RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2023
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

Dopamine secretion is reduced in-

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2023

Explanation

  • Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
  • This neuronal loss results in a severe dopamine deficiency in the dorsal striatum.
  • The lack of dopamine disrupts the brain's ability to control muscle tone and coordinate movement, leading to the classic motor symptoms of Parkinson's: resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Epilepsy is not caused by a primary reduction in dopamine. It is a disorder of neuronal hyperexcitability, typically resulting from an imbalance between inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (glutamate) neurotransmitters.
  • Option C: Schizophrenia is associated with an excess or hyperactivity of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway, which is linked to the positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) of the disorder. Antipsychotic medications work by blocking dopamine receptors.
  • Option D: This option is incorrect because dopamine secretion is not reduced in all the listed conditions. It is increased in Schizophrenia and not the primary issue in Epilepsy.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Neurotransmitter imbalances in major neurological and psychiatric disorders as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Understanding the underlying neurotransmitter imbalance is fundamental to nursing care, especially in pharmacotherapy.
  • For Parkinson's disease, nurses administer and monitor dopamine replacement therapies like Levodopa/Carbidopa, watching for side effects such as dyskinesias and 'on-off' phenomena.
  • For Schizophrenia, nurses administer antipsychotics (dopamine antagonists) and must monitor for side effects like extrapyramidal symptoms (drug-induced parkinsonism) and tardive dyskinesia, which are caused by dopamine blockade.
How to Approach the Question
  • This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of pathophysiology.
  • First, identify the key phrase in the question: 'Dopamine secretion is reduced'.
  • Next, systematically review each option and recall the primary neurotransmitter imbalance associated with it.
  • Recall that Parkinson's disease is the classic example of a dopamine-deficient state due to the death of dopamine-producing cells.
  • Recall that Schizophrenia is associated with the 'dopamine hypothesis,' which posits an excess of dopamine activity.
  • Recall that Epilepsy is primarily a disorder of GABA/glutamate imbalance, leading to neuronal hyperexcitability.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Neurotransmitter imbalances in major neurological and psychiatric disorders.
  • Stem keywords: Dopamine secretion, reduced
  • Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE

Question ID

QntQyC9y5DEAo7JdC3DylC

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 439-441

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) pp. 1155-1157, 3000-3002

Practise the full RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2023

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.

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