chapter 16.3 Flashcards
what is psychopharmacotherapy?
that use of drugs to manage or reduce patients
what is the most biomedical option?
psychopharmacotherapy
what is the biomedical approach to treating disorders?
involves using drugs, surgery or other medical procedures in order to alter the functioning of central nervous system to correct what is believed to be the underlying biological problem
what are psychotropic drugs?
medications designed to alter psychological functioning
when are psychotropic drugs used?
currently they have become a common form of treatment for many people experiencing even mild psychological problems and symptoms
how do psychotropic drugs take actions?
they first cross the blood-brain barrier and after crossing it it will affect one or more neurotransmitter
what is the blood-brain barrier?
a network of tightly packer cells that allow only specific types of substances to move from the blood stream to the brain in order to protect delicate brain cells against harmful infections and other substances
what are antidepressant drugs?
medications designed to reduce symptoms of depression
where do antidepressants target in the brain?
places in the brain that are rich in monamine neurotransmitters- serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine
what are the 3 types of types antidepressants?
monoamine oxidase inhibiters (MAOIs)
tricyclic antidepressants
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
what are monamine oxidase inhibitors?
antidepressant that work by deactivating monoamine oxidase, and enzyme that breaks down serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine at the synaptic clefts of nerve cells
what happens in the brain when monoamine oxidase inhibitors are deactivated?
fewer dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmitters are metabolized and leaves more of them available for synaptic transmission
what are tricyclic antidepressants?
drugs that block the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine
what are 4 side effects of tricyclic antidepressants?
nausea
weight gain
sexual dysfunction
seizures
what is the most commonly used antidepressant drug?
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
why are SSRIs the most commonly used antidepressant?
due to the terrible side effects of monoamine oxide inhibitors and tricyclic drugs
what are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors?
a class of antidepressant drugs that block the reuptake of serotonin
do SSRIs work for everyone?
no
what are 2 side effects of SSRIs?
disputed sleep patterns
disrupted sexual drive
when did selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) become available?
in 1987
what are the 4 parts of the brain that SSRIs impact?
amygdala
hippocampus
prefrontal cortex
nucleus accumbens
what are mood stabilizers?
drugs that are used to prevent or reduce the severity of mood swings experienced with bipolar disorder
what is lithium?
one of the first mood stabilizers to be prescribed regularly in psychiatry and from the 1950s to the 1980s was the standard drug treatment for depression and bipolar disorder
why did they stop using lithium?
it can be very toxic to the kidneys and endocrine system
what do people with bipolar disorder take today?
anticonvulsant medications or anti psychotic medications
what are the 4 side effects of anticonvulsant medications or anti psychotic medications?
weight gain
nausea
fatigue
rare cases of brain damage
what are anxiety drugs?
affect the activity of gamma aminobutyric (GABA) an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces neural activity
what do anxiety drugs do?
they alleviate nervousness and tension and prevent and reduce panic attacks
what are 3 examples of anti anxiety drugs?
xanax
valium
Ativan
how long to the effects of anti anxiety drugs last for?
a few hours