WGU D115 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
EXAM COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026
◉ Common causes of hemorrhagic strokes Answer: Hypertension,
ruptured aneurysms or vascular malformation, bleeding into a
tumor, hemorrhage associated with bleeding disorders,
anticoagulation, head trauma, and illicit drug use are common
causes of hemorrhagic stroke
◉ Risk factors for a stroke Answer: General risk factors for stroke
include hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes, insulin resistance,
polycythemia and thrombocytopenia, presence of lipoprotein-a,
impaired cardiac function, hyperhomocysteinemia, atrial fibrillation,
and Chlamydia pneumoniae
◉ Select four causes of microcephaly from the list below. Answer:
Autosomal recessive genetic alterations or defects in any 1 of 16
chromosomes can cause primary microcephaly (present at birth).
Microcephaly may be caused by X-linked genetic disorders with the
altered gene on the X chromosome. Environmental causes that
include toxin exposure, radiation, intrauterine infection, or chemical
exposure may be the initiating factor in secondary microcephaly.
Maternal anorexia has been shown to have an almost two-fold risk of
microcephaly. Other causes can include infection, trauma, metabolic
disorders, and the presence of other genetic syndromes.
,◉ What test do you do for a child with frequent headaches Answer:
Headaches in children are unusual and require investigation.
Headaches and nausea in the morning may indicate increased
intracranial pressure. The pressure increases while the head is in a
dependent or flat position due to a reduction in venous drainage.
Intracranial pressure may decrease once the head is no longer in a
dependent or flat position as venous drainage is improved and the
contents of the cranium are reduced. The FNP is likely worried that
an increase in intracranial pressure could indicate the presence of a
brain tumor.
◉ Which three substances would a healthcare professional teach a
patient with a history of panic disorder to avoid? Answer: Panic-
prone individuals respond to panicogens (chemicals that produce
panic symptoms), which include carbon dioxide, caffeine,
cholecystokinin, sodium lactate, and adrenergic receptor agonists,
such as yohimbine. Therefore, a healthcare professional would
advise a patient with a history of panic disorder to avoid carbon
dioxide and coffee and soda pop that contain caffeine or to consider
decaffeinated varieties of these beverages.
◉ For which neurotransmitter is there a decrease in receptor
binding found in individuals with depression? Answer: Decreased
receptor binding for serotonin is found in major depression.
◉ Which monoamine findings are associated with mania? Answer:
While the precise pathophysiology is not completely understood, the
,monoamine theory of depression and observational results related
to the effect of medications on monoamine levels suggests that low
levels of monoamines are associated with depression, while higher
concentrations are associated with mania.
◉ Bipolar disorder increases what Answer: Increased amygdala
volume, increased norepinephrien levels
◉ Depression has decreased what levels Answer: serotonin
◉ A woman with a history of schizophrenia asks the nurse
practitioner, "Now that I am pregnant, how will my mental illness
affect my baby?"
Which statement is true regarding the effect on the woman's child?
Answer: Schizophrenia is believed to be caused by brain
abnormalities that occur during the prenatal period of cell
proliferation and migration.
◉ Openly defiant behavior that stands out against other children's
behavior and causes problems within the home and school is
oppositional defiant disorder.
True or False Answer: True
Defiant behavior when compared to others of the same age that
causes problems in family, social, and academic interactions is one of
the diagnostic symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder.
, ◉ A provider is examining an 11-year-old boy who reports trouble
sleeping, frequent headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue. The
mother accompanying the patient states that her son is often
hesitant to go to school.
Which disorder is most consistent with these findings? Answer:
Anxiety associated with places and people is considered social
anxiety.
◉ What are three actions of glucocorticoids? Answer: -
Glucocorticoids decrease uptake of glucose into muscle cells,
adipose cells, and lymphatic cells.
-Glucocorticoids also have a direct effect on carbohydrate
metabolism in many ways.
-Furthermore, glucocorticoids increase blood glucose concentration
by promoting liver gluconeogenesis.
◉ What cells in the pancreas synthesize insulin. Answer: Beta cells
are the type of cell within the pancreatic islet that make and secrete
insulin. Beta cells are either diminished or dysfunctional in patients
with diabetes, which leads to hyperglycemia.
◉ What are three clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism?
Answer: The lower levels of thyroid hormone result in decreased
energy metabolism, resulting in constipation, bradycardia, and
lethargy.
