QUESTION BANK FOR PMHNP BOARDS 2026
FINAL PAPER EXAM Q&A STUDY GUIDE WITH
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
◉ Thalamus. Answer: Sensory relay station EXCEPT for smell.
Modulate flow of sensory information to prevent overwhelming the
cortex. Regulates emotions, memory, and related affective behaviors.
◉ Hippocampus. Answer: Regulates memory and converts short-
term to long-term memory
◉ Amygdala. Answer: Responsible for mediating mood, fear,
emotion, aggression. Also responsible for connecting sensory smell
information with emotions.
◉ Basal ganglia. Answer: Complex feedback system to modulate and
stabilize somatic motor activity. Movement initiation, complex motor
function. Learning, automatic functions like walking/driving.
◉ Basal ganglia side effects. Answer: Extrapyramidal functions here.
Involuntary movement side effects can occur with psychotropics.
◉ Caudate. Answer: Basal ganglia
,◉ Putamen. Answer: Basal ganglia
◉ Midbrain. Answer: Ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra
◉ Pons. Answer: Houses locus ceruleus (NE synthesis)
◉ Medulla. Answer: Along with pons, contains automatic control
center that regulates internal body functions
◉ Cerebellum. Answer: Equilibrium
◉ Reticular formation system. Answer: Primitive brain. Receives
input from cortex, integration area for input from postsensory
pathways. Innervates thalamus, hypothalamus, cortex. Regulates
involuntary movement like reflexes, muscle tone, vitals.
◉ Monoamines. Answer: DA, NE, epinephrine, serotonin
◉ DA pathways. Answer: Mesocortical, mesolimbic, nigrostriatal,
tunberoinfundibular
◉ Catecholamines. Answer: DA, NE, epinephrine
,◉ Indoleamine. Answer: 5HT
◉ DA precursor. Answer: Tyrosine
◉ NE precursor. Answer: Tyrosine
◉ DA production site. Answer: Substantia nigra and ventral
tegmental area
◉ 5HT precursor. Answer: Tryptophan
◉ 5HT production site. Answer: Raphe nuclei in the brainstem
◉ DA breakdown. Answer: MAO enzymes
◉ NE breakdown. Answer: Removed from synaptic cleft and
returned to storage via active reuptake process
◉ 5HT breakdown. Answer: Removed from synaptic cleft and
returend to storage via an active reuptake process
, ◉ Glutamate. Answer: Excitatory NT
◉ Amino acids. Answer: Glutamate, aspartate, GABA, glycine
◉ Glutamate disorder. Answer: Excess implicated in seizure and
bipolar disorders. Imbalance in mood disorders, schizophrenia
◉ Aspartate. Answer: Excitatory NT, nothing super important
◉ GABA. Answer: Universal inhibitory NT. BZ, ETOH, barbiturates,
CNS depressants work on GABA
◉ Glycine. Answer: Inhibitory NT that works with GABA
◉ Acetylcholine synthesis site. Answer: Basal nucleus of Meynert
◉ Acetylcholine precursor. Answer: Acetylcoenzyme A and choline
◉ DA function. Answer: Thinking, decision making, reward-seeking
behavior, fine muscle action, integrated cognition
◉ NE function. Answer: Alertness, focused attention, orientation,
priming of "fight or flight," learning, memory
FINAL PAPER EXAM Q&A STUDY GUIDE WITH
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
◉ Thalamus. Answer: Sensory relay station EXCEPT for smell.
Modulate flow of sensory information to prevent overwhelming the
cortex. Regulates emotions, memory, and related affective behaviors.
◉ Hippocampus. Answer: Regulates memory and converts short-
term to long-term memory
◉ Amygdala. Answer: Responsible for mediating mood, fear,
emotion, aggression. Also responsible for connecting sensory smell
information with emotions.
◉ Basal ganglia. Answer: Complex feedback system to modulate and
stabilize somatic motor activity. Movement initiation, complex motor
function. Learning, automatic functions like walking/driving.
◉ Basal ganglia side effects. Answer: Extrapyramidal functions here.
Involuntary movement side effects can occur with psychotropics.
◉ Caudate. Answer: Basal ganglia
,◉ Putamen. Answer: Basal ganglia
◉ Midbrain. Answer: Ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra
◉ Pons. Answer: Houses locus ceruleus (NE synthesis)
◉ Medulla. Answer: Along with pons, contains automatic control
center that regulates internal body functions
◉ Cerebellum. Answer: Equilibrium
◉ Reticular formation system. Answer: Primitive brain. Receives
input from cortex, integration area for input from postsensory
pathways. Innervates thalamus, hypothalamus, cortex. Regulates
involuntary movement like reflexes, muscle tone, vitals.
◉ Monoamines. Answer: DA, NE, epinephrine, serotonin
◉ DA pathways. Answer: Mesocortical, mesolimbic, nigrostriatal,
tunberoinfundibular
◉ Catecholamines. Answer: DA, NE, epinephrine
,◉ Indoleamine. Answer: 5HT
◉ DA precursor. Answer: Tyrosine
◉ NE precursor. Answer: Tyrosine
◉ DA production site. Answer: Substantia nigra and ventral
tegmental area
◉ 5HT precursor. Answer: Tryptophan
◉ 5HT production site. Answer: Raphe nuclei in the brainstem
◉ DA breakdown. Answer: MAO enzymes
◉ NE breakdown. Answer: Removed from synaptic cleft and
returned to storage via active reuptake process
◉ 5HT breakdown. Answer: Removed from synaptic cleft and
returend to storage via an active reuptake process
, ◉ Glutamate. Answer: Excitatory NT
◉ Amino acids. Answer: Glutamate, aspartate, GABA, glycine
◉ Glutamate disorder. Answer: Excess implicated in seizure and
bipolar disorders. Imbalance in mood disorders, schizophrenia
◉ Aspartate. Answer: Excitatory NT, nothing super important
◉ GABA. Answer: Universal inhibitory NT. BZ, ETOH, barbiturates,
CNS depressants work on GABA
◉ Glycine. Answer: Inhibitory NT that works with GABA
◉ Acetylcholine synthesis site. Answer: Basal nucleus of Meynert
◉ Acetylcholine precursor. Answer: Acetylcoenzyme A and choline
◉ DA function. Answer: Thinking, decision making, reward-seeking
behavior, fine muscle action, integrated cognition
◉ NE function. Answer: Alertness, focused attention, orientation,
priming of "fight or flight," learning, memory
