EPPP BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR PAST TEST PAPERS
2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Mild vs. Major Neurocognitive Disorder - ✔✔extent to which cognitive sxs interfere
with daily functioning.
if interfere with daily function then major
✔✔Delirium - ✔✔disturbance in attention and awareness
rapid onset
✔✔Vascular neurocognitive disorder vs Alzheimer's - ✔✔VNCD die within 2-3 years
age of onset younger than Alzheimers. no memory loss like Alzheimer's
✔✔Alzheimer's - ✔✔progressive disease with early symptoms including memory
problems, apathy, and depression. later includes disorientation, confusion, judgment
problems, behavior changes.
✔✔subcortical vs cortical neurocognitive disorder - ✔✔subcortical - affects speed of
processing and executive functioning
cortical - memory, language, and praxis most affected
✔✔Huntington's disease (Chorea) - ✔✔fatal hereditary disease involving the caudate
nucleus and putamen
significant reduction in acetylcholine and GABA - triggers excess dopamine
experience progressively deteriorating major NCD
✔✔concussion vs contusion - ✔✔Concussion = no permanent damage
Contusion = may result in permanent dysfunction
✔✔post concussion syndrome - ✔✔irritability, fatigue, headache, and dizziness.
physical and psychological sxs heal at the same time
✔✔Neurocognitive disorder vs pseudodementia - ✔✔patients with pseudodemtia
complain about their memory loss while those with NCD tend to lack insight into their
condition and deny memory loss.
mental function returns after depression is treated in pseudo dementia.
✔✔Korsakoff's syndrome - ✔✔alcohol-induced major NCD resulting in anterograde
amnesia. confabulation is common.
, lack of insight, lack in executive functioning, apathy, labile irritability
✔✔Bilateral vs Unilateral ECT - ✔✔Bilateral - causes greater memory impairment than
Unilateral
Unilateral ECT is just as effective as bilateral if dose and electricity is adequate with
fewer side effects
✔✔gate control theory of pain - ✔✔Melzak and Wall
sensation of pain is not related to activation of pain receptors, but mediate by
psychological factors such as cognitions that affect the neural gates and increasing
experiences of pain.
✔✔Generalized vs partial seizures - ✔✔Generalized is the entire brain
Partial is part of the brain only
✔✔Tonic clonic vs petit mal seizures - ✔✔Tonic clonic (Grand mal) - sudden loss of
consciousness and stiffening, later rhythmic jerking)
petit mal seizures (absence seizures) - most frequently in children age 5+, brief change
in consciousness, blinking, rolling of eyes, appears to be daydreaming.
✔✔PET scan vs MRI vs CAT scan - ✔✔PET - nuclear imaging to demonstrate activity
or functioning of the brain and organs
MRI - magnetic fields create detailed mages of the structures of the brain, typically to
pick up lesions in brain
CAT - testing structure of brain to see if there is bleeding, blood clots, or internal
injuries.
✔✔Side effects of antipsychotics - ✔✔sedation, drowsiness, orthostatic hypotension
(dizziness), weight gain, sexual dysfunction
✔✔Anticholinergic effects - ✔✔dry mouth, constipation, dry eyes
✔✔Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) - ✔✔motor disorders involving rigid muscles,
tremors, shuffling movement, restlessness, and muscle spasms affecting their posture
✔✔Dystonia - ✔✔acute and painful muscle spasms
✔✔Parkinsonism - ✔✔shuffling gait, drooling, rigidity, bradykinesia
✔✔Akathisia - ✔✔inability to sit still, restlessness
2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Mild vs. Major Neurocognitive Disorder - ✔✔extent to which cognitive sxs interfere
with daily functioning.
if interfere with daily function then major
✔✔Delirium - ✔✔disturbance in attention and awareness
rapid onset
✔✔Vascular neurocognitive disorder vs Alzheimer's - ✔✔VNCD die within 2-3 years
age of onset younger than Alzheimers. no memory loss like Alzheimer's
✔✔Alzheimer's - ✔✔progressive disease with early symptoms including memory
problems, apathy, and depression. later includes disorientation, confusion, judgment
problems, behavior changes.
✔✔subcortical vs cortical neurocognitive disorder - ✔✔subcortical - affects speed of
processing and executive functioning
cortical - memory, language, and praxis most affected
✔✔Huntington's disease (Chorea) - ✔✔fatal hereditary disease involving the caudate
nucleus and putamen
significant reduction in acetylcholine and GABA - triggers excess dopamine
experience progressively deteriorating major NCD
✔✔concussion vs contusion - ✔✔Concussion = no permanent damage
Contusion = may result in permanent dysfunction
✔✔post concussion syndrome - ✔✔irritability, fatigue, headache, and dizziness.
physical and psychological sxs heal at the same time
✔✔Neurocognitive disorder vs pseudodementia - ✔✔patients with pseudodemtia
complain about their memory loss while those with NCD tend to lack insight into their
condition and deny memory loss.
mental function returns after depression is treated in pseudo dementia.
✔✔Korsakoff's syndrome - ✔✔alcohol-induced major NCD resulting in anterograde
amnesia. confabulation is common.
, lack of insight, lack in executive functioning, apathy, labile irritability
✔✔Bilateral vs Unilateral ECT - ✔✔Bilateral - causes greater memory impairment than
Unilateral
Unilateral ECT is just as effective as bilateral if dose and electricity is adequate with
fewer side effects
✔✔gate control theory of pain - ✔✔Melzak and Wall
sensation of pain is not related to activation of pain receptors, but mediate by
psychological factors such as cognitions that affect the neural gates and increasing
experiences of pain.
✔✔Generalized vs partial seizures - ✔✔Generalized is the entire brain
Partial is part of the brain only
✔✔Tonic clonic vs petit mal seizures - ✔✔Tonic clonic (Grand mal) - sudden loss of
consciousness and stiffening, later rhythmic jerking)
petit mal seizures (absence seizures) - most frequently in children age 5+, brief change
in consciousness, blinking, rolling of eyes, appears to be daydreaming.
✔✔PET scan vs MRI vs CAT scan - ✔✔PET - nuclear imaging to demonstrate activity
or functioning of the brain and organs
MRI - magnetic fields create detailed mages of the structures of the brain, typically to
pick up lesions in brain
CAT - testing structure of brain to see if there is bleeding, blood clots, or internal
injuries.
✔✔Side effects of antipsychotics - ✔✔sedation, drowsiness, orthostatic hypotension
(dizziness), weight gain, sexual dysfunction
✔✔Anticholinergic effects - ✔✔dry mouth, constipation, dry eyes
✔✔Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) - ✔✔motor disorders involving rigid muscles,
tremors, shuffling movement, restlessness, and muscle spasms affecting their posture
✔✔Dystonia - ✔✔acute and painful muscle spasms
✔✔Parkinsonism - ✔✔shuffling gait, drooling, rigidity, bradykinesia
✔✔Akathisia - ✔✔inability to sit still, restlessness
