Deck 20: Introduction to Central Nervous System Pharmacology

Question 1

A group of nursing students asks a nurse to explain the blood-brain barrier. The nurse would be correct to say that the blood-brain barrier:

A) prevents some potentially toxic substances from crossing into the central nervous system.
B) causes infants to be less sensitive to CNS drugs and thus require larger doses.
C) allows only ionized or protein-bound drugs to cross into the central nervous system.
D) prevents lipid-soluble drugs from entering the central nervous system.

Answer 1

prevents some potentially toxic substances from crossing into the central nervous system.

Question 2

A patient asks a nurse to explain what drug tolerance means. The nurse responds by telling the patient that when tolerance occurs, it means the patient:

A) has developed a psychologic dependence on the drug.
B) may need increased amounts of the drug over time.
C) will cause an abstinence syndrome if the drug is discontinued abruptly.
D) will have increased sensitivity to drug side effects.

Answer 2

may need increased amounts of the drug over time.

Question 3

A psychiatric nurse is teaching a patient about an antidepressant medication. The nurse tells the patient that therapeutic effects may not occur for several weeks. The nurse understands that this is likely the result of:

A) changes in the brain as a result of prolonged drug exposure.
B) direct actions of the drug on specific synaptic functions in the brain.
C) slowed drug absorption across the blood-brain barrier.
D) tolerance to exposure to the drug over time.

Answer 3

changes in the brain as a result of prolonged drug exposure.

Question 4

A nurse is teaching a group of students about how CNS drugs are developed. Which statement by a student indicates a need for further teaching?

A) "Central nervous system drug development relies on observations of their effects on human behavior."
B) "Studies of new central nervous system drugs in healthy subjects can produce paradoxical effects."
C) "Our knowledge of the neurochemical and physiologic changes that underlie mental illness is incomplete."
D) "These drugs are developed based on scientific knowledge of CNS transmitters and receptors."

Question 5

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students how the CNS adapts to psychotherapeutic medications. Which statement by a nursing student indicates a need for further teaching?

A) "Adaptation can lead to tolerance of these drugs with prolonged use."
B) "Adaptation helps explain how physical dependence occurs."
C) "Adaptation often must occur before therapeutic effects develop."
D) "Adaptation results in an increased sensitivity to side effects over time."

Question 6

An infant who receives a drug that does not produce CNS side effects in adults exhibits drowsiness and sedation. The nurse understands that this is because of differences in which physiologic system in infants and adults?

A) Blood-brain barrier
B) First-pass effect
C) Gastrointestinal absorption
D) Renal filtration

Question 7

Which monoamines act as neurotransmitters in the central nervous system?

A) Acetylcholine
B) Norepinephrine
C) Serotonin
D) Dopamine
E) Epinephrine
F) Histamine

Question 8

Which are medical applications of central nervous system drugs?

A) Analgesia
B) Anesthesia
C) Depression
D) Euphoria
E) Seizure control