NR668 WEEK 4
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY EXAM WITH
CORRECT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2025
Pharmacodynamics - CORRECT-ANSWERSHow the drug effects the
body
-therapeutic vs. side effects
• Is it stimulating?
• Is it depressing?
• Does it block something?
-Onset of action
• Route, Dosage
-Duration of action
• Redistribution rate, metabolism rate and excretion rate
-Mechanism of action
• Drugs simply speed up or slow down what is already occurring in
the body
-Efficacy
• (Intrinsic activity) After binding, the drugs capacity to cause an
effect
-Potency
• The amount of a drug needed to produce a given effect
efficacy examples - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Agonist (Efficacy = 100)
-Partial Agonist (Efficacy = > 0 < 100)
-Antagonist (Efficacy = 0.0)
-Inverse Agonist (Efficacy = < 0)
Agonist: - CORRECT-ANSWERSCompounds which give maximal
response after receptor occupation and activation.
, -Example: Oxycodone
Partial Agonists: - CORRECT-ANSWERSCompounds which activate the
receptor but not at the maximal response.
-Example Buprenorphine (Suboxone) or Buspirone
Antagonist: - CORRECT-ANSWERSBlocks the action of an agonist.
-Example: Neuroleptics, Naloxone
Inverse Agonist: - CORRECT-ANSWERSBinds to receptor and has the
opposite action of an agonist and below baselinesignal transduction
Pharmacokinetics - CORRECT-ANSWERSHow the body effects the drug
-Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME)
-Metabolizing the drug via CYP450 through the gut & liver
Bioavailability - CORRECT-ANSWERSAbsorption: Drugs cross a barrier.
-Involves bioavailability or Quantity of drug reaching
circulation/quantityof the drug administered.
• Our own barriers such as skin and mucous membranes as well as
food, molecular weight, chemical, biological barriers, etc. reduce
how much drug is actually absorbed and available. IV route has
100% bioavailability. All other routes <100%
First pass metabolism - CORRECT-ANSWERS-reduces the concentration
of a drug
• travels through digestive system & entering the liver.
• reducing the bioavailability of the drug
rate is reduced by: - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Route (IV, PO, Rectum, etc.)
-Dosage (Concentration)
-Lipid Solubility
Drugs that cross the BBB are _____________ - CORRECT-ANSWERSfat
soluble
Vd: Volume of distribution = ________ - CORRECT-ANSWERSamount of
drug/concentration
, • large Volume of distribution may indicate the drug distributes
extensively into the body
• Vd is a theoretical fluid volume necessary to contain the total
amount of a drug at the same concentration observed in the
plasma
A patient who is in renal failure would have a increased or decreased
Vd? - CORRECT-ANSWERSIncreased because of fluid retention
plasma protein binding - CORRECT-ANSWERS-cannot leave the
circulation easily
-Free (unbound) crosses membranes
-Two drugs that are both highly protein bound will compete with each
other
• The unbound fraction goes through metabolism and is
responsible for the pharmacologic effects
-rapid weight loss may result in drugs being released from fat cells
Drugs that are highly protein bound and have a narrow therapeutic
index can be dangerous because: - CORRECT-ANSWERSmargin of error
between therapeutic and toxic is narrow
Metabolism - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Mostly in the liver
-Biotransformation or change it to inactive form or make it more water
soluble to facilitate excretion
• transformed substance is called the metabolite.
The rate of metabolism is affected by: - CORRECT-ANSWERS-age, liver
& drug tolerance
• Body may produce more enzymes & the liver becomes faster at
breaking that particular drug down
half life - CORRECT-ANSWERSthis is the time it takes the peak level to
fall by ½
Steady state of a drug: - CORRECT-ANSWERS-When the rate of drug
administration & elimination are equal
-can be achieved in 4 - 5 half lives
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY EXAM WITH
CORRECT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2025
Pharmacodynamics - CORRECT-ANSWERSHow the drug effects the
body
-therapeutic vs. side effects
• Is it stimulating?
• Is it depressing?
• Does it block something?
-Onset of action
• Route, Dosage
-Duration of action
• Redistribution rate, metabolism rate and excretion rate
-Mechanism of action
• Drugs simply speed up or slow down what is already occurring in
the body
-Efficacy
• (Intrinsic activity) After binding, the drugs capacity to cause an
effect
-Potency
• The amount of a drug needed to produce a given effect
efficacy examples - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Agonist (Efficacy = 100)
-Partial Agonist (Efficacy = > 0 < 100)
-Antagonist (Efficacy = 0.0)
-Inverse Agonist (Efficacy = < 0)
Agonist: - CORRECT-ANSWERSCompounds which give maximal
response after receptor occupation and activation.
, -Example: Oxycodone
Partial Agonists: - CORRECT-ANSWERSCompounds which activate the
receptor but not at the maximal response.
-Example Buprenorphine (Suboxone) or Buspirone
Antagonist: - CORRECT-ANSWERSBlocks the action of an agonist.
-Example: Neuroleptics, Naloxone
Inverse Agonist: - CORRECT-ANSWERSBinds to receptor and has the
opposite action of an agonist and below baselinesignal transduction
Pharmacokinetics - CORRECT-ANSWERSHow the body effects the drug
-Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME)
-Metabolizing the drug via CYP450 through the gut & liver
Bioavailability - CORRECT-ANSWERSAbsorption: Drugs cross a barrier.
-Involves bioavailability or Quantity of drug reaching
circulation/quantityof the drug administered.
• Our own barriers such as skin and mucous membranes as well as
food, molecular weight, chemical, biological barriers, etc. reduce
how much drug is actually absorbed and available. IV route has
100% bioavailability. All other routes <100%
First pass metabolism - CORRECT-ANSWERS-reduces the concentration
of a drug
• travels through digestive system & entering the liver.
• reducing the bioavailability of the drug
rate is reduced by: - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Route (IV, PO, Rectum, etc.)
-Dosage (Concentration)
-Lipid Solubility
Drugs that cross the BBB are _____________ - CORRECT-ANSWERSfat
soluble
Vd: Volume of distribution = ________ - CORRECT-ANSWERSamount of
drug/concentration
, • large Volume of distribution may indicate the drug distributes
extensively into the body
• Vd is a theoretical fluid volume necessary to contain the total
amount of a drug at the same concentration observed in the
plasma
A patient who is in renal failure would have a increased or decreased
Vd? - CORRECT-ANSWERSIncreased because of fluid retention
plasma protein binding - CORRECT-ANSWERS-cannot leave the
circulation easily
-Free (unbound) crosses membranes
-Two drugs that are both highly protein bound will compete with each
other
• The unbound fraction goes through metabolism and is
responsible for the pharmacologic effects
-rapid weight loss may result in drugs being released from fat cells
Drugs that are highly protein bound and have a narrow therapeutic
index can be dangerous because: - CORRECT-ANSWERSmargin of error
between therapeutic and toxic is narrow
Metabolism - CORRECT-ANSWERS-Mostly in the liver
-Biotransformation or change it to inactive form or make it more water
soluble to facilitate excretion
• transformed substance is called the metabolite.
The rate of metabolism is affected by: - CORRECT-ANSWERS-age, liver
& drug tolerance
• Body may produce more enzymes & the liver becomes faster at
breaking that particular drug down
half life - CORRECT-ANSWERSthis is the time it takes the peak level to
fall by ½
Steady state of a drug: - CORRECT-ANSWERS-When the rate of drug
administration & elimination are equal
-can be achieved in 4 - 5 half lives
