Question 1

Which of the following environmental factors may contribute to mental illness?

Accepted Answer

All of the listed environmental factors can contribute to mental illness. Drug abuse can alter brain function and lead to psychiatric disorders. Trauma can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health issues. Stress can also exacerbate or trigger mental illness. Bacterial or viral infections can cause inflammation in the brain, which may lead to psychiatric symptoms.

Question 2

The typical or first generation antipsychotic drugs are thought to work, at least in part, by doing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Typical first generation antipsychotic drugs block dopamine receptors in the brain, specifically the D2 receptors. This leads to a decrease in dopamine activity, which is thought to be involved in the symptoms of psychosis.

Question 3

Side effects of antipsychotic drugs that are referred to as extrapyramidal effects can mimic which disease?

Accepted Answer

Extrapyramidal effects of antipsychotic drugs can cause symptoms that mimic Parkinson's disease, such as tremors, rigidity, and impaired motor function.

Question 4

Which of the following is one of the major, problematic side effects of second-generation "atypical" antipsychotic drugs?

Accepted Answer

Unhealthy weight gain is a major side effect of second-generation "atypical" antipsychotic drugs, which can lead to various health problems such as diabetes and heart diseases.

Question 5

The benzodiazepines are a fairly large class of drugs with varying degrees of which properties?

Accepted Answer

The benzodiazepines have all of the listed properties to varying degrees, making E the correct answer. Anxiolytic properties refer to their ability to reduce anxiety, anti-convulsant properties refer to their ability to prevent seizures, muscle relaxant properties refer to their ability to reduce muscle tension and spasms, and sedative properties refer to their ability to promote sleep and relaxation.

Question 6

Benzodiazepines bind and alter the activity of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Benzodiazepines bind to and enhance the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, specifically the GABAA receptor subtype which consists of a combination of subunits including alpha, beta, and gamma. This leads to increased inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain, resulting in sedative, anxiolytic, and muscle relaxant effects.

Question 7

What is one of the most prevalent inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain?

Accepted Answer

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is one of the main inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain. It helps to regulate neuronal activity and can reduce the firing rate of neurons. This can have a calming effect on the brain and can contribute to the regulation of mood and anxiety. Dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are all examples of excitatory neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the brain.

Question 8

At certain synapses in the brain, antidepressant drugs selectively do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Antidepressant drugs selectively increase serotonin at certain synapses in the brain, which can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

Question 9

The costs associated with mental illness are only a fraction of the costs associated with cardiovascular disease.

Accepted Answer

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the costs associated with mental illness are actually higher than the costs associated with cardiovascular disease when considering medical costs, lost productivity, and other factors.

Question 10

Many of the drugs available to treat mental illness effectively cure the disease.

Accepted Answer

While medications can greatly improve symptoms of mental illness, they typically do not cure the disease. Rather, they manage symptoms and improve quality of life for those living with mental illness.

Question 11

Genetic approaches are helping to resolve many of the issues associated with diagnosing mental illness and developing potential new treatments.

Accepted Answer

Genetic approaches including genome-wide association studies, gene editing techniques, and epigenetic modifications have been key in identifying underlying genetic factors contributing to mental illnesses and finding potential targets for new treatments.

Question 12

Normal anxiety, often experienced under stressful conditions, can lead to enhanced productivity or motivation.

Accepted Answer

Normal anxiety can act as a motivator and lead to increased productivity. However, excessive anxiety can have the opposite effect and impair performance.

Question 13

Aged rats have fewer benzodiazepine binding sites in their brain than young rats and exercise can reverse this trend.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that aged rats have fewer benzodiazepine binding sites in their brain compared to younger rats, and exercise has been shown to increase the number of binding sites and reverse this trend.

Question 14

Patients on benzodiazepines can fail field sobriety tests if pulled over while driving, because their poor driving can be similar to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Accepted Answer

Benzodiazepines can cause drowsiness and impair driving ability, similar to the effects of alcohol. Therefore, patients on benzodiazepines may fail field sobriety tests if pulled over while driving.

Question 15

Rates of depression worldwide are decreasing due to better awareness and better drug treatment.

Accepted Answer

While awareness and drug treatment have improved, rates of depression have not necessarily decreased worldwide. Factors such as poverty, inequality, trauma, and stigma still contribute to high rates of depression in many populations.

Question 16

Antidepressant drugs increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in the brain and BDNF is an important mediator of neurogenesis.

Accepted Answer

Antidepressant drugs have been shown to increase the levels of BDNF in the brain. BDNF plays an important role in promoting neurogenesis, which is the process of generating new neurons in the brain. Therefore, it is believed that the increase in BDNF levels may contribute to the therapeutic effects of antidepressant drugs.

Question 17

In rats, exercise increases BDNF levels and stimulates neurogenesis in brain regions similar to that stimulated by antidepressant drugs.

Accepted Answer

Multiple studies have shown that exercise increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rats, and that this increase stimulates neurogenesis in brain regions such as the hippocampus that are also stimulated by antidepressant drugs.

Question 18

Lithium prevents relapses of manic and depressive episodes, although it may take time to effectively dose the patient.

Accepted Answer

Lithium is a common mood stabilizer that has been found to be effective in preventing both manic and depressive episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. However, it can take several weeks to months to reach a therapeutic dose that effectively manages symptoms and prevents relapses.

Question 19

The brain has the capacity to undergo significant change including neurogenesis, a process referred to as ___________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The brain has the capacity to undergo...

Question 20

A generic term used for many types of mental disorders that are manifested by the loss of contact with reality is ___________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A generic term used for many types...

Quiz 9: Psychotherapeutic Agents