Deck 3: Concepts of Psychobiology

Question 1

A nurse concludes that a restless,agitated client is manifesting a fight-or-flight response.The nurse understands the client's response is associated with which neurotransmitter?

A)Acetylcholine
B)Dopamine
C)Serotonin
D)Norepinephrine

Answer 1

Norepinephrine

Question 2

An instructor is teaching nursing students about neurotransmitters.Which term best explains the process by which neurotransmitters released into the synaptic cleft return to the presynaptic neuron?

A)Regeneration
B)Reuptake
C)Recycling
D)Retransmission

Answer 2

Reuptake

Question 3

A client diagnosed with schizophrenia expresses little emotion and refuses to attend group therapy.The nurse recognizes the client's behavior is influenced by which component of the nervous system?

A)Dendrites
B)Axons
C)Neurotransmitters
D)Synapses

Answer 3

Neurotransmitters

Question 4

The nurse recognizes that a decrease in norepinephrine levels plays a significant role in which disorder?

A)Mania
B)Schizophrenia
C)Anxiety
D)Major depressive disorder

Question 5

Which mental illness should a nurse identify as being associated with a decrease in prolactin hormone level?

A)Major depressive disorder
B)Schizophrenia
C)Anorexia nervosa
D)Alzheimer's disease

Question 6

Which client diagnosis should the nurse associate with a decrease in GABA?

A)Alzheimer's disease
B)Schizophrenia
C)Panic disorder
D)Depression

Question 7

Which part of the nervous system should the nurse identify as playing a major role during stressful situations?

A)Peripheral nervous system
B)Somatic nervous system
C)Sympathetic nervous system
D)Parasympathetic nervous system

Question 8

A client experiencing sleep apnea underwent a sleep study.During stage 3 of sleep,a delta rhythm was recorded.The nurse recognizes that a delta rhythm is characterized by which sleep activity?

A)Dozing
B)Deep and restful sleep
C)Relaxed waking
D)Dreaming

Question 9

A depressed client states,"I have a chemical imbalance in my brain.I have no control over my behavior.Medications are my only hope to feel normal again." Which response by the nurse is best?

A)"Medications are one way to address chemical imbalances.Environmental and interpersonal factors can also have an impact on biological factors."
B)"Biological factors are the sole cause of depression,so medications will improve your mood."
C)"Environmental factors have been shown to exert the most influence in the development of depression."
D)"Researchers have been unable to demonstrate a link between biology and genetics."

Question 10

A client is admitted to the emergency department experiencing memory deficits and decreased motor function.What alteration in brain chemistry should the nurse correlate with the presentation of these symptoms?

A)Abnormal levels of serotonin
B)Decreased levels of dopamine
C)Increased levels of norepinephrine
D)Decreased levels of acetylcholine

Question 11

Which client statement indicates the nurse's teaching about the effect of circadian rhythms is effective?

A)"When I dream about my mother's horrible train accident,I become hysterical."
B)"I get really irritable during my menstrual cycle."
C)"I'm a morning person,so I get my best work done in the a.m."
D)"Every February,I tend to experience periods of sadness."

Question 12

A client diagnosed with major depressive disorder asks,"What part of my brain controls my emotions?" Which nursing response is best?

A)"The occipital lobe judges perceptions as positive or negative."
B)"The parietal lobe has been linked to depression."
C)"The medulla regulates key biological and psychological activities."
D)"The limbic system is largely responsible for one's emotional state."

Question 13

A nursing instructor is teaching about the monoamine category of neurotransmitters.Which student statement indicates that teaching has been effective?

A)"Norepinephrine functions to regulate movement,coordination,and emotions."
B)"Norepinephrine functions to regulate mood,cognition,and perception."
C)"Norepinephrine functions to regulate arousal,libido,and appetite."
D)"Norepinephrine functions to regulate pain and the inflammatory response."

Question 14

A student nurse is studying the effect of the drug isocarboxazid (Marplan)on neurobiology.Learning has occurred when the student identifies the neurotransmitter serotonin is catabolized by which enzyme?

A)Glycosyltransferase
B)Peptidase
C)Polymerase
D)Monoamine oxidase

Question 15

A client is admitted to a psychiatric unit with the diagnosis of catatonic schizophrenia.Which of the client's neurotransmitters should the nurse expect to be elevated?

