NR546 MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS
One-third of psychotropic drugs bind to a ______________, and one-third bind to
___________________. -- Answer ✔✔ neurotransmitter, G-protein-linked receptors.
The six main neurotransmitters are: -- Answer ✔✔ serotonin (5HT)
norepinephrine (NE)
dopamine (DA)
acetylcholine (Ach)
glutamate (Glu)
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Signal transduction cascades can produce: -- Answer ✔✔ downstream (delayed) and/or
long-lasting effects
-explains why some psychopharmacological drugs do not provide an immediate
response but require time to see the drug effects
Signal transduction cascades -- Answer ✔✔ communication from the genome of the
presynaptic neuron to the genome of the postsynaptic neuron, and then back from the
genome of the postsynaptic neuron to the genome of the presynaptic neuron via
retrograde neurotransmission
-process involves long strings of chemical messages within both presynaptic and
postsynaptic neurons
-initial events occur in less than a second, but the long-term consequences are mediated
by downstream messengers that take hours to days to activate, yet can last for many
days or even for the lifetime of a synapse or neuron
-somewhat akin to a molecular "pony express"
,Signal transduction cascades: Each molecular site within the cascade of transduction of
chemical and electrical messages is a potential location for: -- Answer ✔✔ a malfunction
associated with a mental illness
-also a potential target for a psychotropic drug
transcription factor -- Answer ✔✔ A regulatory protein that binds to DNA and affects
transcription of specific genes.
antipsychotic meds -- Answer ✔✔ primarily used for schizophrenia & psychotic
disorders
-also used as adjunctive meds for management of tx-resistant depression & other
conditions
-not curative
-decrease/control symptoms/improve quality of life
Schizophrenia -- Answer ✔✔ a disturbance that must last for 6 months or longer,
including at least one month of positive symptoms or negative symptoms
-neurodevelopmental, brain disorder
-psychological condition involving chronic or repeated episodes of psychosis
cause: combination of genetics and environmental factors
DX: based on clinical interview
psychosis -- Answer ✔✔ set of symptoms in which a person's mental capacity, affective
response, and capacity to recognize reality, communicate, and relate to others is
impaired
Symptoms of psychosis: -- Answer ✔✔ -delusions & hallucinations (Hallmarks)
-disorganized speech
-disorganized behavior
-distortions of reality
-inappropriate or very strong emotions or apathy
-negative symptoms: diminished emotional expression and decreased motivation
area of the brain thought to be responsible for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
is the ____________. one of the neuronal pathways known to be affected here is the
,___________ from the _____________ and the _____________. -- Answer ✔✔
limbic system, mesolimbic pathway, ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens
schizophrenia: the dopamine theory -- Answer ✔✔ suggests that in the mesolimbic
pathway, neurons from the VTA (ventral tegmental area) release higher than normal
levels of dopamine into the synaptic cleft at the NAC (nucleus accumbens).
-More dopamine binds to the D2 dopamine receptors in the NAC. This is thought to be
the cause of positive symptoms
Schizophrenia: dopamine and mesocortical system -- Answer ✔✔ area of the brain
thought to be responsible for negative symptoms of schizophrenia, prefrontal cortex
-mesocortical pathway goes from the VTA (ventral tegmental area) to the PFC
(prefrontal cortex)
-dysregulation of dopamine between these two areas of the brain results in the negative
and cognitive symptoms
Dopamine pathway: mesolimbic -- Answer ✔✔ location: Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
within midbreain to the nucleus accumbens (NA) in the limbic system
function: regulates emotional behaviors & associated with reward, motivation, pleasure
symptoms: overactivation causes (+) symptoms and may be a downstream consequence
of prefrontal cortex dysfunction & glutamate activity in the hippocampus
Dopamine pathway: mesocortical -- Answer ✔✔ location: ventral tegmental area (VTA)
to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically affecting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
(DLPFC) & ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC)
function: regulates cognition, executive function, emotions, affect.
DLPFC-cognitive, (-) symptoms
VMPFC-affective & (-) symptoms
symptoms: hypoactivation of pathway may cause (-), cognitive, & affective symptoms
dopamine pathway: nigrostriatal -- Answer ✔✔ location: projects from substantia nigra
(in midbrain) to basal ganglia (striatum & globus pallidus)
, function: part of extrapyramidal nervous system, controls posture & voluntary motor
movements
symptoms: imbalance of pathways causes movement disorders. Common disorders-
parkinson's and tremor.
Low dopamine in basal ganglia-akathisia & dystonia.
Hyperactivation of pathway-tics, dyskinesias, chorea.
Chronic blockade of D2 pathway-tardive dyskinesia.
dopamine pathway: tuberinfundibular -- Answer ✔✔ location: projects from
hypothalamus to anterior pituitary gland
function: dopamine inhibits prolactin release from pituitary
symptoms: disruption of pathway causes prolactin level to rise resulting in gynecomastia
& galactorrhea.
