NR 546 2026-2027 Advanced Pharmacology
Psychopharmacology
for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Midterm Exam
1. How does the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) affect the amygdala?: inhibits and
activates the amygdala
2. Wernicke's area is associated with which of the following?: speech compre-
hension
3. The limbic system is associated with which of the following: emotion and
learning
4. Which brain structure is most associated with long term memory?: hip-
,pocampus
5. When prescribing psychotropic medications, the PMHNP knows that these
medications work within which specific areas?: mood
6. Which of the following are involved in regulating neurotransmission via ex-
citation-secretion coupling?: voltage-sensitive sodium channels and voltage-sen-
sitive calcium channels
7. What system influences the length of time for a drug to achieve efficacy?: -
signal transduction cascades
8. One of the signal transduction cascades, pass the message from a first
receptor to a second messenger.: G protein linked systems
9. Human central nervous system communication at synapses is which of the
,following?: chemical
10. Which of the following is an excitatory neurotransmitter?: glutamate
11. Which statement correctly pairs the pharmacodynamic effect with its defi-
nition?: antagonist effect - drug binds to receptor, but does not activate a response
12. A major current hypothesis for the cause of schizophrenia proposes thatN-
methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors may be which of the following? Correct!:
hypofunctional
13. Which medication is least associated with weight gain?: aripiprazole
14. Which dopamine pathway is associated with positive symptoms of schiz-
ophrenia?: mesolimbic pathway
15. Which pathway is associated with negative symptoms?: The mesocortical
pathway
, 16. Is part of the extrapyramidal nervous system and associated with ex-
trapyramidal symptoms (EPS): nigrostriatal pathway
17. This pathway is associated with hyperprolactinemia.: The tuberoinfundibu-lar
pathway
18. A 34-year old male recently began experiencing breast secretions while
receiving risperidone . Which dopamine pathway is associated with this side
effect?: tuberoinfundibular pathway
19. A 44-year-old woman is initiated on an atypical antipsychotic for the
treatment of schizophrenia. Regarding affinity, atypical antipsychotics demon-
Psychopharmacology
for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Midterm Exam
1. How does the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) affect the amygdala?: inhibits and
activates the amygdala
2. Wernicke's area is associated with which of the following?: speech compre-
hension
3. The limbic system is associated with which of the following: emotion and
learning
4. Which brain structure is most associated with long term memory?: hip-
,pocampus
5. When prescribing psychotropic medications, the PMHNP knows that these
medications work within which specific areas?: mood
6. Which of the following are involved in regulating neurotransmission via ex-
citation-secretion coupling?: voltage-sensitive sodium channels and voltage-sen-
sitive calcium channels
7. What system influences the length of time for a drug to achieve efficacy?: -
signal transduction cascades
8. One of the signal transduction cascades, pass the message from a first
receptor to a second messenger.: G protein linked systems
9. Human central nervous system communication at synapses is which of the
,following?: chemical
10. Which of the following is an excitatory neurotransmitter?: glutamate
11. Which statement correctly pairs the pharmacodynamic effect with its defi-
nition?: antagonist effect - drug binds to receptor, but does not activate a response
12. A major current hypothesis for the cause of schizophrenia proposes thatN-
methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors may be which of the following? Correct!:
hypofunctional
13. Which medication is least associated with weight gain?: aripiprazole
14. Which dopamine pathway is associated with positive symptoms of schiz-
ophrenia?: mesolimbic pathway
15. Which pathway is associated with negative symptoms?: The mesocortical
pathway
, 16. Is part of the extrapyramidal nervous system and associated with ex-
trapyramidal symptoms (EPS): nigrostriatal pathway
17. This pathway is associated with hyperprolactinemia.: The tuberoinfundibu-lar
pathway
18. A 34-year old male recently began experiencing breast secretions while
receiving risperidone . Which dopamine pathway is associated with this side
effect?: tuberoinfundibular pathway
19. A 44-year-old woman is initiated on an atypical antipsychotic for the
treatment of schizophrenia. Regarding affinity, atypical antipsychotics demon-
