Antidepressants, Anxiolytics and Antipsychotics Flashcards
What is the percentage of adults diagnosed with at least 1 mental health problem?
26%
Women (33%) are more likely than men (19%) to report having being diagnosed with a mental health problem. True or false
True
1 in 10 children and young people aged ____ and ____ were clinically diagnosed with a mental health disorder in 2004
5 and 16
What is the current single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK?
suicide
What is depression?
low mood that lasts for a long time and affects your everyday life. Heterogenous disorder which can be associated with anxiety, eating disorders and drug addiction
Defined as a disorder of low mood that can last a long time
What is anxiety?
excessing feeling of unease, worry and fear
What is general anxiety disorder?
ongoing state of excessive anxiety lacking any clear reason
What is social anxiety disorder?
fear of being with and interacting with other people
What is a panic disorder ?
sudden attack of overwhelming fear, symptoms including sweat, tachycardia, chest pains, trembling and chocking
What are phobias?
strong fear of objects or situations e.g. snakes, flying
What is post traumatic stress disorder?
anxiety triggered by recall of past stressful experiences
What is obsessive compulsive disorder?
compulsive ritualistic behaviour driven by irrational anxiety e.g. fear of contamination
What is self-harm?
hurting ones self as a way of dealing with very difficult feelings, painful memories, overwhelming situations and experiences that feel out of control
What are suicidal feelings?
feelings associated with the act of intentionally taking your own life
What is a psychotic illness (schizophrenia)
characterised by delusions, hallucinations, thought disorder, together with social withdrawal and flattening of emotional responses and cognitive impairment
Depression ranges from …
a mild condition (bordering on normality) to severe psychotic depression (accompanied by hallucinations)
Depression is often associated with other psychiatric conditions including …
anxiety
eating disorders
drug addiction
Depression is a main cause of ________ and __________.
disability and death
What are the 2 distinct depressive syndromes?
unipolar depression
bipolar disorder
What is unipolar depression?
mood changes are always in the same direction
unipolar depression is more common
In bipolar disorder, depression alternates with _______
mania
they are either depressed or manic
What are the emotional symptoms of depression?
low mood
excessive negative thoughts
misery
apathy
pessimism
indecisiveness
loss of motivation
loss of reward and feeling pleasure (anhedonia)
What are the biological symptoms of depression?
retardation of thought (slowing)
retardation of action
loss of libido
sleep disturbances
loss of appetite
Depression is connected to changes in the following neurotransmitters …
serotonin
noradrenaline
dopamine
Name the catecholamines
dopamine
noradrenaline
adrenaline
they can act as both neurotransmitters and hormones
List the monoamine neurotransmitters
serotonin
dopamine
noradrenaline
adrenaline
What is the monoamine theory of depression (Schildkraut 1965)?
-suggests that depression results from funtionally deficient monoaminergic transmission in the CNS
-deficient in serotonin and noradrenaline
What is the monoamine theory of depression (Schildkraut 1965) based on?
- ability of known antidepressant drugs (TCA and MAOI) to facilitate monoaminergic transmission
-the ability to drugs such as reserpine to cause depression
How is reserpine thought to cause depression (MOA)?
Reserpine irreversibly blocks VMAT-2 pump
this results in blockage of serotonin, dopamine and NE reuptake into presynaptic storage vesicles
this action will then lead to their depletion by cytoplasmic MAO from peripheral and central synapses
so there is an increase in neuronal cytoplasmic NT however they are not repackaged in vesicles thus they cannot be released- they are then available to cytoplasmic MAO to metabolise
Biochemical studies on depressed patients suggest that the monoamine theory of depression is ___________.
oversimplified
The fact that direct neurochemical effects of anti-depressants is rapid (takes mins to hours) whereas the anti-depressant effects takes weeks to develop suggests …
secondary adaptive changes to the brain
after neurochemical effects, there are secondary adaptive changes to the brain
What is the most successful therapeutic approach for treating depression?
Pharmacological manipulation of monoamine transmission
What drug evidence is there to support the monoamine theory?
