Exam 7: Cognitive Enhancers

Question 1

What are the diseases treated with cognitive-enhancing drugs?

Answer 1

ADHD, Alzheimer disease, schizophrenia, depression, drug addiction

Question 2

What are the main drugs used to enhance cognitive performance?

Answer 2

caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil

Question 3

What do amphetamines improve/increase?

Answer 3

Improve mental performance in fatigued subjects, increase ability to focus and maintain self control

Question 4

What does methylphenidate reduce and increase?

Answer 4

reduces fatigue, has a positive effect on long-term memory consolidation

Question 5

What does modafinil improve?

Answer 5

improves attention in rested individuals, improves wakefulness, memory and executive functions in sleep-deprived individuals

Question 6

What is thought to be disordered in individuals with ADHD?

Answer 6

NE and DA pathways in frontal cortex and basal ganglia

Question 7

What is ADHD characterized by?

Answer 7

Inattentive, hyperactivity, impulsive, usually all happening together

Question 8

What function does NE play in prefrontal pathway?

Answer 8

sustained and focused attention, mediates energy, fatigue, motivation and interest, working memory

Question 9

What functions does DA play in the mesocortical pathway?

Answer 9

cognitive functions (sleep, executive functioning, focusing, social cues)

Question 10

What functions does DA play in the nigrostriatal pathway?

Answer 10

Motor hyperactivity, inpulsivity

Question 11

What function is does DA play in the mesolimbic pathway?

Answer 11

euphoria (abuse liability)

Question 12

What does raising DA and NE levels in ADHD patients produce?

Answer 12

reduce symptoms of ADHD

Question 13

What is the primary mode of actions used to treat ADHD?

Answer 13

raising levels of NE and DA

Question 14

What are the drugs used to treat ADHD?

Answer 14

Atomoxetine, Dexedrine (amphetamines), Ritalin (Methylphenidate)

Question 15

Are areas of the prefrontal and limbic cortex activated by psychostimulants at higher or lower doses?

Answer 15

activated at lower doses

Question 16

Are areas of the brain involved in motor activity and arousal activated by higher or lower doses of psychostimulants?

Answer 16

Higher doses

Question 17

Where is the action of atomoxetine (strattera)?

Answer 17

highly selective NE reuptake inhibitor, also elevates DA levels in the prefrontal cortex

Question 18

Does atomoxetine (strattera) have an abuse potential?

Answer 18

no it does not

Question 19

What are the adverse effects of atomoxetine?

Answer 19

nausea, vomiting, weight loss, sleep problems, liver damage

Question 20

What disease is atomoxetine used to treat?

Answer 20

ADHD

Question 21

What are the main pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 21

amyloid plaques, neurofribrillary tangles, loss of neurons (esp. cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain)

Question 22

What are amyloid plaques?

Answer 22

aggregates of the ABeta fragment of amyloid precursor protein which is produced by the action of Beta and gamma secretases

Question 23

What are neurofibrillary tangles comprised of?

Answer 23

Tau protein

Question 24

What accounts for much of the learning and memory deficits of AD patients?

Answer 24

loss of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain nuclei

Question 25

How do you restore cholinergic function in AD patients?

Answer 25

cholinesterase inhibitors

Question 26

What are the cholinesterase inhibitors used to treat AD?

Answer 26

Tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galanatamine

Question 27

What has more hepatotoxicity: Donepezil or tacrine?

Answer 27

Tacrine (hepatotoxicity and cholinergic side effects)

Question 28

What are the side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors?

Answer 28

gastrointestinal symptoms, altered sleep with unpleasant or vivid dreams, bradycardia, muscle cramps

Question 29

What disease is memantine used to treat?

Answer 29

Alzheimer’s disease

Question 30

What is the action of memantine?

Answer 30

weak antagonist at NMDA receptors, selectivit inhibition of excessive pathological NMDA receptor activation, preserves more physiological NMDA receptor activation

Question 31

What drug class is Adderrall? What does it treat?

Answer 31

DL-amphetamine (amphetamines); CNS stimulant for ADHD