KAPLAN AND SADOCKS SYNOPSIS OF
PSYCHIATRY PRACTICE ASSESSMENT 2026
COMPREHENSIVE SCRIPT QUESTIONS A
SECTION A: NEURAL SCIENCES & NEUROBIOLOGY
Q1. A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, "My mother says
depression is a chemical disorder. What does she mean?" The nurse's
response is based on the theory that depression primarily involves which of the
following neurotransmitters?
A) Cortisol and GABA
B) COMT and glutamate
C) Monamine and glycine
D) Serotonin and norepinephrine
,,,ANSWER,,,: D
Rationale: One possible cause of depression is thought to involve one or more
neurotransmitters. Serotonin and norepinephrine have been found to be important
in the regulation of depression. There is no research to support that the other
options play a significant role in the development of depression.
Q2. A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has
resulted in damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct
to reinforce this diagnosis?
,A) Observing the patient pick up a spoon
B) Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
C) Monitoring the patient's blood pressure
D) Comparing the patient's grip strength in both hands
,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale: Accidents or strokes that damage Broca's area may result in the inability
to speak (i.e., motor aphasia). Asking the patient to recite the alphabet tests
expressive language function. Fine motor skills, blood pressure control, and muscle
strength are not controlled by the Broca area of the left frontal lobe.
Q3. The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic
medications are always prescribed by the doctor. The nurse's ,,,ANSWER,,, will
be based on information that the therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is
the result of their effect on:
A) The temporal lobe; especially Wernicke's area
B) Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
C) The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
D) The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic medications
,,,ANSWER,,,: C
Rationale: Medications used to treat psychiatric disorders operate in and around
the synaptic cleft and have action at the neurotransmitter level, especially in the
case of schizophrenia, on dopamine. The Wernicke's area, dendrite function, or the
sensitivity of the peripheral nervous system are not directly relevant to
psychotropic medication action.
Q4. A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to
struggle with understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic
system. The mentor would base a response on the understanding that it is:
,A) Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on behavioral
interventions
B) A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use
in their practice
C) Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain trauma-
caused cognitive symptoms
D) Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
experiencing psychiatric disorders
,,,ANSWER,,,: D
Rationale: Nurses must understand that many symptoms of psychiatric disorders
have a neurologic basis, although the symptoms are manifested behaviorally. This
understanding facilitates effective care planning. Dealing with the results of normal
and abnormal brain function is a responsibility of all nurses providing all types of
care to psychiatric patients.
Q5. A patient asks the nurse, "My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by
her chronic depression?" Which response is supported by research data?
A) Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
B) There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet.
C) Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system.
D) There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body.
,,,ANSWER,,,: C
Rationale: Research indicates that stress causes a release of corticotropin-
releasing factors that suppress the immune system. Studies indicate that
psychiatric disorders such as mood disorders are sometimes associated with
decreased functioning of the immune system. Research does not support a direct
connection between many cancers and stress.
, Q6. A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric
rehabilitation needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse
identify as a focus of nursing intervention?
A) Expression of emotion
B) Detecting auditory stimuli
C) Receiving visual images
D) Processing associations
,,,ANSWER,,,: D
Rationale: The parietal lobe is responsible for associating and processing sensory
information that allows for functions such as following directions on a map, reading
a clock, dressing self, keeping appointments, and distinguishing right from left.
Emotional expression is associated with frontal lobe function. Detecting auditory
stimuli is a temporal lobe function. Receiving visual images is related to occipital
lobe function.
Q7. At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an
infarct in the right cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect
to find that the patient:
A) Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
B) Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
C) Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
D) Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own hair
,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale: The right hemisphere mainly controls the motor and sensory functions
on the left side of the body. Damage to the right side would result in impaired
function on the left side of the body. The motor cortex controls voluntary motor
activity. Broca's area controls motor speech. The right side of the body's motor
activity is controlled by the left cerebral cortex.
