Chamberlain University
NR 546 / NR546
Midterm Exam Study
Guide
Weeks 1 to 4
Advanced Psychopharmacology
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
Week 1: The Brain
Week 2: Neurotransmitters
Week 3: Psychosis & Schizophrenia
Week 4: Anxiety Disorders
,Week 1 The Brain
Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobe is located on the sides of the brain and involved in short-term memory,
speech, auditory signals, and smell recognition. It identifies “what” things are – object
identification. It contains the limbic system, amygdala, and hippocampus. There are
multiple pathways within the temporal lobe which affect object identification and language
comprehension, including the ability to understand semantics. A dominant temporal lobe
lesion can present as Wernicke’s aphasia. Temporal lobe disorders include dementia,
affective disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).
Parietal Lobe
The middle part of the brain, responsible for proprioception, is the home of the somatic
senses. This part of the brain helps a person to identify spatial relationships, interpret pain
and touch in the body, and identify and give meaning to objects. Damage to the anterior
portion of the parietal lobe may cause asterogenesis, the loss of ability to recognize objects
via the sense of touch. This may be experienced by patients with post cerebral vascular
accidents.
Occipital Lobe
This is the back part of the brain and controls visual processing. Damage to this lobe results
in the inability to form visual memories. Bilateral lobe damage results in the inability to
recognize items by sight even though vision is normal. Occipital lobe seizures can cause
hallucinations, such as lines of color.
Central Sulcus
This separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.
Corpus Callosum
This controls the communication between the two brain hemispheres. The corpus callosum
is involved in attention, impulse control, and emotion regulation. It integrates impulses
from both sides of the brain. It is said that Albert Einstein had a very large corpus callosum.
Persons with an underdeveloped or missing corpus collosum may have intellectual
impairment.
Thalamus
This is an egg-shaped structure involved in sensory organ and motor command processing.
All sensory systems except for the olfaction process through the thalamus, which is
responsible for processing all external information. The thalamus has been associated with
symptoms related to schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Downloaded by Benjamin Luca ()
, Limbic System
This is associated with pleasure, reward, and reinforcing behavior. Drug abuse affects the
limbic system, disrupting emotions and feelings associated with normal behavior.
Hippocampus
This is located deep in the temporal lobes and is involved in anxiety and memory, and
shifting short-term to long-term memory. Hippocampal function is impaired in
schizophrenia and dementia. There is ongoing research into the role the hippocampus plays
in anxiety and decision making.
Amygdala
This is located deep in the temporal lobes and involved in emotional regulation and
perception of odors. All smells travel directly to the amygdala. Cooking smells can elicit
memories of childhood events and holidays. A traumatic event can result in the formation
of the fear response, causing the fight or flight reflex within the autonomic nervous system
and affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis causing the release of stress
hormones (e.g. cortisol). The amygdala also is involved in the interpretation of facial
expressions and sexual stimuli.
Nucleus Accumbens
This is involved in the reward circuit and reinforces addictive behaviors.
Basal Ganglia
A group of structures involved in voluntary motor movements, cognition, and emotion.
Basal ganglia movement disorders include Parkinson's disease, obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), and Tourette syndrome. The striatum is a group of structures that includes
the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. The dorsal striatum contains the caudate
nucleus and the putamen. The ventral striatum contains the nucleus accumbens. Both are
involved in facilitating voluntary movement.
Dorsal Striatum
This is involved in complex motor actions and linkage of cognition to motor actions. It is
the main input area for the basal ganglia and is activated when anticipating or engaging in
pleasure.
Frontal Lobes
The frontal lobes are associated with movement, intelligence, abstract thinking. the ability
to organize, personality, behavior, and emotional control. Traumatic brain injuries can
result in personality changes, difficulty controlling emotions, and other cognitive functions.
