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PSYCH 255 > Chapter 6 - Drugs & Hormones > Flashcards

Chapter 6 - Drugs & Hormones Flashcards

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1
Q

Psychoactive Drugs

A

substances that act to to alter mood, thought or behavior

  • for recreation (make it abnormal)
  • to manage neuropsychological illness (make it normal)
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2
Q

Drug Routes

A

safest → least safe
high dose → low dose

  • stomach
  • intestines
  • skin
  • muscles
  • lungs
  • injected into:
    • blood
    • CNS
    • receptors
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3
Q

Drug Routes

  • characteristics of psychoactive drugs
A

water-soluble → to pass BBB

diluted in body

weak acids: stomach → bloodstream

weak bases: intestines → bloodstream

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4
Q

Blood-Brain Barrier

  • characteristics
  • passage of substances
A

brain capillaries have tight junctions covered by astrocyte feet

small uncharged molecules diffuse across

  • CO2 & O2

active transport

  • aa’s, glucose, fats

large, charged molecules can’t leave capillary

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5
Q

Blood-Brain Barrier

  • (3) areas not protected
A

1) Pituitary Gland
2) Pineal Gland
3) Area Postrema (induces vomiting)

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6
Q

Drug Effects vs. Actions

A

EFFECTS → changes in mood/thought/behavior

ACTIONS → changes in neurochemistry

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7
Q

Drug Actions

A

affect stages of chemical transmission

synthesis, storage, release, activation, inactivation, reuptake/degradation

Agonist vs. Antagonist

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8
Q

Agonist

A

increases synapse functioning

  • ↑ synthesis, storage, release
  • aids binding/mimics
  • ↓ inactivation/degredation/reuptake
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9
Q

Antagonist

A

decreases synapse functioning

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10
Q

Classification of Psychoactive Drugs

  • (5)
A

based on drug effects

I. Sedatives & Antianxiety Agents

II. Antipsychotic Agents

III. Antidepressants

IV. Narcotic Analgesics

V. Psychomotor Stimulants

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11
Q

I. Sedatives & Antianxiety Agents

A

GABA agonists

cross-tolerance

anxiety relief, disinhibition, sedation, sleep, anesthesia, coma

Antianxiety Agents → less drastic effects but short-term use

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12
Q

I. Sedatives & Antianxiety Agents

  • Sedatives (2)
    • ​actions & effects
    • dose (2)

(INCREASE TIME PORE IS OPEN)

A

→ dose-dependant relationship

  • anxiety relief, disinhibition, sedate, sleep, anesthesia, coma

tolerance develops with frequent use

a) Alcohol
* ↑ GABA binding
b) Barbiturates
* mimic GABA → binds to receptor → ↑ Cl influx

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13
Q

I. Sedatives & Antianxiety Agents

  • Antianxiety Agents
    • ​actions & effects
A

a) benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax)

Action: ↑ GABA binding → ↑ frequency of pore opening

  • indirectly ↑ Cl influx

Effects: anxiety relief

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14
Q

Why are Benzodiazepines safer & harder to overdose on than Barbiturates?

A

Barbiturates → mimic GABA, ↑ Cl influx directly

Benzodiazepines → ↑ GABA binding, ↑ Cl influx indirectly

  • limited by amount of GABA
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15
Q

II. Antipsychotic Agents

  • Effects (2)
  • Action
A

Antipsychotics (neuroleptics): Haloperidol, Chloropromazine (FGAs)
→ Dopamine (DA) antagonists

SGA’s - also block seratonin receptors

EFFECT → ↓ psychosis symptoms (hallucinations, delusions)

  • side-effect: dyskinesia → impaired motor control (like Parkinsons)

ACTIONS: blocks D2 DA receptors

​

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16
Q

DA Hypothesis of Schizophrenia

  • support?
A

IDEA: excess DA activity causes schizophrenia symptoms

supported by similar symptoms in chronic amphetamine (DA agonist) users

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17
Q

III. Antidepressants (3)

  • Effects
A

seratonin agonists

a) monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors
b) Tricyclic Antidepressants
c) Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