PSYCHIATRY PRACTICE ASSESSMENT 2026
COMPREHENSIVE SCRIPT QUESTIONS A
SECTION A: NEURAL SCIENCES & NEUROBIOLOGY
Q1. A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, "My mother says
depression is a chemical disorder. What does she mean?" The nurse's
response is based on the theory that depression primarily involves which of the
following neurotransmitters?
A) Cortisol and GABA
B) COMT and glutamate
C) Monamine and glycine
D) Serotonin and norepinephrine
,,,ANSWER,,,: D
Rationale: One possible cause of depression is thought to involve one or more
neurotransmitters. Serotonin and norepinephrine have been found to be important
in the regulation of depression. There is no research to support that the other
options play a significant role in the development of depression.
Q2. A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has
resulted in damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct
to reinforce this diagnosis?
,A) Observing the patient pick up a spoon
B) Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
C) Monitoring the patient's blood pressure
D) Comparing the patient's grip strength in both hands
,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale: Accidents or strokes that damage Broca's area may result in the inability
to speak (i.e., motor aphasia). Asking the patient to recite the alphabet tests
expressive language function. Fine motor skills, blood pressure control, and muscle
strength are not controlled by the Broca area of the left frontal lobe.
Q3. The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic
medications are always prescribed by the doctor. The nurse's ,,,ANSWER,,, will
be based on information that the therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is
the result of their effect on:
A) The temporal lobe; especially Wernicke's area
B) Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
C) The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
D) The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic medications
,,,ANSWER,,,: C
Rationale: Medications used to treat psychiatric disorders operate in and around
the synaptic cleft and have action at the neurotransmitter level, especially in the
case of schizophrenia, on dopamine. The Wernicke's area, dendrite function, or the
sensitivity of the peripheral nervous system are not directly relevant to
psychotropic medication action.
Q4. A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to
struggle with understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic
system. The mentor would base a response on the understanding that it is:
,A) Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on behavioral
interventions
B) A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use
in their practice
C) Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain trauma-
caused cognitive symptoms
D) Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those
experiencing psychiatric disorders
,,,ANSWER,,,: D
Rationale: Nurses must understand that many symptoms of psychiatric disorders
have a neurologic basis, although the symptoms are manifested behaviorally. This
understanding facilitates effective care planning. Dealing with the results of normal
and abnormal brain function is a responsibility of all nurses providing all types of
care to psychiatric patients.
Q5. A patient asks the nurse, "My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by
her chronic depression?" Which response is supported by research data?
A) Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
B) There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet.
C) Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system.
D) There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body.
,,,ANSWER,,,: C
Rationale: Research indicates that stress causes a release of corticotropin-
releasing factors that suppress the immune system. Studies indicate that
psychiatric disorders such as mood disorders are sometimes associated with
decreased functioning of the immune system. Research does not support a direct
connection between many cancers and stress.
, Q6. A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric
rehabilitation needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse
identify as a focus of nursing intervention?
A) Expression of emotion
B) Detecting auditory stimuli
C) Receiving visual images
D) Processing associations
,,,ANSWER,,,: D
Rationale: The parietal lobe is responsible for associating and processing sensory
information that allows for functions such as following directions on a map, reading
a clock, dressing self, keeping appointments, and distinguishing right from left.
Emotional expression is associated with frontal lobe function. Detecting auditory
stimuli is a temporal lobe function. Receiving visual images is related to occipital
lobe function.
Q7. At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an
infarct in the right cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect
to find that the patient:
A) Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
B) Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
C) Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
D) Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own hair
,,,ANSWER,,,: B
Rationale: The right hemisphere mainly controls the motor and sensory functions
on the left side of the body. Damage to the right side would result in impaired
function on the left side of the body. The motor cortex controls voluntary motor
activity. Broca's area controls motor speech. The right side of the body's motor
activity is controlled by the left cerebral cortex.
