All AP Psychology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Medications
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOs) are one form of treatment for depression. How do MAOs work?
They inhibit monoamine axidase which normally inhibits serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
They stimulate brain nerves.
They inhibit monoamine axidase which normally encourage serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
They stimulate GABA receptors through MAOs.
They inhibit monoamine axidase which normally inhibits serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
MAO medication inhibits MAOs, which normally inhibit serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, so that these neurotransmitters can increase in concentration.
Example Question #1 : Medications
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) work in which of the following ways?
They block reuptake of serotonin so that it can work within the brain to inhibit the anxiety pathway.
They increase dopamine within the brain.
They stabilize mood by shutting down the amygdala.
They work to enhance GABA's inhibitory role.
They block reuptake of serotonin so that it can work within the brain to inhibit the anxiety pathway.
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are used to treat depression because they block the reuptake of 5-HT serotonin, allowing it to remain in the locus coeruleus (LC) to block anxiety there.
Example Question #11 : Medications
Often, psychiatric medications are used for non-FDA-approved or "off-label" treatment of symptoms. While not typically illegal, these treatments are not as well studied as the approved treatments and often not covered by health insurance plans.
Which of the following conditions is commonly treated using an "off-label" treatment of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)?
Post-partum Depression (PPD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Bedwetting
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Panic disorders
Panic disorders
While the other conditions—MDD, bedwetting, OCD, and PDD—are all FDA-approved for various first-generation and second-generation tricyclic medications, panic disorder is still an off-label use for TCAs. Currently, FDA approval favors selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for treatment of panic disorders.
Example Question #41 : Psychological Abnormalities
Until recently, which of the following classes of drugs were often used only as a last resort in the treatment of psychological disorders due to longstanding research showing potentially fatal side effects?
Atypical antipsychotics (AAPs)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
MAOIs have long held a stigma of being associated with fatal dietary and adverse drug reactions—including phenylamines and anesthetic medications. Despite this stigma, recent studies have indicated that some of this longstanding research was based on outmoded or misinterpreted methodology.
Example Question #13 : Medications
What are the two main classes of drugs used to treat anxiety disorders?
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines
MAO inhibitors and lithium
SSRIs and benzodiazepines
Barbiturates and MAO inhibitors
Barbiturates and SSRIs
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are the two main types of anti-anxiety medication-- one you might have heard of is Valium. SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) block the reuptake of serotonin into the neuron, therefore increasing the amount of serotonin in the synapatic cleft and making people feel happier since serotonin is a "feel good hormone." MAO inhibitors block monoamine oxidase from transporting "feel good hormones" from the brain, thereby increasing their availability and making people feel happier. SSRIs and MAO inhibitors are used to treat major depressive disorder and lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder.
Example Question #42 : Psychological Abnormalities
What do SSRI's lead to?
Reabsorption of serotonin into synaptic vesicles and decrease in amount of serotonin in brain
A decrease in amount of serotonin in brain
Serotonin absorption by surrounding neurons
An increased amount of serotonin in brain
The reabsorption of serotonin into synaptic vesicles
An increased amount of serotonin in brain
SSRI's, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, inhibit reuptake of serotonin, and therefore increases the availability of serotonin in the brain. SSRIs are the most common treatment for clinical depression.
Example Question #15 : Medications
Benzodiazepine is a psychoactive drug whose core ring is a fusion of benzene and diazepine. It is most commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia, agitation, and seizures. Benzos achieve this effect by doing which of the following in the brain?
None of these
Increasing serotonin reuptake
Enhancing the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA
Inhibiting the release of dopamine in neurotransmitter synapses
Increasing the number of synaptic connections in the brain.
Enhancing the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA
Benzos enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA. The GABA neurotransmitter suppresses the activity of nerves. By enhancing it's function, overactive nerve signals that are believed to increase anxiety are calmed down.
Example Question #16 : Medications
Which of the following neurotransmitters is most effective for treating disorders associated with mood, sleep, and motivation?
Glutamate
Dopamine
Norepinephrine
Beta
Serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin is most effective in treating disorders associated with mood, sleep, and motivation. When serotonin levels are too low, patients are at risk of developing depression and OCD tendencies. When serotonin levels are too high, patients lack motivation.
The other choices are incorrect. Glutamate's function is to register pain and store new information in memory. Norepinephrine is a major part of the autonomic nervous system and is important for attention and regulation of the flight-or-fright response. Last, dopamine is the neurotransmitter involved in rewards, motivation, executive functioning, and motor control.
Example Question #17 : Medications
Which neurotransmitter affects the brain's reward system and executive functioning in the frontal lobes?
Glutamate
Serotonin
Noradrenaline
Dopamine
Gamma-amino butyric acid
Dopamine
Dopamine works with the brain's reward system, motivation, and executive functioning in the frontal lobes. A lack of dopamine can lead to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, while too much can lead to aggression. Hyperactive, damaged, or a lack of dopamine receptors can lead to addictions, which attempt to increase dopamine levels in the brain.
Example Question #18 : Medications
Which of the following neurotransmitters possesses functions related to mood, sleep, and motivation?
Noradrenaline
Serotonin
Gamma- amino butyric acid
Glutamate
Dopamine
Serotonin
Serotonin is the major neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, and motivation. A lack of serotonin can lead to depression, OCD, and eating disorders. Too much serotonin can decrease motivation. Serotonin levels can be regulated through selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and other drugs.
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