(2) neuropsychopharmacology basics

Question 1

What is neuropsychopharmacology and how does it differ from psychopharamacology?

Answer 1

Psychopharmacology: study of drug effects on mood, perception, cognition & behaviour (mpcb)

Neuropsychopharmacology: study of drug effects on nervous system & how changes in nervous system affect mpcb

Question 2

What is a drug? Why is the concept of “drug” complicated?

Answer 2

“administered substance that affects physiological functioning”

Question 3

What is endogenous & exogenous?

Answer 3

• endogenous: inside of body

- exogenous: outside of body

Question 4

What are the 2 primary reasons we use drugs & why are these concepts complicated?

Answer 4

1. Instrumental use: accomplish specific purpose

2. Recreational use: experience drug’s effects

Question 5

How many names does a drug have? What do each mean?

Answer 5

1. Trade names: trademarked & owned by a company
2. Generic names: some classification of drug
3. Chemical names: created by International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
4. Street names: used by ppl not in pharmaceutical industry

Question 6

What is dose?

Answer 6

amount of drug per body weight (mg or g/kg)

Question 7

What is the dose-response/effect curve?

Answer 7

1. How many ppl responded to drug
2. How strong effect is (per individual)
   - give drug at different doses (at least 3) to different ppl
   - draw line of best fit to data collected

Question 8

What is ED50?

Answer 8

Median effective dose: when 50% of effect was observed / effect observed in 50% of participants
- to find ED50: draw line from 0.5 to meet curve then go down

Question 9

What is potency?

Answer 9

Strength

• more potent: less of drug to achieve effect
• dose-response curve shifts left -> more potent
• dose-response curve shifts right -> less potent

Question 10

What is TD50?

Answer 10

Median toxic dose: when 50% of toxic effect observed / 50% of participants had adverse effects

Question 11

What is the therapeutic index = TD50/ED50?

Answer 11

• number increases, difference b/w TD50 & ED50 increases

- higher number → safer drug

Question 12

What is certain safety index = TD1/ED99?

Answer 12

• TD1: when 1 person has toxic effects
• ED99: when effects observed in 99% of participants/99% of effects observed
• higher number → safer drug

Question 13

What is LD50?

Answer 13

Median lethal dose: when 50% of participants die

- measured same way as ED50

Question 14

What is pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics?

Answer 14

Pharmacokinetics: movement of drug thruout the body

Pharmacodynamics: physiological actions of drugs

Question 15

How can we acquire information about the world? What are some limitations of these means (including examples)? (1)

Answer 15

Ask someone else (rely on authority figure)

• weakest form: not based on info, only based on trust
• often exploited
• problem with authority: bullshit

Question 16

How can we acquire information about the world? What are some limitations of these means (including examples)? (2)

Answer 16

Intuition

• commonly starting point in science
• draws from life experience
• sometimes correct, often wrong

Problems:

1. illusory correlation
2. correlation not equal to Causation
3. susceptible to bias
4. overconfidence

Question 17

How can we acquire information about the world? What are some limitations of these means (including examples)? (3)

Answer 17

Observe

• critical to good science: empiricism
• works best w/ objective measures
• not enough to acquire best info about world
• Problem: bias/limited explanatory behaviour

Question 18

How can we acquire information about the world? What are some limitations of these means (including examples)? (4)

Answer 18

Scientific method: observation + testings
1. observation → generates idea
2. consult past research → if new, design hypothesis
3. design study to test hypothesis → get ethical approval
4. collect & analyse data → do comparisons
5. hypothesis wrong → modify & repeat
or
6. consider implications of results → build theories

Question 19

What are the five key ingredients to good science?

Answer 19

1. Materialism: presumption that everything is made up of matter/energy
   
   • everything can be observed
2. Universalism: systematically structured
3. Communality: results must be publicly available
4. Disinterestedness: no stake in outcome
5. Organised skepticism: evaluate science based on quality/scientific merit

Question 20

What is behavioural pharmacology?

Answer 20

study of drug effects on behaviour, uses conditioning methodologies