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Review Questions 2
Chapter 7:
1. What was the foul- smelling drug that was so widely used in mental hospitals before the
1950s?
Paraldehyde
2. A prescription of 30 mg of phenobarbital would probably have been for which type of
use?
As a sedative
3. What is the relationship between psychological dependence and the time course of a
drugs action?
Research shows that reinforcement is strongest when it is immediate. Therefore,
the short-acting drugs with rapid onset are more likely to lead to psychological
dependence.
4. The barbiturates and benzodiazepines act at which neurotransmitter receptor?
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines act at the inhibitory neurotransmitter gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA).
5. Why should hypnotic drugs usually be prescribed only for a few nights at a time?
Toxicity and habit formation (i.e. unable to sleep without taking the drug).
6. What is zolpidem (Ambien)?
Zolpidem is a non-benzodiazepin hypnotic.
7. What are the characteristics of the sedative-hypnotic withdrawal syndrome?
There are many negative withdrawal symptoms such as increased anxiety, nausea,
insomnia, weakness, vomiting, tremors & withdrawal can lead to seizures.
8. What happens to a person who takes an overdose of a sedative- hypnotic?
They could have a depressed respiratory response/ have trouble breathing and this
can also producing alcohol like intoxication.
9. How are the effects of the nitrites different from the effects of inhaled solvent fumes?
Nitrites can be used for cyanide poisoning, to increase warmth, to relieve chest
pain, increase blood flow and briefly lower blood pressure. Solvent fumes cause
the effects similar to alcohol intoxication.
10. What are the effects of combining GHB with alcohol?
A high level of intoxication, most people are unable to remember anything when
mixing the two together.

Chapter 8:
1. Give two examples of anxiety disorder.
Panic disorder, PTSD.
2. Is schizophrenia a functional or an organic psychosis?
Schizophrenia is a functional psychosis.
3. Besides sadness, what are some other indicators of a major depressive episode?

Decrease in interest or pleasure in most activities and changes in body weight or

sleep patterns.
4. What type of drug is chlorpromazine, and where was it first tested on patients?
Chlorpromazine is classified as a phenothiazine and it was first tested in France
on surgical patients.
5. What is tardive dyskinesia, and how does it respond to a reduction in the dose of an
antipsychotic drug?
Tardive dyskinesia is categorized by rhythmic, repetitive sucking and smacking
movements of the lips, thrusting of the tongue in and out, movements of the arms
toes and fingers; reversal is possible by lowering dose immediately.
6. Which type of drug was discovered while testing an antituberculosis agent?
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAO).
7. How do the selective reuptake inhibitors differ from the older tricyclics in terms of their
actions in the brain?
Selective reuptake inhibitors for serotonin and norepinephrine are more selective,
but have fewer other actions than the tricyclics.
8. What were two of the three reasons it took so long for lithium to be available for use in
the United States?
Two of the three major reasons it took so long were that there was the issue of salt
substitute poisonings, and mania was not seen as a major problem in the US.
9. If clozapine is so dangerous, why is it prescribed at all?
Although it lowered white blood count, it produced much less
pseudoparkinsonism than the other drugs. Some patients who had failed to
improve with other antipsychotics showed improvement with clozapine.
10. Why was Prozac the most widely prescribed antidepressant drug ever marketed?
Prozac was seen as safer than the other tricyclics because it was less likely to lead
to overdose deaths.

Chapter 9:
1. What is the maximum percentage of alcohol obtainable through fermentation alone?
What would that be in proof?
The maximum percentage of alcohol obtainable through fermentation alone is
15% which would be 30 proof.
2. Did Prohibition reduce alcohol abuse?
Yes, alcohol dependence and alcohol related deaths lowered with the prohibition.
3. In about what year did apparent consumption of alcohol reach its peak in the United
States?
The year 1981 was the apparent peak in the US.
4. About how much more likely are men than women to engage in frequent heavy drinking?
Men are a little over half more likely than women.
5. About how many standard drinks can the typical human metabolize each hour?
About one-half of one standard drink per hour.

