Deck 17: Antiparkinson Drugs

Question 1

Identify a symptom of Parkinson's disease.

A) Hypertension
B) Decreased sweating
C) Decreased salivation
D) Hypotension

Answer 1

Hypotension

Question 2

Alex is suffering from Parkinson's disease and is undergoing drug therapy.In spite of taking his medications regularly,Alex has started experiencing alternating periods of mobility and immobility.When he informs his doctor of these episodes,his doctor tells him that he's experiencing a phenomenon that is known as the "on-off phenomenon." What will Alex's doctor instruct him to do?

A) He will tell Alex to take his drug doses around meal times.
B) He will tell Alex to take smaller doses of the drug at more frequent intervals.
C) He will tell Alex to take protein supplements along with the medication.
D) He will increase Alex's dosage.

Answer 2

He will tell Alex to take smaller doses of the drug at more frequent intervals.

Question 3

Antipsychotic medications may decrease the effectiveness of levodopa because they block:

A) dopamine receptors.
B) serotonin receptors.
C) acetylcholine receptors.
D) gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors.

Answer 3

dopamine receptors.

Question 4

A combination of levodopa and carbidopa is available under the trade name _____.

A) Stalevo
B) Sinemet
C) Apokyn
D) Parlodel

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true of the drug selegiline?

A) Selegiline prolongs the duration of action of dopamine by inhibiting the enzyme monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B).
B) Selegiline decreases the concentration of dopamine that is formed in the brain.
C) The adverse effects of selegiline are more intense and occur more frequently than those of the drug levodopa.
D) Selegiline is considered more potent and is more effective than the drug rasagiline.

Question 6

_____ is an inhibitory neurotransmitter released by neurons from the substantia nigra.

A) Acetylcholine
B) Dopamine
C) Serotonin
D) Gamma-aminobutyric acid

Question 7

Well-controlled body movements depend on a balance between the neurotransmitters _____.

A) dopamine and serotonin
B) dopamine and norepinephrine
C) acetylcholine and dopamine
D) acetylcholine and norepinephrine

Question 8

The administration of dopamine as a drug is not an effective method of treating Parkinsonism because:

A) dopamine is quickly metabolized to an inactive compound in the liver.
B) dopamine is too large to be absorbed by the intestines.
C) dopamine does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the brain.
D) dopamine is quickly inactivated in the blood through enzymatic activity.

Question 9

The drug carbidopa enhances the action of the drug levodopa by:

A) inhibiting the conversion of levodopa to dopamine in the basal ganglia.
B) inhibiting the conversion of levodopa to dopamine in the periphery.
C) promoting the conversion of levodopa to dopamine in the basal ganglia.
D) promoting the conversion of levodopa to dopamine in the periphery.

Question 10

For best results,levodopa should be administered on an empty stomach:

A) to maximize drug receptor binding.
B) to minimize plasma protein binding interferences.
C) to enhance the absorption of levodopa in the small intestine.
D) to prevent amino acids in foodstuffs from interfering with the transport of levodopa across the blood-brain barrier.

Question 11

If a patient undergoing drug therapy for Parkinson's disease is mobile one minute and immobile the next,he or she is probably experiencing:

A) catatonia.
B) the on-off phenomenon.
C) dyskinesias.
D) synesthesia.

Question 12

_____ is an excitatory neurotransmitter released by neurons from the corpus striatum.

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

Question 13

The main cause of Parkinson's disease is the accelerated loss of:

A) cholinergic neurons.
B) dopamine neurons.
C) serotonin neurons.
D) norepinephrine neurons.

Question 14

Which of the following drugs inhibits the enzyme DOPA decarboxylase to increase the amount of the drug levodopa that enters the brain?

A) Selegiline
B) Rasagiline
C) Carbidopa
D) Tolcapone

Question 15

Carrie is 65 years old.She is experiencing muscular rigidity on one side of her body.At times,Carrie loses her balance and finds it hard to coordinate her body movements.When she visits Dr.Calvin for an examination,he asks her if she has been experiencing tremors.Carrie tells Dr.Calvin that she trembles only when she is not moving.Dr.Calvin examines Carrie's heart rate and notices that it is abnormally low.With what condition will Dr.Calvin most likely diagnose Carrie?

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) Parkinson's disease
C) Huntington's chorea
D) Tourette's syndrome

Question 16

Identify an accurate statement about Parkinson's disease.

A) Parkinson's disease is caused by the destruction of the acetylcholine neurons.
B) Parkinson's disease is caused by the degradation of the corpus striatum.
C) Parkinson's disease is treated primarily by psychotherapy.
D) Parkinson's disease may eventually result in physical disability.

Question 17

Anya has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.As the disease has been diagnosed late and the symptoms are severe,Dr.Potter prescribes the drug levodopa for treatment.Which of the following instructions is Dr.Potter most likely to give Anya about using the drug?

