AP Psychology : Medications
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Medications
A famous psychopharmacological researcher just created a new antipsychotic medication. Which of the following disorders would the medication work best to treat?
Depression
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Anorexia nervosa
Autism
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Antipsychotic medications are typically used to treat those with "schizophrenia." Specifically, this class of medications help to manage psychotic episodes, including the presence of delusions and hallucinations.
Example Question #22 : Medications
A patient comes into your office presenting symptoms that are indicative of depression. Which of the following would not be a proper psychopharmacological treatment option?
Tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Atypical antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotics
"Atypical antipsychotics" are not typically utilized in treating depression; however, they can be effective for treating individuals with schizophrenia. All of the other answer choices are commonly prescribed antidepressants used to treat depressive symptomologies.
Example Question #23 : Medications
A famous psychopharmacological researcher creates a new stimulant medication. Which of the following disorders would this medication treat the best?
Antisocial personality disorder
Asperger's disorder
Autism
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Generalized anxiety disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Stimulants are commonly prescribed to treat ADHD symptomology. Stimulants may be short-acting or long-acting; many individuals with ADHD require one stimulant from each category to get through a school and/or work day.
Example Question #24 : Medications
Which of the following is a commonly prescribed pharmacological treatment for Parkinson's disease?
Levodopa (L-Dopa)
Cefprovil
Prednisone
Fluoxetine
Lithium
Levodopa (L-Dopa)
"Levodopa," commonly referred to as L-Dopa, is used to increase dopamine concentrations in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and dopamine resistant dystonia.
Example Question #25 : Medications
Which of the following is a commonly prescribed pharmacological treatment for bipolar disorder?
Lithium
Memantine
Levodopa (L-Dopa)
Cefprovil
Prednisone
Lithium
"Lithium" has been shown to be highly successful in treating the manic symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. It functions as an effective mood stabilizer for people with this disorder; furthermore, it has limited side effects in comparison to other common psychopharmacological treatments.
Example Question #26 : Medications
Electroconvulsive therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for which of the following?
Major depressive disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Somatic symptom disorder
Dissociative amnesia
Major depressive disorder
While scientists are still unsure why it works, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is known to relieve symptoms in some people with depression. It involves sedating the patient and applying electrical shocks to the brain via electrodes that induce a brief seizure. Current beliefs suggest that this series of electrical shocks changes or somehow “resets” brain chemistry and firing patterns, which in turn lead to the alleviation of symptoms seen in patients. The negative symptoms (e.g. memory loss during treatment, headache, muscle pain, etc.) are often quite uncomfortable; therefore, ECT is only used in extreme cases where other treatments have failed. While ECT may seem primitive or even unethical, its proven results mean it is still in use today.
Example Question #27 : Medications
Which of the following is a commonly prescribed pharmacological treatment for depression?
Cefprozil
Antipsychotics
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Analgesics
Lithium
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are a class of antidepressant drugs that help to treat major depressive disorder and various anxiety disorders. At a cellular level, SSRIs prevent the reuptake of serotonin, which allows the body to maintain a higher level of serotonin.
Example Question #28 : Medications
An individual suffering from major depression is started on an SSRI. This medication works by __________________.
increasing serotonin release from the presynaptic neuron
blocking re-uptake of serotonin within the pre-optic nucleus of the hypothalamus
decreasing serotonin production within the post synaptic neuron
increasing serotonin degradation within the synaptic cleft
blocking re-uptake of serotonin at the synaptic cleft
blocking re-uptake of serotonin at the synaptic cleft
The SSRIs are a class of drugs used in the treatment of major depressive disorder. They work by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin by the pre-synaptic neuron in the synaptic cleft. By blocking re-uptake, they allow for serotonin to stay in the synaptic cleft for a longer period of time.
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