Grey Matter
The cerebellum, cerebrum, brain stem, and butterfly-shaped portion of the central spinal
Downloaded by Benjamin Luca ()
NR 546 / NR546
Midterm Exam Study
Guide
Weeks 1 to 4
Advanced Psychopharmacology
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
Week 1: The Brain
Week 2: Neurotransmitters
Week 3: Psychosis & Schizophrenia
Week 4: Anxiety Disorders
,Week 1 The Brain
Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobe is located on the sides of the brain and involved in short-term memory,
speech, auditory signals, and smell recognition. It identifies “what” things are – object
identification. It contains the limbic system, amygdala, and hippocampus. There are
multiple pathways within the temporal lobe which affect object identification and language
comprehension, including the ability to understand semantics. A dominant temporal lobe
lesion can present as Wernicke’s aphasia. Temporal lobe disorders include dementia,
affective disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).
Parietal Lobe
The middle part of the brain, responsible for proprioception, is the home of the somatic
senses. This part of the brain helps a person to identify spatial relationships, interpret pain
and touch in the body, and identify and give meaning to objects. Damage to the anterior
portion of the parietal lobe may cause asterogenesis, the loss of ability to recognize objects
via the sense of touch. This may be experienced by patients with post cerebral vascular
accidents.
Occipital Lobe
This is the back part of the brain and controls visual processing. Damage to this lobe results
in the inability to form visual memories. Bilateral lobe damage results in the inability to
recognize items by sight even though vision is normal. Occipital lobe seizures can cause
hallucinations, such as lines of color.
Central Sulcus
This separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.
Corpus Callosum
This controls the communication between the two brain hemispheres. The corpus callosum
is involved in attention, impulse control, and emotion regulation. It integrates impulses
from both sides of the brain. It is said that Albert Einstein had a very large corpus callosum.
Persons with an underdeveloped or missing corpus collosum may have intellectual
impairment.
Thalamus
This is an egg-shaped structure involved in sensory organ and motor command processing.
All sensory systems except for the olfaction process through the thalamus, which is
responsible for processing all external information. The thalamus has been associated with
symptoms related to schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Downloaded by Benjamin Luca ()
, Limbic System
This is associated with pleasure, reward, and reinforcing behavior. Drug abuse affects the
limbic system, disrupting emotions and feelings associated with normal behavior.
Hippocampus
This is located deep in the temporal lobes and is involved in anxiety and memory, and
shifting short-term to long-term memory. Hippocampal function is impaired in
schizophrenia and dementia. There is ongoing research into the role the hippocampus plays
in anxiety and decision making.
Amygdala
This is located deep in the temporal lobes and involved in emotional regulation and
perception of odors. All smells travel directly to the amygdala. Cooking smells can elicit
memories of childhood events and holidays. A traumatic event can result in the formation
of the fear response, causing the fight or flight reflex within the autonomic nervous system
and affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis causing the release of stress
hormones (e.g. cortisol). The amygdala also is involved in the interpretation of facial
expressions and sexual stimuli.
Nucleus Accumbens
This is involved in the reward circuit and reinforces addictive behaviors.
Basal Ganglia
A group of structures involved in voluntary motor movements, cognition, and emotion.
Basal ganglia movement disorders include Parkinson's disease, obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), and Tourette syndrome. The striatum is a group of structures that includes
the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. The dorsal striatum contains the caudate
nucleus and the putamen. The ventral striatum contains the nucleus accumbens. Both are
involved in facilitating voluntary movement.
Dorsal Striatum
This is involved in complex motor actions and linkage of cognition to motor actions. It is
the main input area for the basal ganglia and is activated when anticipating or engaging in
pleasure.
Frontal Lobes
The frontal lobes are associated with movement, intelligence, abstract thinking. the ability
to organize, personality, behavior, and emotional control. Traumatic brain injuries can
result in personality changes, difficulty controlling emotions, and other cognitive functions.
Grey Matter
The cerebellum, cerebrum, brain stem, and butterfly-shaped portion of the central spinal
Downloaded by Benjamin Luca ()
