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
Methylphenidate's primary pharmacological action in treating ADHD is:
Answer: Blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake transporters (DAT and NET)
Methylphenidate blocks DAT and NET, increasing synaptic dopamine and norepinephrine, particularly in prefrontal and striatal circuits.
A patient on sertraline develops agitation, diaphoresis, myoclonus, and hyperthermia after adding tramadol for pain. The most likely diagnosis is:
Answer: Serotonin syndrome
Tramadol inhibits serotonin reuptake; combined with an SSRI this creates excess serotonergic activity causing serotonin syndrome.
Lamotrigine's most serious dermatological risk is Stevens-Johnson syndrome; this risk is minimized by:
Answer: Slow titration, especially when co-administered with valproate
Slow titration is critical; valproate inhibits lamotrigine glucuronidation, nearly doubling its half-life and requiring even slower titration.
Which pharmacodynamic principle explains why combining a full opioid agonist with buprenorphine can precipitate acute withdrawal?
Answer: Buprenorphine's high receptor affinity and partial agonism displace full agonists
Buprenorphine's exceptionally high mu-opioid receptor affinity displaces full agonists; its partial agonism then produces less intrinsic activity, precipitating withdrawal.
Acamprosate reduces alcohol craving in abstinent individuals by:
Answer: Modulating glutamatergic NMDA receptors and GABA systems to restore balance
Acamprosate normalizes glutamate/GABA dysregulation caused by chronic alcohol exposure, reducing protracted withdrawal and craving.
A patient prescribed valproate for bipolar disorder becomes pregnant. The most critical teratogenic concern is:
Answer: Neural tube defects and lower IQ scores in offspring
Valproate is the most teratogenic mood stabilizer, significantly increasing neural tube defect risk and associated with cognitive impairment in exposed children.
When is a loading dose strategy most clinically appropriate?
Answer: When rapid attainment of therapeutic plasma levels is needed for a drug with a long half-life
Loading doses rapidly fill the volume of distribution to achieve therapeutic concentrations when waiting multiple half-lives for steady state would be clinically unacceptable.