TCA
MAOI
Reserpine
a-methyltyrosine
methyldopa
electroconulsive therapy
tryptophan (5-hydroxytryptophan)
tryptophan depletion
What is the principal action of TCAs?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients?
block NE and 5HT reuptake
increased mood
What is the principal action of MAOIs?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients?
increase stores of NE and 5-HT (they are not metabolised)
increases mood
What is the principal action of Reserpine?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients?
inhibits NE and 5-HT storage
decreases mood
What is the principal action of a-methyltyrosine?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients?
inhibits NE synthesis
decreases mood- calms manic patients down
What is the principal action of methyldopa?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients?
inhibits NE synthesis
decreases mood
What is the principal action of electroconvulsive therapy?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients?
?increases CNS responses to NE and 5-HT
increases mood
What is the principal action of tryptophan (5-hydroxytryptophan)?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients
increases 5-HT synthesis
increases mood in some studies
What is the principal action of tryptophan depletion?
What is the effect of this action in depressed patients
decreases brain 5-HT synthesis
induces relapse in SSRI treated patients (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
Does serotonin cross the BBB? What is the implication of this?
no
this means that serotonin produced in the periphery cannot the BBB and enter the brain
it exhibits distinct functions in different locations
How is serotonin synthesised in the brain ?
synthesised from dietary tryptophan (Trp) which is transported to into the brain using a neutral amino acid carrier
Tryprophan hydroxylase (TH) converts tryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) subsequently converts 5-HTP to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)
5-HT is serotonin
5-HT is taken up into vesicles by VMAT-2 transporter protein
VMAT-2 stands for…
vesicular monoamine transporter-2
How is serotonin (5-HT) metabolised?
5-HT (5 hydroxytrypamine) is taken back up by SERT into nerve terminals and glia actively
5-HT can also be broken down by cellular monoamine oxidase-A
Serotonin receptors are a group of …
GPCR and ligand gated ion channels
Gas 5-HT receptors include
5-HT4, 5-HT6, 5-HT7
Gai 5-HT receptors include
5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, 5-HT1E, 5-HT1F
Gaq 5-HT receptors include
5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, 5-HT2C
5-HT3 serotonin receptors are what kind of receptors?
ligand gated ion channels
Where does the 5-HT molecule bind to on the 5-HT3 serotonin receptor?
binds to the A-A interface
5-HT is involved in what physiological processes?
sleep
appetite
thermoregulation and pain perception
disorders such as migraines, depression, psychosis and drug abuse
How is noradrenaline synthesised?
L-tyrosine —> L-DOPA —> Dopamine —> noradrenaline
this process uses the enzyme dopamine beta hydroxylase
How is noradrenaline metabolised?
noradrenaline is removed from the synaptic cleft by noradrenaline transporter (NET)
two enzymes are involved in the synthesis of noradrenaline
1.) MAO- mitochondrial location, metabolised DA, NE and 5-HT
2.) catechol-O-methyl transferase- COMT
What are the noradrenergic receptors ?
a1 receptors
a2 receptors
B1, B2, B3 receptors
a- alpha
B- beta
a1 noradrenergic receptors (GPCR) are ____ linked.
Gq linked
What are the subtypes of the a1 noradrenergic receptors ?
1a, 1b, 1d
a2 noradrenergic receptors (GPCR) are ____ linked.
Gi linked
What are the subtypes of the a2 noradrenergic receptors?
2a
2b
2c
B1, B2 and B3 noradrenergic receptors are _____ linked
Gs
Noradrenergic transmission is involved in what physiological processes?
arousal
mood control
blood pressure regulation
What are the categories for antidepressant drugs?
Inhibitors of monoamine uptake
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAIOs)
Monoamine receptor antagonists
Melatonin receptor agonist
What are the categories of antidepressant drugs that inhibit monoamine uptake?
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
Serotonin- noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors
What is the MOA of TCAs?
they block SERT and NET (serotonin and noradrenaline transporters)
this elevates synaptic concentrations of 5-HT and NA, this leads to the enhancement of neurotransmission
TCAs have little/no affinity for what transporter?
