Physiological and psychopharmacology

Question 1

Haloperidol acts as a _________ receptor antagonist.

Answer 1

Dopamine- Haloperidol is a widely prescribed antipsychotic medication that acts as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist.

Question 2

Which area of the brain produces melatonin and plays a role in circadian and seasonal rhythms?

Answer 2

The pineal gland is the primary endocrine organ that secretes hormones, such as melatonin, and controls the circadian rhythms.

Question 3

The drug Ritalin inhibits the reuptake of which neurotransmitter?

Answer 3

Ritalin (methylphenidate) blocks dopamine reuptake. Ritalin is used to treat children with ADHD.

Question 4

A drug that binds with a receptor but does not activate it is called a ________.

Answer 4

Receptor blockers are also known as direct antagonists. It is a type of ligand or drug that avoids or dampens a biological reaction. When binding to the receptor, it does not activate it, rather, it tends to block the particular receptor.

Question 5

Which structures are included in Papez’s circuit?

Answer 5

Papez’s circuit mediates the experience and expression of emotion. It includes the hippocampus, mammillary bodies, anterior nuclei of the thalamus, and the cingulate gyrus.

Question 6

The _____________ maintains the body’s internal homeostasis.

Answer 6

Homeostasis refers to the ability to maintain the internal environment of the body within limits that allow survival. A primary function of the hypothalamus is to maintain the body’s homeostasis in addition to regulating temperature and blood pressure.

Question 7

Which disease is characterized by a combination of finger agnosia, right-left confusion, agraphia, and acalculia?

Answer 7

Gerstmann’s syndrome results from damage to the parietal lobe and is characterized by the symptoms listed in the question.

Question 8

Which of the following disease is characterized by uncontrollable jerking movements, writhing movements, and dementia?

Answer 8

Huntington’s disease is a fatal inherited disorder that causes degeneration of the caudate nucleus and putamen. The main symptoms include uncontrollable jerking movements, writhing movements, and dementia.

Question 9

Which of the following is directed toward the central nervous system, conveying sensory information?

Answer 9

Afferent axons are incoming axons that bring sensory information towards the central nervous system.

Question 10

spinal root that contains incoming sensory fibers

Answer 10

Dorsal root

Question 11

axons that are directed away from the central nervous system, conveying motor commands to muscles and glands.

Answer 11

efferent axons

Question 12

spinal root that contains outgoing motor fibers

Answer 12

ventral root

Question 13

Black communities have higher rates than White communities

Answer 13

Hypertension

Question 14

Migraine headaches can be precipitated by or aggravated by which of the following?

Answer 14

Migraines are precipitated or aggravated by many factors including menstruation, stress, relaxation after stress, changes in barometric pressure, alcohol, decongestant overuse, and certain foods.

Question 15

Anticholinergic effects

Answer 15

They include dry mouth, blurred vision, tachycardia, urinary retention, constipation, memory impairment, and confusion.

Question 16

What is defined as the examination of chromosomes and their abnormalities?

Answer 16

Cytogenetic testing is a type of genetic testing that examines chromosomes and their abnormalities.

Question 17

Diagnosing Seizures

Answer 17

The diagnosis of a seizure disorder includes obtaining a medical history, a physical exam, an EEG, and sometimes an imaging technique such as CT or MRI.

Question 18

How many women of reproductive age are regularly impacted by the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?

Answer 18

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) includes anxiety, depression, emotional lability, fluid retention, backache, food cravings, and headaches. Its cause is not well understood and reported estimates of prevalence range from 30-80% of women of reproductive age. 1.8-5.8% have symptoms that are severe enough to qualify for PMDD.

Question 19

If a split-brain patient is shown a picture of apple pie to their right visual field, what is the patient capable of doing?

Answer 19

A study by Sperry and Gazzaniga (1967) found that a picture projected to the right visual field of a split-brain patient, the patient was able to name the object and pick it out with their right hand but not their left hand. This is because the information projected to the right visual field went to the left hemisphere only.

Question 20

Which of the following brain areas has not been implicated in the regulation of emotion?
Select one:

A.
amygdala

B.
hypothalamus

C.
hippocampus

D.
cerebral cortex

Answer 20

The hippocampus is a limbic system structure that is important for spatial and explicit memory and the consolidation of declarative memories. It is not implicated in the regulation of emotion.