Deck 4: The Chemistry of Behavior: Neurotransmitters and Neuropharmacology

Question 1

When an action potential arrives at the axon terminal, _______ in the presynaptic terminal membrane.

A) voltage-gated calcium channels close
B) sodium channels open
C) sodium channels close
D) voltage-gated calcium channels open

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The neurologist Otto Loewi's pivotal discovery was that neurotransmitters communicate via _______ signaling.

A) electrical
B) chemical
C) gas exchange
D) ionic

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The _______ receptor uses a system of second messengers to cause changes in excitability.

A) ionotropic
B) metabotropic
C) GABA_A
D) nicotinic

Answer 3

B

Question 4

When activated extracellularly, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCrs) initiate

A) transporters to uptake degraded neurotransmitters for recycling.
B) a G protein signaling mechanism outside the cell.
C) a G protein signaling mechanism inside the cell.
D) the release of neurotransmitter molecules into the synaptic cleft.

Question 5

Muscarinic receptors are

A) all inhibitory.
B) metabotropic.
C) all excitatory.
D) ionotropic.

Question 6

Which chemical is not a monoamine neurotransmitter?

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

Question 7

Two _______ opioids are_______-enkephalin and leu-enkephalin.

A) exogenous; met
B) endogenous; tau
C) exogenous; tau
D) endogenous; met

Question 8

Two types of acetylcholine receptors are called _______ and _______.

A) AMPA; NMDA
B) α1; α2
C) muscarinic; nicotinic
D) delta; kappa

Question 9

GABA receptors are

A) inhibitory.
B) all ionotropic.
C) all metabotropic.
D) excitatory.

Question 10

The _______ system is a dopamine-containing projection that originates in the substantia nigra and projects to the basal ganglia.

A) mesostriatal
B) mesolimbocortical
C) cholinergic
D) lateral tegmental

Question 11

The neurotransmitter _______ is found in nuclei of the basal forebrain.

A) acetylcholine
B) dopamine
C) norepinephrine
D) serotonin

Question 12

Damage to the _______ would affect projections using the neurotransmitter serotonin.

A) locus coeruleus
B) raphe nucleus
C) basal forebrain
D) substantia nigra

Question 13

Damage to which site would affect projections using the neurotransmitter norepinephrine?

A) Locus coeruleus
B) Raphe nucleus
C) Basal forebrain
D) Substantia nigra

Question 14

Noradrenergic axons project into the

A) limbic system.
B) thalamic nuclei.
C) cerebral cortex.
D) All of the above

Question 15

Drugs that mimic GABA_A receptors might be effective in treating

A) schizophrenia.
B) severe depression.
C) anxiety disorders.
D) Alzheimer's disease.

Question 16

A drug or toxin that resembles the endogenous ligand and that can bind to the receptor and activate it is called as a(n)

A) endogenous drug.
B) exogenous mimic.
C) receptor agonist.
D) receptor antagonist.

Question 17

If a newly-developed drug is found to bind to dopamine receptors but does not activate them, the drug is classified as a(n)

A) antagonist.
B) endogenous ligand.
C) prototype.
D) agonist.

Question 18

Higher doses of a drug tend to increase the proportion of receptors that are bound and affected by the drug, thereby increasing the response. This relationship is called the

A) intrinsic activity.
B) effective dose.
C) dose-response curve.
D) binding affinity.

Question 19

The affinities of drugs are expressed in units of concentration-the _______ the affinity, the _______ the concentration required.

A) higher; lower
B) higher; higher
C) lower; higher
D) lower; lower

Question 20

A patient in the hospital requires anti-nausea medication. Which procedure would provide the most rapid route of administration?

A) Pill
B) IV drip
C) Subcutaneous shot
D) Oral syrup

Question 21

People who have used a particular dose of a drug several times may develop a similar response to the same dosage of other drugs in the same class. This is an example of

A) sensitization.
B) tolerance.
C) withdrawal.
D) cross-tolerance.

Question 22

Down-regulation of a neuron's receptors might be caused by

A) the antagonistic effects of a drug.
B) the agonistic effects of a drug.
C) a drug that both inhibits and excites the nervous system.
D) two similar drugs exerting opposite effects.

Question 23

Repeated exposure to a drug leading to a decrease in physiological response is called

A) substance abuse.
B) addiction.
C) withdrawal.
D) tolerance.

