Applied Neuro-pharmacology Flashcards
Describe the sequence of events in synaptic transmission?
What are the different receptor types for neurotransmitters?
Ionotropic (respond to ligand binding)
Metabotropic (acts through a second messenger. It may be located at the surface of the cell or in vesicles)
Is acetylcholine uptaked into glia/neural cells or is it inactivated by breakdown?
Inactivated by enzymatic breakdown in the synaptic cleft
What are some methods of pharmacological manipulation to reduce synaptic transmission?
Inhibit synthesis and packaging of neurotransmitter
Activate presynaptic inhibitory receptors
Block postsynaptic receptors (such as competitive antagonists or non-competitive antagonists)
Block voltage gated calcium channels
Increase breakdown of transmitter
Block release machinery
Increase uptake of transmitter
Block voltage-gated sodium channels
What are some methods of pharmacological manipulation to increase synaptic transmission?
Increase synthesis and packaging of neurotransmitter (by increasing availability of precursors)
Activate postsynaptic receptors with an agonist
Potentiate effects of transmitter on receptor (ie increase channel open time)
Block breakdown of transmitter
Block uptake of transmitter
What are examples of different neurotransmitters?
- Acetylcholine
- Monoamines
- Noradrenaline
- Dopamine
- Serotonin (5-HT)
- Amino acids
- Glutamate
- GABA
- Glycine
- Purines
- ATP
- Adenosine
- Neuropeptides
- Endorphins
- CCK
- Substance P
- NO
What are examples of monoamines that act as neurotransmitters?
- Noradrenaline
- Dopamine
- Serotonin (5-HT)
What does 5-HT stand for?
Serotonin
What are examples of amino acids that act as neurotransmitters?
- Glutamate
- GABA
- Glycine
What are examples of purines that act as neurotransmitters?
- ATP
- Adenosine
What are examples of neuropeptides that act as neurotransmitters?
- Endorphins
- CCK
- Substance P
A limited range of neurotransmitters means what in terms of function?
Each one has multiple functions, often in the brain and in the peripheral nervous system which are separated by the blood brain barrier
What things about neurotransmitters are unique?
Each neurotransmitter has:
- Its own anatomical distribution
- Its own range of receptors it acts on
- Its own range of functions in different regions (some separated by the blood brain barrier)
What is the anatomical distribution of dopamine?
- Brain stem
- Basal ganglia
- Limbic system and frontal cortex
What physiological functions are affected by dopamine?
- Voluntary movement
- Emotions/reward
- Vomiting
What pathways does dopamine act in?
- Mesolimbic
- Projects VTA to nucleus accumbens and other limbic structures
- Role in reward and addiction
- Overactivity leads to schizophrenia and hallucinations
- Mesocortical
- Projects to frontal cortex
- Involved in executive function
- Impairment relevant for cognitive symptoms (sx) in PD
- Tubero-infundibular
- Inhibits prolactin
What is the mesolimbic pathway?
Projects VTA to nucleus accumbens and other limbic structures
What does overactivity of the mesolimbic pathway lead to?
Schizophrenia and hallucinations
What is the mesocortical pathway?
Projects to frontal cortex
The mesolimbic pathway has a role in what?
- Role in reward and addiction
The mesocortical pathway has a role in what?
- Involved in executive function