A 47-year-old man presents to the emergency department with…
A 47-year-old man presents to the emergency department with slurred speech, unsteady gait, and drowsiness. His wife reports that he has been drinking heavily and also took “a few pills to help him sleep,” which she identifies as diazepam (benzodiazepine). You suspect CNS depression due to substance use. The sedative and anxiolytic effects of both alcohol and benzodiazepines are primarily due to potentiation of which neurotransmitter?
Read DetailsA 24-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by…
A 24-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his family due to increasingly bizarre behavior over the past month. He reports that he hears voices telling him he is being watched and believes the government is monitoring his actions through the television. He is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Which of the following symptoms is most directly linked to this dopamine hyperactivity?
Read DetailsA 60-year-old woman presents to the emergency department wit…
A 60-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with sudden onset of right-sided weakness and slurred speech. A non-contrast CT of the head rules out hemorrhage, and further imaging confirms a left middle cerebral artery infarct. Her past medical history includes hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. She is a nonsmoker. What is the most likely underlying cause of this patient’s cerebrovascular accident (CVA)?
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