Question 24

_______ specifically blocks the release of ACh from axon terminals at the injection site.

A) Curare
B) Botulinum toxin
C) Tetrodotoxin
D) Cocaine

Question 25

Which substance inhibits the production of neurotransmitter?

A) Caffeine
B) Amphetamine
C) Botulinum toxin
D) Colchicine

Question 26

Adenosine regulates synaptic activity through its actions on

A) postsynaptic receptors.
B) neurotransmitter reuptake.
C) synaptic enzymes.
D) presynaptic autoreceptors.

Question 27

Which of the following is not a characteristic of adenosine?

A) It may be antagonized by caffeine.
B) It blocks transporter mechanism on vesicles.
C) It acts on presynaptic receptors.
D) It inhibits transmitter release.

Question 28

Curare is a drug that selectively blocks receptors for

A) serotonin.
B) GABA.
C) acetylcholine.
D) norepinephrine.

Question 29

The mood-stabilizing drug lithium acts by

A) inhibiting cyclic AMP.
B) blocking NMDA receptors.
C) inhibiting serotonin reuptake.
D) activating AMPA receptors.

Question 30

Caffeine exerts its action by _______ presynaptic adenosine receptors, which _______the amount of neurotransmitter released.

A) blocking; increases
B) blocking; decreases
C) opening; increases
D) opening; decreases

Question 31

Which compound competes with adenosine for presynaptic autoreceptors, thus preventing adenosine from inhibiting transmitter release.

A) Amphetamine
B) Tetrodotoxin
C) Botulinum toxin
D) Caffeine

Question 32

Through the process of _______, neurotransmitter is cleared from synapses.

A) reuptake
B) consolidation
C) diffusion
D) a blockade

Question 33

Drugs called second-generation antipsychotics block

A) dopamine receptors.
B) serotonin receptors.
C) dopamine and serotonin receptors.
D) all dopamine receptor subtypes.

Question 34

Which chemical is a pure compound extracted from poppies?

A) Opium
B) Dynorphin
C) Enkephalin
D) Morphine

Question 35

Which of the following is a type of opiate receptor?

A) µ
B) δ
C) κ
D) All of the above

Question 36

The active ingredient in cannabis, THC, exerts its effects on the brain through interactions with _______ receptors.

A) opioid
B) glutamate
C) GABA
D) cannabinoid

Question 37

The main active ingredient found in cannabis is

A) hashish.
B) tetracycline.
C) delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
D) phencyclidine (PCP).

Question 38

Cannabinoids have been found to be widely distributed in the brain, but apparently, they are not present in significant numbers in the

A) hippocampus.
B) substantia nigra.
C) cerebral cortex.
D) cerebellum.

Question 39

Cocaine and amphetamine both potently affect the _______ of the monoamine neurotransmitters _______ and _______ in the synapse.

A) accumulation; norepinephrine; dopamine
B) binding; serotonin; dopamine
C) synthesis; acetylcholine; serotonin
D) metabolism; GABA; norepinephrine

Question 40

Cocaine was initially used as a(n)

A) food additive.
B) analgesic.
C) antipsychotic.
D) treatment for hysteria.

Question 41

Which outcome does not result from amphetamine use?

A) Increased stamina
B) Increased sense of well-being
C) Decreased appetite
D) Enhanced long-term memory

Question 42

Reduced gray matter, absence of the corpus callosum, abnormal brain organization, and characteristic deformities of the head and face are seen in

A) addiction to methamphetamine.
B) cocaine addiction.
C) fetal alcohol syndrome.
D) addiction to street-level heroin.

Question 43

Alcohol's calming influence may be attributed to its ability to

A) decrease norepinephrine secretion.
B) increase anandamide secretion.
C) reduce postsynaptic inhibition.
D) enhance postsynaptic inhibition.

Question 44

Alcohol alters the functioning of the brain via interaction with

A) myelin.
B) GABA receptors.
C) benzodiazepine receptors.
D) genes.

Question 45

Blockage of which receptor type would prevent the hallucinogenic properties of LSD?

A) 5-HT_2a
B) NMDA
C) Opioid kappa
D) Muscarinic

Question 46

The molecular structure of LSD resembles that of the neurotransmitter

A) dopamine.
B) glutamate.
C) GABA.
D) serotonin.

