Physiological Psychology & Psychopharmacology Flashcards
A patient with brain damage is unable to recognize his doctor’s face even though he has met with the doctor several times. This condition is known as:
Select one:
a.
Topographagnosia
b.
Anosognosia
c.
Prosopagnosia
d.
Autotopagnosia
Prosopagnosia is a type of visual agnosia that involves an inability to recognize familiar faces. Topographagnosia involves deficits in spatial ability; autotopagnosia is the inability to locate various parts of the body; and anosognosia is the refusal or inability to recognize the existence of a defect or disease.
The correct answer is: Prosopagnosia
A person is able to say “knife” when a picture of a knife is flashed to his right visual field, but he cannot name a spoon, which he can’t see but has felt with his left hand. Most likely, this individual has damage to which of the following?
Select one:
a.
Substantia nigra
b.
Prefrontal cortex
c.
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
d.
Corpus callosum
This man is exhibiting the characteristics of “split-brain” patients whose corpus callosum has been severed, usually as a treatment for severe epilepsy.
The correct answer is: Corpus callosum
A person who takes an MAOI concurrently with an SSRI may develop serotonin syndrome which is characterized by:
Select one:
a.
Drowsiness, dizziness, slurred speech, and anterograde amnesia
b.
Involuntary rhythmic movements of the jaw, lips, tongue, and extremities
c.
Headache, dizziness, confusion, irritability, tremor, and nystagmus
d.
Nausea, vomiting, a metallic taste in the mouth, and restlessness
Serotonin syndrome is caused by excessive serotonergic activity and produces the symptoms listed in this answer. In extreme cases, it may cause cardiac arrhythmia and progress to coma and death.
The correct answer is: Headache, dizziness, confusion, irritability, tremor, and nystagmus
As the result of a stroke involving the middle cerebral artery and the right (nondominant) hemisphere, a person is most likely to exhibit:
Select one:
a.
Paralysis on the left side of his body and vision loss in his left visual field
b.
Paralysis on the right side of his body and visual loss in his right visual field
c.
Paralysis on the right side of his body and visual agnosia
d.
Paralysis on the left side of his body and global aphasia
Damage to certain areas of the right hemisphere could cause paralysis on the left side of the body as well as visual loss in the left visual field. These are common symptoms of stroke.
The correct answer is: Paralysis on the left side of his body and vision loss in his left visual field
As the result of head trauma, a middle-aged woman has difficulty regulating the rate, rhythm, pitch, and loudness of her speech. This is referred to as:
Select one:
a.
Anomia
b.
Asomatognosia
c.
Synesthesia
d.
Dysprosody
Prosody refers to the pattern of stress and intonation in speech. Dysprosody is a characteristic of Broca’s aphasia and other nonfluent aphasias.
The correct answer is: Dysprosody
Bilateral lesions in which of the following areas of the brain are most likely to result in a loss of the fear response without loss of other emotional responses?
Select one:
a.
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
b.
Amygdala
c.
Hippocampus
d.
Thalamus
The case of “patient SM” has confirmed that the amygdala is responsible for the experience of fear in response to frightening stimuli. SM has focal bilateral amygdala lesions as the result of a rare disease. While she is able to experience other emotions, she does not experience fear. See J. S. Feinstein et al., The human amygdala and the induction and experience of fear Current biology, 21(1), 34-38, 2010.
The correct answer is: Amygdala
Damage to the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is most likely to result in:
Select one:
a.
Aphasia
b.
Anxiety and depression
c.
Increased aggression
d.
Indifference or undue cheerfulness
The right hemisphere governs negative emotions, and damage to certain areas of the right hemisphere produces indifference or excessively positive emotions.
The correct answer is: Indifference or undue cheerfulness
During the __________ stage of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), the release of epinephrine results in an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate.
Select one:
a.
Alarm
b.
Activation
c.
Resistance
d.
Exhaustion
Epinephrine (adrenaline) is released by the adrenal medulla during the alarm stage of the GAS and is responsible for the body’s “fight-or-flight” response.
The correct answer is: Alarm
Following a closed head injury caused by a car accident, a 55-year-old woman experiences extensive retrograde amnesia that affects memories for events that occurred up to 10 years prior to the accident. When her “lost” memories begin to return, she will most likely recall which of the following first:
Select one:
a.
