2025/2026 NSG 552 EXAM 1
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY NEWEST
EXAM QUESTIONS AND DETAILED
CORRECT ANSWERS | A+ GRADE
A 60-year-old woman has been recently diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis, a disease in which the oligodendrocytes
of the patients central nervous system (CNS) are
progressively destroyed. Which physiologic process within
the neurologic system is most likely be affected by this
disease process?
A) Oxygen metabolism
B) Neurotransmitter synthesis
C) Nerve conduction
D) Production of cerebrospinal fluid Correct Answer C)
Nerve conduction
A neuron has been hyperpolarized. How will this affect the
excitability of the neuron?
A) The neuron will have a membrane potential farther from
the threshold.
B) The neuron will be more difficult to repolarize after
firing.
C) The membrane potential of the neuron will be closer to
the threshold.
D) The neurons excitability will be significantly increased.
Correct Answer A) The neuron will have a membrane
potential farther from the threshold.
,A pregnant womans most recent ultrasound is suggestive
of spina bifida, and her primary care provider has
subsequently order further diagnostic testing. The
pathophysiologic effects of this disease are due to:
A) malformation of the mesoderm.
B) abnormal closure of the neural tube.
C) lesions in the dorsal root ganglia.
D) hypertrophy of the primary vesicles. Correct Answer B)
abnormal closure of the neural tube.
Which of the following messages is most likely to be
carried by general somatic afferent (GSA) neurons?
A) The sensation of cold when touching ice
B) The message to move a finger and thumb
C) The message to move the larynx during speech D)
Information about the position of a joint Correct Answer A)
The sensation of cold when touching ice
Which of the following processes is most likely to occur as
a result of a spinal reflex?
A) Peristalsis of the small and large bowel
B) Control of oculomotor function in changing light levels
C) Pain sensation from a potentially damaging knee
movement
D) Withdrawal of a hand from a hot stove element Correct
Answer D) Withdrawal of a hand from a hot stove element
A patient has required mechanical ventilation following a
traumatic head injury sustained in a motorcycle crash,
during which he sustained damage to his respiratory
,center. Which of the patient's brain structures has been
injured?
A) Brain stem
B) Midbrain
C) Diencephalon
D) Frontal lobe Correct Answer A) Brain stem
A patient with a diagnosis of epilepsy has required surgical
removal of part of her prefrontal cortex. Which of the
following effects should her family and care team
anticipate?
A) Lapses in balance and coordination
B) Deficits in regulation of the endocrine system
C) Sensory losses
D) Changes in behavior and judgment Correct Answer D)
Changes in behavior and judgment
A patient's primary care provider has prescribed a b-
adrenergic receptor blocker. Which of the following
therapeutic effects do the patient and care provider likely
seek?
A) Reduction in heart rate and blood pressure
B) Slowing of gastrointestinal motility
C) Increase in mental acuity
D) Decreased production of gastric acid Correct Answer
A) Reduction in heart rate and blood pressure
Neurotrophic factors contribute to the maintenance of
homeostasis in which 20. of the following ways? A) By
catalyzing the effects of neurotransmitters
, B) By increasing the sensitivity of receptors on
postsynaptic cells
C) By promoting the growth and survival of neurons
D) By selectively increasing or decreasing the release of
neurotransmitters Correct Answer C) By promoting the
growth and survival of neurons
Which of the following would a nursing instructor identify
when describing the area of the brain involved with verbal
language function, including areas for both receptive and
expressive speech?
A) Right hemisphere
B) Parietal lobe
C) Occipital lobe
D) Left hemisphere Correct Answer D) Left hemisphere
A nurse is developing a plan of care for a patient
experiencing expressive aphasia. The nurse incorporates
knowledge that the patient most likely has sustained
damage to which of the following?
A) The postcentral gyrus
B) Brocas area
C) Basal ganglia
D) The hippocampus Correct Answer B) Brocas area
The nurse is caring for an older adult who has
experienced damage to the frontal lobe after an
automobile accident. The nurse anticipates that the patient
will have difficulty with which of the following?