↓ Depression symptoms

  • guilt, worthlessness, disruption of eating/sleep, slowing of behavior, suicidal thoughts
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18
Q

III. Antidepressants

  • Drug Actions
    1. MAOIs
    2. Tricyclic Antidepressants
    3. SSRIs
A

1) ↑ NE & seratonin (& DA)
* block deactivating enzyme in axon terminals
2) ↑ NE & seratonin
* block reuptake
3) ↑ seratonin
* ↑ hippocampal neurogenesis

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19
Q

III. ANTIDEPRESSANTS → MAOIs

  • food-drug interactions
A

↑ availability of monamines

  • precursors in diet
  • tyramine → ↑ BP
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20
Q

III. Antidepressants

  • Why do effects take weeks to work?
A

metabotropic receptors → ↑ transcription of BDNF

→ facilitates rebuilding of brain & neuron health

  • ↓ cell death
  • ↑ neurogenesis in certain areas
    • hippocampus →turns off stress response
      • relief from depression symptoms
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21
Q

IV. Narcotic Analgesics

  • effects (2)
A

natural or synthetic drugs derived from opium poppy
→ opium, codeine, morphine, heroin

↓ GABA release → ↑ DA (addictive)

narcotic → sleep-inducing

analgesic → pain-relieving

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22
Q

IV. Narcotic Analgesics

  • drug actions
A

act on endorphin (endogenous morphine-like receptors) receptors in brain

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23
Q

V. Psychomotor Stimulants

  • (3)
A

a) Behavioral Stimulants
b) General Stimulant
c) Psychedelic Drugs

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24
Q

V. Psychomotor Stimulants (Psychotropics)

a) Behavioral Stimulants

  • effects
  • actions
A

→ agonists
cocaine - ↑ DA, NE, seratonin
amphetamine - ↑ DA, NE

effects: ↑ motor behavior, mood & alertness

actions:

