Practice Test Geeks(ASPPB) Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards Practice Test
← All ASPPB Flashcard Decks

Psychopharmacology Flashcards

7 cards from real ASPPB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Psychopharmacology flashcards as text

  1. A patient on lithium reports coarse tremor, confusion, and vomiting. Serum lithium is 2.4 mEq/L. The most appropriate intervention is:

    Answer: Discontinue lithium and initiate hemodialysis

    Lithium levels above 2.0 mEq/L with neurological symptoms indicate severe toxicity requiring discontinuation and often hemodialysis.

  2. Which antidepressant mechanism is most associated with priapism as a side effect?

    Answer: Trazodone via alpha-1 adrenergic blockade

    Trazodone's alpha-1 adrenergic blockade impairs penile detumescence, making priapism a notable risk.

  3. A prescribing psychologist considers augmenting an SSRI non-responder with aripiprazole. Aripiprazole's primary mechanism that aids antidepressant augmentation is:

    Answer: Partial D2 and 5-HT1A agonism with 5-HT2A antagonism

    Aripiprazole is a partial D2/D3 and 5-HT1A agonist plus 5-HT2A antagonist, which modulates dopaminergic and serotonergic tone to enhance antidepressant response.

  4. Which pharmacokinetic parameter best describes the relationship between a drug's dose and its plasma concentration at steady state?

    Answer: Clearance

    Clearance determines steady-state plasma concentration for a given dose rate; higher clearance means lower steady-state levels.

  5. Naltrexone is used in alcohol use disorder primarily because it:

    Answer: Blocks opioid receptors, reducing alcohol's rewarding effects

    Naltrexone blocks mu-opioid receptors, attenuating the dopaminergic reward signal triggered by alcohol consumption.

  6. A patient taking phenelzine eats aged cheese and develops severe hypertension. This reaction is caused by:

    Answer: Inhibition of intestinal MAO-A preventing tyramine breakdown

    MAO-A in the gut normally metabolizes dietary tyramine; MAOI blockade allows tyramine to enter systemic circulation and trigger catecholamine release.

  7. Clozapine requires mandatory hematological monitoring because of a risk of:

    Answer: Agranulocytosis that can be fatal

    Clozapine carries a 1–2% risk of potentially fatal agranulocytosis, requiring regular ANC monitoring through the REMS program.