Which dopamine pathway is responsible for negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Mesolimbic pathway
Nigrostriatal pathway
Tuberoinfundibular pathway
Mesocortical pathway
The Correct Answer is D
A. Mesolimbic pathway is responsible for reward, motivation, and emotion. In schizophrenia, hyperactivity of this pathway leads to positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
B. Nigrostriatal pathway regulates motor control. Dopamine blockade in this pathway leads to extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) such as tremors, rigidity, and tardive dyskinesia, which are side effects of first-generation antipsychotics (typical antipsychotics).
C. Tuberoinfundibular pathway controls prolactin secretion. Dopamine inhibits prolactin release, so blocking D2 receptors with antipsychotics leads to hyperprolactinemia, causing gynecomastia, galactorrhea, and menstrual irregularities.
D. Mesocortical pathway is responsible for cognition, motivation, and emotional regulation. In schizophrenia, hypoactivity of this pathway is linked to negative symptoms such as apathy, anhedonia, social withdrawal, and cognitive impairment. Antipsychotics that block dopamine further worsen these symptoms, making negative symptoms more difficult to treat.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. Overreaction of a medical symptom. While individuals with illness anxiety disorder (IAD) may misinterpret normal bodily sensations as signs of serious illness, the key feature is excessive health-related worry in the absence of significant symptoms, rather than just overreacting to existing symptoms.
B. Faked symptoms. Feigning symptoms is characteristic of factitious disorder (formerly Munchausen syndrome) or malingering, where individuals intentionally produce or exaggerate symptoms for attention or external gain. In IAD, the concern is genuine but unfounded, rather than intentionally fabricated.
C. Abnormal voluntary motor or sensory dysfunction. This describes conversion disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder), where individuals experience neurological symptoms (e.g., paralysis, blindness, or seizures) without a medical explanation, typically triggered by psychological stress.
D. Worry about health despite no symptoms. Illness anxiety disorder (IAD) is marked by persistent, excessive fear of having a serious illness, despite minimal or no symptoms and repeated medical reassurance. Patients often engage in excessive health-related behaviors (e.g., frequent doctor visits, checking their body) or avoid medical care altogether due to fear of diagnosis.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Repeated passage of saliva into clothing. There is no recognized disorder characterized by excessive saliva passage onto clothing. However, sialorrhea (excessive drooling) may occur in neurological conditions like cerebral palsy or as a side effect of medications like clozapine.
B. Repeated passage of feces into clothing. Encopresis is the repeated, involuntary or intentional passage of feces into inappropriate places, such as clothing or the floor, in children older than 4 years. It is often associated with chronic constipation, stool retention, and overflow incontinence, though it can also occur in response to emotional stress or behavioral issues.
C. Repeated passage of rights. This phrase does not correspond to any recognized medical or psychiatric condition.
D. Repeated voiding of urine into bed or clothing. This describes enuresis, not encopresis. Enuresis is the repeated involuntary or intentional voiding of urine into bed or clothing, occurring at least twice a week for three consecutive months in children older than 5 years. It can be nocturnal (night-time bedwetting), diurnal (daytime), or both.
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