On the basis of current knowledge of neurotransmitter effects, a nurse anticipates that the treatment plan for a patient with memory difficulties may include medications designed to do what?

Decrease dopamine at receptor sites

Inhibit GABA production

Prevent destruction of acetylcholine

Increase dopamine sensitivity

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Choice A reason: Decreasing dopamine is used for disorders like schizophrenia, where excess mesolimbic dopamine causes hallucinations. Memory difficulties, often linked to Alzheimer’s, involve cholinergic deficits, not dopamine excess. Reducing dopamine could worsen cognition by disrupting reward and attention pathways, making this approach scientifically inappropriate for memory issues.

Choice B reason: Inhibiting GABA production is irrelevant for memory. GABA regulates neural inhibition, and its reduction could increase excitability, worsening conditions like seizures. Memory deficits, particularly in dementia, stem from reduced acetylcholine in the hippocampus, not GABA, making this option misaligned with the neurobiology of memory impairment.

Choice C reason: Preventing acetylcholine destruction, via cholinesterase inhibitors, enhances cholinergic activity in the hippocampus and cortex, critical for memory in conditions like Alzheimer’s. Low acetylcholine levels impair neural signaling, causing memory deficits. This approach directly addresses the neurochemical basis of memory difficulties, making it scientifically appropriate for treatment.

Choice D reason: Increasing dopamine sensitivity is relevant for disorders like Parkinson’s, not memory deficits. Dopamine affects motivation and movement, not memory, which relies on acetylcholine in the hippocampus. Enhancing dopamine could disrupt cognitive balance, worsening memory without addressing the cholinergic deficits central to memory impairment.

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Hydroxyzine, an antihistamine, reduces anxiety via sedation but is not specific for performance anxiety. It blocks histamine receptors, not sympathetic responses like tachycardia in stage fright. Propranolol better targets physical symptoms, making hydroxyzine less effective for this specific anxiety type.

Choice B reason: Imipramine, a tricyclic, treats generalized anxiety or depression via serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibition but is not ideal for performance anxiety. Its slow onset and side effects make it unsuitable for acute, situational sympathetic activation, unlike propranolol’s rapid effect on physical symptoms.

Choice C reason: Propranolol, a beta-blocker, reduces sympathetic symptoms like tachycardia and trembling in performance anxiety by blocking norepinephrine at beta receptors. This calms physical manifestations of amygdala-driven fear, making it the preferred choice for situational anxiety, aligning with evidence-based treatment for performance anxiety.

Choice D reason: Buspirone enhances serotonin for chronic anxiety but takes weeks to act, unsuitable for acute performance anxiety. Sympathetic activation in stage fright requires rapid beta-blockade, not gradual serotonin modulation, making buspirone incorrect for the immediate needs of this condition.

A. Freedom from restraints or seclusion B. Refusal of treatment during an emergency situation C. Access to one’s own mental health records upon request D. An individualized written treatment plan

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice A reason: Freedom from restraints or seclusion is a recognized right unless safety is compromised. Restraints, used for severe agitation linked to dopamine or serotonin imbalances, must be justified and minimized to respect patient dignity, aligning with ethical standards in mental health care, making this a valid right.

Choice B reason: Refusing treatment in emergencies, such as acute psychosis with safety risks, is not a right. Emergency interventions, like antipsychotics for dopamine-driven hallucinations, prioritize safety over autonomy. Legal frameworks allow treatment without consent in such cases, making this an incorrect right, requiring further discussion.

Choice C reason: Access to mental health records is a patient right, supporting autonomy and transparency. Understanding one’s diagnosis, like serotonin-related depression, empowers informed decisions. This right is protected under health privacy laws, ensuring patients can review their neurobiological and treatment data, making it a valid right.

Choice D reason: An individualized treatment plan is a right, ensuring care tailored to specific neurobiological needs, like dopamine modulation in schizophrenia. This promotes effective treatment and patient involvement, aligning with ethical standards. It is a recognized right in mental health care, not requiring further discussion.

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On the basis of current knowledge of neurotransmitter effects, a nurse anticipates that the treatment plan for a patient with memory difficulties may include medications designed to do what?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A patient reports experiencing performance anxiety in front of an audience. The nurse should be aware that this type of anxiety is often treated with which medication?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

After teaching a class about the rights of persons receiving mental health services, the nurse determines a need for additional discussion when the group wrongly identifies which as a right?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Which of the following side effects is associated with the blockade of attachment of norepinephrine to alpha-1 receptors?

A patient is taking a first-generation antipsychotic medication. What should the nurse teach about the drug’s strong dopaminergic effect?

A client is newly prescribed a medication that will block the effects of histamine for the treatment of a mental health disorder. The client asks, “What side effects should I anticipate with this new medication?” Which response by the nurse is accurate?

Which statement shows a nurse has empathy for a patient who made a suicide attempt?

Which of the following speech patterns is an example of tangential thinking?

The nursing student understands that the purpose of completing a process recording for the nurse-patient interview is to:

After a client has been prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) for a diagnosis of anxiety disorder, which of the following information should the nurse be sure to include in the client teaching?

“I’m concerned whether we are behaving ethically by restraining one patient to prevent them from self-mutilating while placing another patient on one-on-one supervision to prevent them from self-mutilating.” Which ethical principle most clearly applies to this situation?