Question 1

The spouse of a patient recently diagnosed with cancer asks,"What do you think about the relationship of stress and the development of cancer? My spouse has been under a huge amount of stress at work,and now they've diagnosed cancer." The answer that best reflects the current thinking about psychoneuroimmunology is:

Accepted Answer

Natural killer cells,which are believed to play a role in tumor surveillance and the control of viral infections,seem to decrease with increasing levels of stress.

Question 2

A genetic counselor is called to see patients with genetic questions or concerns.With which patient would it be most appropriate for the counselor to speak?

Accepted Answer

Several hundred genetic tests are in clinical use for illnesses such as muscular dystrophies,cystic fibrosis,and sickle cell anemia.Although research is being conducted,there is no proof of a definitive genetic cause for schizophrenia.The remaining options do not deal with conditions that have a proven link to a genetic cause.

Question 3

Which neurotransmitter is located only in the brain,particularly in the raphe nuclei of the brainstem,and is implicated in depression?

Accepted Answer

Serotonin,also called 5-HT,is derived from tryptophan,a dietary amino acid.It is located only in the brain,particularly in the raphe nuclei of the brainstem.It plays a role in regulation of mood through its mood-elevating capacity.

Question 4

A patient mentions,"My doctor told me I was going to have a PET scan that would show where my brain has bright spots.Does that mean I'm getting an electrical jolt like in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?" The best reply would be:

Accepted Answer

PET scanning allows for the imaging of brain activity and function with the use of an injected radioactive substance that travels to the brain and shows up as a bright spot on the scan.There is no electrical "jolt" involved.Two of the options address an assumption made by the nurse that the patient is referring to ECT,and PET scans do not produce light bands of measurable degrees of brightness.

Question 5

A nurse explains to a patient undergoing diagnostic testing which brain imaging technique measures brain structure?

Accepted Answer

CT can image brain structures through a series of radiographs that are computer constructed into "slices" of the brain that can be stacked by the computer,giving the image a three-dimensional appearance.PET and SPECT image brain activity and function through the tracking of radioactive substances as they travel through the brain.BEAM images brain activity and function through recordings of the brain's electrical activity.

Question 6

A patient demonstrates disoriented thinking and irrational ideas.A nurse can anticipate that a PET scan would most likely show dysfunction in the brain's _____ lobe.

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe is responsible primarily for intellectual functioning,including learning,abstracting,reasoning,and inhibition of impulses.

Question 7

What part of the brain is responsible for regulating pituitary hormones and is known to regulate the body's temperature?

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is responsible for regulation of metabolism,temperature,and emotions.

Question 8

The function of the limbic system is to:

Accepted Answer

The limbic system is concerned with subjective emotional experiences and with changes in body functions associated with emotional states.

Question 9

When a patient asks the nurse,"What are neurotransmitters?" The nurse replies that neurotransmitters are:

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters are chemicals manufactured in the brain responsible for exciting or inhibiting brain cells in the production of an action.

Question 10

A patient diagnosed with depression tells a nurse,"I don't feel rested.It's as though I didn't sleep at all." Comments by night shift staff show that the patient slept through most of the night.How can these two observations be reconciled?

Accepted Answer

Studies show that with depression,REM sleep is excessive,the deeper stages of sleep are decreased,and dreams may be unusually intense,leading to patient reports of fatigue,poor concentration,and irritability associated with sleep deprivation.

Question 11

A patient tells a nurse,"My doctor thinks my problem is serious but it can be treated with medications.Does that mean I'll always have to be treated with drugs?" The nurse replies:

Accepted Answer

The initial concern expressed by the patient is being prescribed medications for a lifetime.The correct option explores this concern.

Question 12

A patient tells a nurse,"My doctor says my problem may be with the neurotransmitters in my brain but I don't understand what that means." The nurse responds:

Accepted Answer

The correct option assesses the patient's understanding of his condition,the initial step in any educationally focused discussion.None of the remaining options-defining the role of a neurotransmitter,exploring the patient's concerns,or providing an explanation of a typical treatment plan-address the patient's question concerning a lack of understanding.

Question 13

Pharmacogenetics will eventually allow researchers to do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Pharmacogenetics is a discipline that blends pharmacology with genomic capabilities and will eventually allow researchers to match DNA variants with individual responses to medical treatments.It will allow for custom drugs based on individual genetic profiles.

Question 14

The objective information that has helped mental health professionals understand that schizophrenia has a biological component has been obtained primarily from which of the following?

Accepted Answer

When results of studies such as MRI are coupled with neuropsychological test results,the deficits in a person's performance,such as language or cognitive or sensory information processing,can be linked to the activity in the region of the brain responsible for those functions.

Question 15

A couple tells a nurse that they are concerned about having children because there is bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives of each of them.What advice should the nurse give?

Accepted Answer

Current evidence suggests that there is a significant genetic role in the cause of recurrent depression and bipolar disorder.A genetic counselor is well prepared to discuss the concerns of these individuals.

Question 16

A patient states,"I'm going to have a positron emission tomography (PET) scan.What are the doctors going to learn from it?" The best reply would be that they focus on:

Accepted Answer

PET scanning allows for the imaging of brain activity and function with the use of an injected radioactive substance that travels to the brain and shows up as a bright spot on the scan.

Question 17

Which neurotransmitter is involved in the movement disorders seen in Parkinson disease and in the deficits seen in schizophrenia and other psychoses?

Accepted Answer

Dopamine is derived from tyrosine,is located mostly in the brainstem,and is involved in control of complex movements,motivation,and cognition.It is involved in movement disorders such as Parkinson disease and in many of the deficits seen in schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis.This is not necessarily true of the other options.

Question 18

A patient's spouse asks a nurse,"Why are they wasting money doing all these tests on my spouse? The hallucinations and delusions make the mental illness obvious!" The best reply would be:

Accepted Answer

Only after a patient has been carefully screened can it be determined that the problems are amenable to psychiatric intervention.These symptoms can be a result of a physiological problem and this situation must be assessed appropriately.It is never appropriate to be disrespectful or demeaning to a patient or family members.

Question 19

A patient tells a nurse,"My daughter is pregnant with our first grandchild and my son-in-law has a sibling with cystic fibrosis.Is there a chance the baby might have this disease?" Which response is best?

Accepted Answer

Genetic counselors are trained to diagnose and explain disorders from a genetic perspective.They can review available options for testing and treatment and provide emotional support to individuals or families who have genetic disorders,are at risk for them,or need information about risks to their offspring.

Question 20

Which part of the brain is responsible for fine motor coordination?

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for fine motor coordination,posture,balance,and integration of emotional processes.

Quiz 5: Biological Context of Psychiatric Nursing Care