PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY DRUGS THE BRAIN
AND BEHAVIOR ACTUAL EXAM PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ What is chlorpromazine primarily used for? Answer: It is an
antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia.
◉ What role do drugs play in understanding brain function? Answer:
They are essential tools for manipulating chemical systems and
observing effects on consciousness and behavior.
◉ What is bioavailability in the context of drug administration?
Answer: The proportion of administered drug that reaches systemic
circulation.
◉ What challenges does oral drug administration face? Answer: It
must survive stomach acid, cross intestinal epithelium, pass through
the liver, and enter the bloodstream.
◉ How does intravenous injection affect drug bioavailability?
Answer: It bypasses the digestive system and liver, delivering the
drug directly to the bloodstream for rapid onset.
,◉ What is the difference between agonists and antagonists? Answer:
Agonists enhance neurotransmitter effects, while antagonists block
them.
◉ What are the major classes of psychoactive drugs? Answer:
Sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants,
opioids, and psychedelics.
◉ What neurotransmitter is primarily targeted by antipsychotics?
Answer: Dopamine.
◉ What is the monoamine hypothesis related to? Answer: It relates
to the understanding of depression and the role of monoamines like
serotonin and norepinephrine.
◉ What is the difference between tolerance and sensitization?
Answer: Tolerance is a reduced response to a drug after repeated
use, while sensitization is an increased response.
◉ What is the significance of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway in
addiction? Answer: It is the common pathway involved in the
transition from voluntary control to compulsive habit.
◉ What is the role of context in drug effects? Answer: Set and setting
can significantly shape individual responses to drugs.
, ◉ What are behavioral addictions? Answer: Addictions to activities
like video games, gambling, and social media that activate the same
neural circuits as substance addiction.
◉ What is neurotoxicity in the context of drugs? Answer: It refers to
the harmful effects of drugs on the nervous system, such as MDMA
causing serotonergic terminal damage.
◉ What is the impact of alcohol on thiamine deficiency? Answer: It
can lead to Korsakoff's syndrome, a severe memory disorder.
◉ What does the term 'incentive-sensitization theory' refer to?
Answer: The theory that distinguishes between wanting (desire)
and liking (pleasure) in addiction.
◉ What is the effect of GABA enhancement in sedative-hypnotics?
Answer: It suppresses consciousness and induces calming effects.
◉ How do psychedelics affect consciousness? Answer: They
primarily act on serotonin 2A receptors to expand consciousness.
◉ What is the 'kindling effect' in relation to drug sensitization?
Answer: It refers to the phenomenon where repeated exposure to a
drug increases sensitivity to its effects.
AND BEHAVIOR ACTUAL EXAM PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ What is chlorpromazine primarily used for? Answer: It is an
antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia.
◉ What role do drugs play in understanding brain function? Answer:
They are essential tools for manipulating chemical systems and
observing effects on consciousness and behavior.
◉ What is bioavailability in the context of drug administration?
Answer: The proportion of administered drug that reaches systemic
circulation.
◉ What challenges does oral drug administration face? Answer: It
must survive stomach acid, cross intestinal epithelium, pass through
the liver, and enter the bloodstream.
◉ How does intravenous injection affect drug bioavailability?
Answer: It bypasses the digestive system and liver, delivering the
drug directly to the bloodstream for rapid onset.
,◉ What is the difference between agonists and antagonists? Answer:
Agonists enhance neurotransmitter effects, while antagonists block
them.
◉ What are the major classes of psychoactive drugs? Answer:
Sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants,
opioids, and psychedelics.
◉ What neurotransmitter is primarily targeted by antipsychotics?
Answer: Dopamine.
◉ What is the monoamine hypothesis related to? Answer: It relates
to the understanding of depression and the role of monoamines like
serotonin and norepinephrine.
◉ What is the difference between tolerance and sensitization?
Answer: Tolerance is a reduced response to a drug after repeated
use, while sensitization is an increased response.
◉ What is the significance of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway in
addiction? Answer: It is the common pathway involved in the
transition from voluntary control to compulsive habit.
◉ What is the role of context in drug effects? Answer: Set and setting
can significantly shape individual responses to drugs.
, ◉ What are behavioral addictions? Answer: Addictions to activities
like video games, gambling, and social media that activate the same
neural circuits as substance addiction.
◉ What is neurotoxicity in the context of drugs? Answer: It refers to
the harmful effects of drugs on the nervous system, such as MDMA
causing serotonergic terminal damage.
◉ What is the impact of alcohol on thiamine deficiency? Answer: It
can lead to Korsakoff's syndrome, a severe memory disorder.
◉ What does the term 'incentive-sensitization theory' refer to?
Answer: The theory that distinguishes between wanting (desire)
and liking (pleasure) in addiction.
◉ What is the effect of GABA enhancement in sedative-hypnotics?
Answer: It suppresses consciousness and induces calming effects.
◉ How do psychedelics affect consciousness? Answer: They
primarily act on serotonin 2A receptors to expand consciousness.
◉ What is the 'kindling effect' in relation to drug sensitization?
Answer: It refers to the phenomenon where repeated exposure to a
drug increases sensitivity to its effects.
