Deck 7: Psychomotor Stimulants and Antiparkinsonian Drugs

Question 1

Cocaine and amphetamine differ most significantly in terms of their

A)duration of effects
B)degree of absorption when administered orally
C)local anesthetic action
D)all of these

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Why are cocaine and amphetamine commonly referred to as "stimulants" and under what conditions would this term not be appropriate for these drugs?
e.g., normally high frequency behaviors may decrease whereas normally low frequency behaviors may increase.Furthermore, at high doses a dysphoric state may occur, even depression, and a psychotic-like state can develop.While some neurons may increase in their activity, others may decrease.

Answer 2

Because at low to moderate doses taken infrequently they increase arousal and enhance mood, enhance certain types of attention, reduce fatigue and the need for sleep, and enhance reaction time.However, even at low doses, some motor behaviors may increase while others may decrease, e.g., normally high frequency behaviors may decrease whereas normally low frequency behaviors may increase.Furthermore, at high doses a dysphoric state may occur, even depression, and a psychotic-like state can develop.While some neurons may increase in their activity, others may decrease.

Question 3

What is a theoretical basis for the use of tricyclic antidepressants like desipramine in the treatment of cocaine dependence?

Answer 3

One of the underlying motivating factors behind cocaine use may be endogenous depression or depression resulting from cocaine abuse.Since tricyclics may reduce the depression, they may reduce the motivation to use cocaine.Also, desipramine theoretically reduces the uptake of monoamines, similar to cocaine's actions, and thus may reduce the craving associated with reduced monoamine activity.

Question 4

What are some of the pharmacotherapeutic strategies that have been employed in the treatment for cocaine dependence, and how effective have they been?

Question 5

Which of the following actions has been shown to occur with amphetamine?

A)increased release of monoamines from axon terminals
B)enhancement of monoamine reuptake
C)increased monoamine oxidase activity
D)all of the above

Question 6

Low to moderate doses of amphetamine-related drugs generally

A)increase virtually all motor activities
B)enhance performance on tasks requiring sustained attention
C)enhance performance most dramatically when the person is fatigued
D)only b and c

Question 7

What are two pharmacodynamic actions of amphetamine upon acute administration?

Question 8

Which of the following is generally true regarding nicotine?

A)Preloading tobacco users with nicotine generally reduces cigarettes smoked.
B)When injected into humans, nicotine produces primarily unpleasant sensations.
C)Nonhumans will not self-administer nicotine.
D)all of the above

Question 9

Cocaine's neuropharmacological actions at the presynaptic membrane are most similar to

A)antidepressants with monoamine reuptake inhibiting properties
B)monoamine oxidase inhibitors
C)lithium
D)chlorpromazine

Question 10

Most experts agree that amphetamines may be legitimately prescribed for which of the following?

A)narcolepsy
B)attention deficit disorder
C)most forms of depression
D)only a and b

Question 11

Discuss the on-off phenomenon associated with L-Dopa

Question 12

When given a chance to self-administer amphetamine, nonhumans will

A)generally not do so
B)readily do so-often to the point of administering lethal dosages
C)do so only if reinforced with food
D)do so only if they are hungry

Question 13

Caffeine has the most reinforcing effects in

A)nonhumans
B)humans who have not used caffeine before
C)heavy coffee drinkers
D)depressed persons

Question 14

Psychostimulants generally would be expected to

A)increase heart rate and blood pressure
B)reduce sympathetic nervous system activity
C)shift EEG frequencies to lower frequencies
D)all of the above

Question 15

What are common psychological consequences of several days of heavy cocaine or amphetamine use?

Question 16

What evidence is there that the disturbances chronic tobacco users experience when ceasing tobacco use is the result of physical dependence on nicotine?

Question 17

What are some of the primary differences between cocaine and amphetamine?

Question 18

Tolerance development has been shown to occur for which of these psychostimulants?

A)caffeine
B)amphetamine
C)cocaine
D)all of these

Question 19

Continued exposure to high doses of amphetamine eventually results in

A)catecholamine depletion
B)decreased extraneuronal metabolization
C)increased catecholamine synthesis
D)increased levels of monoamine oxidase

Question 20

Which of the variables below has been suggested to influence the effect of caffeine on cognitive abilities?

A)person's sex
B)degree of extroversion
C)the demands of the task
D)all of these

Question 21

Empirical evidence indicates that amphetamine's behavioral effects are

A)opposite in children and adults
B)qualitatively similar in children and adults
C)identical in children and adults
D)opposite in normal children and those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Question 22

Caffeine has been shown to significantly reduce alcohol's detrimental effects on

A)reaction time
B)complex memory task performance
C)driving skills
D)all of these

Question 23

Which of the following drugs has been shown in a variety of studies to successfully decrease the levels of cocaine craving in most cocaine dependent persons for at least two months?