Females-amenorrhea
Both may get sexual dysfunction
neurobiological factors that contribute to psychosis and schizophrnia -- Answer ✔✔ -
genetics
-neuroanatomy
-neural networks
-neural signaling
neuroanatomy: symptoms associated with mesocortical and ventromedial prefrontal
cortex -- Answer ✔✔ negative and affective symptoms
neuroanatomy: symptoms associated with dorsolateral -- Answer ✔✔ cognitive
symptoms
neuroanatomy: symptoms associated with orbitofrontal and connections to amygdala --
Answer ✔✔ aggressive, impulsive symptoms
ANSWERS
One-third of psychotropic drugs bind to a ______________, and one-third bind to
___________________. -- Answer ✔✔ neurotransmitter, G-protein-linked receptors.
The six main neurotransmitters are: -- Answer ✔✔ serotonin (5HT)
norepinephrine (NE)
dopamine (DA)
acetylcholine (Ach)
glutamate (Glu)
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Signal transduction cascades can produce: -- Answer ✔✔ downstream (delayed) and/or
long-lasting effects
-explains why some psychopharmacological drugs do not provide an immediate
response but require time to see the drug effects
Signal transduction cascades -- Answer ✔✔ communication from the genome of the
presynaptic neuron to the genome of the postsynaptic neuron, and then back from the
genome of the postsynaptic neuron to the genome of the presynaptic neuron via
retrograde neurotransmission
-process involves long strings of chemical messages within both presynaptic and
postsynaptic neurons
-initial events occur in less than a second, but the long-term consequences are mediated
by downstream messengers that take hours to days to activate, yet can last for many
days or even for the lifetime of a synapse or neuron
-somewhat akin to a molecular "pony express"
,Signal transduction cascades: Each molecular site within the cascade of transduction of
chemical and electrical messages is a potential location for: -- Answer ✔✔ a malfunction
associated with a mental illness
-also a potential target for a psychotropic drug
transcription factor -- Answer ✔✔ A regulatory protein that binds to DNA and affects
transcription of specific genes.
antipsychotic meds -- Answer ✔✔ primarily used for schizophrenia & psychotic
disorders
-also used as adjunctive meds for management of tx-resistant depression & other
conditions
-not curative
-decrease/control symptoms/improve quality of life
Schizophrenia -- Answer ✔✔ a disturbance that must last for 6 months or longer,
including at least one month of positive symptoms or negative symptoms
-neurodevelopmental, brain disorder
-psychological condition involving chronic or repeated episodes of psychosis
cause: combination of genetics and environmental factors
DX: based on clinical interview
psychosis -- Answer ✔✔ set of symptoms in which a person's mental capacity, affective
response, and capacity to recognize reality, communicate, and relate to others is
impaired
Symptoms of psychosis: -- Answer ✔✔ -delusions & hallucinations (Hallmarks)
-disorganized speech
-disorganized behavior
-distortions of reality
-inappropriate or very strong emotions or apathy
-negative symptoms: diminished emotional expression and decreased motivation
area of the brain thought to be responsible for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
is the ____________. one of the neuronal pathways known to be affected here is the
,___________ from the _____________ and the _____________. -- Answer ✔✔
limbic system, mesolimbic pathway, ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens
schizophrenia: the dopamine theory -- Answer ✔✔ suggests that in the mesolimbic
pathway, neurons from the VTA (ventral tegmental area) release higher than normal
levels of dopamine into the synaptic cleft at the NAC (nucleus accumbens).
-More dopamine binds to the D2 dopamine receptors in the NAC. This is thought to be
the cause of positive symptoms
Schizophrenia: dopamine and mesocortical system -- Answer ✔✔ area of the brain
thought to be responsible for negative symptoms of schizophrenia, prefrontal cortex
-mesocortical pathway goes from the VTA (ventral tegmental area) to the PFC
(prefrontal cortex)
-dysregulation of dopamine between these two areas of the brain results in the negative
and cognitive symptoms
Dopamine pathway: mesolimbic -- Answer ✔✔ location: Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
within midbreain to the nucleus accumbens (NA) in the limbic system
function: regulates emotional behaviors & associated with reward, motivation, pleasure
symptoms: overactivation causes (+) symptoms and may be a downstream consequence
of prefrontal cortex dysfunction & glutamate activity in the hippocampus
Dopamine pathway: mesocortical -- Answer ✔✔ location: ventral tegmental area (VTA)
to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically affecting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
(DLPFC) & ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC)
function: regulates cognition, executive function, emotions, affect.
DLPFC-cognitive, (-) symptoms
VMPFC-affective & (-) symptoms
symptoms: hypoactivation of pathway may cause (-), cognitive, & affective symptoms
dopamine pathway: nigrostriatal -- Answer ✔✔ location: projects from substantia nigra
(in midbrain) to basal ganglia (striatum & globus pallidus)
, function: part of extrapyramidal nervous system, controls posture & voluntary motor
movements
symptoms: imbalance of pathways causes movement disorders. Common disorders-
parkinson's and tremor.
Low dopamine in basal ganglia-akathisia & dystonia.
Hyperactivation of pathway-tics, dyskinesias, chorea.
Chronic blockade of D2 pathway-tardive dyskinesia.
dopamine pathway: tuberinfundibular -- Answer ✔✔ location: projects from
hypothalamus to anterior pituitary gland
function: dopamine inhibits prolactin release from pituitary
symptoms: disruption of pathway causes prolactin level to rise resulting in gynecomastia
& galactorrhea.
Females-amenorrhea
Both may get sexual dysfunction
neurobiological factors that contribute to psychosis and schizophrnia -- Answer ✔✔ -
genetics
-neuroanatomy
-neural networks
-neural signaling
neuroanatomy: symptoms associated with mesocortical and ventromedial prefrontal
cortex -- Answer ✔✔ negative and affective symptoms
neuroanatomy: symptoms associated with dorsolateral -- Answer ✔✔ cognitive
symptoms
neuroanatomy: symptoms associated with orbitofrontal and connections to amygdala --
Answer ✔✔ aggressive, impulsive symptoms
