Ethanol and the CNS

Question 1

The intoxicating effect of alcohol increases exponentially as the number of what atoms within the molecule increases?

Answer 1

Carbon

Question 2

What does alcohol inhibit within the CNS?

Answer 2

Neurotransmition mediated by GABA/glycine

Excitory neurotransmission mediated glutamate

Question 3

How many subunits does a Cys-loop receptor have?

Answer 3

5

Pentamer

Question 4

What are the 3 functional modules of a cys-loop receptor?

Answer 4

Extracellular domain - binding site for neurotransmitter and competitive antagonists

Transmembrane domain - central ion channel. Binding site for allosteric regulators (including ethanol and general anaesthetics)

Intracellular domain - interacts with cytoskeleton + harbours sites for channel regulation by phosphorylation

Question 5

What are signs of dry beriberi?

Answer 5

Nervous system

• polyneuropathy
• weakness
• numbness
• paralysis
• usually lower limbs

Question 6

What are signs of wet beriberi?

Answer 6

CV system

• increased HR
• SOB
• high output cardiac failure

Question 7

What is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome?

Answer 7

Reversible symptoms if identified early (Wernickes):
Neurological disease
-confusion
-inability to coordinate voluntary movement (ataxia)
-Eye abnormalities

Irreversible (Korsakoff):
Mental disorder
-retrograde
-amnesia
-confabulation