CADC Pharmacology of Substance Abuse 3

Question 1

A client abruptly stops daily benzodiazepine use after 18 months. Which withdrawal symptom would be most medically concerning?

Accepted Answer

Tonic-clonic seizures

Answer

Abrupt benzodiazepine withdrawal can produce life-threatening tonic-clonic seizures due to GABA-A receptor down-regulation and glutamate rebound.

Question 2

Cocaine's primary mechanism of action in producing euphoria involves:

Accepted Answer

Blocking the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine

Answer

Cocaine blocks monoamine transporter proteins (DAT, SERT, NET), preventing reuptake and causing accumulation of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the synapse.

Question 3

Which pharmacokinetic factor most determines how long a benzodiazepine's effects last in the body?

Accepted Answer

Half-life and presence of active metabolites

Answer

The half-life determines how quickly a drug is eliminated, and long-acting benzodiazepines like diazepam produce active metabolites that extend their clinical duration.

Question 4

Methamphetamine differs from cocaine primarily because methamphetamine:

Accepted Answer

Actively causes release of dopamine in addition to blocking reuptake

Answer

Methamphetamine enters neurons and reverses the dopamine transporter, causing active dopamine release into the synapse in addition to blocking reuptake — making it more potent than cocaine.

Question 5

Which opioid medication used in MAT has a 'ceiling effect' on respiratory depression, making it safer in overdose compared to methadone?

Accepted Answer

Buprenorphine

Answer

Buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid agonist with a ceiling effect on respiratory depression, significantly reducing overdose risk compared to full agonists like methadone.

(CADC) Certification Prep and Alcohol and Drug Counselor Practice Test

(CADC) Certification Prep and Alcohol and Drug Counselor Practice Test

CADC Pharmacology of Substance Abuse 3