EXAM COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026
◉ Common causes of hemorrhagic strokes Answer: Hypertension,
ruptured aneurysms or vascular malformation, bleeding into a
tumor, hemorrhage associated with bleeding disorders,
anticoagulation, head trauma, and illicit drug use are common
causes of hemorrhagic stroke
◉ Risk factors for a stroke Answer: General risk factors for stroke
include hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes, insulin resistance,
polycythemia and thrombocytopenia, presence of lipoprotein-a,
impaired cardiac function, hyperhomocysteinemia, atrial fibrillation,
and Chlamydia pneumoniae
◉ Select four causes of microcephaly from the list below. Answer:
Autosomal recessive genetic alterations or defects in any 1 of 16
chromosomes can cause primary microcephaly (present at birth).
Microcephaly may be caused by X-linked genetic disorders with the
altered gene on the X chromosome. Environmental causes that
include toxin exposure, radiation, intrauterine infection, or chemical
exposure may be the initiating factor in secondary microcephaly.
Maternal anorexia has been shown to have an almost two-fold risk of
microcephaly. Other causes can include infection, trauma, metabolic
disorders, and the presence of other genetic syndromes.
,◉ What test do you do for a child with frequent headaches Answer:
Headaches in children are unusual and require investigation.
Headaches and nausea in the morning may indicate increased
intracranial pressure. The pressure increases while the head is in a
dependent or flat position due to a reduction in venous drainage.
Intracranial pressure may decrease once the head is no longer in a
dependent or flat position as venous drainage is improved and the
contents of the cranium are reduced. The FNP is likely worried that
an increase in intracranial pressure could indicate the presence of a
brain tumor.
◉ Which three substances would a healthcare professional teach a
patient with a history of panic disorder to avoid? Answer: Panic-
prone individuals respond to panicogens (chemicals that produce
panic symptoms), which include carbon dioxide, caffeine,
cholecystokinin, sodium lactate, and adrenergic receptor agonists,
such as yohimbine. Therefore, a healthcare professional would
advise a patient with a history of panic disorder to avoid carbon
dioxide and coffee and soda pop that contain caffeine or to consider
decaffeinated varieties of these beverages.
◉ For which neurotransmitter is there a decrease in receptor
binding found in individuals with depression? Answer: Decreased
receptor binding for serotonin is found in major depression.
◉ Which monoamine findings are associated with mania? Answer:
While the precise pathophysiology is not completely understood, the
,monoamine theory of depression and observational results related
to the effect of medications on monoamine levels suggests that low
levels of monoamines are associated with depression, while higher
concentrations are associated with mania.
◉ Bipolar disorder increases what Answer: Increased amygdala
volume, increased norepinephrien levels
◉ Depression has decreased what levels Answer: serotonin
◉ A woman with a history of schizophrenia asks the nurse
practitioner, "Now that I am pregnant, how will my mental illness
affect my baby?"
Which statement is true regarding the effect on the woman's child?
Answer: Schizophrenia is believed to be caused by brain
abnormalities that occur during the prenatal period of cell
proliferation and migration.
◉ Openly defiant behavior that stands out against other children's
behavior and causes problems within the home and school is
oppositional defiant disorder.
True or False Answer: True
Defiant behavior when compared to others of the same age that
causes problems in family, social, and academic interactions is one of
the diagnostic symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder.
, ◉ A provider is examining an 11-year-old boy who reports trouble
sleeping, frequent headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue. The
mother accompanying the patient states that her son is often
hesitant to go to school.
Which disorder is most consistent with these findings? Answer:
Anxiety associated with places and people is considered social
anxiety.
◉ What are three actions of glucocorticoids? Answer: -
Glucocorticoids decrease uptake of glucose into muscle cells,
adipose cells, and lymphatic cells.
-Glucocorticoids also have a direct effect on carbohydrate
metabolism in many ways.
-Furthermore, glucocorticoids increase blood glucose concentration
by promoting liver gluconeogenesis.
◉ What cells in the pancreas synthesize insulin. Answer: Beta cells
are the type of cell within the pancreatic islet that make and secrete
insulin. Beta cells are either diminished or dysfunctional in patients
with diabetes, which leads to hyperglycemia.
◉ What are three clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism?
Answer: The lower levels of thyroid hormone result in decreased
energy metabolism, resulting in constipation, bradycardia, and
lethargy.