A)methylphenidate (Ritalin)
B)tricyclic antidepressants
C)lithium
D)none of these

Question 24

The free-basing of cocaine is done to

A)achieve concentrations of cocaine in the brain very rapidly
B)reduce the toxicity of cocaine
C)reduce the side effects of cocaine
D)all of these

Question 25

Sigmund Freud's enthusiasm over the benefits of cocaine waned

A)after he saw the degree of dependence its use could produce
B)after he himself became dependent on it
C)because his interest in the psychic origins of psychopathology was incompatible with biological factors behind behavior
D)because it became less available through legal prohibitions

Question 26

Most tobacco users who quit smoking do so because

A)the reinforcing properties of nicotine decline with age
B)they develop interests in other activities that are incompatible with smoking
C)they become more sensitive to the side effects associated with nicotine
D)none of the above

Question 27

Smokeless tobacco use

A)is a safe alternative way of experiencing the effects of nicotine
B)is commonly viewed by young males as more socially acceptable than cigarette smoking
C)has been found to enhance athletic performance
D)decreases blood pressure and heart rate

Question 28

Studies with nonhumans have suggested that sensitization to the psychosis-inducing effects of amphetamine can be induced by previous exposure to

A)amphetamine
B)severe stress
C)cocaine
D)all of these

Question 29

Most of cocaine's reinforcing effects are believed to be due to its ability to inhibit the reuptake of

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

Question 30

One of caffeine's major mechanisms of action involves

A)stimulation of GABA receptors
B)antagonism of adenosine at its receptors
C)antagonism of catecholamine receptors
D)all of these

Question 31

For centuries South American Indians have been using cocaine without any obvious problems.This has been attributed to the Indians'

A)genetic tolerance to cocaine
B)taking cocaine orally in small amounts
C)chewing coca leaves which have a non-toxic form of cocaine in them
D)using cocaine only at high altitudes

Question 32

In small amounts amphetamine is most likely to exert beneficial effects on memory if amphetamine exposure occurs

A)during the acquisition of new information
B)after consolidation of information has occurred
C)just prior to retrieval of information already acquired

Question 33

A form of methamphetamine hydrochloride called "ice" has been developed that

A)allows it to be inhaled through smoking
B)facilitates its absorption when taken orally
C)reduces its CNS toxicity
D)reduces its ability to penetrate the blood brain barrier

Question 34

Chronic use of cocaine can result in

A)tolerance development to many of its effects
B)sensitization to its psychosis-inducing effects
C)severe psychological dependence
D)all of these

Question 35

Cocaine withdrawal

A)is life-threatening
B)may precipitate a convulsive episode
C)is rarely life-threatening
D)results in severe increases in sympathetic nervous system activity

Question 36

Cocaine can cause sudden death because of

A)cerebral hemorrhaging
B)inducing convulsions
C)cardiovascular disturbances
D)all of these

Question 37

Smoking "crack" cocaine is more likely to result in dependence than intranasal administration of cocaine because

A)crack has greater agonist activity in the brain
B)crack enters the brain more rapidly and thus induces a more intense euphoric reaction
C)the effects of crack last longer
D)all of the above

Question 38

Which of the following drugs has been suggested to be of potential value in the treatment of cocaine dependence?

A)tricyclic antidepressants
B)dopamine agonists
C)lithium
D)all of these

Question 39

In adult humans, successive exposures to moderately low doses of amphetamine have been shown to produce

A)intensification of most of its subjective effects
B)tolerance to all of its subjective effects
C)intensification of some of its effects while other effects exhibit tolerance
D)virtually no tolerance to amphetamine's subjective effects

Question 40

Which of the following phenomena is most indicative of physical dependence on nicotine?

A)within hours after smoking cessation there is a decreased heart rate, EEG slowing, and headache
B)nonhumans will self-administer nicotine
C)heavy smokers may not desire to smoke immediately upon wakening in the morning
D)heavy smokers still may enjoy a cigarette after they have just smoked several cigarettes

Question 41

The effects of methcathinone are most similar to those of

A)alcohol
B)methamphetamine
C)caffeine
D)tricyclic antidepressants

Question 42

Children whose mothers have used cocaine during the prenatal period often exhibit

A)subtle language and cognitive deficits that may be eliminated if raised in an enriched environment
B)physical and psychological characteristics of children with fetal alcohol syndrome
C)a virtual absence of response to normal stimulation

Question 43

Modafinil (Provigil) has been shown to be

A)equivalent to amphetamine in terms of its efficacy in the treatment of narcolepsy and abuse liability
B)effective in the treatment of narcolepsy, without exhibiting any significant abuse liability
C)effective in reducing nicotine dependence

Question 44

Cocaethylene is a psychoactive metabolite formed when _______________________ are used together.