6. For your own gender and weight, about how many standard drinks are required for you to
reach the legal BAC limit for driving under the influence?
For me personally, about three drinks.
7. Alcohol enhances the action of which neurotransmitter at its receptors?
Alcohol enhances GABA.
8. What is the typical behavior of a person with a BAC of 0.20 percent?
Clear intoxication with a decrease in sensory and motor capability.
9. Describe the four groups in the balanced placebo design.
Half of the participants are given mixed drinks with alcohol, whereas the other
half are given similar drinks with no alcohol. Then those two groups are divided
in half and half are told they have alcohol and half are told they do not making a
total of four groups.
10. What term is used to describe the fact that drinkers tend to focus on the here and now?
"Time-out".
11. About what proportion of U. S. traffic fatalities are considered to be alcohol related?
A little less than 40% of all fatalities.
12. What is the role of expectancy in males increased interest in sex after drinking?
Males believe that alcohol increases sexual interest in placebo studies.
13. If alcohol did not actually increase violent tendencies, how might we explain the
statistical correlation between alcohol and such things as assault and homicide?
Because of ethical concerns, these studies are difficult to conduct and therefore
results are inconclusive.
14. Why is it dangerous to drink alcohol to stay warm in the winter?
Alcohol has an effect on the CNS that causes the dilation of the peripheral blood
vessels, making the drinker seem warmer as heat is released from the body
actually making the person colder.
15. If someone you know has drunk enough alcohol to pass out, what are two things you can
do to prevent a lethal outcome?
Place them on their side, so that they cannot choke on their vomit, and then call
911.
16. Can brain damage be reversed if someone has been drinking heavily for many years?
No, it most likely cannot be reversed.
17. About what percentage of the heaviest-drinking women will have children diagnosed
with FAS?
About 23-29 per 1,000 births.
18. What is the most dangerous withdrawal symptom from alcohol?
Seizure activity at Stage 4.
19. Did the early founders of AA view alcohol dependence as a disease?
Yes, they did.
20. If one identical twin is diagnosed with alcohol dependence, what is the likelihood that the
other twin will also receive this diagnosis?
In some studies, up to 50% likelihood.

Chapter 10:
1. Why was nicotine named after Jean Nicot?
French physician Jean Nicot created popularity for tobacco.
2. Which was the desired species of tobacco that saved the English colonies in Virginia?
Large-leaf species, nicotiana tobacum.
3. What techniques have been used to produce safer cigarettes?
Filters, lower tar, and lower yield of nicotine.
4. About what proportion of 18- to 25- year-olds are smokers in the United States?
1 in 5 of all smokers.
5. What is the significance of tobacco- specific nitrosamines?

6. What are the major causes of death associated with cigarette smoking?
7. What evidence is there that passive smoking can harm nonsmokers?
8. What are the effects of smoking during pregnancy?
9. Nicotine acts through which neurotransmitter in the brain? How does it interact with this
neurotransmitter?
10. What is the evidence as to why cigarette smoking produces such strong dependence?

Chapter 11:
1. 1. What role did the American Revolution and alcohol prohibition play in influencing
American coffee consumption?
2. What are the differences among black tea, green tea, and oolong?
3. What are the two xanthines contained in tea and chocolate, besides caffeine?
4. Rank the caffeine content of a cup of brewed coffee, a cup of tea, a chocolate bar, and a
12- ounce serving of Coca- Cola.
5. How does caffeine interact with adenosine receptors?
6. What are some of the behavioral and physiological effects of excessive caffeine
consumption?
7. Describe the effects of caffeine on migraine headaches, caffeine- withdrawal headaches,
and other headaches.
8. What are the typical symptoms associated with caffeine withdrawal?
9. What are three possible ways in which caffeine use by a woman might interfere with
reproduction?
10. What is the relationship between caffeine and panic attacks?

Chapter 12:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What is the main difference between OTC drugs and dietary supplements?
What do the acronyms GRAS and GRAE stand for?
What are the criteria for deciding whether a drug should be sold OTC or by prescription?
What is the main ingredient found in OTC stimulants?
How safe and effective are OTC weight-control products, according to the FDA?
Diphenhydramine is found in what three brand- name sleep aids?

7. What effect of aspirin might be involved in its use to prevent transient ischemic at-tacks (
TIAs) and heart attacks in men?
8. What are the differences in the therapeutic effects of acetaminophen and ibuprofen?
9. What is the most common route for a cold virus to enter a persons system?
10. Which cold symptoms are supposed to be relieved by chlorpheniramine maleate and
which by phenylephrine?