Page 1 of 62
NR 546 Advanced Pharmacology Psychopharmacology
for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Midterm Exam
1. 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
:Ans>> B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
2. 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 :Ans>>
, Page 2 of 62
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors
:Ans>> D. Resensitization of muscarinicreceptors
3. The reactive reward system signals the immediate prospect of pleasure orpain
and triggers drug-seeking behavior.
A. True
B. False
:Ans>> True
4. What role does the amygdala play in substance abuse?
A. Releases phasic bursts of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens when drugsof abuse
are present
B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to drugs ofabuse
are present
C. Site of binding for most drugs of abuse
D. A and B
E. A, B, and C
:Ans>> B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues relatedto drugs of
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abuse are present
5. 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
:Ans>> A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmentalarea
6. 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
:Ans>>
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
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D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors pu pu pu
B. Resensitization
u
p pu of nicotinic
pu receptors
pu
:Ans>> B.Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
pu pu pu pu pu
7. A 44-year-old patient has schizophrenia and comorbid alcohol abuse disor- der.
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p
pu Alcohol has what effect on GABA and glutamate in the ventral tegmentalarea?
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p
A. Increases GABA and decreases glutamate pu pu pu pu
B. Increases both GABA and glutamate pu pu pu pu
C. Decreases GABA and increases glutamate pu pu pu pu
D. Decreases both GABA and glutamate pu pu pu pu
:Ans>> A. Increases GABA and decreasesglutamate
pu pu pu pu pu pu
8. A 26-year-old patient with ADHD has recently entered a drug rehabilitation
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
center following arrest for possession of cocaine. The cocaine use in this patient
u
p pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
pu may be an attempt at self-medication for ADHD symptoms because
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
it inhibits the dopamine transporter (but is not itself taken up into the neuronby the
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p pu
pu transporter). Thus, cocaine has the same action at the dopamine trans- porter as
u
p pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p pu
:Ans>>
A. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as amphetamine
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
B. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
methylphenidate
u
p
NR 546 Advanced Pharmacology Psychopharmacology
for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Midterm Exam
1. 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
:Ans>> B. Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
2. 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 :Ans>>
, Page 2 of 62
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors
:Ans>> D. Resensitization of muscarinicreceptors
3. The reactive reward system signals the immediate prospect of pleasure orpain
and triggers drug-seeking behavior.
A. True
B. False
:Ans>> True
4. What role does the amygdala play in substance abuse?
A. Releases phasic bursts of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens when drugsof abuse
are present
B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues related to drugs ofabuse
are present
C. Site of binding for most drugs of abuse
D. A and B
E. A, B, and C
:Ans>> B. Communicates to the ventral tegmental area when cues relatedto drugs of
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abuse are present
5. 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
:Ans>> A. Alpha 4 beta 2 postsynaptic receptors in the ventral tegmentalarea
6. 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
:Ans>>
A. Desensitization of nicotinic receptors
B. Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
C. Desensitization of muscarinic receptors
, Page 4 of 62
D. Resensitization of muscarinic receptors pu pu pu
B. Resensitization
u
p pu of nicotinic
pu receptors
pu
:Ans>> B.Resensitization of nicotinic receptors
pu pu pu pu pu
7. A 44-year-old patient has schizophrenia and comorbid alcohol abuse disor- der.
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p
pu Alcohol has what effect on GABA and glutamate in the ventral tegmentalarea?
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p
A. Increases GABA and decreases glutamate pu pu pu pu
B. Increases both GABA and glutamate pu pu pu pu
C. Decreases GABA and increases glutamate pu pu pu pu
D. Decreases both GABA and glutamate pu pu pu pu
:Ans>> A. Increases GABA and decreasesglutamate
pu pu pu pu pu pu
8. A 26-year-old patient with ADHD has recently entered a drug rehabilitation
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
center following arrest for possession of cocaine. The cocaine use in this patient
u
p pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
pu may be an attempt at self-medication for ADHD symptoms because
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
it inhibits the dopamine transporter (but is not itself taken up into the neuronby the
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p pu
pu transporter). Thus, cocaine has the same action at the dopamine trans- porter as
u
p pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu u
p pu
:Ans>>
A. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as amphetamine
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
B. Cocaine has the same actions at the dopamine transporter as
pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu
methylphenidate
u
p
