A nurse is caring for a client admitted for severe alcohol withdrawal. The nurse understands that which neurochemical change is primarily responsible for symptoms such as agitation, tremors, and seizures?
A state of GABA hyperfunction and glutamate hypofunction.
A significant increase in serotonin and dopamine levels.
A state of GABA hypofunction and glutamate hyperfunction.
A sharp decrease in acetylcholine receptor activity.
The correct answer is based on the pathophysiology of alcohol withdrawal. Chronic alcohol consumption enhances the effects of GABA, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, and suppresses the effects of glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. To maintain homeostasis, the brain down-regulates GABA receptors and up-regulates glutamate receptors. When alcohol is abruptly withdrawn, there is a sudden drop in GABA's inhibitory effects coupled with an overabundance of excitatory glutamate activity. This imbalance leads to central nervous system hyperexcitability, causing withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, agitation, tremors, and potentially life-threatening seizures.
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NCLEX RN
Psychosocial Integrity
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