On the basis of current knowledge of neurotransmitter effects, a nurse anticipates that the treatment plan for a patient with memory difficulties may include medications designed to do what?
Decrease dopamine at receptor sites
Inhibit GABA production
Prevent destruction of acetylcholine
Increase dopamine sensitivity
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: Decreasing dopamine is used for disorders like schizophrenia, where excess mesolimbic dopamine causes hallucinations. Memory difficulties, often linked to Alzheimer’s, involve cholinergic deficits, not dopamine excess. Reducing dopamine could worsen cognition by disrupting reward and attention pathways, making this approach scientifically inappropriate for memory issues.
Choice B reason: Inhibiting GABA production is irrelevant for memory. GABA regulates neural inhibition, and its reduction could increase excitability, worsening conditions like seizures. Memory deficits, particularly in dementia, stem from reduced acetylcholine in the hippocampus, not GABA, making this option misaligned with the neurobiology of memory impairment.
Choice C reason: Preventing acetylcholine destruction, via cholinesterase inhibitors, enhances cholinergic activity in the hippocampus and cortex, critical for memory in conditions like Alzheimer’s. Low acetylcholine levels impair neural signaling, causing memory deficits. This approach directly addresses the neurochemical basis of memory difficulties, making it scientifically appropriate for treatment.
Choice D reason: Increasing dopamine sensitivity is relevant for disorders like Parkinson’s, not memory deficits. Dopamine affects motivation and movement, not memory, which relies on acetylcholine in the hippocampus. Enhancing dopamine could disrupt cognitive balance, worsening memory without addressing the cholinergic deficits central to memory impairment.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Hydroxyzine, an antihistamine, reduces anxiety via sedation but is not specific for performance anxiety. It blocks histamine receptors, not sympathetic responses like tachycardia in stage fright. Propranolol better targets physical symptoms, making hydroxyzine less effective for this specific anxiety type.
Choice B reason: Imipramine, a tricyclic, treats generalized anxiety or depression via serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibition but is not ideal for performance anxiety. Its slow onset and side effects make it unsuitable for acute, situational sympathetic activation, unlike propranolol’s rapid effect on physical symptoms.
Choice C reason: Propranolol, a beta-blocker, reduces sympathetic symptoms like tachycardia and trembling in performance anxiety by blocking norepinephrine at beta receptors. This calms physical manifestations of amygdala-driven fear, making it the preferred choice for situational anxiety, aligning with evidence-based treatment for performance anxiety.
Choice D reason: Buspirone enhances serotonin for chronic anxiety but takes weeks to act, unsuitable for acute performance anxiety. Sympathetic activation in stage fright requires rapid beta-blockade, not gradual serotonin modulation, making buspirone incorrect for the immediate needs of this condition.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Flow and expression are not standard communication model elements. Communication involves sender, receiver, message, and feedback, with neural processing in the cortex enabling understanding. This option omits message, critical for transmitting meaning, making it scientifically incomplete for the communication process.
Choice B reason: Flow is not a recognized component of communication models. Sender, receiver, message, and feedback facilitate information exchange, with neural pathways like the auditory cortex processing signals. Omitting feedback, essential for verifying understanding, renders this option inaccurate for describing communication dynamics.
Choice C reason: Gesture is a channel, not a core element. The communication model includes sender, receiver, message, and feedback, processed via sensory and cognitive neural networks. Excluding the receiver, critical for decoding messages, makes this option incomplete and incorrect for the model’s structure.
Choice D reason: Sender, receiver, message, and feedback are core elements of communication. The sender encodes the message, the receiver decodes it via cortical processing, and feedback confirms understanding. This model reflects neurobiological communication processes, making it the accurate description of the communication framework.
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