  • block DA reuptake
  • ↑ DA release (amphetamine)
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25
V. Psychomotor Stimulants (Psychotropics) b) **General Stimulants** * effects * action
caffeine → ↑ glucose (metabotropic receptors) **effects: ↑** alertness & motor behavior **actions:** blocks **adenosine** receptors (**inhibitory** NT)
26
V. Psychomotor Stimulants (Psychotropics) c) Psychedelic & Hallucinogenic Stimulants → **Psychedelic Drugs** * effects * actions
↑ **seratonin & NE** **LSD** → acid **psilocybin** → mushrooms **mescaline** → peyote **_effects:_** alter sensory reception & thoughts **_actions:_** alters various NS system functioning
27
Hormonal Communication * form of?
form of **chemical communication**
28
Hormones * production
*chemical messengers secreted directly into blood* produced & secreted by **endocrine** cells & carried via **blood** to target cell
29
**Endocrine** System
system of **glands** that release **hormones** into **bloodstream** controlled by **hypothalamus** via **pituitary gland**
30
Major **Endocrine Glands**
pituitary gland pineal gland → *melatonin* thyroid gland → *homeostasis* thymus → *immune system* adrenal gland → *stress response (fast & slow)* pancreas ovary/testis
31
Hierarchical Control of Hormones * **(4) levels**
I. Hypothalamus II. Pituitary Gland III. Target Endocrine Glands IV. Target Organs & Tissues
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Hierarchical Control of Hormones **(4) levels** I. Hypothalamus
sensory stimuli & cognitive activity → produces **neurohormones** (releasing hormones)
33
Hierarchical Control of Hormones **II. Pituitary Gland**
neurohormones enter: * **anterior pituitary** through veins * produces its own hormones * **posterior pituitary** through axons → enter bloodstream to **target endocrine glands**
34
Hierarchical Control of Hormones ## Footnote **III. Target Endocrine Glands** **IV. Target Organs & Tissues**
in response to **pituitary hormones** → release own hormones → stimulate **target organs/tissues** in response, **hypothalamus &** **pituitary** ↓ hormone production
35
**Hormone Classification** by **Function** ## Footnote **(3)**
a) **Homeostatic** Hormones b) **Stress** Hormones (Glucocorticoids) c) **Gonadal (Sex)** Hormones
36
a) **Homeostatic** Hormones
Maintain **internal metabolic balance** & **system regulation** → sugars, proteins, carbs, salts, water in blood, brain, cells etc. * **aldosterone, vasopressin**
37
b) Stress Hormones (**Glucocorticoids**)
secreted in times of **mental/physical stress** ## Footnote *works in opposition to homeostatic hormones*
38
c) **Gonadal** (**Sex**) Hormones
sexual **appearance** & gender **identity** control **reproductive functions** role in some **cognitive & motor functions**
39
Vasopression
ADH ↑ water reabsorption (retention)
40
Stressor
stimulus that challenges homeostasis & triggers arousal
41
Stress Response
**physiological** & **behavioral** arousal & attempt to ↓ **stress**
42
Stress Response * **(2) types**
a) **Fast**-Acting Pathway b) **Slow-**Acting Pathway
43
Stress Response a) **Fast**-Acting Pathway **(5)**
hypothalamus sends neural msg through spinal cord → activates **sympathetic** ANS → **fight or flight** → stimulates **medulla** of **adrenal** gland → releases **epinephrine** **→** activates cells/endocrine glands/brain
44
Stress Response b) **Slow**-Acting Pathway
**hypothalamus** → releases **CRH** into **pituitary** **gland** **→** releases **ACTH** into **adrenal** **cortex** **→** releases **cortisol** into blood → activates **cells, endocrine gland, brain**
45
Function of: a) **Fast-acting** Pathway b) **Slow-acting** Pathway
a) stimulates cell metabolism b) turn off systems not immediately required to deal with stressor - insulin - reproductive functions - growth hormone production
46
Stress Response * **brief vs. prolonged**
stress responses → generally brief * turned on/off by **hippocampus** prolonged stress can lead to **hippocampal damage**
47
Gonadal Hormones * **(2) effect types**
a) **Organizational** b) **Activational**
48
Gonadal Hormone Effects **a) Organizational**
during **development** ## Footnote alter tissue **differentiation** causing **enduring body/brain changes** **SRY gene** on **Y** xsome → causes male gonads to develop * **testes** secrete **androgens → Anti-mullerian hormone** inhibits female sex organs **testosterone** masculinizes brain → cognitive differences
49
Sex-Related Cognitive Differences → Evidence (3)
a) **males →** better @ **spatial tasks** **females →** better @ **verbal tasks** b) fluctuations in spatial/verbal tests scores across menstrual cycle c) pre & post menopausal women, stages of pregnancy, M/F with various levels of circulating hormones → affects cognitive functions
50
**XY** but **androgen-insensitive**
appear **female** **→** attracted to **men**
51
Gonadal Hormone Effects → b) **Activational**
**circulating** sex hormones **across lifespan** * **transient** effects on body/brain/behavior | (**puberty** onward)
52
Activating Hormones Effects in **Women**
→ act on **hypothalamic nuclei** _**low** estradiol phase_ ✓ spatial tasks x verbal tasks _**high** estradiol phase_ x spatial tasks ✓ verbal tasks
53
Role of Amygdala & Hypothalamus in Sexual Behavior
**Amygdala** * **M/F →** influences **sexual motivation** **Hypothalamus** * **M/F →** controls **copulatory** behavior
54
**Sexual Orientation**
person's sexual attraction to: * opposite sex * same sex * both sexes
55
Gender Identity
person's feelings of being male/female
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PSYCH 255 (7 decks)

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