A)cocaine and methamphetamine
B)cocaine and alcohol
B)cocaine and benzodiazepines
D)alcohol and benzodiazepines

Question 45

Research with nonhuman subjects suggests that sensitization to the psychosis-mimicking effects of cocaine is most likely to occur with

A)intermittent exposure to high doses of cocaine
B)intermittent exposure to sub-threshold doses of cocaine
C)fairly continuous exposure to moderate doses cocaine
D)both a and c

Question 46

"Crack" cocaine is commonly preferred by cocaine addicts over intranasal use of cocaine because "crack"

A)achieves higher concentrations of cocaine in the brain more rapidly
B)is less toxic to the body than intranasal cocaine
C)induces less severe side effects than intranasal cocaine
D)all of the above

Question 47

Recent studies have suggested that many of the psychological effects of tobacco are due to

A)nicotine's ability to enhance Ca⁺⁺ dependent release of glutamate
B)some ingredient in the smoke that inhibits monoamine oxidase B
C)nicotine's ability to enhance the release norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain
D)all of the above

Question 48

Alertness, decreased fatigue, improved ability to concentrate, and elevated mood are most common to low doses of

A)amphetamine
B)barbiturates
C)narcotics
D)marijuana

Question 49

Parkinson's disease has been attributed to ____________________________ dopamine in certain areas of the brain.

A)an excess of
B)insufficient amounts of
C)increased turnover of
D)the metabolization of

Question 50

Which of the following pharmacodynamic actions is NOT found with acute administration of amphetamine?

A)enhanced release of monoamines from neurons
B)inhibited reuptake of monoamines
C)inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO)
D)facilitation of Ca⁺⁺ flow into neurons

Question 51

Large doses of cocaine or amphetamines are likely to produce a psychosis-like reaction most similar to that

A)induced by cannabinoids
B)induced by LSD
C)of paranoid schizophrenia
D)induced by morphine

Question 52

For the treatment of tobacco dependence, nicotine-replacement treatments (e.g., nicotine patches, gum)

A)have been shown to be no more effective than placebo
B)roughly double the rate of quitting smoking in comparison to placebo treatments
C)actually increase smoking behavior

Question 53

In adult humans, successive exposures to amphetamine have been shown to produce

A)intensification of most of its subjective effects
B)tolerance to all of its subjective effects
C)intensification of some of its effects while other effects exhibit tolerance
D)virtually no tolerance to amphetamine's subjective effects

Question 54

The use of antidepressants in the treatment of cocaine addiction is based primarily on the hypothesis that these drugs

A)will inhibit the euphoric properties of cocaine
B)will induce a dysphoric state if cocaine is administered
C)enhance the metabolic breakdown of cocaine
D)may decrease the symptoms of depression that may predispose the individual to use cocaine to "self-medicate" themselves

Question 55

Which of the following drugs has been shown in studies to substantially reduce the craving for cocaine in the vast majority of cocaine addicts?

A)the antidepressant desipramine
B)methylphenidate
C)antipsychotics
D)none of these

Question 56

In normal adult humans, alertness, decreased fatigue, improved ability to concentrate, and elevated mood are likely to be observed following administration of low doses of

A)amphetamine
B)cocaine
C)nicotine
D)all of these

Question 57

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease can be decreased with

A)the administration of L-dopa
B)anticholinergic drugs
C)both of these
D)neither of these

Question 58

Drugs typically classified as psychostimulants

A)exhibit inverted U-shaped dose-response functions with respect to their performance enhancing effects
B)only enhance performance of fatigued subjects or those with symptoms of attention deficit disorders
C)generally increase the activity of neurons throughout the CNS
D)all of these

Question 59

Caffeine's effects are most highly correlated with its ability to

A)activate noradrenergic receptors
B)block the inhibitory influence of adenosine on neurons
C)inhibit MAO
D)enhance serotonin release

Question 60

The rewarding effects of cocaine are most correlated with its actions involving inhibition of

A)MAO
B)dopamine reuptake
C)serotonin reuptake
D)noradrenaline reuptake

Question 61

L-dopa's efficacy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease decreases after a few years of treatment because

A)as the patient gets older plasma concentrations may increase too fast and produce motor disturbances and adverse psychic effects
B)as the patient gets older plasma concentrations may fall too quickly, allowing the disease symptoms to suddenly appear
C)of continued progression of the underlying cause of the disease
D)all of the above
Chapter 7.Answers to multiple choice questions and