount of drug in the blood
that is free to bind at specific target sites is/are referred to as:
Bioavailability
19. In the dose-response curve, a decrease in potency is indicated by a
shift: To the right
20. _____ refer(s) to specific molecular changes that occur when a drug
binds to a particular target site or receptor, while ______ are the resulting
widespread alterations in function.: Drug action; drug effects