Memories from 1 week before the accident
b.
Memories of the accident
c.
Memories from 10 years before the accident
d.
Memories from 6 months before the accident
The typical pattern for the return of long-term memories following head trauma is for the most remote memories to return first.
The correct answer is: Memories from 10 years before the accident
Global aphasia is caused by widespread damage in the dominant (left) hemisphere and involves:
Select one:
a.
Intact comprehension and nonfluent speech
b.
Impaired comprehension and nonfluent speech
c.
Intact comprehension and fluent speech
d.
Impaired comprehension and fluent speech
As its name suggests, global aphasia is caused by widespread brain injury and is characterized by extensive disruption in the ability to produce and understand language. A person with this disorder exhibits impaired auditory comprehension, nonfluent speech, anomia (inability to name a common or familiar object, attribute, or action), paraphasia (use of inappropriate words and phrases), and an inability to read or write. Depending on the brain areas affected by the injury, the person may also exhibit hemiparesis, limb apraxia, and/or catastrophic emotional reactions.
The correct answer is: Impaired comprehension and nonfluent speech
If you’re in a car accident that causes damage to your cerebellum, you’re most likely to:
Select one:
a.
Find it difficult to do simple arithmetic calculations
b.
Have trouble jogging and playing tennis
c.
Have trouble recognizing friends and family members
d.
Find it difficult to answer EPPP questions
The cerebellum is involved in the regulation of balance and coordination. Consequently, of the activities listed in the answers, jogging and playing tennis are most likely to be adversely affected by damage to this structure of the brain.
The correct answer is: Have trouble jogging and playing tennis
Impaired facial recognition, left-right disorientation, difficulty recognizing familiar objects by touch, and an inability to perform complex, purposeful movements (apraxia) are most suggestive of damage to the:
Select one:
a.
Frontal lobes
b.
Temporal lobes
c.
Parietal lobes
d.
Occipital lobes
Damage to the parietal lobes can cause aphasia, tactile agnosia, and apraxia (loss of ability to perform purposeful movements).
The correct answer is: Parietal lobes
In comparison to haloperidol, risperidone:
Select one:
a.
Is less likely to produce extrapyramidal side effects
b.
Is less effective for the negative symptoms of Schizophrenia
c.
Is less likely to produce weight gain
d.
Is more likely to produce sexual side effects
Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic. It is less likely to produce extrapyramidal side effects than haloperidol and other typical (conventional) antipsychotics. According to a recent Cochrane Review, in comparison to haloperidol, risperidone is more likely to cause weight gain, is more effective for negative symptoms, and is about equally likely to cause sexual side effects. [Hunter, R. H., Joy, C. B., Kennedy, E., Gilbody, S. M., & Song, F. (2003). Risperidone versus typical antipsychotic medication for schizophrenia (Cochrane Review), The Cochrane Library, 4. ]
The correct answer is: Is less likely to produce extrapyramidal side effects
Prescribing methylphenidate for a child who is believed to have ADHD:
Select one:
a.
Would help confirm the diagnosis because only children with this disorder display its paradoxical effects
b.
Would be contraindicated because of the high risk for physical and psychological dependence on the drug
c.
Would be contraindicated because it can produce ADHD-like symptoms in children who do not have the disorder
d.
Would not help confirm the diagnosis because children without the disorder also display its paradoxical effects
At the low dose prescribed for ADHD, methylphenidate decreases motor activity and impulsivity and increases attention span not only in children with ADHD but also in those without the disorder.
The correct answer is: Would not help confirm the diagnosis because children without the disorder also display its paradoxical effects
Studies investigating age-related changes in sleep patterns have found that, over the adult years:
Select one:
a.
REM sleep increases but slow-wave sleep remains fairly constant
b.
REM sleep decreases but slow-wave sleep remains fairly constant
c.
REM sleep remains fairly constant but slow-wave sleep increases
d.
REM sleep remains fairly constant but slow-wave sleep decreases
Research has confirmed that the latency (onset) of the first REM period decreases with increasing age but that the amount of REM sleep remains fairly stable over the lifespan or decreases only slightly. In contrast, Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep (slow-wave sleep) decrease and, in some older adults, are nearly nonexistent.
The correct answer is: REM sleep remains fairly constant but slow-wave sleep decreases