A) Smell
B) Concept formation
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY NEWEST
EXAM QUESTIONS AND DETAILED
CORRECT ANSWERS | A+ GRADE
A 60-year-old woman has been recently diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis, a disease in which the oligodendrocytes
of the patients central nervous system (CNS) are
progressively destroyed. Which physiologic process within
the neurologic system is most likely be affected by this
disease process?
A) Oxygen metabolism
B) Neurotransmitter synthesis
C) Nerve conduction
D) Production of cerebrospinal fluid Correct Answer C)
Nerve conduction
A neuron has been hyperpolarized. How will this affect the
excitability of the neuron?
A) The neuron will have a membrane potential farther from
the threshold.
B) The neuron will be more difficult to repolarize after
firing.
C) The membrane potential of the neuron will be closer to
the threshold.
D) The neurons excitability will be significantly increased.
Correct Answer A) The neuron will have a membrane
potential farther from the threshold.
,A pregnant womans most recent ultrasound is suggestive
of spina bifida, and her primary care provider has
subsequently order further diagnostic testing. The
pathophysiologic effects of this disease are due to:
A) malformation of the mesoderm.
B) abnormal closure of the neural tube.
C) lesions in the dorsal root ganglia.
D) hypertrophy of the primary vesicles. Correct Answer B)
abnormal closure of the neural tube.
Which of the following messages is most likely to be
carried by general somatic afferent (GSA) neurons?
A) The sensation of cold when touching ice
B) The message to move a finger and thumb
C) The message to move the larynx during speech D)
Information about the position of a joint Correct Answer A)
The sensation of cold when touching ice
Which of the following processes is most likely to occur as
a result of a spinal reflex?
A) Peristalsis of the small and large bowel
B) Control of oculomotor function in changing light levels
C) Pain sensation from a potentially damaging knee
movement
D) Withdrawal of a hand from a hot stove element Correct
Answer D) Withdrawal of a hand from a hot stove element
A patient has required mechanical ventilation following a
traumatic head injury sustained in a motorcycle crash,
during which he sustained damage to his respiratory
,center. Which of the patient's brain structures has been
injured?
A) Brain stem
B) Midbrain
C) Diencephalon
D) Frontal lobe Correct Answer A) Brain stem
A patient with a diagnosis of epilepsy has required surgical
removal of part of her prefrontal cortex. Which of the
following effects should her family and care team
anticipate?
A) Lapses in balance and coordination
B) Deficits in regulation of the endocrine system
C) Sensory losses
D) Changes in behavior and judgment Correct Answer D)
Changes in behavior and judgment
A patient's primary care provider has prescribed a b-
adrenergic receptor blocker. Which of the following
therapeutic effects do the patient and care provider likely
seek?
A) Reduction in heart rate and blood pressure
B) Slowing of gastrointestinal motility
C) Increase in mental acuity
D) Decreased production of gastric acid Correct Answer
A) Reduction in heart rate and blood pressure
Neurotrophic factors contribute to the maintenance of
homeostasis in which 20. of the following ways? A) By
catalyzing the effects of neurotransmitters
, B) By increasing the sensitivity of receptors on
postsynaptic cells
C) By promoting the growth and survival of neurons
D) By selectively increasing or decreasing the release of
neurotransmitters Correct Answer C) By promoting the
growth and survival of neurons
Which of the following would a nursing instructor identify
when describing the area of the brain involved with verbal
language function, including areas for both receptive and
expressive speech?
A) Right hemisphere
B) Parietal lobe
C) Occipital lobe
D) Left hemisphere Correct Answer D) Left hemisphere
A nurse is developing a plan of care for a patient
experiencing expressive aphasia. The nurse incorporates
knowledge that the patient most likely has sustained
damage to which of the following?
A) The postcentral gyrus
B) Brocas area
C) Basal ganglia
D) The hippocampus Correct Answer B) Brocas area
The nurse is caring for an older adult who has
experienced damage to the frontal lobe after an
automobile accident. The nurse anticipates that the patient
will have difficulty with which of the following?
A) Smell
B) Concept formation