A)Serotonin
B)Dopamine
C)Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
D)Histamine

Question 16

A client's spouse of 34 years dies unexpectedly.The client cries often and becomes socially isolated.The client's therapist stresses the importance of proper sleep,nutrition,and exercise.What is the best rationale for the therapist's advice?

A)An interpersonal approach is indicated for depressed clients.
B)Sleep,nutrition,and exercise affect imbalances in neurotransmitters.
C)Sleep,nutrition,and exercise will alleviate symptoms of depression.
D)The client is susceptible to illness due to effects of stress on the immune system.

Question 17

The nurse knows an increase in dopamine activity might play a significant role in the development of which disorder?

A)Schizophrenia
B)Major depressive disorder
C)Body dysmorphic disorder
D)Parkinson's disease

Question 18

The nursing instructor described cerebral structures and the "emotional brain" to students.Teaching is effective if the students identify which brain structure?

A)Cerebellum
B)Limbic system
C)Cortex
D)Left temporal lobe

Question 19

Six months after her husband and children were killed in a car accident,a client is diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.The nurse should recognize that this situation validates which study perspective?

A)Neuroendocrinology
B)Psychoneuroimmunology
C)Diagnostic technology
D)Neurophysiology

Question 20

The nurse understands that abnormal levels of growth hormone may play a role in which disorder?

A)Acute mania
B)Schizophrenia
C)Anorexia nervosa
D)Alzheimer's disease

Question 21

Which concepts are essential to psychiatric nursing practice? Select all that apply.

A)Evidence-based outcomes
B)Holistic nursing practice
C)Integration of biological knowledge
D)Psychosocial adaptation and physical functioning
E)Diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders

Question 22

Which information should the nurse include when teaching a client about the causes of anorexia nervosa? Select all that apply.

A)There is a possible correlation between abnormal secretion of growth hormone and anorexia nervosa.
B)There is a possible correlation between antidiuretic hormone levels and anorexia nervosa.
C)There is a possible correlation between low levels of gonadotropin and anorexia nervosa.
D)There is a possible correlation between increased levels of prolactin and anorexia nervosa.
E)There is a possible correlation between altered levels of oxytocin and anorexia nervosa.

Question 23

The psychiatric nurse is administering medication to a client experiencing a severe depression.The nurse understands that the mechanism of action for some psychoactive medications is related to which process?

A)Glutamate inactivation
B)Impulse transmission
C)Neuropeptide signaling
D)Neurotransmitter reuptake

Question 24

Elevated levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)are associated with which symptom?

A)Aggression
B)Anxiety
C)Emotional lability
D)Psychosis

Question 25

Which adoption studies about the influence of genetics on the development of psychiatric disorders were described by Knowles? Select all that apply.

A)Studies in which children whose biological parents had a psychiatric disorder were raised by adoptive parents who did not have a psychiatric disorder
B)Studies in which children whose biological parents did not have a psychiatric disorder were raised by adoptive parents who had a psychiatric disorder
C)Studies in which children were raised together by biological parents who had a psychiatric disorder
D)Studies in which children whose biological parents had a psychiatric disorder were raised by adoptive parents who also had a psychiatric disorder
E)Studies in which children whose biological parents had a psychiatric disorder were raised by biological relatives who had a psychiatric disorder

Question 26

Which of the following symptoms should the nurse expect to assess in a client experiencing elevated levels of thyroid hormone? Select all that apply.

A)Emotional lability
B)Depression
C)Insomnia
D)Restlessness
E)Apathy

Question 27

While reviewing laboratory results of a newly admitted client,the nurse discovers that the client's thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)levels are elevated.The nurse anticipates the client will exhibit which symptoms? Select all that apply.

A)Depression
B)Fatigue
C)Increased libido
D)Mania
E)Hyperexcitability

Question 28

Stress and its effect on the immune system are associated with which of the following? Select all that apply.

A)Physical illness
B)Severity of depression
C)Insomnia
D)Cognition
E)Schizophrenia

Question 29

The nurse understands that psychotropic medications improve symptoms of mental disorders by acting on which of the following parts of nervous system?

A)Basal ganglia
B)Hypothalamus
C)Interneurons
D)Neural synapse