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Introduction to Psychopharmacology: A Practical Clinician's Guide - Test
by John Preston, Psy.D., ABPP

Please note that printing this page does not constitute proof of completion of the course. After successfully completing this test, you may purchase your Certificate of Completion and print it immediately or have it mailed to you.

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1. The dose of a drug needed to produce a clinical response is most strongly influenced by	Help
The person's body weight The severity of the disorder The rate of liver metabolism Whether the condition is chronic or acute

2. Hypo-metabolizers are most likely to encounter	Help
Longer periods of time before there is symptomatic improvement Increased drug-drug interactions Low blood levels of medications on standard doses Significant side effects when given standard doses

3. In treatment outcome studies with FDA approved antidepressants and major depression the general finding is	Help
Complete remission occurring in 50% of subjects Complete remission occurring in less than 15% of subjects 35% of subjects are partial responders 25% reach full remission

4. A dysregulation of _______ in the central nervous system appears to be strongly associated with the following behaviors/symptoms: irritability, impulsivity and suicidal ideations.	Help
Serotonin Cortisol BDNF Dopamine

5. Hypercortisolemia is associated with all of the following except	Help
Elevations in blood glucose Hippocampal atrophy Neurologic damage to fetuses Increase in carbohydrate craving

6. BDFN is activated by all of the following except	Help
Tranquilizers Lithium Antidepressants Exercise

7. Atypical depressive symptoms are commonly associated with	Help
Increased suicidality Bipolar depression Weight loss Psychotic depressive symptoms

8. Activation refers to	Help
Increased sense of aliveness and productive energy Igniting of hypomania or mania Increased reuptake of neurotransmitters An acute antidepressant side effect characterized by anxiety and agitation

9. In group studies of very severely depressed patients, which of the following medications is most strongly recommended as a treatment of choice?	Help
Effexor Prozac Lexapro Paxil

10. A patient with major depression has been treated with adequate doses of an SSRI for 8 weeks and shown no signs of improvement. Assuming that the person is compliant with treatment, which of the following would be the highest yield "next step" strategy?	Help
Augment with an atypical antipsychotic Augment with an antidepressant from a different class of antidepressants Continue to treat on the same dose of medications for an additional 4 weeks Switch to a different class of antidepressants.

11. Rapid cycling bipolar illness is	Help
A chronic condition and highly non-responsive to treatments Seen in about 40% of people with bipolar illness Generally a short term worsening of the disorder A marker for possible schizoaffective disorder

12. The most common reason for medication discontinuation of mood stabilizers (against medical advice) is	Help
Problems tolerating side effects Patients miss the good feelings associated with mania Cost of medications 1 and 3 above

13. Which of the following is/are at highest risk for causing switching in treating bipolar depression?	Help
Calcium channel blockers Tranquilizers Topamax Antidepressants

14. Which of the following may cause switching?	Help
Bright light exposure St. John's Wort SSRIs All of the above

15. Which of the following may be risky in the treatment of acute mania?	Help
Haldol Xanax Ativan Zyprexa

16. The most appropriate use of benzodiazepines in the treatment of panic disorder is	Help
Continuous 24 hour a day dosing Use on an as needed basis (e.g. at the first sign of a panic attack), to avoid developing tolerance to the drug Use at moderate to high doses combined with exposure therapy Use only during the day time since panic attacks do not occur during sleep

17. Typically in the treatment of OCD with SSRIs	Help
Patients respond to low to moderate doses Patients generally reach full symptomatic improvement within 4 months and hit a plateau Patients gradually continue to improve during the first 12 months of treatment If there is symptomatic improvement, keep the patient on medications for 12 months and then gradually discontinue...most will continue to be symptom free

18. Which of the following is a true statement?

Help

Although there is improvement in ADHD symptoms as a result of neuromaturation, poor judgment and hyperactivity remain well into adult life for two thirds of those with the disorder
Most children grow out of ADHD by late adolescence
Unmedicated ADHD patients show abnormal maturation of white matter in the brain, while medicated subjects do not
A significant risk in the use of stimulants in treating ADHD is stimulant abuse (or addiction)

19. Which of the following neurotransmitters is most likely implicated in the pathophysiology of ADHD?	Help
Dopamine Serotonin Norepinephrine Glutamate

20. Which of the following medications or classes of medications are the most effective in the treatment of ADHD?	Help
SSRIs Strattera Stimulants Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists

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Introduction to Psychopharmacology: A Practical Clinician's Guide - Test by John Preston, Psy.D., ABPP

Introduction to Psychopharmacology: A Practical Clinician's Guide - Test
by John Preston, Psy.D., ABPP