Central Nervous System drugs

Question 1

depressants are medicines that include sedatives, tranquilizers, and hypnotics. These drugs can slow brain activity, making them useful for treating anxiety, panic, acute stress reactions, and sleep disorders.

Answer 1

Central Nervous System drugs

Question 2

Benzodiazepine drugs

Answer 2

• Alprazolam
• diazepam
• lorazepam
• midazolam
• temazepam
• oxazepam

Question 3

Uses of diazepam

Answer 3

Anxiety, preop sedation, muscle relaxation, withdrawal states

Question 4

Uses of alprazolam

Answer 4

Anxiety, phobias, panic attacks

Question 5

a state of emotional reliance upon a drugs in order to maintain a state of well-being. Tolerance, if it does occur, is of the “metabolic” type so there are no withdrawal symptoms

Answer 5

Psychological dependence

Question 6

Amphetamines stimulant:
Mechanism of action:

Answer 6

increase norepi and dopamine

Question 7

What is a CNS depressant?
What does it produce?

Answer 7

an agent which decreases the excitability of tissue in CNS
- produces sedation, hypnosis, general anesthesia, coma, death
- all drugs in this category can act as sedatives, hypnotics, or general anesthetics - depending upon dose given

Question 8

What is a major reason to us barbiturates over benzodiazepines?

Answer 8

Epilepsy

Question 9

Reason for Seizures

Answer 9

Trauma, idiopathic, infection, toxins & metabolic factors

Question 10

Used to prevent seizures

Answer 10

Anticonvulsant Drugs

Question 11

To suppress the abnormal electrical impulses from the seizure area of the brain to other areas

Answer 11

Anticonvulsant Drug Physiology

Question 12

How CNS drugs produce effects

Answer 12

Precise mechanism versus plausible hypotheses:

Knowledge of the brain and spinal cord is limited
Sufficient data to make hypotheses: use of current evidence and remembrance that mechanisms are tentative

Question 13

3 types of xanthine stimulants

Answer 13

• caffeine - coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts
• theophylline - tea leaves
• theobromine - cocoa

Question 14

15 kinds of Barbiturates sedative hypnotics depressants. How do they differ?

Answer 14

1. SPEED in which effects occur
2. DURATION of action (absorbed in the bloodstream at the same rate, usually, but enter BRAIN at different rates)
   - All may be taken orally

Question 15

Sedative hypnotics may be classified as?

Answer 15

Barbiturates or non-barbiturates

Question 16

What is a general anesthetic?

Answer 16

a drug that causes loss of consciousness (not arousable)

Question 17

Two types of general anesthetics are?

Answer 17

inhalation and intravenous (I.V.)

Question 18

what is epilepsies?

Answer 18

abnormal activity in spots of the brain

Question 19

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 19

a neurological disorder of CNS; loss of dopamine neurons
- occurs later in life (after age 50) due to deterioration of cells in brain
- one million people in the U.S. have

Question 20

Drugs used in Parkinson’s disease

Answer 20

Levodopa, tolcapone, selegiline, bromocriptine, benztropine, amantadine