A) Take the drug on an empty stomach.
B) Continue using antipsychotic drugs, if any, as they have no effect on levodopa.
C) Monoamine oxidase-A inhibitors can be taken in combination with levodopa.
D) Take vitamin B₆ as a supplement during therapy.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true about Parkinson's disease?

A) Parkinson's disease is caused by the destruction of the dopamine neurons.
B) Parkinson's disease is caused by the degradation of the corpus striatum.
C) Parkinson's disease is treated primarily by psychotherapy.
D) Parkinson's disease is characterized by tachycardia and dyskinesia.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true about administering levodopa in combination with carbidopa?

A) The addition of carbidopa decreases the amount of levodopa entering the brain.
B) The addition of carbidopa allows the dosage of levodopa to be reduced.
C) The addition of carbidopa tends to increase the incidence of adverse effects.
D) The addition of carbidopa inhibits the conversion of levodopa to dopamine in the basal ganglia.

Question 20

The symptoms of Parkinson's disease include all of the following except:

A) hypertension.
B) increased sweating.
C) drooling.
D) urinary disturbances.

Question 21

Inhibition of all of the following enzymes is important in increasing brain levels of dopamine except:

A) dihydroxyphenylamine decarboxylase.
B) catechol-O-methyltransferase.
C) monoamine oxidase-B.
D) monoamine oxidase-A.

Question 22

Which of the following is an adverse effect associated with the use of anticholinergic drugs?

A) Diarrhea
B) Bradycardia
C) Pupillary contraction
D) Dry mouth

Question 23

Which of the following is an anticholinergic drug?

A) Selegiline
B) Benztropine
C) Levodopa
D) Carbidopa

Question 24

A reduction in tremors and muscular rigidity can be directly accomplished with the administration of:

A) a cholinergic drug.
B) an anticholinergic drug.
C) a COMT inhibitor.
D) a dopamine antagonist.

Question 25

Identify a drug that inhibits the metabolism of dopamine.

A) Levodopa
B) Selegiline
C) Bromocriptine
D) Amantadine

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true of anticholinergic drugs?

A) Anticholinergic drugs that act primarily in the periphery are the preferred drugs for treatment.
B) Anticholinergic drugs should be used with caution in patients with glaucoma.
C) Anticholinergic drugs are more effective than levodopa and the dopamine agonists.
D) Anticholinergic drugs cause bradycardia and pupillary contraction.

Question 27

The adverse effects of anticholinergic drugs include all of the following except:

A) dry mouth.
B) rapid heartbeat.
C) diarrhea.
D) mydriasis.

Question 28

Which of the following is not an advantage of dopamine receptor agonists over levodopa?

A) It is more effective in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
B) It has a longer duration of action.
C) It causes a lower incidence of dyskinesias.
D) It causes a lower incidence of the on-off phenomenon.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true of the drug Amantadine?

A) Amantadine is only indicated during the later stages of Parkinson's disease.
B) Amantadine is actually an antibacterial drug.
C) Amantadine often becomes ineffective after a few months of treatment.
D) Amantadine is believed to involve increased reuptake of dopamine back into the nerve endings.

Question 30

How does the drug selegiline differ from the drug rasagiline?

A) Selegiline is more potent than rasagiline.
B) Selegiline is considered less effective than rasagiline.
C) Selegiline enhances the activity of the enzyme monoamine oxidase-B, whereas rasagiline does not.
D) Selegiline slows the progression of Parkinson's disease in the later stages of the disease, whereas rasagiline does not.

Question 31

Martha is 60 years old.She visits Dr.Patil's clinic for a medical consultation.On enquiry,Martha reveals that she has been experiencing tremors and muscular rigidity.After an initial examination and a few tests,Dr.Patil diagnoses Martha with Parkinson's disease.As the disease has been diagnosed in its earliest stage and the predominant symptoms are tremors and muscular rigidity,what medication will Dr.Patil most likely prescribe?

A) An anticholinergic drug
B) Levodopa
C) A dopamine receptor agonist
D) Levodopa in combination with carbidopa

Question 32

Why is the use of Levodopa delayed in the treatment of the early stages of Parkinson's disease?

A) To avoid drug-food interactions that may occur
B) To avoid having to use multiple medications
C) To avoid the development of drug tolerance to levodopa over time
D) To delay the onset of movement disorders that occur with levadopa over time

Question 33

Stalevo is a triple combination medication containing all of the following except:

A) bromocriptine.
B) levodopa.
C) carbidopa.
D) entacapone.

Question 34

The use of which medication for Parkinson's disease is associated with livedo reticularis?

A) Biperiden
B) Bromocriptine
C) Benztropine
D) Amantadine