Definitions

Question 1

Acetylcholine

Answer 1

A neurotransmitter produced by neurons whose cell bodies are in the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Acetylcholine binds to nicotinic and muscarinic receptors and is involved with learning and memory.

Question 2

Affective disorder

Answer 2

A mood disorder, such as depression, dysthymia, or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder.

Question 3

Agonist

Answer 3

A drug that interacts with a receptor such that the receptor responds in the same manner that it would when interacting with its own naturally occurring neurotransmitter.

Question 4

Antagonist

Answer 4

A drug that prevents a receptor from performing its normal function.

Question 5

Anxiolytic

Answer 5

A drug that is used for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Question 6

Barbiturates

Answer 6

Little used sedative-hypnotics with a low therapeutic index that affect the GABA1 receptor.

Question 7

Benzodiazepines

Answer 7

Sedative-hypnotics used for the treatment of some anxiety disorders and alcohol withdrawal.

Question 8

Central nervous system

Answer 8

The portion of the nervous system comprising the brain and spinal cord.

Question 9

Cytochrome P450 system

Answer 9

A system of enzymes located primarily in the liver but also the small intestine that is involved in the metabolism of numerous drugs. Many drugs also can inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes, potentially creating drug-drug interactions.

Question 10

Dependence

Answer 10

The physical or psychological need to continue to take a drug. Physical dependence can result in a withdrawal syndrome when the drug is reduced or discontinued abruptly, whereas psychological dependence results in a craving for the drug.

Question 11

Dopamine

Answer 11

A neurotransmitter found in the tuberoinfundibular, nigrostriatal, and mesocorticolimbic brain pathways and involved in addition, brain-reward systems, psychosis, and movement.

Question 12

Dose-response curve

Answer 12

The concentration of a drug on the x-axis plotted against the drug’s effect on the y-axis. The resulting curve may be concave, linear, or sigmoid in shape and can provide important information about the dose of a drug and its clinical response.

Question 13

Drug

Answer 13

A chemical that alters physiological function.

Question 14

Drug toxicity

Answer 14

The development of unwanted effects from a drug.

Question 15

Endorphin

Answer 15

An endogenous opiate.

Question 16

Enkephalin

Answer 16

An endogenous opiate.

Question 17

Gamma aminobutyric acid

Answer 17

The brain’s major inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Question 18

Glial cell

Answer 18

A non-neuron class of brain cell outnumbering neurons approximately ten to one involved in numerous functions including, depending upon the type of glial cell, myelin production, formation of part of the blood-brain barrier, and immune response.

Question 19

Glutamate

Answer 19

The brain’s major excitatory neurotransmitter.

Question 20

Half-life

Answer 20

The amount of time required for 50 percent of a drug to be eliminated from the body. As a general rule, four or five half-lives of a drug are needed before the drug can be considered cleared from the body.

Question 21

Hallucinogen

Answer 21

A class of drugs including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) that can produce hallucinations and alterations in consciousness at doses not otherwise toxic.

Question 22

Ion

Answer 22

An atom with either a positive or negative charge.

Question 23

Monoamine oxidase

Answer 23

An enzyme involved in the breakdown of the monoamines, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

Question 24

Neurogenesis

Answer 24

The production of new neurons.

Question 25

Neuron

Answer 25

A specialized cell that processes and transmits information.

Question 26

Norepinephrine

Answer 26

A neurotransmitter produced in neurons whose cell bodies are in the locus coeruleus. Norepinephrine is involved in attention and mood regulation.

Question 27

Partial agonist

Answer 27

A drug with relatively weak affinity for a receptor that under conditions of high concentrations of the receptor’s naturally occurring neurotransmitter acts as an antagonist by preventing full access of the neurotransmitter to the receptor, while under conditions of low concentrations of the naturally occurring neuro-transmitter acts as an agonist due to its weak affinity for the receptor and relative absence of the naturally occurring neurotransmitter.

Question 28

Peripheral nervous system

Answer 28

The part of the nervous system that is located outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Question 29

Prolactin

Answer 29

A hormone produced by the pituitary gland involved in lactation and regulated in part by dopamine in the tuberoinfundibular pathway.

Question 30

Psychopharmacology

Answer 30

The science and clinical discipline of the effects of drugs on brain function and behavior.

Question 31

Psychotropic drug

Answer 31

A chemical affecting brain structure or function, as well as behavior.

Question 32

Receptor

Answer 32

A three-dimensional structure found in the cell membrane or in some cases intracellularly that can bind to drugs, neurotransmitters, peptides, or hormones. Receptors are often named after the neurotransmitters with which they bind.

Question 33

Reuptake

Answer 33

The process by which a neurotransmitter is taken back into the presynaptic neuron from which it came.

Question 34

Serotonin

Answer 34

A neurotransmitter produced by neurons whose cell bodies are in the raphe nuclei in the brainstem. Serotonin is implicated in a variety of functions and conditions, including mood regulation, psychosis, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Question 35

Steady state

Answer 35

The condition of relatively constant drug concentrations in the body obtained when the amount of drug coming into the body equals the amount cleared from the body.

Question 36

Tau proteins

Answer 36

Proteins found in normal neurons where they function in intracellular transport. Tau proteins also form neurofibrillary tangles in neurons of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Question 37

Tolerance

Answer 37

The need for higher doses of a drug to maintain the same effect or the loss of an effect previously obtained from the same dose of drug.

Question 38

Neuroscience

Answer 38

the branch of biology that focuses on the body’s nervous system including the brain, attempts to shed light on the effects of drug us and how brain chemistry is changed.

Question 39

Neurotransmitters

Answer 39

(amine/amino acid) chemical messengers, unconscious level

Question 40

Nucleus accumbens

Answer 40

Reward center

Question 41

Neuro Plasticity

Answer 41

The ability of brain to modify its connections or reward itself. Plasticity is maintained throughout life

Question 42

Cerebrum

Answer 42

Logic, problem solving, language comprehension, and production.

Question 43

Cerebral cortex

Answer 43

contains sensory input areas (vision, hearing, touch, pressure, temp), motor areas (voluntary movement), and association areas (memories, thought, perception, and language)

Question 44

Frontal lobe

Answer 44

Moving thinking speaking. Contains motor cortex, broca’s area, frontal association areas.

Question 45

Broca’s area

Answer 45

Left hemisphere slightly in front of the part of the motor cortex that controls movement of the jaw, lips and tongue. Speech production.

Question 46

Parietal lobes

Answer 46

Lie directly behind frontal lobes. Reception and processing of touch. Front called somatosensory cortex, touch, pressure, temp, and pain. Awareness of body movement and position at any given moment.

Question 47

Occipital lobes

Answer 47

Behind the parietal lobes. Reception and interpretation of visual information.

Question 48

primary visual cortex

Answer 48

The site where vision registers in the cerebral cortex. Eyes are connected to primary visual cortex in both right and left occipital lobes. Backwards, right left, etc.

Question 49

Temporal lobes

Answer 49

Slightly above ears, used for hearing. Reception and interpretation of auditiory stimuli. Site in the cortex is called primary auditory cortex.

Question 50

Wernicke’s area

Answer 50

Adjacent to primary auditory cortex in left temporal lobe. Comprehension of spoke word and in formulating coherent written and spoken language.