252 - Pharmacology - Psychotherapeutic Drugs

Question 1

Define affective disorders.

Answer 1

Emotional disorders that are characterized by changes in mood.

Question 2

Define akathisia.

Answer 2

A movement disorder in which there is an inability to sit still; motor restlessness; can occur as an adverse effect of psychotropic medications.

Question 3

Define anxiety.

Answer 3

The unpleasant state of mind in which real or imagined dangers are anticipated or exaggerated.

Question 4

Define biogenic amine hypothesis.

Answer 4

A theory suggesting that depression and mania are caused by alterations in the concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and histamine.

Question 5

Define bipolar disorder.

Answer 5

A major psychological disorder characterized by episodes of mania or hypomania, cycling with depression.

Question 6

Define cardiometabolic syndrome.

Answer 6

A cluster of risk factors (increased glucose level, increased blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, excess body fat around the waist) occurring together that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Question 7

Define depression.

Answer 7

A mood disorder characterized by exaggerated feelings of sadness, melancholy, dejection, worthlessness, emptiness, and hopelessness that impact the patient’s life and may be out of proportion to reality. Signs include withdrawal from social contact, loss of appetite, and insomnia.

Question 8

Define dopamine hypothesis.

Answer 8

A theory suggesting that dopamine dysregulation in certain parts of the brain is one of the primary contributing factors to the development of psychotic disorders (psychoses).

Question 9

Define dysregulation hypothesis.

Answer 9

A theory that views depression and affective disorders as caused not simply by decreased or increased catecholamine and serotonin activity but by failure of the brain to regulate the levels of these neurotransmitters.

Question 10

Define dystonia.

Answer 10

Reduced or distorted voluntary movement, often involving the head, neck, or feet.

Question 11

What are extrapyramidal symptoms.

Answer 11

Signs and symptoms that result from pathological changes to the pyramidal portions of the brain. Such symptoms include various motion disorders similar to those seen in Parkinson’s disease and are an adverse effect associated with the use of various antipsychotic drugs.

Question 12

What is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)?

Answer 12

The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the brain. A key compound affected by sedative, anxiolytic, psychotropic, and muscle-relaxing medications.

Question 13

What is hypomania?

Answer 13

A less severe and less potentially hazardous form of mania.

Question 14

What is neuroleptic malignant syndrome?

Answer 14

An uncommon but serious adverse effect associated with the use of antipsychotic drugs and characterized by symptoms such as fever, cardiovascular instability, and myoglobinemia (presence in the blood of muscle breakdown proteins).

Question 15

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 15

Endogenous chemicals in the body that serve to conduct nerve impulses between nerve cells (neurons).

Question 16

What is permissive hypothesis?

Answer 16

A theory postulating that reduced concentrations of serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine) is the predisposing factor in individuals with affective disorders.

Question 17

Define psychosis.

Answer 17

(plural: psychoses) A type of serious mental health disorder that can take several different forms and is associated with being out of touch with reality; that is, the individual is unable to distinguish imaginary from real circumstances and events; includes the presence of hallucinations (with or without insight), delusions, or both.

Question 18

What are psychotherapeutics?

Answer 18

Drugs used in the treatment of emotional and mental health disorders.

Question 19

Define psychotropic.

Answer 19

Capable of affecting mental processes; usually said of a medication.

Question 20

What is serotonin syndrome?

Answer 20

A rare collection of symptoms resulting from elevated levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin; may occur with the use of any psychotropic drug that enhances brain serotonin activity (e.g., antidepressants, buspirone, tramadol).

Question 21

What is a stigma?

Answer 21

Widespread negative perceptions of and prejudice toward a specific group of people, such as those with mental health disorders.

Question 22

What is tardive dyskinesia?

Answer 22

A serious adverse drug reaction characterized by abnormal and distressing involuntary body movements and muscle tension that is associated with antipsychotic medications.