Question 1

Which of the following biomedical treatments provides some of the benefits of ECT without triggering seizures or memory loss?

Accepted Answer

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a biomedical treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. It has been found to provide some of the benefits of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), such as reducing symptoms of depression, without triggering seizures or memory loss.

Question 2

Lithium reduces bipolar patients' vulnerability to

Accepted Answer

Lithium has been shown to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of significant cognitive decline in bipolar patients. It is not known to have any impact on obesity, transference, or tardive dyskinesia.

Question 3

Which of the following procedures is most likely to result in a loss of memory?

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical procedure in which a small, carefully controlled amount of electric current is passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. While ECT can be effective in treating severe depression and other mental health conditions, it has been known to result in temporary memory loss or confusion as a potential side effect. Aversive conditioning, double-blind procedures, and systematic desensitization do not typically result in a loss of memory.

Question 4

Cognitive therapy works, top-down, by changing thought processes. Antidepressant drugs work, bottom-up, on the emotion-forming

Accepted Answer

Antidepressant drugs work on the limbic system, which is responsible for controlling emotions, particularly fear and anxiety. Cognitive therapy, on the other hand, works by changing thought processes, which are controlled by the prefrontal cortex, a higher-level region of the brain.

Question 5

Deep-brain stimulation involves the implantation of ________ into the brain.

Accepted Answer

Deep-brain stimulation involves the implantation of electrodes into the brain. These electrodes are connected to a device that delivers electrical impulses to specific regions of the brain to adjust abnormal brain activity that causes various neurological or psychiatric disorders.

Question 6

Adelle's feelings of unhappiness, low self-esteem, and hopelessness have become so extreme that she has attempted suicide. Which of the following treatments is likely to provide her with the quickest relief from her misery?

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is often used for severe depression and can provide rapid relief of symptoms, especially in cases where there is a risk of suicide.

Question 7

A possible explanation for the effectiveness of ________ is that it may reduce depression by triggering the long-term potentiation of nerve cells.

Accepted Answer

rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) has been shown to increase long-term potentiation in certain areas of the brain, which may lead to a reduction in depression symptoms.

Question 8

During the 1940s and 1950s, lobotomies were most likely to be performed on psychologically disturbed patients who were

Accepted Answer

Lobotomies were often used as a treatment for violent or aggressive behavior, particularly in psychiatric hospitals. Patients who were unable to control their impulses or who exhibited dangerous behavior were considered good candidates for the procedure.

Question 9

Which treatment procedure involves the application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain?

Accepted Answer

The treatment procedure that involves the application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain is called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).

Question 10

Lithium is often an effective ________ drug.

Accepted Answer

Lithium is primarily used as a mood stabilizing drug in the treatment of bipolar disorder. It helps to control episodes of mania and depression, preventing extremes in mood swings. While it may also have some antidepressant effects, it is not typically used as a first-line treatment for depression alone. It is also not an antipsychotic or antianxiety drug.

Question 11

Deep-brain stimulation has been reported to provide relief from

Accepted Answer

Deep-brain stimulation has been reported to provide relief from depression. It involves the implantation of small electrodes in specific areas of the brain, which are then stimulated with electrical pulses. This has been found to improve the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression in some patients. There is less evidence for its effectiveness in the treatment of dissociative disorders, phobias, or schizophrenia.

Question 12

Edith, a 45-year-old journalist, alternates between extreme sadness and lethargy and extreme euphoria and overactivity. The drug most likely to prove beneficial to her is

Accepted Answer

Edith's symptoms suggest bipolar disorder, specifically bipolar I or II. Lithium is a mood stabilizer commonly used to treat bipolar disorder and has been shown to be effective in reducing both manic and depressive symptoms. Xanax is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety, Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat depression and anxiety, and Thorazine is an antipsychotic primarily used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (in the manic phase). However, lithium is the best choice for Edith's presentation of symptoms.

Question 13

ECT studies that include a control condition in which people receive simulated ECT without the shock indicate that the effectiveness of ECT is partially due to

Accepted Answer

ECT studies with a control condition indicate that the effectiveness of ECT is partially due to a placebo effect, as patients who receive simulated ECT without the shock still experience improvement.

Question 14

Compared with placebos, antidepressant drugs provide ________ benefits to patients with severe symptoms of depression and ________ benefits to patients with mild symptoms of depression.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compared with placebos, antidepressant drugs provide ________...

Question 15

Electroconvulsive therapy has proven to be effective in the treatment of

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been primarily used for the treatment of severe depression that has not responded to other treatments such as medication or therapy. ECT involves passing an electric current through the brain to induce a seizure, which appears to cause changes in brain chemistry that can alleviate depressive symptoms. While ECT has been used for other conditions such as schizophrenia or dissociative disorders, its efficacy has not been well-established for these conditions.

Question 16

Psychosurgery involves

Accepted Answer

Psychosurgery involves removing or destroying brain tissue in order to alleviate severe psychological symptoms. Passing an electric current through the brain (electroconvulsive therapy) and injecting lithium directly into the limbic system are not considered forms of psychosurgery.

Question 17

One good alternative to antidepressant drugs is

Accepted Answer

Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve symptoms of depression by increasing the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, which are all neurotransmitters that affect mood. Exercise can also improve sleep and boost self-esteem, which can further alleviate symptoms of depression. Psychosurgery, virtual reality exposure therapy, and EMDR are all used to treat specific mental health conditions, but may not be effective alternatives to antidepressant drugs for treating depression specifically.

Question 18

Who developed the surgical procedure known as lobotomy?

Accepted Answer

Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurologist, developed the surgical procedure known as lobotomy in 1935. It involved severing the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain, with the aim of reducing symptoms of mental illness such as anxiety and depression. However, the procedure had serious negative consequences, including personality changes and sometimes even death.

Question 19

Inserting a medical instrument through each eye socket was part of a procedure known as

Accepted Answer

Inserting a medical instrument through each eye socket is a characteristic of a lobotomy, a now-outdated surgical procedure that was once used to treat various mental illnesses. Choices A and B are related to psychotherapy techniques, while choice C refers to a type of research design.

Question 20

A natural return to a state of psychological health following an extended period of depression illustrates

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery refers to a natural return to a previous state or condition, in this case, psychological health, without the use of any specific intervention. This is different from neurogenesis which refers to the growth of new neurons, counterconditioning which involves the conditioning of a new response to a previously conditioned stimulus, and tardive dyskinesia which is a side effect of some medications causing involuntary movements.

Quiz 54: The Biomedical Therapies