ANCC PMHNP Exam Prep Questions
and Answers 2023
mesocortical pathway - -executive function: attention, focus, depression
-nigrostriatal pathway - -from substantia nigra (brainstem) to striatum
(muscles): Parkinson's
-mesolimbic pathway - -projects to nucleus accumbens (part of limbic
system). Pleasure, reward, positive symptoms of schizophrenia: Addiction,
gambling
-Tuberoinfundibular pathway - -regulation of prolactin (acts on pituitary).
Hypersexuality in mania
-Dopamine - -produced in substania nigra and VTA. D2 & D4 receptors most
important. Elevated in the mesolimbic pathway associated with pleasure and
psychosis. Antispychotics block dopamine. travels through mesocoritcal,
mesolimbic, nigrostriatal, and tuberinfundibular pathways
-Serotonin - -5-HT. produced in raphe nucleus. emotion, impulses, dreams.
5HT2A receptors = atypical antipsychotics.
-Norepinephrine - -produced in locus coeruleus. arousal and vigilance
-GABA - -inhibitory. produces calm in conjunction with benzodiazepines.
-ACTH - -motor control, learning, memory, sleep, and dreams. Helps with
balance. Decrease in Alzheimer's disease
-hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) - -CRH, ACTH, then cortisol.
Worsens with stress and depression
-hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) - -TRH, TSH, T4. Hypothyroid causes
depression, weight gain, slow metabolism. Hyperthyroid is opposite.
-hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) - -GnRH, FSH, LH. Malfunctions
cause infertility problems.
-gray matter - -neurons are found
-frontal lobe - -executive function, voluntary movement, speech (Broca's
area)
, -Temporal lobe - -memory, cognition, speech, emotions (aka limbic area)
-parietal lobe - -receive and process sensory input
-Wernicke's area - -temporal and parietal lobes; speech
-amygdala - -fear response.
-hippocampus - -memory. Make up limbic system with amydgala
-HIPAA - -1. education about privacy protection, 2. access to own medical
records, 3. request amendment to health information to which they object, 4.
require permission for disclosure of medical issues
-forensic nursing - -based on crime committed and investigational aspects
-correctional nursing - -offender's current mental health and medical
condition
-research utilization process - -critique, synthesize, apply, measure
-PICO question - -patient, intervention, comparison, outcome
-internal validity - -when the independent variable (treatment) caused a
change in the dependent variable (outcome)
-external validity - -when the sample is representative of the population and
the results can be generalized
-descriptive statistics - -used to describe the basic features of the data in
the study
-standard deviation - -indication of the possible deviations from the mean
-variance - -how the values are dispersed around the mean - the larger the
variance, the larger the dispersion of scores
-inferential statistics - -numerical value that enable one to reach
conclusions that extend beyond immediate data alone - generated by
quantitative research designs
-t-test - -assess whether means of 2 groups are statistically different from
each other
-ANOVA - -analysis of variance - tests difference of 3 or more groups