CNS (behaviour modification)

Question 1

What is an anxiolytic drug?

Answer 1

A drug used to reduce anxiety

Question 2

What are the two categories of anxiolytic drugs?

Answer 2

• Benzodiazepines
• Azapirones (buspirone)

Question 3

True or False: Behavior modifying drugs have the potential to result in aggression

Answer 3

True

Question 4

What are the three main clinical effects of benzodiazepines?

Answer 4

• Anxiolytic
• Anticonvulsive
• Anterograde amnesia (good for pre-anesthetic, bad for behavior modification)

Question 5

The different effects of different drugs in the benzodiazepine class are due to variations in what?

Answer 5

GABA receptor

Question 6

What will chronic administration of benzodiazepines cause?

Answer 6

GABA receptor down-regulation (tolerance may be seen as soon as one week after chronic administration in dogs)

Question 7

Which class of CNS drugs should be tapered?

Answer 7

All classes of CNS drugs should be tapered

Question 8

What are the four anti-depressant drug classes? Name an example of each.

Answer 8

1. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (ex. fluoxetine)
2. Tricyclic antidepressants (ex. clomipramine)
3. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOs) (ex. selegiline HCl)
4. Atypical (ex. trazodone)

Question 9

How should you dose anti-depressants for the first time in a patient?

Answer 9

Start at low end of dose and assess response to minimize adverse effects

Question 10

How long does it take to see a response with anti-depressants?

Answer 10

4-6 weeks

Question 11

What is the most commonly used SSRI?

Answer 11

Fluoxetine

Question 12

Trazodone antagonizes all serotonin receptors except ________?

Answer 12

5-HT1A

Question 13

Which receptor is the main excitatory post-synaptic serotonin receptor?

Answer 13

5-HT2A (activation is associated with neuronal excitation, anxiety, learning, and hallucinogens)