Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Practice Test

The mechanism underlying hyperarousal in PTSD that follows severe uncontrollable stressors is referred to as?

1. Desensitization

2. Coping

3. Kindling

4. Re-experiencing

The correct answer is: Kindling

The mechanism underlying hyperarousal in PTSD that follows severe uncontrollable stressors is referred to as kindling. Kindling is a concept derived from neurobiology that explains how repeated exposure to stressors can lead to increasingly severe reactions and heightened sensitivity to future stressors. In the context of PTSD, individuals may experience hyperarousal as a result of the kindling effect, where neural pathways become sensitized due to the initial traumatic experience. This sensitization means that even minor stressors can trigger exaggerated responses, making individuals feel constantly on edge or anxious, as if they are still under threat. By contrast, desensitization refers to a process through which an individual becomes less sensitive to a stimulus over time, which can be contrary to the hyperarousal experienced in PTSD. Coping involves the strategies individuals use to manage stress and difficult emotions, which does not specifically address the physiological mechanisms of hyperarousal. Re-experiencing relates to intrusive memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event, which is a symptom of PTSD but does not encapsulate the broader mechanism of hyperarousal that kindling describes.