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
, lOMoARcPSD|51648332
Week 1The 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 ()
, lOMoARcPSD|51648332
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
cord are comprised of gray matter which contains neural cell bodies, axon terminals,
dendrites, and all nerve synapses. It is the working area of the brain and the focus of
psychiatry and neurology. Gray matter is associated with learning. Changes in the gray
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
, lOMoARcPSD|51648332
Week 1The 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 ()
, lOMoARcPSD|51648332
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
cord are comprised of gray matter which contains neural cell bodies, axon terminals,
dendrites, and all nerve synapses. It is the working area of the brain and the focus of
psychiatry and neurology. Gray matter is associated with learning. Changes in the gray
Downloaded by Benjamin Luca ()
