Biochemistry Of Depression

Question 0

–GABA – major inhibitory neurotransmitter.

•Suppress seizure, anxiety and mania.

Answer 0

GABA

Question 1

major excitatory neurotransmitter and precursor to gamma amino-butyric acid. Important in memory and learning.

Answer 1

Glutamate

Question 2

inhibitory neurotransmitter

•it participates in the processing of motor and sensory information that permits movement, vision, and audition

Answer 2

Glycine

Question 3

• is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them.
• Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter

Answer 3

Dopamine

Question 4

• mental arousal, elevated mood, and pleasure
• excitatory neurotransmitter
• fight or flight response.

Answer 4

Norepi

Epi

Question 5

–Inhibitory neurotransmitter

–Mood, activity, aggression irritability, and cognitive.

Answer 5

Serotonin

Question 6

produced on ribosomes and stored in the endocrine cell in membrane bound secretory granules. They typically do not cross cell membrane readily and act through membrane bound receptors.

Answer 6

Protein or peptides

Question 7

synthesized in the cytosol and secretory granules. They typically do not cross cell membrane readily and act through membrane bound receptors.

Answer 7

Cathecolamines

Question 8

are not stored in the tissues and generally cross the cell membranes. They act through the intracellular receptors

Answer 8

Steroids

Question 9

feel-good’ chemical. It has a profound effect on mood and anxiety.

Answer 9

Serotonin

Question 10

modulate pain, reduce stress and promote sensation of floaty, and oceanic calm.

Answer 10

Enkepalins

Question 11

-leads one to feel positive emotions towards the opposite sex like love or infatuation.

Answer 11

Oxytocin

Question 12

States that depression is a consequence of diminished neurotransmission involving monoamines(NA, DA, 5-HT) due to a decrease in their concentrations

Answer 12

Biogenic amine hypothesis

Question 13

antihypertensive drug, causes depletion of presynaptic stores of NE, 5-HT and DA, induced a syndrome resembling depression

Answer 13

Reserpine

Question 14

used for treatment of tuberculosis; increased NE and 5-HT concentrations by inhibiting MAO, causes euphoria and hyperactive behavior

Answer 14

Iproniazid

Question 15

•is the enzyme ultimately responsible for the catabolism of the neurotransmitter into its respective metabolites

Answer 15

Monoamine oxidase

Question 16

• Other enzyme involved in the catabolism of monoamine transmitters
• Provides alternate pathway forming different metabolites than if compound went straight through MAO

Answer 16

Catechol-O-methyl trasferase (COMT)

Question 17

• Chronic administration of TCAs or MAOIs is thought to alter the responsiveness and/or the number of postsynaptic receptor sites.
• Antidepressant drugs achieve their clinical effect by reducing receptor supersensitivity. This theory is an important step toward understanding the long delay between administration of TCAs and MAOIs and clinical response.

Answer 17

Receptor sensitivity hothesis

Question 18

-Supersensitivity: compensatory response
of the postsynaptic neuron when it receives too little stimulation.
-The neuron tries to make up for a lack of stimulation by increasing receptor responsiveness.
-Over time, the postsynaptic neuron may also compensate for lack of stimulation by synthesizing additional receptor sites.

Answer 18

Up regulation

Question 19

-By increasing the amount of
neurotransmitter in the cleft, you can normalize responsiveness.

   -Increased neurotransmitter
   increases stimulation of receptor sites, which
   prompts the postsynaptic neuron to    compensate by decreasing receptor    sensitivity

Answer 19

Desensitization

Question 20

-The postsynaptic neuron is also thought to compensate for increasing stimulation by decreasing the number of receptor sites.

Answer 20

Down regulation

Question 21

• Emphasizes the role of serotonin in depression and downplays noradrenaline.
• Development of Serotonin-Selective Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Answer 21

The serotonin only hypothesis

Question 22

•Emphasizes importance of balance between
Norepinephrine and Serotonin in regulating
mood.

Answer 22

The permissive hypothesis

Question 23

• Pathological mood states are explained or contributed to by altered endocrine function.
• Altered mood states were associated with thyroid or Cushing’s disease
• More often signs and symptoms of Hypothyroidism (fatigue, weight gain) and Hyperthyroidism (sleep disturbances and weight loss) are associated with depression.

Answer 23

The neuro endocrine hypothesis

Question 24

is a 41-amino-acid neuropeptide involved in mediating neuroendocrine, autonomic and behavioural responses to stress, and clinical studies provide evidence for the role of CRF in the development of depression and anxiety disorders

Answer 24

Corticotropin releasing factor

Question 25

• Disruption of the glucocorticoid receptor gene in the nervous system results in reduced anxiety
• In the brain, Gr has been proposed to modulate emotional behaviour, cognitive functions and addictive states

Answer 25

Glucocorticoid receptor GENE

Question 26

• This gene encodes an integral membrane protein that transports the neurotransmitter serotonin from synaptic spaces into presynaptic neurons.
• A repeat length polymorphism in the promoter of this gene has been shown to affect the rate of serotonin uptake and may play a role in depression-susceptibility in people experiencing emotional trauma.

Answer 26

Serotonin transporter GENE

Question 27

• The COMT gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase.
• In the brain, catechol-O-methyltransferase helps break down neurotransmitters.
• 22q11.2 deletion syndrome - associated with the COMT gene

Answer 27

CATECHOL-O-METHYLTRANSFERASE GENE

Question 28

Treatment

increase the extracellular level of the neurotransmitter serotonin by inhibiting its reuptake into the presynaptic cell, increasing the level of serotonin.

Answer 28

SSRI

Question 29

Treatment

Mechanism of action: Increase monoamines by blocking the process of reuptake into the presynaptic neuron.

These are less used because of the need to titrate the dose to a therapeutic level and because of their considerable toxicity in overdose. Relatively Cheap and used for other psychiatric disorders

Answer 29

TCA

Question 30

Treatment

Inhibits the activity of monoamine oxidase thereby blocking the metabolism of biogenic amines (norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine) thereby increasing the synaptic concentration of these neurotransmitters.

Answer 30

Maois

Question 31

MAOIs should not be used concomitantly with

Answer 31

SSRI and TCA

Question 32

is an herbal remedy. It is considered a first-line antidepressant in many European countries.

Answer 32

Hypericum perforatum

Question 33

Therapy

first-line treatment for depression. It is directed and time limited, usually involving between 10 and 20 treatment

Answer 33

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Question 34

It is based on two principles, first is that many illnesses are made worse by a dysfunctional family and second, close family relationships are often the most important supports a person has, and therefore are extremely important in any long term treatments.

Answer 34

Family therapy

Question 35

This focuses on problem areas of grief, interpersonal roles, disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal difficulties

Answer 35

Interpersonal psychotherapy