DAT (dopamine transporter)
therefore they are not dopamine reuptake inhibitors
Give examples of TCAs
Imipramine
Amitriptyline
Nortriptyline
Lofepramine
Clomipramine
TCAs vary in activity and selectivity in inhibition of NA and 5-HT reuptake. True or false
True
some may be more selective for 5-HT or dopamine transporters
TCA are long acting (12-24h). True or False
True
How is the active metabolite of TCA produced?
Produced by hydroxylation
TCA compounds are metabolised by P450 enzymes in the liver
What are the clinical uses of TCAs?
depression
anxiety
OCD
neuropathic pain
What are the adverse effects of TCAs?
interference with autonomic control which leads to:
-dry mouth
-blurred vision
-constipation
-urinary retention
(anticholinergic effects- similar side effects to muscarinic antagonists)
-postural hypotension (head rush)
-seizures
-impotence
-sedation
What are the risks of a TCA overdose?
ventricullar dysrhythmias
high risk interaction with CNS depressants such as alcohol, MAOI
TCAs are first generation antidepressants. Why are newer compounds being used and developed?
newer compounds have fewer side effects and lower overdose risk
What is the MOA of SSRIs?
they have selectivity for blocking SERT (serotonin transporter), therefore 5-HT induced enhancement of neurotransmission
(they do not block NET; noradrenaline neurotransmitters hence selective serotonin)
Give examples of SSRIs
Fluoxetine
Fluvoxamine
Paroxetine
Setraline
citalopram
escitalopram
vilazodone
SSRIs are long acting (18-24h). Which SSRI has the longest half life?
Fluoxetine
SSRI are metabolised by …
P450 enzymes in the liver
What are the clinical uses of SSRIs?
commonly prescribed for depression (similar efficacy to TCAs
anxiety
What are the side effects of SSRIs?
fewer anti-cholinergic effects than TCAs (less interference of autonomic control)
less sedating
nausea
insomnia
sexual dysfunction
What are the risks of SSRI overdose?
less cardiotoxic effects in overdoses compared to TCAs and MAOIs
Use of SSRIs is contraindicated with the use of …
Why is this?
MAOIs
this is because there is a risk of serotonin toxicity/reaction
What are the consequences of a serotonin reaction?
neuromuscular hyperactivity (tremor, hyperreflexia, rigidity)
autonomic dysfunction- tachycardia, blood pressure changes, CV collapse, hyperthermia, diarrhoea
altered mental state- agitation, confusion, mania
5-HT is released from platelets. What is the effect on the CVS?
vasoconstriction
(increase blood pressure); stop bleeding
SSRIs are also contraindicated for concurrent use of NSAIDs or those with bleeding disorders. Why is this?
this is because there is an increased risk of GI adverse event such as bleeding
There is a risk of suicidal thoughts in children and adolescents who take SSRIs. True or false
true
What is the MOA of SNRIs (serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors) ?
they are a non-selective inhibitor of SERT and NET
low dose inhibitor of SERT
high dose inhibitor of NET
(higher dose required to inhibitor NET)
Give examples of SNRIs
Venlafaxine
Desvenlafaxine
duloxetine
SNRIs are long acting antidepressants (12-14h). What SNRI has the shortest half-life and is therefore shorter acting?
Venlafaxine has a shorter half life and is therefore shorter acting
Conversion of venlafaxine into desvenlafaxine leads to …
greater inhibition of NA uptake
able to inhibit NET more effectively
What are the clinical uses of SNRIs?
used second line if SSRIs fail
moderate to sever depression
general anxiety disorder (GAD)
What are the side effects of SNRIs?
due to enhanced activation of adrenoceptors
-headache
-insomnia
-sexual dysfunctio
-dry mouth
-dizziness
-sweating and decreased appetite
What are the risks/symptoms of SNRI overdose?
CNS depression
serotonin toxicity- neuromuscular hyperactivity, autonomic dysfunction (tachycardia, high blood pressure)
seizures
cardiac conduction abnormalities
hepatotoxicity
What SNRI is hepatotoxic?
duloxetine