Question 47

The drug "Ecstasy," or MDMA, is a hallucinogenic form of _______.

A) cannabis
B) opioids
C) cocaine
D) amphetamine

Question 48

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) appears to exert its effects through its interactions with receptors for the neurotransmitter

A) dopamine.
B) norepinephrine.
C) glycine.
D) serotonin.

Question 49

Which neurotransmitter/neuromodulator has not been shown to be affected by MDMA ("Ecstasy")?

A) Dopamine
B) Enkephalin
C) Oxytocin
D) Prolactin

Question 50

According to DSM-5 criteria about _______% of adults in United States have a diagnoses of alcohol use disorder.

A) 7
B) 9
C) 12
D) 18

Question 51

The _______ model of drug abuse and addiction focuses on the addict's desire to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

A) positive reward
B) physical dependence
C) disease
D) moral

Question 52

One perspective on drug addiction proposes that a feature shared by all habit-forming drugs is that they

A) evoke hallucinations.
B) have strong rewarding properties.
C) cause a chronic maladaptation syndrome.
D) cause bursts of intense activity.

Question 53

Drugs that stimulate the _______ pathway provide powerful positive rewards that may eclipse the pleasures derived from other activities.

A) cholinergic
B) dopaminergic
C) noradrenergic
D) serotonergic

Question 54

The _______ model of drug abuse argues that people become addicted to drugs because of the powerful reinforcement they provide.

A) moral model
B) positive reward
C) disease model
D) physical dependence

Question 55

The triggering of drug cravings after returning to location or setting where they were previously used is called _______ drug use.

A) symbol-induced
B) cue-induced
C) situational
D) spontaneous

Question 56

Abnormalities of which brain region may be implicated in addiction to various substances?

A) Insula
B) Lateral tegmental area
C) Thalamus
D) Pituitary

Question 57

The _______ is an area of the brain which, when lesioned, allows patients to quit smoking effortlessly.

A) cerebellum
B) corpus callosum
C) insula
D) thalamus

Question 58

The drug methadone is used to treat people who have become addicted to

A) cocaine.
B) amphetamine.
C) alcohol.
D) heroin.

Question 59

A common feature of addictive drugs appears to be that they cause the release of _______ in the _______.

A) serotonin; amygdala
B) dopamine; nucleus accumbens
C) norepinephrine; ventral tegmental area
D) GABA; insula

Question 60

Neurotransmitter molecules are returned to the presynaptic terminal by transporter proteins in a process called _______.

Question 61

Nitric oxide belongs to the _______ family of neurotransmitters.

Question 62

The extent to which a drug activates a response when bound to a receptor is it's _______.

Question 63

A decrease in receptor availability at a synapse is referred to as _______.

Question 64

In response to an agonist, target neurons _______ (increase) the number of receptors at a synapse.

Question 65

The _______ of drug molecules (or other ligand) refers to their propensity to bind to receptors.

Question 66

The factors that affect the movement of a drug into, through, and out of the body is called _______.

Question 67

The increased alertness brought on by drinking coffee (caffeine) is due to the blocking of presynaptic _______ receptors, which increases the amount of neurotransmitter released.

Question 68

By block sodium channels, a compound found in pufferfish, called_______, prevents action potentials from occurring.

Question 69

Most antipsychotic medications act by blocking _______ receptors.

Question 70

The periaqueductal gray area of the brain contains a high density of _______ receptors.

Question 71

Ketamine blocks _______ receptors and increases activity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Question 72

The moral model of drug abuse suggests that addiction is caused by what factor?

Question 73

Damage to the dopamine neural pathway in either the nucleus accumbens or the _______ leads to dysfunction in the experience of reward.

Question 74

List the amino acid and amine neurotransmitters

Question 75

Create a paragraph using the following terms: Dopaminergic, mesolimbocortical pathway, mesostriatal pathway, ventral tegmental area, limbic system, cortex, substantia nigra, basal ganglia

Question 76

What is a dose-response curve?

Question 77

Explain what it means to say that a drug has a high bioavailability.

Question 78

Identify three ways drugs can affect presynaptic transmitter release (Note: focus on transmitter release, not transmitter production or clearance).

Question 79

What are two ways that drugs can affect neurotransmitter postsynaptic receptors?

Question 80

Briefly explain how selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work.