Deck 4: Psychobiologic Bases of Behavior

Question 1

A patient is recovering from surgery to remove a tumor in the cerebellum. Which assessment finding is most attributable to this diagnosis?

A) The patient reports of limited taste and smell.
B) The patient demonstrates poor balance and coordination.
C) The patient has limited ability to learn and poor memory.
D) The patient has poor emotional control and low motivation.

Answer 1

The patient demonstrates poor balance and coordination.

Question 2

Dysfunction in which structure should lead the nurse to consider institution of fall precautions?

A) Wernicke area
B) Hippocampus
C) Amygdala
D) Cerebellum

Answer 2

Cerebellum

Question 3

The hippocampus of a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer disease will likely be affected by what related process?

A) Narrowing of the subarachnoid space
B) Overproduction of cerebrospinal fluid
C) Blockage of cerebrospinal fluid outflow
D) Brain atrophy associated with cellular degeneration

Answer 3

Brain atrophy associated with cellular degeneration

Question 4

A patient reports frequent episodes of rage. The patient's problem might be associated with dysfunction of which structure?

A) Parietal lobe
B) Hypothalamus
C) Medulla oblongata
D) Reticular activating system

Question 5

The parent of an adopted infant tells the nurse, "Our baby was abused before the adoption. I read an article online that said this experience causes problems as a child grows up. What we should be watching for?" Select the nurse's best response.

A) "Early trauma sometimes causes learning difficulties, anxiety, and difficulty handling stress later in life."
B) "Early abuse causes the myelin covering of the nerves to overgrow, which leads to high anxiety and mood instability."
C) "Many individuals who experience early trauma and abuse develop symptoms of schizophrenia."
D) "Your child will be normal. Information in online articles is not reliable."

Question 6

A patient is diagnosed with a bilateral frontal cerebral hemorrhage. The nurse is aware that the patient should be assessed from which possible related condition?

A) Myocardial infarction
B) Increased intracranial pressure
C) Renal failure
D) Memory loss

Question 7

The nurse assesses a patient diagnosed with Parkinson disease. When will tremors be most pronounced?

A) When sleeping
B) When sitting quietly
C) When focusing intently
D) When reaching for something

Question 8

A nurse could anticipate that the treatment plan for a patient experiencing memory difficulties might include medications designed to bring about what outcome?

A) Inhibit GABA
B) Increase dopamine at receptor sites
C) Decrease dopamine at receptor sites
D) Prevent destruction of acetylcholine

Question 9

The nurse administers a medication that potentiates the action of noradrenaline. Which finding would be expected?

A) Reduced anxiety
B) Improved memory
C) More organized thinking
D) Fewer sensory perceptual alterations

Question 10

A patient demonstrates a problem identifying odors. The nurse can project that there is dysfunction in which cerebral lobe?

A) Temporal
B) Parietal
C) Occipital
D) Frontal

Question 11

A patient chronically demonstrates aggression. Neuroimaging studies will most likely show dysfunction in which part of the brain?

A) Temporal lobe
B) Cerebellum
C) Brain stem
D) Frontal lobe

Question 12

When a nurse administers medication that focuses on the management of Parkinson disease, what is the focus of the associated evaluation?

A) Spinal nerve function
B) The central nervous system
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) The expected effects of dopamine

Question 13

The patient is tense, hypervigilant, and reports, "My heart is racing." The nurse understands that the client is experiencing what sympathetic nervous system reaction?

A) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
B) Split-brain syndrome
C) Blood brain barrier
D) Fight or flight

Question 14

A patient excitedly tells the nurse, "Look what I made in arts and crafts! I did a good job. I want to make some other things too." The nurse may conclude that which part of the patient's nervous system is responsible for processing this reaction?

A) Brain stem
B) Occipital lobe
C) Limbic system
D) Corpus callosum

Question 15

A patient who experiences frequent panic attacks asks the nurse, "Why does this happen to me?" The nurse should explain that the problem might relate to a deficit of which brain chemical?

A) Noradrenaline
B) Serotonin
C) Dopamine
D) Glutamate

Question 16

A patient reports an inability to sleep because of too much noise and light, even though the environment is quiet with soft lighting. The nurse knows such reports support dysfunction of which organ?

A) Basal ganglia
B) Pituitary gland
C) Substantia nigra
D) Hypothalamus

Question 17

A patient who abuses heroin says, "I have willpower to manage my life in other areas, but I feel helpless to control my craving for heroin." The nurse's response should be based on research findings suggesting that addictive behavior is related to changes in what area of the brain?

A) Cortisol secretion
B) The substantia nigra
C) Mitochondrial DNA
D) The nucleus accumbens

Question 18

A patient diagnosed with split-brain syndrome has damage to which structure of the brain?

A) Amygdala
B) Hippocampus
C) Pyramidal tract
D) Corpus callosum

Question 19

The nurse plans discharge teaching for a patient who experienced a stroke involving the hippocampus. The nurse should adapt the teaching plan to account for possible problems with which function?

A) Visual acuity
B) Expressive aphasia
C) Short-term memory
D) Balance and coordination

Question 20

Although a patient appears to have recovered from a head injury resulting from an auto accident 3 months ago, the family reports changes in the patient's personality and behavior. The nurse should explain that these changes are probably associated with injury to which structure?

A) Pons
B) Parietal lobe
C) Prefrontal area
D) Caudate nucleus

Question 21

An individual is experiencing problems associated with speech and communication. Which cerebral structures are most likely to be involved in this deficit? (Select all that apply.)

A) Frontal lobe
B) Parietal lobe
C) Occipital lobe
D) Temporal lobe
E) Basal ganglia

Question 22

Which assessment finding indicates a need for immediate intervention following a brain stem injury? (Select all that apply.)

A) Cheyne-Stokes breathing
B) Decerebrate positioning
C) Loss of pupillary response to light
D) Combative, aggressive behaviors
E) Asymmetric response to pain stimuli

Question 23

A patient is diagnosed with severe depression. The nurse will prepare a plan to teach the patient about medications that improve brain availability of which neurotransmitter?

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