Drugs used in Psychiatric Disease Flashcards
What are the core and secondary symptoms of depression and how to they relate to making a diagnosis?
Core symptoms: (need 2 of 3 of these)
Low mood
Anhedonia
Decreased energy
Secondary symptoms:
Sleep disturbance, Hopelesness, Reduced concentration, Irritibility, Self-harm/suicidal thoughts
Explain what is meant by the “monoamine hypothesis” of depression
What are the other 2 theories for the pathophysiology of depression?
Depression thought to be due to deficiency of monoamine neurotransmitters (NA and serotonin)
Neurotransmitter Receptor Hypothesis
The Monoamine Hypothesis of Gene Expression
What are the 4 types of antidepressant that can be used clinically?
Tricyclic antibiotics (TCAs)
Serotonin and Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (NARIs)
Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Give some examples of SSRIs
Sertraline
Fluoxetine
Citalopram
How are SSRIs absorbed?
Where are they metabolised?
In the gut
Metabolised in the liver
List some common and some rare side effects of SSRIs
Common: anorexia, nausea, diarrhoea
Rare: precipitation of mania, increased sucicidal intention
How to TCAs work?
Inhibit the reuptake of NA at the nerve terminals
Give some examples of TCAs
Amitriptyline
Clomipramine
How are TCAs absorbed?
Where are they metabolised?
The gut
Metabolised in the liver
List some of the side effects of TCAs
CNS: sedation, lowering of seizure threshold
CVS: tachycardia, postural hypotension
GI: constipation
What would be some of the consequences of a TCA overdose?
Hypotension
Seizure
Arrhythmias
Tachycardia
Give some named examples of SNRIs
Duloxetine
Venlafaxine
What is the definition of psychosis?
Lack of contact with reality
What are the symtoms of paranoid schizophrenia?
Disturbances in thinking
Hallucinations
Delusions
Unusual speech
Lack of insight
What is the definition of a “hallucination”?
A perception in the absence of an external stimulus
(auditory, olfactory, visual, gustatory, tactile)
What is the definition of a “delusion”
A fixed false belief that is out of keeping with someones culute or religious belief
Briefly explain the dopamine theory of schizophrenia
Theory of disturbed and hyperactive dopaminergic signal transduction leading to schizophrenia
What is the evidence that supports the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia?
Amphetamine (increases dopamine) causes very similar symptoms to + schizophrenia symptoms
Parkinson’s disease treatment that do the same can induce schizophrenia like symptoms
Dopamine antagonists are used in the treatment of schizophrenia